906
AN GAODHAL.
O'Clerys, in the Book of Invasions (p. 52), speak
of him in the following terms — "Flann, a Saoi of
the wisdom, chronicles and poetry of the Gaels,
made this poem on the Christian kings of Erinn,
from Laeghaire to Maelsaechlainn Mor, begin¬
ning, "The Kings of faithful Temer afterwards,"
etc.
It is to be observed that Flann was the prede¬
cessor of Tighernach ; and without in the least
degree derogating from the well-earned reputation
of that distinguished annalist, enough of the works
of Flann remain to show that he was a scholar of
fully equal learning, and a historic investigator of
the greatest merit.
Let us now return to Tighernach, whose name
stands among the first of Irish annalists; and, as
we shall see in investigating the portions of his
works which remain to us, this position has been
not unjustly assigned him. If we take into account
the early period at which he wrote, the variety and
extent of his knowledge, the accuracy of his de¬
tails, and the scholarly criticism and excellent
judgment he displays, we must agree with the op¬
inion expressed by the Rev. Charles O'Conor, that
not one of the countries of northern Europe can ex¬
hibit a historian of equal antiquity, learning, and
judgment with Tighernach. "No chronicler," say
the author, "more ancient than Tighernech can be
produced by the modern nations. Nestor, the fa¬
ther of Russian history, died in 1113. Snorro, the
father of Icelandic history, did not appear until a
century after Nestor, Kadlubeck, the first histor¬
ian of Poland, died in 1223, Stierman could not
discover a scrap of writing in all Sweden older
than 1159
In this statement, I may however observe, the
learned author makes no mention of Bede, Gildas,
or Nennius. With the great ecclesiastical histori¬
ans of the Saxons, the Irish annalist does not come
into comparison, as he did not treat exclusively of
Church history, but with the historians of the Bri¬
on,s Tighernach may be most favorably compar¬
ed.
As to Tighernach's personal history, but little
unfortunately, is known. Little more can be said
of him than that he was of the Siol Muireadhaidh,
or Murray-race of Connacht, of which the O'Con¬
ors were the chief sept. his own name was Tigh¬
ernach O'Braoin. He appears to have risen to high
consideration and ecclesiastical rank, for we find
that he was Abbot of the Monasteries of Clonmac¬
nois and Roscommon, being styled the Comharba
or "Successor" of St. Ciaran and St. Coman. The
obituary notice in the Chronicom Scotorum runs
thus — "A.D. 1088, Tighernach Ua Braoin, of the
Siol Muireadhaigh (the race of the O'Conors of
Connacht), Comarba of Ciaran of Cluain-mic-nois
and of Coman, died." The Annals of Innisfallen
describe him as a Saoi, or Doctor in "Wisdom,"
Learning, and Oratory; and they record his death
at the year 1088, stating that he was buried a
Clomanois. These statements are confirmed by
the Annals of Ulster.
In speaking of Tighernach, I cannot pass with¬
out some notice of the monastery over which he
presided, an institution of great antiquity. It was
one of those remarkable establishments, ecclesias¬
tical and educational, which seem to have existed
in great numbers, and to have attained a high de¬
gree of excellence in learning in ancient Erinn.
Clonmacnois would appear to have been amply en¬
dowed, and to have enjoyed a large share of royal
patronage, several of the Kings and nobles of
Meath and Connacht have chosen it as their place
of sepulture. And we find it mentioned, that in
many of the great establishments such as this, a
very extensive staff of professors was maintained,
representing all branches of learning. We have
already seen, in the case of Flann of the Monas¬
tery, that it was by no means necessary that those
professors should always be ecclesiastics.
St. Ciaran was the founder of Clonmacnois. He
was of Ulster extraction, but his father (who was
a carpenter emigrated from Connacht, and settled
in Magh Ai (a plain, of which the present county
Roscommon forms the chief part), and here it was
that young Ciaran was born, in the year 516. He
studied at the great College of Clonard, in West¬
meath, under the celebrated St. Finnen, and after
finishing his education there, he went into the is¬
land of Arann, on the coast of Clare, to perfect
himself in religious discipline under the austere
rule of St. Enna. He returned again to Westmeath
where he received from a friendly chief a piece of
ground upon which to erect a church. The situa¬
tion of this church was low, and hence the church
and locality obtained the name of Iseal, or Ciaran's
low place.
St. Ciaran, after some time, left one of his disci¬
ples to rule in this church, and, apparently for the
purpose of greater solicitude, retired into the is¬
land called Innis Ainghin, in the Shaaaon, now
included in the barony of Kilkenny West, in the
modern county of Westmeath Here he founded
another church, the ruins (or site) of which bear
his name to this day. But the fame of his wisdom,
learning and sagacity, soon brought round him
such a number of disciples and followers, that the
limits of the island were insufficient for them, and
and he therefore resolved once more to return to
the main land of Westmeath. This was in the year
538, the last year of the reign of Tuathal Mael¬
garbh, monarch of Erinn.
This Tunthal (pron. Toohal) was the third in
descent from the celebrated monarch Niall, known
in history as Niall of the Nine Hostages, and at
the time that he came to the throne there was an¬
other young prince of the same race and of equal
claims to the succession of Tara, namely, Diar¬
maid the son of Fergus Cerrbheoil.
The new king, Tuathal, feeling uneasy at the
presence of a rival prince, banished Diarmaid
from Tara, and ordered him to depart out of the
territory of Meath. Diarmaid, attended by a few
followers, botook himself in boats to the broad ex¬
pansion of the Upper Shannon, living on the boun¬
ty of his friends at both sides of the river, and in
this manner did he spend the nine years that his
opponent reigned. It was about this time that
St. Ciaran returned with his large establishment
from Inis Ainghin to the mainland, and Diarmaid
happening to be on the river in the neighbourhood
of the place where they landed, went on shore and
followed them to Druim Tibrait (Hill of the well)
now called Cluain-mic-nois or Clonmacnois, where
he stopped. As he approached them, he found St.
Ciaran planting the first pole of a church. "What
work is about being done here?" said Diarmaid.
"The erecting of a small church," said St. Ciaran.
"Well may that indeed be its name," said Diar¬
maid, "Eglais Beg, or the Little Church". "Plant
the pole with me," said St. Ciaran, "and let my
hand be above your hand on it, and your hand
and your sovereign sway shall be over the men of
Erinn before long." How can this be," said Di¬
armuid, "since Tuathal is monarch of Erinn, and
