138 COBNISH DEDICATIONS. 



seven of his clerics to attend him. S. Patrick's conduct. in this 

 transaction was one of those happy strokes of genius and tactful 

 arrangements which conduced so largely to his success in Ireland. 



Crimthan, as already stated, had driven the Hy Bairrche out 

 of their land, although MacDaire was his own son-in-law. By 

 the daughter of Crimthan MacDaire had four sons, all of whom 

 were eating out their hearts with rage in banishment. By his 

 second wife MacDaire had an only son, Fiacc. 



The apostle now proposed to Crimthan to surrender one fifth 

 of the Hy Bairrche patrimony to Fiacc, that is to say Fiacc' s 

 legitimate share of his father's property, and to accept him as 

 spiritual head of the mission in that part of Leinster. To this, 

 probably after some demur, Crimthan acceded. He moreover 

 gave to Patrick some thirty or forty sites for churches in the Hy 

 Cinnselach district, so that at once the Church started well endowed 

 throughout the whole district from the Nore to the sea. By this 

 happy arrangement, some of the wrong done to the Hy Bairrche 

 was redressed, and Fiacc started work among his own people. 



The first thing he did was to form a nucleus whence he could 

 work. This he placed at Domnach Fiacc, now Moryacomb, on 

 the borders of Carlow, between Clonmore and Aghold. It is clear 

 that he felt little confidence in Crimthan, so he made his head- 

 quarters at some little distance from him. From this establishment 

 he worked the district with the men given him by Patrick ; but 

 he did more, he made of this establishment a training school for 

 missionary priests whom he could send as required, to fill the 

 churches among the Hy Cinnselach and the Hy Bairrche, as the 

 gospel made way. 



During Lent he was wont to retire unattended to a cave on 

 the north-east side of the doon of Clopook, where the rock rises 

 abruptly a hundred and fifty feet from the plain. It lies directly 

 north-west of Sletty, from which it is distant about seven miles. 



Here he not only spent his time in prayer and meditation, 

 but in jotting down memorials of S. Patrick. A hymn on the 

 Life of S. Patrick is attributed to him, but he was not the author, 

 it was a composition of Aedh the anchorite of Sletty, who died in 

 690. 



