262 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



other goods ; two of the finest and most sheltered harbours were at Schull 

 and Crookhaven ; and the Creek of Dunruanus was, in those days of flat-bottomed 

 ships, almost as valuable. He maintained himself free from the claims of the 

 MacCarthies to tribute. In a.d. 1319 we hear of Finghin relieving his father, 

 who was blockaded on Cregaire (Beare) by the sons of Finghin MacCarthy. 

 The young chief, in the absence of his father's fleet, had only one ship ; but, 

 working by night, he enabled his father Dermod (son of Donagh), fourth chief 

 of Ivagha peninsula, to hold out till the other ships returned and brought off 

 the besieged to the Cam (Mizen Head . I confess to finding much obscurity 

 in this entry. It throws doubt on the date of the tribal split, for Dermod More 

 lived till 1327, and the "split" has been dated in 1260. Donal was chief in 

 1383 ; again an improbably long " reign," is asserted, for his son Dermod 

 Euntach had sons apparently in their prime in 1473, or later. In fact, the 

 received history is full of difficulties and evident errors. 



Huidhrin in his well-known Topographical Poem, before 1-420, thus 

 describes the peninsula — 



' ' Ui Eachach of the west of Banba, 

 Is the great patrimony of Ui Mathgamhna. 

 Land of fair mounts, irriguous, not undulating, 

 Extensive is that plain of brown nuts." 



Dermot, son of Donall, was called Runtach, " the reliable." His sons are 

 connected in the family archives with several of the castles. His second son, 

 Donagh Mor, built Dunmanus ; his fourth son, Donall, Dunbeacon. 

 " Dermot Euntach, lord of Fonn Iartharach, a truly hospitable man, who never 

 refused to give anything to anyone, died " in 1427. 1 



Conchobar was the fifth chief of Ivagha Peninsula. He was named Cabaicc, 

 an obscure title, variously rendered " the talker " or " the cape-wearer," and 

 also " Kittoge," the left-handed. He built Leameon, and died in 1473. The 

 Annals of Loch Ce record the death of Concobar, son of Dermot, son of 

 Donal, son of Finghin, son of Dermot More, at Ard an tennail, a castle whose 

 ivied turrets rise in an older ring-fort to the south-east of Schull. Finghin 

 the next chief, we shall mention as a man of learning and literature. 



The Ivagha peninsula seems to have escaped the notice of the Commis- 

 sioners of the Papal Taxation in 1302-7. Working over the churches in the 

 Deanery of Corkyghteragh we find, as so often, a regular topographical order, 

 in this ease from east to west, broken by the church of Sclenbercain (Glen- 

 berchon, or Castlehaven), which heads the list. Then there follow Crynfath 

 (Creagh), Akadun (Aghadown), and Toulagh (Tullagh at Baltimore), Kikeran 



1 Annals Four Masters. 



