87 
common progenitor, Oliol Olum, having died in the supreme _sove- 
reignty of all Munster, about A. D. 260. From his eldest son, 
Eoghan, were descended the great families of Desmond, called after 
him Eugenians ; from his second son, Cormac Cas, came the great 
families of Thomond, called after this progenitor, Dalcassians. 
Moreover, we find, that these isles were possessed by the O’Briens, 
from time immemorial, and down to the reign of Elizabeth. These 
occupiers were known by the name of Clan Teige Aran, yet, as 
there is no positive evidence against the pious grant, ascribed to 
King Aengus, we may perbaps safely admit it as an historical fact. 
Certainly, there are two considerations in its favour, First, the 
Kings of South Munster were far more powerful than those of 
North Munster, until the time of the great Brian Boroimhe, the 
Alfred of Ireland; that is, until the tenth century. In the next 
place, Aengus and St. Einea were cotemporaneous. The latter 
founded in 480 * the famous abbey called after him, the remains of 
which are still to be seen in the larger Isle of Aran. Aengus died 
in 489 according to the annals of the four masters of Donegal —in 
492 according to the annals of Inisfallen—in 490 according to 
O'Flaherty. He was the son of Nadfrioch, the son of Corc, the 
son of Oliol Flanbeg, the son of Fiacha Muillechan, the son of 
Eoghan. These latter particulars are given, in order to show how 
careful the Irish were in preserving the pedigrees not only of their 
supreme Kings, but also of their tributary Princes : a practice which 
powerfully.contributed to sustain a faithful system of Chronology. 
In 546, it was agreed between the Kings of Munster and Con- 
naught, that the islands of Aran were to acknowledge no superior or 
pay chief rent to any but their native Princes. 
In 1081, the great island was destroyed by the Danes, as the an- 
VOL. XIV. o 
® Monasticon Hibernicum. 
