22 THK president's addbess. 



It was customary for the cliief king of Ireland to send his 

 herald through the country, and also that the herald should 

 enter a lis, the court of a subject king, with his spear held 

 transversely. 



Now, Diarmid, son of Fergus Cearbhall, was king from 

 544 to 565, and on one occasion he sent Iris herald round to see 

 whether everywhere the law was being observed. This man 

 came to the court of Aed Guaire, king of Connaught, and because 

 Aedh's doorway was not wide enough to let him through in the 

 required manner, he began to break it down. This so incensed 

 Aedh, that he killed the man, and then fearing the consequences, 

 fled for sanctuary to St. Euadhan of Lothra, who, unable to 

 protect him, sent him into Britain. But as Diarmid demanded 

 him thence of the British king, Aedh returned to Ireland and 

 took sanctuary once more with St. Euadhan. Diarmid broke 

 sanctuary and carried off Aed Gruaire. 



Euadhan was furious ; he summoned to him the eleven 

 principal saints of Ireland for a combined act, to resent infringe- 

 ment of sanctuary. The saints assembled and proceeded to 

 Tara, and cursed Diarmid and Tara that the king should perish 

 miserably, and the royal palace become a desolation for ever. 

 In vain did Diarmid attempt to come to terms, he surrendered 

 the prisoner. But the curse once discharged could not be 

 recalled. 



Diarmid was killed in 565, and certain it is that the fear of 

 the curse laid on Tara caused its immediate abandonment. On 

 this Dr. Douglas Hyde justly remarks ; " Tara — the great palace 

 where, according to general belief, a hundred and thirty-six 

 Pagan, and six Christian kings had ruled uninterruptedly, the 

 most august spot in all Ireland, where a ' truce of G-od ' had 

 always reigned during the great triennial assemblies, was now to 

 be given up and deserted at the curse of a tonsured monk. The 

 great assembly of Tara, which accustomed the people to the idea 

 of a centre of government and a ruling power, could no more 

 be convened, and a thousand associations and memories which 

 hallowed the oflS.ce of the High King were snapped in a moment. 

 It was a blow from which the monarchy of Ireland never 

 recovered, a blow which, by putting an end to the great triennial 



