O'Donovan's second letter written a few days before Christmas 1837 draws on the 1560's map of Offaly and Laois in T.C.D. (the subject of an article in Offaly : History and Society (1998) and also the English act of 1557 allowing certain clan territories to be incorporated in the new counties of Laois and Offaly (Queen's and King's).

ORDNANCE SURVEY LETTERS KING'S COUNTY

[ Letter no. 2 from John O'Donovan ]

Portarlington,
December 20th 1837.

Dear Sir,

Having finished that part of Clanmaliere lying on the Philipstown side of the Barrow and having, since the year 1830, an intimate acquaintance with that portion of it lying in the Queen's County, on the Maryborough side of the same river, I shall now - lest I not live to do the Queen's County - point out the limits of that famous country of the O'Dempsys.

The Abbe Mageoghegan describes the extent of Clanmaliere thus:-

"Clan-Malagra, autrement Clenmalire S'etend de deux cotes de la Riviers Barrow, dans le deux comtes due Roi & de Reine, & embrasse les Baronnies de Geashill & Portnehinch. Ce territoire etoil possede par differentes branches des O'Dempseys de la race de Heremon, par le monarque Cahire-more & Rossa Failge sons fils." - Tome Premier, page 212.

This description is from mere conjecture and is very incorrect, for Clanmaliere never comprehended any part of the Barony of Geashill and we shall see presently that the Barony of Portnehinch will not embrace (it will, exactly - J O'D.) that part of it which lay on the other side of the Barrow.

The outline of this sketch of Clanmaliere is from a curious old Map of Leix and Ophaly, preserved in the MS. Library of Trinity College. It seems to have been made at the time that these territories were reduced to Shire ground, in or shortly after the reign of Philip and Mary. The names are corrected from the Annals of the Four Masters and in some instances the modern spelling given.

I shall first give the Act of Parliament by which Leix and Ophaly were formed into Counties and then proceed to point out the Cantreds of Triocha Cheds into which Ophaly was subdivided in the early Irish Times. This can be done by the assistance of the old Map of Leix and Offaly (Ophaly) already mentioned, illustrated by the Topographical Poem of O'Huidhrin and the notices in the Irish Annals, without the aid of both which the Map could not now be well understood. This is the true mode of illustrating the ancient topography of Ireland and not by bold assertions and vague references to MSS., by which the writers of Irish history and topography have rendered their subject so ridiculous that the learned look upon them and their subject with indifference or contempt.

It is probable that many similar maps of ancient Irish territories are still extant in public and private libraries in England; I mean maps of territories made previously to their being distributed into hundreds of Baronies. Such maps would, like the present, much facilitate my topographical researches and save me much time, thought and labour.

You sent me a description of Mageoghegan's Country of Kinel Fiach to Westmeath, which would be of use here. Are there any similar description of territories in the same volume? ...

We next give O'Heerin's account of the seven territories in ancient Ofalia, a
curious record:- ...

    The Lord of Ofalia, land of cattle -
    A fact not unknown to poets-
    Is O'Conor, hero of the plain (Ofaly is the levelest plain in all Ireland).
    Around the green Hill of Cruachan (1)
    Of the people of this wide plain
    Let me treat of the chiefs;
    What host is richer than they
    Over the fair lands of Ofalia?
    Over the Hy-Regan of the heavy onslaughts
    A vigorous band who rout in battle
    Rules O'Dunn, chief of demolition (2)
    Hero of the golden battle-spears (lances)
    (General Dunn is the present head)
    Another chief to me well known,
    O'Hennessy rules o'er Clar Colgan.
    Fair his country beyond Ireland's territories
    Which borders on the grass (3) of Cruachan
    O'er Tuath-Da-Moy of the beauteous bulwark,
    Reigns O'Mulkene of the rich heart,
    Delightful his smooth Tuath of Moy (4)
    Its borders like "the Land of Promise",
    "The Bright Tuath Geisill is possessed
    By a chief on the half-border of Leinster (5)
    Whose tairm (troop?) goes as a fierce strong tairm (?)
    His name is O'Hamirgin (Mergin)
    Over Moy-Aoife of the warm plains
    O'Marragham is a lord of a tuath
    The man (hero, vir) who lives near Green Fidh Gaibhle (6)
    What country is faster against incursions?
    Clann Malura over every tribe
    Noble the dolngs (step?) of their septs,
    Their land a smooth plain-protection of the harbor (7)
    A land hereditary to O'Dempsey.
    Delicious the land, as heard afar (i.e., of old)
    The Tuath of Leighe of the bright plains (field)
    O'Kelly of Leige on the east of the strand (Traigh) (8)
    Is the spouse of this plain of the knotty yews (of dells and yews)
    From Ofalia of ancient lands,
    We next approach Leix in Leinster."

  1. Or over the Green Hill of Cruachan O'Conor is Lord of the vast plain of Ofalia and of the Hill of Cruachan. The Hill of Cruachan is the most remarkable feature of Ofalia. It gives the title of Marquis to the family of Moore.
  2. Taoiseach na Toghla i.e., able to batter walls and knock down castles & houses, a very noble qualification in O'Heerin's time.
  3. Grass of Cruachan, literally the hair of Cruachan.
  4. Land of Promise i.e., overflowing with milk and honey, like the Land of Promise mentioned in the Old Testament.
  5. Half Border of Leinster. Keating says that the boundary of ancient Meath passed through Geishill. The Tuath of Cantred of Geishill was then partly in Meath originally. (No! it was only on the borders of it).
  6. Fidh Gaibhle, a famous wood in Leinster, the mast of a ship taken from which created a dispute which ended in the Battle of Clontarf. The situation of this wood can now be pointed out.
  7. He must allude to some small harbor (cuan) on the Barrow?
  8. By Traigh, which is generally and properly applied to the strand or seashore, he must, by his usual mode of amplification, mean the brink of the River Barrow. This will appear clearer hereafter.