COEmSH DEDICATIONS. 137 



Fiacc was the son of Dubhtach's sister. His father MacDaire 

 had been expelled from his patrimony in what is now Queen's 

 County by Crimthan king of the Hy Cinnselach. In exile he 

 had become a widower, and had married a sister of Dubhtach 

 the poet. 



All the Hy Bairrche, the family of which Fiacc belonged, 

 were now living dispersed, nursing their resentment and looking 

 for a chance of revenge and of recovery of their land between 

 the Nore and the Barrow. 



A few years after the incident at Tara, Fiacc was baptised by 

 S. Patrick himself, during his missionary visitation of Leinster. 



Crimthan, the king of the Hy Cinnselach, who occupied 

 Wexford, and had annexed the Hy Bairrche territory, had opposed 

 the progress of the gospel, and had expelled from his territories 

 such as possessed Christianity. Patrick succeeded in softening the 

 old man and inducing him to be baptized. This accelerated the 

 conversion of his tribesmen, and necessitated the establishment 

 among them of a native priesthood. 



With this view, the apostle consulted Dubhtach, with whom 

 he was on the most friendly terms, as to what was to be done, and 

 whom he was to send to organize the Church among the Hy 

 Cinnselach and in the old Hy Bairrche territory. " The man I 

 require as bishop," said Patrick, "must be a free man, of good 

 family, without blemish, not given to fawning, learned, hospitable, 

 the husband of one wife, and the father of a single child." The 

 object of the last consideration was that the new bishop should 

 not be cumbered with family cares. 



Dubhtach recommended his nephew, Fiacc the Fair. " But 

 how persuade him to take on him the burden of the office ?" 

 asked Patrick. " He is now approaching," said Dubhtach, " Take 

 a pair of shears and pretend to be shaving my head, and see what 

 follows." Patrick did as desired. Fiace ran up and asked 

 breathlessly, what Patrick was about. " I want a bishop for the 

 Hy Cinnselach," replied the apostle. 



" My uncle is too important a man to be spared for that," 

 said Fiacc, " Take me rather than him," and so it was that Fiacc 

 was consecrated bishop. Then Patrick furnished him with a bell, 

 a reliquary, a pastoral staff, and a book satchel ; and appointed 



