573 Kl. The battle of Femen, in which Colmán Bec son of Diarmait was defeated, but he himself escaped.
572 Brénaind of Birra rested in Christ, in the 180th year of his age.
KKKKKKK. I omit these seven years.
582 Kl. The battle of Manu, in which Áedán son of Gabrán was victor.
583 Kl. The slaying of Feradach Finn son of Dui, king of Osraige. Now he was one of the three kings who went to heaven during the lifetime of Colum Cille, and this is the reason, as Colum Cille told Áed son of Ainmere: A great illness seized Feradach. Clann Connla came to storm his house, because Feradach son of Dui was of the Corcu Laígde (for seven kings of the Corcu Laígde ruled Osraige, and seven kings of the Osraige took the kingship of Corcu Laígde). Now, he had waged war against Clann Connla. And he was in his sleeping-place then, and his riches were all there with him, as it was customary for the kings to have cubicles of yew about them, that is, a partitioned place, for their bars and cases of silver and their cups and goblets to give service at night, and their brandub and fidchell games and their bronze hurley-sticks to use by day. Feradach had many treasures, and he loved them greatly; but he had acquired them by evil means, for he would not hear of much or little gold or silver, in the possession of either powerful or wretched in Osraige, without confiscating it to take away that wealth, to ornament those treasures. Feradach's sons came to his bed then to take the treasures away with them. ‘What do you want, sons?’ asked Feradach. ‘To take the treasures away with us,’ answered the youths. ‘You shall not take them,’ said Feradach, ‘for they were ill-gotten; I tormented many in gathering them, and I consent to being tormented myself by my enemies on their account.’
His sons left him, and he began fervent penance. Then Clann Connla came, and they killed Feradach, and took the treasures; and Feradach went to heaven.
I omit 32 years.
595 Kl. (And this is the twenty-fourth of the thirty-two years omitted at the deest.) The death of Colum Cille in the seventy-sixth year of his age; of which Fedelm sang:
- Alas, truly,
for the salmon who was caught in the net;
the speckled salmon that was in the Bóand,
the Bóand that generates the wall of beasts;
- the wall of beasts that surrounds Iasconius,
Iasconius who hides his fins;
alas for the death of the king's son;
alas for the destruction of Eithne's son.
603 Kl. Anno domini 610. Fintan moccu Echdach, abbot of Cluain Eidnech, chief of the monks of Europe, died on a Thursday; Whereof Colmán son of Fergus sang:
- On Thursday Fintan was born
and was brought forth on earth;
and on Thursday he died
on my fair thighs.
605 KK. The beginning of the reign of Áed Uaridnach.
605 Kl. Áed Alláin or Uaridnach began to reign for eight years, i.e. Áed son of Domnall son of Muirchertach son of Muiredach son of Eógan.
Once, when he Áed, not yet king, came through Othan Muru, he washed his hands in the river that goes through the middle of the town.
That was told to Muru, and he thanked God that Aed Alláin had such faith. Then he summoned Áed Alláin to him (Áed Uaridnach was another of his names), and Muru said to him: ‘Dear son,’ he said, ‘as reward for that reverence you have given the church, I promise, in God's witness, that you will take the kingship of Ireland shortly, and that you will gain victory and the overthrow of your enemies, and that you will not be taken by sudden death, and you will receive the Body of the Lord from my hand, and I shall pray to the Lord on your behalf that it may be old age that will take you from the world.’
It was not long afterwards that Áed Alláin took the kingship of Ireland, and he granted fertile lands to Muru of Othan. Moreover, Áed Alláin won many victories over the Laigin, and over his other enemies. He was eight years in the kingship of Ireland, and then mortal illness seized Áed Alláin and he sent for Muru. Muru came, and the king said to him, ‘Cleric,’ he said, ‘you have deceived me, for I have neglected my penance, because I expected, through your word, that I would be aged in my lifetime; and it seems to me that death is near me.’ ‘True,’ said the cleric, ‘death is near you, and your life has been cut short, and you have incurred the Lord's anger; so explain all that you have done to offend the Lord.’ ‘I shall relate,’ said the king, ‘that which I think likely to have offended the Lord. I attempted,’ said he, ‘to gather the men of Ireland to this mountain to the east, that is, to Carrlóeg, to build it up, and to construct a huge house on it, and I wished that the fire of that house might be seen every evening in Britain and Argyle; and I know that that was great arrogance.’ ‘That was evil,’ said the cleric, ‘but it is not that which has shortened your life.’
Then the king was anointed, and he received the Body of the Lord, and he died at once, and went to heaven.
I omit seven years.
612 Beginning of the reign of Máel Coba.
612 Kl. Máel Coba son of Aed son of Ainmere reigned three years.
614 A star was seen in the third hour of the day.
615 Kl. The slaying of Máel Coba son of Áed by Suibne Menn son of Fíachna.
615 The death of Diarmait, third abbot of Cluain Iraird.
615 The beginning of the reign of Suibne Menn.
615 Kl. Suibne Menn took the kingship of Ireland after Máel Coba for thirteen years, until he was slain by Congal Cáech son of Scandal.
One day, as Fiachna, the father of
that Suibne, was going to inspect his plowing—for he himself was not a
king at all—he brought to his mind how each person succeeded another in
the kingship of Ireland. Pride and great arrogance came over him, and greed to
seize the sovereignty of Ireland, and he came home and told this to his wife,
and this is what his wife said to him: ‘Since you have not attempted that
before now’, she said, ‘I do not see that it is suitable for a man of
your age and antiquity to be fighting at this time for a kingdom. For it is not
[...]
’
‘Be quiet;’ said he, ‘don't get in my way; but have food and drink brought
in,’ said he, ‘and let the noblemen be invited out to visit us, and let
them be given their fill.’ And he summoned his wife to him then, and he lay
with her, and every plan that had been in his mind before he put away from him
through the act of procreation, and after that it was his wife who possessed the
intentions that he had had, and it was then that this Suibne Menn was conceived
in the womb of his mother.
When he rose from the woman, she asked, ‘Shall everyone be invited in?’ ‘No,’ said Fiachna, ‘we will not make ourselves ridiculous—that is, by fighting for the kingship henceforward.’ Now from that it is to be understood that it is from the pre-existing great ambitions of parents that children with great ambitions are born.
Now, one day when this Suibne, as a young man, was in his house with his wife, he said to his wife, ‘I am amazed,’ he said, ‘that so few of the Cenél Eógain have taken the lordship over all, up to this time.’
His wife replied, with a kind of sarcasm, ‘What's wrong with you, that you don't use force, and go before them to fight with everyone, and win frequent victories?’ ‘That's the way it will be,’ he said. Consequently he came out armed the following morning, and he met a warrior of the people of the country, who was armed, and he gave battle to him until the warrior submitted to him at spear-point; and a huge host submitted to him in that manner, and he took the kingship of Ireland.
628 Kl. Death of Suibne Menn.
662 Kl. Cummíne Fota died in the seventy-second year of his age; whence Colmán úa Clúasaig, tutor of Cummíne, sang:
- A dead man south of me, a dead man to the north,
they were not the darlings of a worthless army;
relieve, O King of grey heaven,
the misery you have sent us.- The dead of this year—
nothing is to be lamented in comparison with them—
Máel Dúin, Bécc son of Fergus,
Conaing, Cummíne Fota.- If anyone across the sea were entitled,
he would attain to the dignity of Gregory,
if he were from Ireland, there was no one for it
except Cummíne Fota.- He was not only a bishop, he was a king,
myCummíne was son of a lord;
Ireland's beacon-blaze for wisdom;
he was lovely, as has been told.- Noble his tribe, noble his form,
his kindred was widespread;
descendant of Cairpre and descendant of Corc,
he was a wise man; he was brilliant; he was famous.
662 The battle of Ogaman, in which Conaing son of Congal and Ultán son of Ernáine, king of Cianachta, were slain. Blathmac son of Aéd Sláine was defeated by the followers of Diarmait.