O'Donovan again returns to the subject of Hugh de Lacy's murder at Durrow in 1186 and looks at the the "authorities" casting aspersions on earlier interpretations and goes on to each of the aspect of Clonmacnoise history already discussed in five issues in this series.

ORDNANCE SURVEY LETTERS KING'S COUNTY

[ Letter no. 24 from John O'Donovan ]

Banagher,
January 17th 1838.

Dear Sir,

I am glad to see that Charles O'Conor has avoided the gross blunder which had escaped the ken of O'Flannigan and O'Reilly. It shews what a superior man Charles O'Conor was in comparison with them and how very valuable his translation of the Annals of Inishfallen is to the Irish historian. The Academy should purchase this MS.

I think that Campion's account of the murder of Sir Hugh de Lacy has been in a great measure drawn from his own fancy. But be this as it may, Campion cannot be considered an original authority and, as he does not state whence he derived his information, he cannot be confronted as an English authority with the original Irish Annals. Cambrensis is the only coeval English authority on the subject, but his words are so vague that nothing satisfactory can be inferred from them. He states that De Lacy, a securibus male secures, lost his life by the treachery of his Irish people. But by his Irish (Hibernensium suorum) he might have meant the Irish of the Country of Meath, of which he was Lord; or, by dolo Hibernensium suorum, he could have meant the treachery of his Irish labourers or artizans, who suffered him to be assassinated by one who was not in his employment. I see as yet nothing to mullify the testimony of the Annals of Kilronan, which record that De Lacy was murdered by Gillaganinaher O'Meeyey, the fosterson of Fox, Prince of Teffia. Perhaps O'Meeyey might, at the request of his foster-father, Fox, have enlisted in the service of the Earl (prayed to be set on worke for hyre) as a laborer in order to watch an opportunity of despatching him. We find that Fitz-Pat-rick of Ossory sometimes went around as a carpenter, ventner etc., to explore the state of English garrisons. ...

Hugo de Lacy, the powerful Lord of Meath, was treacherously slain by a Galloglass, being then building a castle in Durmach Colum-Cille. He left issue two sons viz., Walter, who succeeded him as Lord of Meath, and Hugo, who was Earl of Ulster. Dia leat les O'Conor of Belanagare, Mr. Smith's Collection. ...

FINGHIN'S WELL

A.D. 613. This year came in Pilgrimage to Clonmacknois one Gorman and remained there a year, and fasted that space on bread and the water of Fynin's Well*. He is ancestor to Mick Conn ne mBoght and Moynter Gorman and died in Clone aforesaid. - From Annals of Clonmacnois, is translated by Mageoghegan.

*Q? The water of that well at Clonmacnois which is now called after Fynin Mac Carthy? ...

A.D. 1015. A great wind storm happened in the autumn of this year (a storm like, or similar to which had not occurred in this age) by which the large oak of Regles Finghin at Clonmacnoise was prostrated.

J. O'D.

Campion's Historie of Ireland, p.99.

Lacy, the rather for these whisperings, did erect and edifie a number of castles, well and substantially provided in convenient places, one at Derwath where diverse Irish prayed to be set on worke for hyre; Sundry times came Lacy to quicken his labourers, full glad to see them fall in ure with any such exercise wherein, might they once be grounded and taste the sweetness of a true man's life, he thought it no small token of reformation to be hoped, for which cause he visited them often and merrily would command his gentlemen to give the labourers example in taking paines; to take their instruments in hand and to worke a season, the poore soules (where did you reade this?) looking on and resting. But this game unded tragically; while each man as busie to try his cunning - some lading; some plaistering; some heaving; some carving, the Generall also himselfe digging with a pikeaxe - a desperate villaine of them, he whose toole the Generalle used, espying both his hands occupied and his body with all his force inclining to the blow, watched his stoope and clove his head with an axe, little esteeming the torments that ensued (1189). (Masther Campione has thickened this a good deale from his own conceates).

The passage in the Annals of the Four Masters, at the year 899 I translate thus:- ...

"Carbry Crom, Bishop of Clonmacnoise, died. It was to him the spirit of Maelseachlainn, the son of Malrony, shewed itself." (rose!).

In the north of Ireland, to this day, this phrase is in common use:- "Ta se ag togbhail cinn" - "he is appearing" is generally applied to one who, having died, makes his appearance again. They have no other phrase to express the "rising of a ghost" but togbail cind - And skelethon faces rose up from the dim depth of the charnal house and glared on him. ...

It is difficult to ascertain who the Fingin was from whom Tobar Finghin at Clonmacnoise was named, so early as the year 610 or 613.

The present tradition is that the Finghin from whom Finghin's Church and Tower were named was Finghin (prod. Feeneen) Mac Carthy More, Prince of Desmond.

Has Mr. Petrie ascertained when this Finghin (Florence) Mac Carthy flourished? There were many of the family of Mac Carthy who bore the name Finghin or Florence, but the Finghin who erected this Church must have lived at a very early period, as the style would seem to prove. But a curious objection could be raised against arguments of antiquity derived from the style of such Churches. It is this:-

The Anglo-Normans introduced the Gothic or pointed style of architecture into Ireland about the year 1172.

There is no evidence that the Irish had any building in the pointed style previously to that period. Did not the Irish continue to build in their own primitive round style for some (one or two at least) centuries after the arrival of the Anglo-Normans? and will it not be found that while the Anglo Normans erected Churches in the Gothic style at Dublin, Drogheda, Cork etc., the Irish built Churches in the ancient round style at Clonmacnoise and other places, where the Anglo Normans had no power to introduce their innovations?

Your obedient servant,
John O'Donovan.