410 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
Later it came into the possession of the Lanigans, for at page 31 we 
read: ‘(17 Sept., 1810, Thomas Lanigan, dominus de Castlefogerty, 
hune librum dono dedit Thome Bray, moderno Romano-Catholico 
Archiepiscopo Casseliensi.”” Dr. Bray was Archbishop of Cashel from 
1792 to 1828. From him it has passed as an heirloom to his successors, 
and at present it is the property of the Most Rev. Dr. Croke. 
The first work, the Zriwnphalia, begins with three short epigrams 
in elegiac metre. Next comes the Censura, or approbation of those to 
whom the book was submitted, to ensure that it contained nothing 
hurtful to faith or morals. Then the illuminated title-page; the dedica- 
tion to Luke Archer, at that time Abbot of Holy Cross; an address to 
the ‘‘kindly reader;” and a preface, in which the difficulties met with 
in writing the work are set forth. Here, and frequently elsewhere 
throughout the book, the author speaks of an old Irish manuscript 
from which he took a part of his materials, and he expresses his regret 
that the first leaf, containing, no doubt, the early history of the Abbey, 
was lost. The work, properly so called, is divided into three parts. 
The first contains the history of the foundation and a narrative of 
some miraculous cures wrought by the Cross; the second, an account 
of a statue of the B. V. Mary, found off the coast of Clare after the 
wreck of the Spanish Armada; the third, a brief history of the other 
Cistercian Abbeys in Ireland. The first chapter, or /7/ustratio as it is 
called, gives the legend from which the ancient name originated, which 
is set forth so dramatically on the coloured title-page. It runs thus :— 
‘¢Where the Abbey now stands there was formerly a poor cell inha- 
bited by a hermit. A party of four robbers, ‘quatuor compares la- 
trones,’ wishing to put to actual test what they had heard of his holiness 
of life, used threats to him, and bade him give them his money-bags. 
The hermit assured them that he had nothing of the kind. ‘ Well, 
then,’ they replied, ‘let us see some proof of the truth of what is 
reported of you. Make that huge tree yonder bend down its top and 
touch the earth.’ He warned them not to tempt God thus. They 
threatened him with instant death if he did not comply with their 
demand. And, behold! to their amazement, that huge tree bent down 
and touched the ground. They seized the branches, but they could 
not let go their hold as it rose up. Donnell Mor O’Brien, king of 
Limerick, happened to be passing by, and learning what had taken 
place, he cut off their hands as they clung to the tree, and so their 
bodies fell to the ground. Wherefore, to this day it is called in the 
Trish tongue Monaster Ochterlamhan, 7.e. the Monastery of the Hight 
Hands.”’ ' 
That, as a fact, Donnell Mor O’Brien was the founder of this Abbey 
we know from the Charter still im existence in the Archives of Kil- 
kenny Castle; it has been reproduced in the second part of the Fac- 
similes of Irish Manuscripts, edited by Mr. Gilbert. This is not the only 
memorial left us of Donnell Mor’s piety, for we owe to him besides 
the cathedral churches of Killaloe and Cashel and the Monastery of 
Innislaught. The Four Masters say he died in 1194:—‘‘Donnell, 
