70 Historic Ulster. 



his departure into exile is described, and expressions of intense 

 love for Derry, his " little oakwood " and sorrow at parting 

 gradually give place to admiration at the beautiful shores of 

 Lough Foyle and " the salt main where seagulls cry." In the 

 second poem, which tells of his visit when blindfold, there is 

 not one descriptive line. The saint could not see the shores as 

 he passed, nor the trees and hills of Erin when he landed. 

 The poem alludes only to sounds — "the cries of gulls in hosts," 

 the wind harping on the elms, the lowing of cattle, the notes of 

 cuckoo and blackbird. The poem, if not the saint's own com- 

 position, is perfect in expression and true to the circumstances 

 it dealt with. 



The southern Clan Nial kings of Meath made an arrange- 

 ment with their kindred of the Tir-Owen line about the time 

 of the coming of the Danes, according to which Meath and 

 Tir-Owen alternately held the sovereignty of the land. It has 

 been shown that these kings did their duty against the invaders. 

 Brian Borou was not the land's only defender ; his fame had 

 been too long allowed to overshadow the greatness of his 

 predecessors of the Northern dynasty. Flan of the Shannon, 

 in the beginning of the tenth century, was especially remarkable 

 for his energy and foresight. His daughter Gormley, a poetess, 

 was married to Nial (ilondu, of Aileach, who fell in battle 

 against the Dublin Danes. This Nial was the grandfather of 

 the first O'Neil. 



yuotations from a poem describe how Murtagh, son of Nial, 

 choosing a thousand leather-coated heroes, made a circuit of all 

 Ireland to collect tribute and hostages. These hostages, kings 

 or sons of kings, were kept in Aileach and entertained as if 

 they had been clerics, till Murtagh brought them to the palace 

 of Donogh, the ardrigh, for he himself was only heir-apparent 

 at this time. Murtagh never succeeded to the throne, for he 

 fell, as his father had done, in battle against the Danes. The 

 last undisputed Clan Nial Ardrigh was Malachi of Meath, who 

 in spite of his military talent, which had enabled him to hold 

 the Danes in check, was unable to oppose Brian, King of 



