O'Rahilly — Irish Poets, Historians, 6fc., in English Documents. 113 



Gerald, Eaii of Desmond, to wliom he was "faithful from the beginning to 

 the end."i Abont 1582, when tlie Earl was reduced to extremities, Con- 

 chubhai-, who was " a man of remarkable eloquence," was sent by the Earl 

 to various Irish nobles to try to induce them to take part in the rebellion ; 

 hut through timidity on the nobles' part his mission proved a failure." Wheu 

 in November, 1583, the unfortunate Earl w'as surprised in the night and 

 murdered near Tralee, Conehubhar was " at a short distance from him in the 

 valley, watching the cattle that had been seized the day before.'" A con- 

 temporary account* tells us how the Earl, in straits for want of food, had 

 sent into the Castlegregory district " two of his horsemenne (Corroghore ne 

 Scolly and Shane Deleo), with eighteene kearnes, to bring him a pray "; the 

 prey thus commandeered was followed by the owners and by some English 

 soldiers, and the Earl's death was the direct sequel. Here we find Conehubhar 

 called " Corroghore ne Scolly," i.e. Conchuhhar na Sgoile, doubtless from a 

 bardic school which in quieter times he had conducted. A year afterwards 

 (18 Dec, lo84) we find a pardon granted to "Conoghor Daly alias Conoghor 

 ny Scolly," of Co. Kerry [no. 4555]. But though his life was spared, his 

 property was confiscated. An inquisition held in Dingle in 1584 found that 

 " Conogher Dalye of Kiltarcon [Kilsarkan] in the said county of Kerry, 

 gentleman," had entered into rebellion with the late Earl of Desmond, "and 

 that at the time of his entering into the said rebellion he was seised in his 

 lordship as of fee of Kiltarcon aforesaid with its appurtenances containing 

 seven carucates of land."' Friar Dominic says that Conehubhar, " when all 

 was lost, preferred his honour and reputation to any compromise with the 

 queen. Had he been recreant to his principles, he might have saved what- 

 ever property he owned ; but in the parliament held after the wars of the 

 Desmonds it was forfeited to the crown, as may be seen in the acts then 

 passed ; he was thrice arrested by Ormond and honourably acquitted.'"' 

 Some years afterwards we find him making an ineffectual attempt to get his 



' History of the Geraldines, byFr.Dominicus deRosaiio, O.P., published iiiLisbou, 1653, 

 and translated into English by Rev. C. P. Meehan (to whose fourth edition I here refer). 

 The author's real name was Domhnall 'O Dalaigh. He was born in 1595, and was closely 

 related (p. 122) to the Conehubhar 'O Dalaigh of whom I speak above ; indeed from what 

 he says elsewhere (p. 92) of his father, it is almost certain that Friar Dominic was a son 

 of this very Conehubhar. 



= Ihid., 119-120. 



3 Ihid., 122. 



* Examination of Owen mac Donnil O Moribertagh [Eoyhaii mac Domhnaill 'I 

 Mhuircheartaiyh'] on 26 Novr., 158.3, reprinted in Kerry Magazine, vol. i (1854), p. 98, 

 from Thomas Churchyard's "A Scourge for Rebels" (London, 1584). 



5 Kerry Arch. Magazine, Oct., 1910, p. 271. 



^ Histoiy of the Geraldines, Meehan's translation, p. 122. 



