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Annála Connacht (Author: [unknown])

Annal 1316

1316.1

1316 First of January on Thursday and the twenty-ninth day of the moon, A.D. MCCCXVI. Sixth year of the Lunar Cycle; fourteenth of the Indiction; twentieth year of the Solar Cycle. Embolismal year. DC.

1316.2

Aed O Domnaill and all the Cenel Conaill assembled a great army and came into Carbury again, reaching Castleconor this time. And Ruaidri son of Domnall O Conchobair parted with his kinsmen and made a peace by himself with O Domnaill, yielding to him the lordship of Carbury. But Derbforgaill daughter of Magnus O Conchobair hired a band of gallowglasses and gave them a reward for killing Ruaidri son of Domnall O Conchobair; so by them he was killed, in violation of oaths sworn to him previously on the relics of Tirconnell. After this the chief families of Carbury were extensively plundered by the Cenel Conaill.

1316.3

Feidlim O Conchobair raided the sons of Failgech, capturing Richard Failgech himself and making slaughter of his followers. Afterwards Feidlim assembled a large army of Galls and Gaels, including Mac Feorais, Maelruanaid Mac Diarmata and the sons of Domnall O Conchobair, to contest the kingship with Ruaidri. These all set their faces in one direction, making for Sil Murray, and [their movements] were reported to Ruaidri O Conchobair, king of Connacht, who was encamped on Mullach Fidicci in Clanconway, being on the watch for the manoeuvres(?)of Feidlim. He [now] saw Feidlim, aggressive and fierce, at the head of his household troops, with his foster-father Maelruanaid Mac Diarmata and his following by his side, as well as the sons of Domnall O Conchobair and the descendants of Donnchad son of Tomaltach [? Mac Donnchada] and the Galls of West Connacht in their assembly and marching order, making towards Tochar Mona Conneda. And on the other side were the men of Connacht with their king, Ruaidri son of Cathal O Conchobair, Diarmait Gall Mac Diarmata, king of Moylurg, and the rest. They, faced each other on the moor of the Tochar, and


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Ruaidri was overpowered by the greater force of men and arms and armour and he fell there—the king of Connacht, the most valorous and valiant of the Gaels, the destroyer of marauders and the banisher of foreigners out of Ireland. With him fell Diarmait Gall Mac Diarmata, king of Moylurg, Cormac Mac Ceithernaig, king of the Ciarraige, Gilla Crist Mac Diarmata, Diarmait son of Fergal Mac Diarmata, Connecen Mac Connecein, Domnall Mac Connecein, Donnchad Mac Ruaidri with a hundred gallowglasses, and many others gentle and simple. On the other side Maelruanaid Mac Diarmata, Domnall O Baigill and Robag Mac Feorais were wounded. These deeds were done on the twenty-fourth of February.

1316.4

After this Feidlim plundered the officers of Ruaidri O Conchobair and seized the kingship of Connacht from Assaroe to Slieve Aughty himself, took hostages of the Ui Briuin Brefne and made Ualgarg O Ruairc king over them, and took hostages of the Clann Cellaig, of O Matadain, of the Ui Diarmata, of O hEgra and O Dubda. He then set out to banish the Galls of West Connacht, burning Ballylahan and killing Stephen d'Exeter, Miles Gocan, William Prendergast, John Standon—these were knights—and William Lawless, slaughtering unnumbered people with them. He plundered and burnt the countryside from the castle of Corran to the Robe, both church and lay property, and returned afterwards to his house with victory and much booty. Immediately afterwards they went to meet [the army of] Leth Moga at Meelick, where he burned and broke down the castle; and afterwards Muirchertach O Briain and the descendants of Brian Ruad made submission to him in opposition to each other. He then turned back to Roscommon, intending to raze it.

1316.5

But on hearing that William Burke had come into Connacht from Scotland, Feidlim called upon his subjects to assemble an army to expel him; and the army was assembled from all the region between Assaroe and Aughty. Moreover Donnchad O Briain, king of Thomond, came with his assembled host, and O Maelsechlainn, king of Meath, O Ruairc, king of Brefne, O Fergail, king of the Conmaicne, Tadc O Cellaig, king of Ui Maine, and many more of the kings' and chieftains' sons of Ireland assembled to him. And they all marched to Athenry


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to oppose William Burke, Mac Feorais, and the other Connacht Galls, and joined battle with them in front of the town. The Gaels were defeated and Feidlim O Conchobair, who was king of Connacht and entitled to become King of Ireland without opposition, was killed there and Tadc O Cellaig, king of Ui Maine fell with him, together with twenty-eight men who were entitled to succeed to the kingship of Ui Maine. Magnus son of Domnall O Conchobair, tanist of Connacht, was killed, as were Art O hEgra, king of Leyney, Maelsechlainn Carrach O Dubda, Muirchertach son of Conchobar O Dubda, Conchobar Oc O Dubda, Diarmait Mac Diarmata, an eligible prince of Moylurg, Muirchertach son of Taichlech Mac Diarmata, Muirchertach son of Diarmait son of Fergal [Mac Diarmata], Maelsechlainn Oc Mac Magnusa, Sean son of Murchad O Matadain, Domnall son of Aed O Con Chenainn, king of the Ui Diarmata, and Muirchertach his brother, Murchad O Matadain, Domnall O Baigill, Donnchad O Mailmuaid and his followers, the son of Murchad Mag Mathgamna and a hundred of his men, Niall Sinnach, king of Tethba, and his followers, Fergal son of Seoan Gallda O Fergail, Uilliam son of Aed Oc O Fergail, Tomas son of Amlaib O Fergail. Five of the Clann Donnchaid fell there, viz. Tomaltach son of Gilla Crist Mac Donnchaid, Murchad Mac Donnchaid, Conchobar son of Tadc, Muirchertach and Maelsechlainn Mac Donnchaid. Eoin Mac Aedacain, brehon to O Conchobair, Gilla na Naem son of Dail re Docair O Dobailein, the standardbearer, and Tomas O Conallain fell around their lord. Moreover it is hard to say how many of the men of Munster and of Meath and of Ireland generally were killed there; in the words of the poet: ‘Many of the men of all Ireland [lay dead] about that great field; many a king's son, whom I name not, of the Meath and Munster hosts was filled in that great rout; my heart rues the fight.’ These deeds were done on the day of St. Laurence Martyr. Fedlimid was a man of twenty-three when he was killed, and he reigned for five years till Ruaidri son of Cathal usurped the kingship from him for half a year, and he reigned again for half a year after Ruaidri's death till he was slain in this battle of Athenry.

1316.6

Ruaidri na Fed son of Donnchad son of Eogan son of Ruaidri O Conchobair was made king after this.

1316.7

After this William Burke made an immense hosting among


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the Sil Murray, and O Conchobair and all the Sil Murray except Mac Diarmata made peace with him. He then entered Moylurg and brought away great preys out of Ath in Chip and Uachtar Tire; and having burned and destroyed the countryside they departed without fighting a battle or imposing terms.

1316.8

Ruaidri son of Donnchad was deposed by Mac Diarmata after this, when he had reigned for a quarter of a year and half a quarter.

1316.9

Derborgaill, daughter of Magnus O Conchobair and wife of Aed O Domnaill, died.

1316.10

Matha Mac Cormaic died.

1316.11

Ruaidri na Fed son of Donnchad son of Eogan, king of Connacht was treacherously killed by Cathal son of Aed son of Eogan. Cathal was wearing his armour inside [his clothes], and it is of this that Ruaidri said: ‘The stratagem(?) of a bad prince’, when his knife stuck in the armour.