Historic Ulster. 69 



This clan had come from the West. The men of Connaught 

 perpetuated in its name their great ancestor Con-Hundred-Battle. 

 After the fall of Emania, the sons of Nial seized territory North 

 and South of Lough Erne. Conal founded Tir-Conal, the 

 present Donegal. Owen founded Tir-Owen, and the descendants 

 of Colman, sometimes called the South Clan Nial, later on 

 founded Meath. The Tir-Owen branch chiefly gave kings to 

 the throne of Tara. It had been the custom for the head king 

 when elected to go to reside there and preside over the adminis- 

 tration of the laws and the triennial assembly of Parliament ; 

 but in the middle of the 6th century Tara fell under a curse, 

 and each ardrigh, or chief king, made his territorial seat the 

 chief palace of Ireland on his accession. As the great majority 

 of the Irish kings came of the Tir-Owen branch of the Clan 

 Nial, their seat at Grinian Aileach, near Derry, was the central 

 point of interest till the fall of the Northern dynasty at the 

 accession of Brian Borou. 



The striking position of Grinian Aileach and the beauty of 

 the scenery around Lough Swilly and Lough Foyle to be seen 

 from that historic spot are remarkable. Passing now to the 

 history of St. Columb, the founder of lona and apostle of 

 Scotland ; the saint was born in County Donegal, and was of 

 Royal lineage. Having been the cause of a great battle between 

 his kindred and the supreme monarch, he withdrew from 

 Ireland repentant for having brought about dissension in his 

 native land, and undertook the Christianising of the Ulster 

 colony of Scots, who had gone in the third century to the 

 neighbouring country, afterwards called from them by the name 

 of Scotland. The saint vowed never to look on Ireland again, 

 and when an urgent call brought him to that country he is said 

 to have kept his vow by coming blindfold. The occasion of his 

 visit was an assembly called together by King Hugh at Drom- 

 keth, near Liraavady, where by St. Columb's influence the 

 Scottish colony was freed from taxation, and the bardic order 

 was spared from suppression, which the King had threatened. 



There are two poems ascribed to St. Colurab. In the first 



