Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Annála Connacht (Author: [unknown])

Annal 1230

1230.1

1230 First of January on Tuesday and the thirteenth day of the moon. Fifteenth year of the Cycle of Nineteen; eighteenth year of the Solar Cycle; third year of the Indiction. MCCXXX. Common year. F.

1230.2

Aed son of Ruaidri [O Conchobair] and the men of Connacht turned against Mac William Burke and the Galls of Ireland, being persuaded thereto by Donn Oc son of Donnchatha Mac Airechtaig and Cormac Mac Diarmata and his officers, who all vowed they would never own a lord who should bring them to make submission to the Galls. They made then great raids on the Galls, Aed son of Ruaidri and the men of West Connacht plundering the young son of William and Adam Duff, while Donn Oc and the sons of Magnus with the new levies of Sil Murray plundered Mac Gosdelb and Tir Maine as far as Athlone.

1230.3

However, Mac William assembled the Galls of Ireland and


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his Gaels and came into Connacht, bringing with him Fedlim son of Cathal Crodberg, to whom he intended to give the kingship and power and banish Aed son of Ruaidri and every other Connachtman who had rebelled against him. They first advanced to the castle of Bun Gaillme (Mouth of the Galway) against Aed O Flaithbertaig, when Aed mac Ruaidri came to his help with the Connachtmen, including the sons of Muirchertach O Conchobair. They were on the western bank of the Galway River and the Galls on the eastern, and much fighting was between them every day, and in this condition the Galls remained, obtaining neither pledge nor hostage nor submissions from the Connachtmen. So after this [failure] they determined to pursue the cattle and folk which had fled into the mountains and recesses of the countryside and the sea-islands. They came that night to Droichet Ingine Goilin (G's. Daughter's Bridge) and there daylight found them. Then Mac William asked: ‘Is there any path to the west, between us and the lake, by which any Connachtman might pass on their way northwards?’ The guides answered: ‘Surely there is.’ He put his horseman in order about Cong and Inishmaine, and at that moment there arrived a party of Connachtmen who had left Cong early, having been brought across the night before, three and five at a time, in imprudent and careless fashion. A few of [their] good men were [now] killed, including some officers of Magnus son of Muirchertach O Conchobair: Diarmait O hEidnechain, Lochlainn Mac Clesan and Tadc son of Gilla Crist O Mailbrenainn.

1230.4

After this success the Galls came to Mayo of the Saxons and the next day to Ballintober. Here the canons and religious rose up and approached Mac William, beseeching him of his charity not to stay the night near them. He complied, and the Galls went on northwards that night to Muine Maicin. They were loth to go thither from Mayo; but they had not received hostages or sureties from Magnus son of Muirchertach [Muimnech O Conchobair] and therefore proceeded on the following day to Aghagower and encamped there, west of the church, in Margenan on the shore of Loch Crichan. Here Magnus mac Muirchertaig came and made submission, giving


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them pledges and hostages. They went on the morrow of the following day to Muine Macin and passed the night there. The next day they went to Mag Sine, and from there continued their journey through Leyney to Keschorran and so to the Curlew Hills, where their guides avoided the common highway, and they passed through the hills without mishap or casualty.

1230.5

Now Aed mac Ruaidri and Cormac mac Tomaltaig [Mac Diarmata] and Donn Oc [Mac Airechtaig] and the rest of the Sil Murray were in the wood, and since their cattle and folk had gone with them to Slieve Anierin and into inaccessible fastnesses, they determined to take no heed of the Galls and make no plans concerning them.

1230.6

But Donn Oc said he would not do so; and having determined to take up a position on the western flank of the Galls, he went to Fincharn, having with him his own kinsmen, the youth of Sil Murray, his own Galls, the son of Domnall Bregach O Mailsechlainn with his Galls, and Brian son of Toirrdelbach [O Conchobair], and there they watched the Galls passing by. Donn Oc sent a party to harass them, which maintained a good fight against them while he kept to his position on the Cairn, eagerly watching the fight. Then the Galls sent a large party of soldiery and horsemen to pass round the Cairn, and they noticed nothing until they had surrounded it on the western side and Donn was left alone with a few of his kinsmen and Brian mac Toirrdelbaig; and it was but a short time that they were left together in this wise. For Donn was proclaimed and recognised and set upon, single-handed as he was, by many of the soldiers, and he had five arrows in his body when a horseman attacked him, and he had nothing but an axe; yet he kept the horseman at a distance, parrying his spear with the axe. At last the soldiery all rushed at him and this brave warrior, surrounded on every side, fell before the overpowering number of champions who were smiting him.

1230.7

Now as for Aed mac Ruaidri, he was watching the Galls from the east. He neither harassed nor engaged them, nor was it with his consent that any other did so. He knew nothing of the slaying of Donn Oc when the rout came upon him from the west, but made his escape by the power of his hands, without dishonour or harm. He turned upon one that was pressing after him and cast a javelin at him so that the shaft passed right through his body, and [after this] he and his party were allowed to depart without being attacked. Echtigern


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son of the brehon O Minachain and others not recorded here were slain by them that day.

1230.8

The Galls, after obtaining this success and after the slaying of Donn Oc, sent their Gaels and their soldiery to Slieve Anierin and brought away great preys. A multitude was there reduced to cold and hunger; women and children were killed, and those who escaped death were stripped bare; rich and great was the spoil which the raiders took to the camp of the Galls. The Galls then came to the shore opposite the Rock of Loch Key and stayed nine nights there. They gave the kingship to Fedlim mac Cathail Chrobdeirg and banished Aed mac Ruaidri, who sought asylum with Aed O Neill. Then they disbanded, full of gaiety and high spirits, and went each to his own house.

1230.9

Aed O Neill, king of Conchobar's Province, defender of Leth Cuind Chetchathaig against the Galls and against Leth Moga Nuadat, a prince eligible de jure for the kingship of Ireland, died this year; a king who never gave pledge or hostage or tribute to Gall or Gael; a king who wrought slaughterings and great routs on the Galls; a king who was the support of any Gaels who were in banishment or homeless; a king who was the most generous and excellent(?) of all the men of Ireland who ever lived.

1230.10

Gilla Isa O Clerig, Bishop of Leyney, rested in Christ.

1230.11

Joseph Mac Teithedan, Bishop of Conmaicne, rested in Christ.

1230.12

Gilla Carthaig O hEilgiusain, canon and hermit, rested.

1230.13

Donnsleibhe O hInmainein, a holy monk and chief master-carpenter of the monastery of Boyle, died.

1230.14

Maelmuire O Maileoin, coarb of St. Kieran of Clonmacnoise, rested.

1230.15

O Cerballain, Bishop of Clann Eogain, rested in Christ.

1230.16

Rolf Petit, Bishop of Meath, a pious, charitable man and a servant of God, rested in Christ.

1230.17

Maelsechlainn Mac Firedinn, archpresbiter and Master of Learning, rested in Christ during his novitiate in the monastery of Boyle.

1230.18

Art son of Art O Ruairc was treacherously killed by Ragnall O Finn.

1230.19

Mac Raith Mac Gerraig, Bishop of Conmaicne, rested in Christ.


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1230.20

Maelsechlainn O Mannachain was killed by his own kinsmen.