Westropp — 31agh Adhair, Co. Clare. 59 



King of Cashel, about 840, in the ancient history preserved in the 

 "Book of Munster." Perhaps, as in later times, Thomond was 

 divided between rival houseS; whose records perished in the Danish 

 v^ars, while the revival of learning under Brian only celebrated that 

 great king's ancestors, and their opponents were only remembered in 

 dry lists like that in the " Book of Ballymote." 



In face of such obscurity in the ancient histories, it is little 

 wonder that the records of Magh Adhair only begin late in the ninth 

 century. In 877^ Flan Sunagh of Cashel invaded Thomond. Having 

 ravaged Munster from Balboruma to Cork, he thought fit to reduce 

 the plain of Magh Adhair, and passing the place of inauguration, 

 stopped, in bravado, to play chess on itslgreen. "While thus engaged, 

 King Lorcan fell upon him, aided by the stout chief Sioda, ancestor 

 of the Macnamaras, and, after a three days' skirmish, so entangled 

 him in the country that Flan was glad to surrender, and procure an 

 ignominious retreat across the Shannon. 



In the winter of 941 a more friendly stranger, Murchad " of the 

 leather coats," of Aileach, after his daring king hunt round Ireland,- 

 brought Callaghan of Cashel and other captives through the friendly 

 state of Thomond, camping a night " on the beautiful cold Magh 

 Adhair." In Brian's reign Malachy, the Ard High, overran Thomond 

 in 982, and cut dowa "the ancient tree of Magh Adhair," after it had 

 been dug from the earth, with its roots. This insult was repeated on 

 a later tree, in 1051, by Aed 0' Conor, King of Connaught. After 

 this second disaster we hear little of interest about the place. In 

 Macgrath's " Wars of Torlough "^^ it is often mentioned but in merely 

 a historic formula. O'Brien (Conor, 1240; Brian, 1267; Torlough, 

 1277; Donough, 1306; Dermot and Murchad, in opposition, 1311; 

 Donough, in opposition, 1313) goes to Magh Eir, and is inaugurated 

 by Macnamara, who proclaims his regal title, and the chiefs and their 

 hosts consent and rejoice. So strongly conservative was public feeling 

 that Lochlan Macnamara, so far as is recorded, without hesitation or 

 protest, inaugurated his enemy Dermot O'Brien, the rival of his friend 

 Murchad, and soon afterwards willingly invested the latter with the 

 chieftainry. The odes on these and later occasions to the reign of 



' "Book of Munster," E. I. A.; Annals Four Masters, at 877; Todd's 

 " Wars of the Gaedhill with the Gaill," p. cxiii. 



^ "The Circuit of Ireland." 



^ I use the older name as more familiar at present than that of ' * The 

 Triumphs." See Mr. Standish Hayes O'Grady's translation, pp. 2, 6, 10, 32, 

 47, 48, 69. 



