Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Covenant between Mageoghegan and the Fox (Author: Séamus Ó Cionga)
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, this compact of Mageoghegan and the Fox is made.
This is the covenant and contract of Mageoghegan, i.e. Connla,5
son of Conchobar,6
son of Laighnech,7
and of the Fox of Muinter Tadhgain,8
i.e. Breasal, son of Eoghan, son of Cairbri, viz.: Mageoghegan to be lord over the Fox, and his country; and this is all the sign of the lordship9
which Mageoghegan has over the Fox and over his country, viz., a gniomh10
of land free from every impost, and a hog out of every other gniomh11
which pays chiefry to the Fox; and the hog to be in the condition of a muc clasach;12
and the gniomh on which there is not a hog to give a sheep in its place. And wherever land is mortgaged from the Foxes to persons living
outside the territory, and the Foxes not able to redeem it, Mageoghegan is at liberty to redeem it. Wherever cess or cutting comes from the King's Deputy on Mageoghegan, the due proportion of it to be paid by the Fox for his own territory. And every place that is deserted and rent unpaid13
in Fox's country, Mageoghegan is obliged to distrain upon it, without making
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the person settled there liable to him. And if cess or cutting be levied by the King's Deputy upon the Fox, Mageoghegan is to pay the proportion of his territory14
of it as well as the Fox. Every All Hallows or May meeting that shall take place in Mageoghegan's country shall be convened at the town of Ath-an-Urchair15
or Corrna-sgean,16
and the Fox and the chieftains of his country shall come with him thither. They are to be under the same custom and the same tribute within and without. Every privilege and ascendancy here ceded to Mageoghegan shall be enjoyed by his representative after him, provided he does his utmost to endeavour for the benefit and protection of the Fox and his country. Whenever a war or disturbance comes upon Mageoghegan or the Fox, on account of which one of them may bring his forces with him out of the territory, the other shall bear the proportion of his territory of the expense of the
bonaghtmen,17
and Mageoghegan is to distrain in case of non-payment.18
And these are the liabilities of Mageoghegan for all the privileges which we have mentioned above, viz. that he do his utmost for the protection and shelter of the Fox, and every person in his country, both small and great. And whenever either an Englishman or Irishman shall sue the Fox, or any person in his territory, that the decision of Muirchertach Mac Egan, or of the Brehon who shall be by them appointed, be submitted to; and when this will not be accepted
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from them, then that Mageoghegan shall be bound to spend his country19
and Fox's country, for obtaining justice for the Fox and his country, as well as to compel them and him to render justice. And whenever any part of their territory is unjustly or with default or rent detained,20
Mageoghegan is bound to do his utmost endeavour to recover such part of the territory. Whenever the Earl of Kildare21
declines to recover it, Mageoghegan is bound to lend his utmost endeavours to recover it. And if he shall recover the land, then one half of it shall be his own, and the other half be left to the man in possession.22
Not this alone, but whenever he Mageoghegan
shall not endeavour to shelter and distrain for the Fox and Muinter Thadhgain as he would for his own mansion, he shall not have rent, privilege, or lordship over them, but every man shall be for himself.
These are the witnesses of this covenant, viz.: Mageoghegan and God before him; and Marcella, the daughter of Christopher;23
and O'Breen, i.e. Thomas Buidhe,24
the son of Eoghan25
O'Breen, of Craebh;26
and the parson O'Senchain,27
i.e. Cucrichi;28
and Eoghan
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O'Cionga29
the son of Diarmaid Dubh;30
and James Ruadh,31
the son of Aedh,32
son of Ferghal;33
and Muirchertach34
O'Cionga, the chief poet of both territories. These are all we had present of the Cinel-Fhiachach.35
Here are all we had of Fox's country that we had with us, viz. the Fox himself; and the two sons of Edmond, i.e. Muirchertach and Felim;36
and the two sons of Brian37
Fox, i.e. Breasal38
and Cucrichi; and Muirchertach, the son of Eoghan, son of Tadhg Onoire,39
i.e. the chief poet40
of the Fox. And I am James O'Cionga, the son of Cairbri41
O'Cionga, who was present at the making of this covenant, and who wrote it; and it was at Suidhe Adhamnain42
this covenant was made, precisely on Wednesday, and on Friday it was written; and this is the age of the Lord at this time, six years, and twenty, five hundred and one thousand years, and the twenty-second day of the month of August.
+ I am Mageoghegan.
+ I am the Fox.
aiingind iiii scftidc iiii bec nglcnt
. . . . . ncsrbhsicscsisgrbngnsdc. That is in Ireland.43
+ We are the sons of Edmond Fox.
+ We are the sons of Brian Fox.