2 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



That Birr Monastery was relatively famous may be inferred not only 

 from the glory of its founder, but from the evident precedence often accorded 

 to the abbot or bishop of Birr in the list of deaths of ecclesiastics recorded 

 under their proper year in The Annals of the Four Masters. Indeed it is 

 borne in upon the mind of the discerning student that this now extinct 

 monastery must have been for several centuries amongst the greatest 

 missionary centres in Ireland. Dr. O'Donovan's excellent Index to The 

 Annals helps us to make the subjoined list of the heads of the Church at 

 Birr. I give the date of death after the name of each person. 



Mac Neamnaill, abb Biorrae (745; ; 



Folachtach MacSarfaelada, abb Biorra (760) ; 



Leargal MacNemit, abb Biorair (774) ; 



Joseb UaFaeMin, abb Biorair (780) ; 



Seanchan, abb Cille Achaid Drummota & Biorair (791) ; 



MacEiagail UaMaglena, Scribneoir, epscop and abb Biorair (820) ; 



Baethlocha, abb Biorair (824) ; 



Dodiu, epscop Biorra (842) ; 



Flaitniad MacCongaile, epscop & abb Biorair (851) ; 



Ailill Banban, abb Biorair (857) ; 



Cartae, abb Biorair (885) ; 



Moran UaBuide, abb Biorra (891) ; 



Baoithine, abb Birrae (926) ; 



Corbmac MacGongaltaigh, Comarba Brenainn Biorra (989) ; 



Ceallach Eeamhar, Comarba Brenainn Biorra & Ciarain Saigre (1079). 



Of the above, Leargal is called " a wise man " ; Dodiu was bishop when 

 Birr and Saigre were plundered by the foreigners of the Boinn, that is, the 

 Danes who had their headquarters at Kosnaree ; Moran " died after a good 

 life at an advanced age " ; and MacEiagail, as we see, was a " scribe " 

 [scribneoir) as well as a bishoja and abbot' ; it is of the last-named that I now 

 treat.^ The title " scribe " was a very honourable one. We notice how, as in 

 MacEiagail's case, it takes precedence of other titles in the case of some of 

 the occupants of the See of Armagh ; so honourable was it then considered to 



' Aoif C)\io)-c oclic cc^T) A pee. An c|ie4r btiAtiAin ■oo ClioticoliAH. tUAC tliAJAit 

 Ua tllA^LenA, i-cpibneoi^i, epjxop, 7 Abb bio]\Ai)\ . . . ■oecc. 



- From the fact that five other great ecclesiastics y?'o/« the srimc iieif/hhourJiood are associated with 

 MacEiagail ns having died this year I inter a massacre. These others are the Bishop of Clonfert, 

 the Bishop and Abbot of Liismagh, the Abbot of Clonfert, tlie Abbot of Aghabo, and the Abbot 

 of Kilmanai;]i ; or else all these good men died of the unusually severe cold of that year. 



