O'Donovan now enters his fifth week working in Co. Offaly over the period 20th December 1837 to the date of this letter. The notes on Leamonaghan are scattered. It does not appear as if O'Donovan actually visited the site.

ORDNANCE SURVEY LETTERS KING'S COUNTY

[ Letter no. 25 from John O'Donovan ]

Banagher,
January 18th 1838.

Dear Sir,

This weather is very unfavourable to our researches and we find it very hard to get on to our satisfaction. The next season's work will be dreadful (Mayo!) but more than two must take the field.

This Parish, as also Tisarn and others, is mentioned in the Registry of Clonmacnoise, of which I should have a copy in order to identify the lands mentioned.

OF THE PARISH OF LEAMANAGHAN

The following passage in the Annals of the Four Masters, at the year 645, is the only record of the origin of this Parish I have yet seen.

"A.D. 645. The Battle of Carn Conaill was gained by Dermot, the son of (King) Aodh Slaine, over Guaire (King of Connaught) in which the two Cuans were killed viz., Cuan, the son of Enda, King of Munster, and Cuan, the son of Connell, Chief of Hy Figinte and also Tolamnach, Chief of Hy-Liathain. Guaire was routed from the battle field.

"On marching to this battle, King Dermot passed thro' Clonmacnoise and the congregation of St. Kieran prayed to God for his success, and through their prayers he returned safe.

"After the King's return he granted Tuaim n-Eirc i.e., Liath Manchain, with its divisions of land* as altar land to God and St. Kieran, and he pronounced three curses on any (future) King of Meath, if any of his people should taken even so much as a drink of water⁺ in it. And Dermot ordered that he himself should be interred there."

*i.e., all the lands included under that name.

+ Should they attempt to take the slightest refection there. The chiefs (Kings), when they set out on their coshering (Coinmheadin) excursions, often compelled the monks as well as the laiety to prepare feasts for them. We learn from a charter preserved in the Book of Kells that O'Melaghlin had three days Coigny annually in the Church of Ardbraccan, which he sold for 20 (?) ounces of gold.

Mageoghegan translates much the same account from the Annals of Clonmacnoise. It is thus abstracted by Archdall:-

A.D. 642. Dermot Mac Hugh Slaney, King of Meath, granted to this Abbey in honor of God and St. Kieran the lands of Toymnericke, now called Lyavanchan (Liath-Mhanchain) and to hold the same rent-free for ever.

At the year 664 the Four Masters record the death of St. Manchan of Liath, but the Annals of Clonmacnoise, which are generally two and three years, and sometimes five, earlier in their dates, place his death in 661.

Archdall, after placing the death of St. Manchan, the Patron of Lemanaghan, under the year 661, which he took from Mageoghegan, adds under the year 694:-

"We find another Saint Manchan of Leth, who lived after this year!"

For this he refers to Colgan, Acta SS., p. 382, but the 694 there is only a misprint for 664, which is the date of the Four Masters from whom Colgan had translated the passage. Archdall's mind was a remarkably blunt one. (Arch dall).

"In 851 Flann, the son of Reachtabhrat, Abbot of Liath Manchain, died." - (4 Masters).

"In 1205 Gillebrenyn O'Rochelly, Abbot of Leithmanchain, died." - (Mageoghegan).

In 1531 Murtagh, the son of Mac Coghlan, Prior of Gaillinn and Vicar of Liath-Manchain, was treacherously slain by Torlogh Oge O'Melaghlin. - (4 Masters).

The Annalists also make mention of the shrine of St. Manchain at the year ? This shrine is now preserved in the Chapel of Meelaane in this Parish, but they would not sell it for any money (£400!) Mr. Petrie has a drawing of it, as I was informed.

The Liber Viridis Midensis states that the old Church of Lemanaghan was surrounded by a bog, then (1615) impassable.

The Townland of Togher in this Parish is the Tochar Cinn Mona mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters at the year 1548.

"1548. The Lieutenant (Cosby) and the English, at the instance of Edmond Faye, made an incursion into Delvin and burned and plundered the country, from Bealach an Fhothair, to Tochar Cinn Mona (the Causeway at the Head of the Bog)."

Does Colgan give a Life of St. Manchan? It is stated in the Book of Fenagh that Manchan was an intimate friend of St. Caillin, the Executor of his Will and his successor in the Abbacy of Fenagh. He was the son of Innaoi and his Festival was celebrated at Liath-Manchain on the 24th of January. Tradition makes him a brother of St. Kieran, but this is not true. His well is still in existence (bearing the name of Tobar-Manchain) in the T.L. of Liath-Manchain.

Your obedient servant,
John O'Donovan.