346 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



The MSS. are at variance in another place. Mael Coba (no. 41) follows 

 Cathassach (no. 42) in YBO, and precedes him in L. Whether the trans- 

 position was made in the archetype of L or in that of YBO is not clear, 

 though the latter supposition seems more probable.^ We shall find reason 

 hereafter to think that there was an error in a MS. from which all four were 

 derived — perhaps the original List. 



We come now to the phenomena of the succession of the abbots in this 

 second section. 



Let us notice first that it is preceded by a gap in the chronology without 

 parallel elsewhere Dub da I.ethe 1 no. 27) held the abbacy for eighteen 

 years, and died, as the Annals tell us, in 793. Thus he was elected in 775. 

 Setting aside Cu Dinisc (no. 26 , for reasons which will be given immediately, 

 we are left with a period of seven years from the death of Fer d<i Chrich 

 (no. 25) to the accession of Dub dd Lethe, during which, so far as we know, 

 there was no coarb of Patrick. 



It is probable tliat this vacancy gave Dub da Lethe his opportunity to 

 seize the abbacy, and to claim it as the possession of his father's family. But 

 though he seems to have lield it to the end of his life, and to have been 

 eventually succeeded by hi.s son Connniacli (no. 30), we liave good evidence 

 that neither liis rule nor tliat of Connmach was altogether peaceful. 



Connmach is said in the List to have been abbot for fourteen years, that 

 is evidently from the death of Ins father in 793 to his own death in 807. 

 Plainly, the source from which Connniacli'.s terminal numlier was taken 

 ignored Airechtach and Foendelach (nos. 28, 29). Tlie compiler of tlie List, 

 therefore, had access to a catalogue of coarbs from which these two were 

 excluded, though (no. 36) they were mentioned in the diptychs of the church. 

 But it i.s equally plain that he knew another li.st which recognized them. 

 For he assigns definite periods of office to both of them. Now, the list gives 

 Foendelach a term of three yeare. Since he died in 795, he must have been 

 acknowledged by his own followei-s as abbot from 792. This is so far in 

 agreement with the Annals that they state that he was driven out in 793, 

 and reinstated shortly afterwards. Airechtach (no. 28 , who was abbot for 

 one year, died in 794. Though the Annals call liim abbot under that year, it 

 does not follow that he died in office ; for it is their habit, in recording obits, 

 to give the title of abbot, or coarb of Patrick, to men wlio had held the office, 

 but had resigned or been deposed. If we suppose that Aiicclitach immediately 

 preceded Foendelach, his year as coarb would be 791-2; and 791 is the year 



1 YBO hftTC been found guilty of alt«riDK the order already. In this inntance it is not 

 eaay to conceive a motive for the tran«i)ositi<>n. The chronology \n not really improved 

 by it, though Mnel Coba died five years after Cathaaoach. 



