TvAWLOK — The Ancient List of the Conrbs of Patrick. 347 



of Cu Dinise's death. Thus it would seem that there were three rivals who 

 in succession to one another contested the claim of Dub da Lethe and his son 

 Counmacli — (Ji'i Dliiisc, Airechtach, and Foendelach. It is, perhaps, sufficiently 

 obvious that none of these persons was of the Claim Sinaich. But it may 

 be well to point out that we have definite evidence of this fact in oiie 

 instance. Dub da Lethe had a son named Airechtach,' and it might be 

 suspected that he was tlie second of the claimants just mentioned. Fortu- 

 nately, a note informs us that the Airechtach of the List was of the Ui 

 Bresail. 



Let us note in passing that here the periods of office of the three rival 

 abbots are included in those of Dub da Lethe and Connmach. In a later 

 ■instance, which has already been considered, the procedure of the compiler 

 of the List is different. The term of office of Cummascach (no. 5S)'is 

 e.\clusive of that of Dub da Letlie III 'no. 52), whose right to the abljacy he 

 challenged. 



It might appear from the List that when Foendelach was murdered in 

 795, Connmach obtained undisputed possession, and ruled for twelve years 

 till his death in 807. But from the Annals we learn that matters were not 

 so easily settled. There was another candidate for the seat of St. Patrick. 

 This was Gormgal, son of Dindatach, Dindagad, or Indnatach. The Ulster 

 Annals seem to imply that he was of the Ui Cremthainn.^ He "profaned" 

 Foendelach in 793, and opposed Connmach after Foendelach's death, making 

 his cii-cuit of Connaught in 799. That he had possession of the abbacy for 

 some time is admitted by the compiler of the List, though he does not 

 include his name in the catalogue, because it did not appear in the diptychs 

 (no. 36). The six persons who engaged in this struggle for the abbacy for 

 the space of fifteen years are all recognized as abbots. in the Annals of 

 Ulster. That the battle was a fierce one is made clear by the fate of 

 Foendelach. The note on Connmach in the List (no. 30) implies that he 

 was the first person who succeeded his father as abbot. Apparently, the 

 compiler overlooked the fact that Fer da Chrich (no. 25) was the sou of 

 Suibne (no. 22 ,. For the prediction of Bee mac De to which he refers, see 

 Zeitschrift fiir Celtisclie Philologie, ix. 169, and O'Curry, Mamiscript Materials 

 of Irish Historij, 1878, pp. 399, 625. 



For five yeai's after the death of Connmach the church seems to have had 

 peace under three abbots, of opposition to whose rule we have no evidence. 

 They were not all descendants of Sinacli. The Annals of Ulster report that 



' See the genealogy, p. 342, note 5. 



' A sept in the biirouy of Sl.me, Co. Meath. .-iccordiiig to M.icCarthy {Annait of C/tjfer, 

 Index). ■■■ i- ' 



R.I.A. PKOC, VOL. XXXV, SECT. C. [46] 



