104 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



Diarmait, abbot, died in 749 a.u. (Annals of Inisfallen). Mochtighern 

 mac Ceallaigh, sage, and abbot of Inis Cealtra, died 780 (Fonr Masters), 784 

 (Annals of Ulster). The true date of the later obit seems to be 785 A.u. 



In 836 A.D. the island had its baptism of fire, being burned, with many others, 

 by the redoubtable Turgeis and his marauding Vikings (Cogadh Gaedhel re 

 Gallaibh, pp. 12, 226 ; Annals ; Chronicon Scotorum ; Keating). 



In 898 died Coscrach, surnamed truaghdn " the miserable " or " the 

 starveling," anchorite of Inis Cealtra (Four Masters;. O'Connor's unfor- 

 tunate mistake, associating this person with the Eound Tower, has had a 

 lease of life quite as long and quite as undeserved as those errors to which 

 reference was made a moment ago. Even yet we occasionally see a belated 

 I'eference to Coscrach, " who took up his abode in the Bound Tower of Inis 

 Cealtra," in spite of the complete exposure of the mistake in Petrie's " Eound 

 Towers," p. 50. We shall later have occasion to refer again to this 

 Coscrach. 



Thus there is hardly anything recorded of the monastery during the 

 seventh, eighth, and ninth centuries ; and in accordance with this, there are 

 hardly any remains to be seen on the island dating from those centuries. 

 It must have been at the time quite insignificant. During the tenth century 

 we hear of nothing but the death of the bishop Diarmait son of Caicher, 

 in 951 (Four Mastersj, and of the abbot Mael-gorm son of Mael-Chellaigh, 

 in 967 (ibid.). At the beginning of the eleventh century a brother of 

 Brian Eorama, by name Marcau, was abbot of Inis Cealtra, Terryglas, 

 and Killaloe. He died in 1009. This is the last entry relating to the 

 island in the Annals of Ulster and of the Four Masters.' A certain Conn 

 ua Sinnaigh, " anvichara of Ireland," died here, according to the Annals of 

 Inisfallen, in 1016. 



The ne.xt name of importance in the roll of Inis Cealtra is that of 

 Aumchad, well known for the story of his exile as told by Marianus Scotus 

 and after him by Florence of Worcester.'- This Anmchad died in 105.3 at Fulda, 

 where he had been an inclnsus. He had previously been an inmate of Inis 

 Cealtra, under a Superior whom Marianus calls Corcrani, and Florence of 

 Worcester calls Cortram or Kortram. Certain " brethren " having come on 

 a visit to the island, Anmchad, with the consent of his Superior, gave them 

 hospitality. After they had eaten, some of thena went forth, others remained 



' The entry in the Four Masters is clumsily expressed, and reads as though Marcau 

 and the " Comharba of Coluni " were two dift'erent persons. The Annals of Ulster are 

 unambiguous. 



" The passage in Marianus will be found in MacCartliy's Cudex Palatinu-Vaticauus, 

 p. 31 ; Florence of Worcester, anno lO-lS. 



