Early Medieval Offaly- The Arrival Of Christianity

Monasteries, Towns, Tribes And Kings

The Early Medieval period in Offaly (400 AD to 1170AD) represents one of the most interesting in the county's history. In this period, the arrival of Christianity resulted in the flourishing of a series of monastic settlements, spawned by Offaly's location on the boundaries of Ireland's ancient provinces. Of course, the spread of Christianity to Ireland was the first step in this development. The earliest historical reference to the presence of Christians in Ireland dates to 431 AD when Pope Celestine sent Palladius as a bishop to the Christians of Ireland.

He was followed by other missionaries, the most famous of all being Patrick who went on to become Ireland's patron saint. These missionaries not only came to Ireland to spread the word of God to the pre-Christian people of the Iron Age but also to preach to the existing Christian communities.

The missionariers arrived in an Ireland dominated by tribes and kings.

In the Midlands, the Uí Ui Néill tribe which claimed inheritance to Niall of the Nine Hostages had begun to expand its power base from the North by the fifth century. They claimed the kingship of the region spanning from Offaly to the North of Ireland with the Hill of Tara as their symbolic centre of kingship. The hill was to become the political centre of their rule in Ireland. At the same time the Eóganacht family was expanding its power from the south of Ireland, up into modern South Offaly, claiming the kingship of Munster. The Eóganacht's power base was the Rock of Cashel from where they claimed authority to rule over the province of Munster.

Obviously, Offaly as a region did not exist during this period but as an area of land it was placed on a frontier zone between these two ruling tribes. Eventually in the later medieval period this rivalry would lead to the claim for the High Kingship of Ireland with rival kings from different provinces fighting for this mystical title.

In fact, in the fifth century, this part of the country was located at the crossroads of the four provinces of Ireland. The provinces, Meath, Leinster, Munster and Connacht, all had boundaries in the area of modern Offaly.

This important frontier location combined with the presence of the esker ridges- which acted as transport routes across Ireland- are the main reasons why so many churches and monasteries were established in the county.

By this period, Ireland had emerged as a fully-fledged tribal society. Local tribes were ruled by kings who in turn were ruled by higher kings eventually leading to a provincial king who was the ruler over a whole province. Although the idea of a Kingship over all the kings of Ireland was claimed from this period it was not fully achieved until the eleventh century when on his death, Turlough O Brien nephew of Brian Boru was recorded in the Annals of Ulster as King of Ireland.

Each tribe had its own territority, known as a tuatha and ruled by a Rí or King. Each king was a ruler over lesser lords known as aire who were the main landowners of the specific tuatha or tribe. Generally, each tribal region was ruled by one family such as the O'Maddens of Lusmagh, the Mac Coughlans of Delbna Eathra, the O'Carrolls of Éile, the OíConors of Uí Failge, the O'Molloys of Fear Chell, the O'Dempseyís of Clanmaliere and the Foxes of Kilcoursey.

The boundaries of the modern baronies of Offaly were possibly based on these earlier tribal territories and, along with the diocesan boundaries, they give us a picture of the territories of the ancient rulers of fifth century Offaly. The south of Offaly comprising the modern baronies of Clonlisk and Ballybritt, was known as Eile, Ely O'Carroll territory, which in the fifth century was located in the province of Munster. The west of the county now occupied by the barony of Garrycastle was known as Delbna Eathra and was situated in the province of Meath.

The baronies of Ballyboy, Ballycowan and Kilcoursey were known as Cenéal Fiachach known later as Fear Chell (men of the Churches) also situated in Meath. The baronies of East Offaly were mainly located in the territory known as Uí Fáilge in the province of Leinster with an area around Geashill known as Clanmaliere and ruled by the O'Dempseys. A small area around Lusmagh known as Uí Maine territory was located in the province of Connaught.

This was the political background, in which the emergence of Christianity in Offaly took place, between the fifth and seventh centuries. And we will see this social structure of tribes and tuatha helped to cement the growth of monastic Christianity in Ireland. However, initially, the early churches, founded by Christian missionaries from Britain and Continental Europe, were based on the diocesan system as we know today, with its parishes, dioceses and bishops.

For example, Bishop MacCaille's church which is one of the earliest church sites in Offaly believed to founded in the fifth century on the ancient pagan site of Croghan Hill (Cruacháin Bríéile) may have been established along the diocesan system of church rule.

The use of pagan sites by the early Christians is not unusual. The cult of the holy well in Ireland may be the best example of a pagan symbol christianised by the new church.

Other pagan symbols in Offaly which have been christianised are the holy tree at Lemanaghan and the holy bush at Seir Kieran. At both places local tradition and the sense of identification between the people and their symbol is often stronger than with the monastic buildings themselves. However, the form of church organisation based on the diocesan system appears to have fallen out of favour with the Irish people and was replaced by the monastic system of church organisation.

This consists of a monastery founded by an Abbott who becomes an independent ruler and whose foundation may or may not provide sacraments for the ordinary people living in the area around the monastery. Each monastery became an independent authority often outside the control of the European church or the Roman Church. Groups of monasteries often claimed the same founder or an allegiance to another monastery and in these instances the first or major monastery ruled over the other related monasteries.

An example of this type of monastic grouping can be seen in the Columban monasteries of Durrow, and Derry which claimed a common link with the monastery at Iona in Scotland founded by Columcille in the sixth century.

These monasteries flourished throughout Offaly from the sixth and seventh centuries and had achieved great power and wealth by the ninth century. The ruling families of the Tuatha where the monasteries were founded often provided land and protection and later became the abbots or rulers of these sites.

The leaders of the tribes saw this as an opportunity for more power and prestige and this could be used to further their claim of kingship over a wider area of land.

Throughout the medieval period, monasteries attacked each other as they tried to become more powerful within their tribal region. There are numerous references to battles between the monasteries of Clonmacnoise and Birr. The location of the monasteries on the boundaries of ancient provinces also meant that they became the focus of important meetings between the rulers of these provinces.

The monasteries dominate the archaeological monuments of this period and are probably the best known monuments in Ireland. Important monasteries at Rahan, Kinnitty, Lynally, Durrow, Killeigh, Clonmacnoise and Birr are just a selection of the early church sites in Offaly.

These sites originally consisted of a large circular enclosure formed by one or more banks of earth and stone enclosing an area containing one or more churches- the earliest of which were constructed in timber- high crosses, cross-inscribed slabs, house sites and other monuments built by the monks of early Christian Offaly.

Seir Kieran at Clareen and Killeigh are two places in Offaly where one can still see the remains of the large enclosure marking the monastic boundaries. St Mella's cell at Lemanaghan and the St Ciaran's oratory at Clonmacnoise are two of the earliest monastic buildings in Offaly. These large monasteries have often been referred to as monastic towns and some people have suggested that these places were the earliest towns in Ireland.

Within these monasteries, other work associated with a large settlement, such as metalworking, cereal cultivation, glass making, stone building and lime making were carried out. A lot of this information has yet to be discovered and this makes the untouched rural setting of the Offaly monasteries, a vital resource in communicating the story about the origins of our towns, industries and crafts of Ireland.

Other works of art which were produced from monasteries are the illuminated manuscripts such as the seventh century Book of Durrow and the ninth century Book of Birr or Book of MacRegol produced at the monastery of Birr. The shrine of St Manchan now housed in Boher church was produced at the monastery of Lemanaghan and is one of many relics associated with the early monasteries and which became popular objects of reverence around the twelfth century. The high crosses of Durrow, Clonmacnoise, Kinnitty, Seir Kieran and Tihilly had several functions. In some instances they were used as entrance markers to the monastic enclosure while others were used to depict scenes from the bible to educate the congregation.

Several of these high crosses were erected in memory of the King of Ireland and it has been suggested that they were also used as political symbols to depict the divine right of the King to act as ruler over the local population.

At Gallen in Ferbane, an excavation at the site in 1934-5 revealed the foundations of a church situated on top of an earlier burial ground with over 200 Early Christian cross-inscribed graveslabs uncovered, some of these graveslabs can still be seen today at Gallen priory. Many graveslabs have been revealed at Clonmacnoise and other monasteries throughout the county while many more will more than likely be discovered in the future.

Lynally, Lemanaghan, Wheery and Gallen monastic sites have strong links with Wales and it is possible that the founders of these monasteries came from this region. Gallen, for example, was known historically as the place of the Welshmen.

Of course, there are many other monuments of this period which are not associated with the early church. These include:

CRANNÓGS: These are artificial or man-made islands, located on wet land or on lakes and constructed by creating an island of brushwood, peat and stones which forms a dry platform to support one or more buildings. The Ballynahinch Crannóg in Ballinderry Lough near Horseleap was excavated in 1942 and was dated to the Early Christian period.
The rich finds from these sites including items of fine metalworking and personal dress suggests that they could be the residences of the tribal rulers of Irish society. This theory is backed up by the defended nature of the settlement.

RINGFORTS/CASHELS: This monument type is the most common in the Irish landscape and consists of a circular area enclosed by an earthen bank and outer ditch with an entrance usually located on the downslope.
When the enclosing element consists of a dry stone wall the monument is referred to as a cashel. Locally these sites are referred to as Fairy forts, fairy rings, raths, lios or liss or just the fort. Excavations have revealed that these forts were designed as defended farmsteads for, usually, a single family.The enclosing bank acted as a foundation for a timber fence, which surrounded the farmyard, used for cattle rearing, and which contained a house, outhouses and possible metal working areas associated with the daily life of a farming family. There are just under 200 ringforts in Offaly with one of the best examples located in the townland of Knock near Leap Castle, known locally as Bergin's fort. The fort gives us an indication of the importance cattle played in the economy of Early Christian Ireland. They acted as the currency of the period and were the most valuable personal possession of the period. As wealth and status was calculated by the amount of cattle owned, it was, therefore, desirable, to ensure that livestock was protected. This was the movitation for the defendend farmsteads or ringforts which proliferate the landscape of the period.

The impressive ringfort at Ballywilliam in Coolderry parish.

Sometimes there is a local tradition of a tunnel connecting one fort to another, this monument type is known as a souterrain and consists of an underground chamber or chambers which can be faced and roofed with stone or timber sometimes found in the centre of a ringfort.

Five possible souterrains are known from Co. Offaly and it has been suggested that they were used as secure places of refuge, or as places for food storage or maybe for both.

The monuments of County Offaly are dominated by the monasteries of the Early Christian period with Clonmacnoise, Durrow, Rahan, Lemanaghan, Lynally, Gallen, Wheery and Seir Kieran representing the best preserved sites. At these sites one can still see the enclosures and churches built by the monks along with the stone crosses and graveslabs carved to commemorate the dead and their kings and is at places like Seir Kieran that one can still get a picture of what life in Early Christian Offaly felt like.

Clonmacnoise - Offaly's main monastic site

By the mid-twelfth century the monastic way of life was on the decline and the reform of the Irish church by the Roman Church with its structured diocesan system was about to receive a boost by the arrival of the Normans in 1169.

Bards, Tribes And Medieval Offaly

Throughout medieval times, the poet was an important member of Irish society and had a significant role to play in recording both the history and the origins of the tribal leaders and the important places situated in each tribal region.

Below are a selection of medieval poems about the rulers and their places in Medieval Offaly:

The O'Connor tribe from Uí Failge and the Hill of Croghan are celebrated by the bard known as O'Heerin- who died in 1420 AD.

Let us westward proceed to Offaley;
To which brave heroes make submission,
Of their laws I make mention,
Of their convention, I make remembrance.
The Lord of Offaley, a land of mirth,
Not unknown to the poets,
Is O'Conor, the mainstay of the fair plain,
Who rules as the green mound of Cruachan.

A second poem written by the same poet about the O'Carrolls tells us about the extent of the area they ruled, how many tribes it contained, and the importance, cattle played in the economy of the period;

Lords to whom great men submit
Are the O'Carrolls, of the plains of Birr,
Prince of Eile, as far as tall Slieve Bloom,
The most hospitable land in Erin.
Eight districts and eight chiefs are ruled
By the prince of Ely, of the land of herds;
Valiant in enforcing the tributes
Are the troops of the yellow-ringletted hair.

A poem by a poet known as O'Dugan described the people of Fearceall and their rulers as such:

The Prince of Fearcall of the ancient swords
Is O'Molloy of the free-born name;
Full Power was granted to him,
And he held his own country uncontrolled.
Pictured here is the headache stone at Kilmurrely Glebe Church near Shinrone with votive offerings. The stone may have been an early Christian mill stone which was reused in later years as an item of religious significance.