Uses of the Round Towers of Ireland, fyc. 243 



who appears in our authentic annals, is St. Fidhairle Ua Suanaigh, whose name 

 appears in the Irish Calendars at the 1st of October, and who, according to the 

 Annals of the Four Masters, died on the 1st of October, in the year 758, but 

 more correctly, according to the accurate Annals of Tighernach, in 763. And 

 that this Ua Suanaigh was the founder of a new establishment at Rathain ap- 

 pears sufficiently plain from the fact, that, in the Irish Annals, the later abbots 

 of Rathain are not called successors of St. Carthach, but of Ua Suanaigh, as in 

 the following instances, from the Annals of Clonmacnoise and the Four Masters : 



"A. D. 1113. Oiapmaitr Ua Cealluij, covhapBa Ui Shuanmj, o'ecc." 

 " A. D. 1113. Diarmaid Ua Ceallaigh, successor of Ua Suanaigh, died." 

 " A. D. 1136. Saepbperac Ua Ceallaij, coriiapba Ui Suanaij, o'ecc." 

 "A. D. 1136. Saerbhrethach Ua Ceallaigh, successor of Ua Suanaigh, died." 



"A. D. 1139. TTluipcepcachUa maoilmuaio, cijeapna Peap g-Ceall, DO lopccao D' Pepoib 

 Ceall, .1. DO Uib 6uamirii, i cempull Rairne." 



" A. D. 1139. Muirchertach O'Molloy, lord ofFeara Ceall, was burned by the Feara Ceall them- 

 selves, namely, the O'Luainimhs, in the church of Rathain." 



" A. D. 1141. Oorhnall, mac Ruaiopi Ui TTIhaoilmuaio, cijeapna peap g-Ceall, DO riiap- 

 Ba6 la TTluincip C.uaimrii i Rpacam h-1 Suanaij." 



"A. D.I 141. Domhnall, son of Euaidhri O'Molloy, lord of Feara Ceall, was slain by the 

 Muintir Luainimh in Rathain Ui Suanaigh." 



"A. D. 1153. Cainicc oan CUDJ Ua 6piam co n-a ploccaib co Rairin Ui Shuanaij h-i 

 poipicm Chonnacc, &c." 



"A. D. 1153. Tadhg O'Brien marched with his forces to Raithin Ui Shuanaigh to relieve 

 Connacht, &c." 



" A. D. 1 166. 5 10 ^ a na naorii Ua Ceallaij, coriiapba Ui Shuanaij li-i Rachain, o'ecc." 

 " A. D. 1 166. Giolla na naomh O'Ceallaigh, successor of Ua Suanaigh at Rathain, died." 



I may also mention, as a fact corroborative of this conclusion, that an ancient 

 stone cross at Rathain, which was probably erected as well to mark the bounds 

 of the sanctuary, as for a memorial of the re-erection of the churches there, 

 was called Ua Suanaigh's Cross, as appears from a very curious notice in the 

 LeabharBreac,fol. 35, p. b, relative to the punishment by death and forfeiture 

 of lands of some families of the Cineal Fiacha, for violating the guarantee of Ua 

 Suanaigh, and offering insult to his cross. 



If then to these evidences we add the fact, that the Irish authorities are 

 silent as to the re-erection of churches at Rathain at a later time, or as to any 



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