CORNISH DEDICATIONS. 601 



Luirig (whom lie had murdered), as his wife, and this seems to 

 have given great offence to Oairnech. 



By her Murtogh is said to have had, as sons, Constantino and 

 G-aedhil Ficht, who remained to reign in Britain, and especially 

 over the Cornish Britons after Murtogh returned to Ireland. 



The Irish Annals give us these dates : — 



Murtogh Mac Earca was fighting along with Illand and 

 Ailil, sons of Dunlaing, against Aengus Mac Nadfreich, King of 

 Leinster, and slew him and his wife in 489. 



Then we hear no more of him till 497 (498), when he was 

 fighting his former confederate Illand. 



In 508 or 509, he was engaged in war with Duach, King of 

 Connaught, and defeated and killed him. 



From 508 to 513 were years of anarchy in Ireland, but in 

 the latter year Murtogh Mac Earca was chosen king, and he 

 reigned till 533. In the meantime Cairnech had returned to 

 Ireland, whether on account of quarrels with King Arthur and 

 Cado, Duke of Cornwall, we cannot tell. 



If there is any reliance to be placed on this part of the 

 story in the Latin Life, — it perhaps was so. But the principal 

 reason for the return of Cairnech was that Earca, the mother of 

 Murtogh, in her old age had felt qualms of conscience at her past 

 conduct, and she came to S. Cairnech, her nephew, in penitence, 

 kneeling at every second ridge, on her way, so it is said, till the 

 blood oozed from her finger ends. Cairnech received her with 

 these words : " I hail thee, Earca, and thou shalt go to heaven ; 

 and one of every two worthy kings who shall reign over Ireland 

 shall be of thy seed ; the best women and the best clerks shall 

 be theirs; success in battle shaU. be theirs also." 



From her eight sons she had received an extensive tract of 

 land in fee-simple, in Tri-Connell. She had also possession of 

 Drumleene, in Eaphoe. All this fine territory she gave to her 

 nephew. Soon after, she died, and S. Cairnech blessed the spot 

 and called it Kill- Earca, and placed S. Croidan, a bishop, in 

 charge there. 



Murtogh Mac Earca had fallen under the fascinations of a 

 beautiful woman called Sheena, ' daughter of Sigh. He was 



