Uses of the Round Towers of Ireland, fyc. 287 



" This edifice is said to have been erected in the tenth century ; and from its 

 architectural character few will be inclined to call in question its pretension to 

 so high a date of antiquity." Beauties of Ireland, vol. i., Introduction, p. cxiii. 

 A reference, however, to the authentic Irish Annals would have shown 

 those gentlemen that such opinions were wholly erroneous, and that this church 

 did not owe its erection to the celebrated Cormac Mac Cullenan, who nou- 

 rished in the tenth century, but to a later Cormac, in the twelfth, namely, 

 Cormac Mac Carthy, who was also king of Munster, and of the same tribe with 

 the former. In the Munster Annals, or, as they are generally called, the Annals 

 of Innisfallen, the foundation of this church is thus recorded : 



" A. D. 1127- Sluaj mop le Coipoealbach Ua Concubaip 50 piacr Copcaij, 7 & pein ap 

 cip, 7 coblac ap tnuip ciomcul 50 Copcaij, 50 n-oeapnaio pem 7 Oonncha mac Capcaij 50 

 n-a mumcip Copmac, mac ITIuipeaoaij, TTlijj Capcai j, o'airptojjao, 50 mo h-eijion DO ool a 

 n-oilicpe 50 6iop mop/7 bacall DO jabdil arm ; 7 tDonnca, mac TTIuipeaoaij, meij Capraijj, 

 DO piojuo n-a piajnaipe. ****** t)d Cheumpul a iop mop, 7 ceampul a j-Caipiol, le 

 Copmac." 



" A. D. 1127. A great army was led by Turlough O'Conor to Cork, he himself going by land, 

 and a fleet by sea round to Cork, and he and Donough Mac Carthy with his people caused Cormac, 

 son of Muireadhach, son of Carthach, to be dethroned, so that he was obliged to go on a pilgrimage 

 to Lismore, and take a staff there ; and Donogh, son of Muireadhach, son of Carthach, was inau- 

 gurated in his presence. * e Two churches [were erected] at Lismore, and a church at 

 Cashel, by Cormac." 



Thus also, in the same annals, we have the following record of the conse- 

 cration of this church seven years afterwards : 



"A. D. 1134. Coipiopjao ceampuill Copamaic mac Capcaij a j-Caipol leip an Cfpo- 

 ej-poj 7 h-eppojjaib na rDuman, 7 le macib' 6peann, loip laoc 7 cleipeac." 



" A. D. 1134. The consecration of the church of Cormac Mac Carthy at Cashel by the arch- 

 bishop and bishops of Munster, and the magnates of Ireland, both lay and ecclesiastical." 



And again, in the same annals, the erection of this church is thus distinctly 

 stated in the following record of Cormac's death, at the year 1138 : 



" A. D. 1 138. Copmac, mac muipeaoai j, mac Capcai, mac Saopbpeici j, mac tDonncha, 

 mac Ceallacam Caipl, Ri j tDearrnurhan, 7 tomcopnarhach ITlurhan uile, 7 an oume ba cpaiB- 

 cije, 7 ba calama, 7 ba peapp pa biuio, 7 pa eaoach, lap j-cumoach ceampuill Copamaic a 

 g-Caipiol, 7 oa reampull a 6iop mop, DO mapbao le t)iapmaio Sumach h-Ua Concubaip 

 Ciappuioe, aip paopam Coipoealbaij li-Ui 6piam, a cliamam, 70 caipoiop Cptopc, 7 a alcpom 

 a b-peall." 



