342 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



under review was that in which, according to St. Bernard, the abbots, or as 

 he calls them, metropolitans, held their office by hereditary succession.^ He 

 explains this statement to mean that they were all of one family. Some 

 additional remarks on the subject may be made here. 



In the first place, there can be no doubt that the family to which 

 St. Bernard refere was a branch — probably the principal branch — of the 

 Clann Sinaick The genealogy of that sept is preserved.- In at least one 

 copy it is entitled Gaulach Ua Sinai^ .i. comarba Pddraig, " Genealogy of the 

 Ui Sinaich, i.e., the coarbs of Patrick."' It begins with Amalgaid (no. 51), 

 whose lineage is traced back, through Sinach, to Colla Fochrith.* In the 

 paper which has been mentioned it was shown that four abbots of Armagh 

 (nos. -54-57) were descended from Amalgaid, and that Dub da Lethe III 

 (no. 52) was the son of .Mael Muire (no. 50). With the help of the genea- 

 logy the argument can be carried further.' From it we learn that Mael 

 Muire was the fatlicr of Amalgaid, and that Cellach, the father of Dub da 

 I-eihe II (no. -IS), was Mael Muire's grandfather. Thus it is practically 

 ceruin that the succession prevailed from 966 at the latest. 



We may, perhaps, carry it further back. Muiredach (no. 47), as the List 

 tells us, in agrvement with the Annals, came from Glenarind in Slieve GuUion: 

 and Slieve Gullion wa.s in Airthir. the home of the Clann Sinaich.' Again, a 

 note (no. 48; states that the grandfather of Dub da Lethe II, on his mother's 

 side, was Mael Tuile of Inisk<«n. Mael Tuile was the father of Mael Patraic 

 (no. 45).' and Iniakeea is on the River Fane, one of the boundaries of Airthir.' 

 Mael Patraic may therefore have belonged to the Clann Sinaich. If so, 

 we may date the beginning of the unbroken hereditary succession as early 

 as 936. 



But as a fixed custom it cannot have been in existence before that year. 

 The imme^liate predecessor of Mael Patraic was Joseph (no. 44), whom tlie 

 List and the Annals of Ulster describe as of the Clann Gairb Gaelta of 

 Dalriada, a district in the north of the present county of Antrim. His 

 predecessor was Mael Brigte (no. 43). What the List says of him is not now 



' L.c . p. 235. 



' In R«wlin»«n. B 502, p. U6. e, and eUewhere. 



'Bock..: •. ll:{b. 



* L»(er r- o'^'in with CclUch (no. 56). 



' The pedigree runs, ' .\m»lg»id in. M»el >l«ire m. Eochkda m. Cellaich m. Flannacain 

 111. Coemain m. AinschtAich m. Daih da Lvthi m. Sinaich,' fee 



* See Al", 1069. 



■ It ia of course possible that >Iael Tuile the father of Mael Patraic wag not identical 

 with Mael Tailr the t^randfathei of Dub da Lethe. 



* Hogui, Unomorfteoit, s.t. Airthir. 



