WE.STiiopp — Tijpcs of Riiig-Forfx rriiinliiin;/ in Edsfern Clare. lOo 



frustrated by liis victory at Knocklong. The Dalcassians allege that he 

 claimed the kingship of Cashel from Failbhe Flann, iu 634, but without 

 success. Contemporary witli him was Toirdliealbhagh' (Torlogli), father of 

 St. Plannan of KiUaloe, who is said to have been "king" in the life of 

 that saint," the only descendant of Aedh even called king till tlie niutli 

 century. He may have been actually chief of the obscure little trilje of 

 Ui Thoirdlieabhaigh, near KiUaloe, which bore his name. 



The Bruree line' had a long succession in the kingship of Thomond. 

 The above-named Dioma, 627, son of Eonan son of Aengus son of Caii'then finn ; 

 Ferdomnach (who gave luis Sibthoun, on which island part of Limerick city 

 now stands, to St. Mainchin), AincUid, and DubhcUim, the three sons of Dioma. 

 Cernach grandson of Aindlid, after 700 ; Torpa, his son, circa 750 ; Donall and 

 Finachta, sons of Eachtighern, grandson of Ferdomnach, 770 till after 800. 

 Then about 810, the N"orse fleets landed theii' mail-clad swarms on the plains 

 of the Luimneach, the plain of Bruree was overrun, and the house of Dioma 

 vanishes from history.'' 



The house of Aedh Caemh stepped to the front ; in their natural stronghold, 

 which the "sea-borne fleets" could not reach, thanks to the rapids of Limerick 

 and Doonass, they escaped the fii'st rush of the Norse and set their backs 

 agaiQst the wooded hiUs, determined to fight to the last. The pedigree that 

 has come down to us is evidently at least iacomplete. St. Flannan and his 

 brother Mathgamhan (Mahon), sous of Torlough, lived about the middle of the 

 seventh centmy. Core," Mahon's alleged grandson, about 910. Anluan, the 

 intervening name, thus covers the whole eighth century. Probably two 

 generations dropped out here as iu other pedigrees.'' To the late tenth- 

 century writers Core, son of Anluan, was the beginning of history, save for 

 the tale of Lugad Meann. " Core, the man who first routed the foreigners," 

 says Brian: "He had fought eight battles in defence of Mumhan (Thomond) "; 



' " Wars," p. 59, give his descent from Eochu Bailldearg as Conall, Aedh, Cathal, Tordhelbhach . 



^ " Vita St. Flannani " (compiled from earlier ' ' Gesta " in 1164), "Acta SS. Hibernia ex codice 

 Salmaticensi," ISSl (ed. Caroli de Smedt et Joscphi de Bacher), and a popular edition by Eev. 

 S. Malone in 1902. The " Lives " notoriously exaggerate the position of the parents and relatives 

 of the various saints. 



SDalgCais, p. 160. 



* Some compilers make their successor Eeabachiiin (son of Mhothla), Abbot of Tomgrauey. He 

 really succeeded Lachtna, and died 918 (say the Ann. Inisfallen), really 935. BiJlyvalley, near 

 KiUaloe, is probably named from his father's family, Baile Ui Mhothla, 1390 ; BallyvoUy, 1655 ; 

 Ballyvolhy, 1675, in the Surveys. 



""Wars of the Gaedhil," p. 66h., and chapter xi.H., p. 59. An anonymous poet cited by 

 "DalgCais," p. 163, mentions Anluan as one of the four sons of Mathgamhan. The age and 

 authority of the poem are unknown, so it carries no weight. Whichever is correct, the Hue must 

 break at Anluan. 



^ Some confusion may have arisen between the later " Core, son of Anluan, son of Cenncdigh," 

 whose grandson died 1025 (Chronicon Scotorum). 



[27^=] 



