Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Letter of Florence Mac Carthy to the Earl of Thomond, on the ancient history of Ireland (Author: Florence MacCarthy Reagh)

paragraph 6

I did not read as some wrote, that nation had in Spain, nor brought into Ireland, any such seat of stone39 as was brought from


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Scotland hither, but I did read that the nation which we [Milesians] conquered there that were admirable and exceeding magicians40 brought such a seat from the city in the septentrional parts of the East called Failias41 wherein belike they conjured some spirit that (when he that was elected and should prevail to be king was set thereon) gave some noise42 (as the Image of Amenophis or Memnon did at the rising of the sun), which our nation found there, and used and reigned there where they found it, who sometimes had no absolute king, but every Prince or chief governing his own Province, as they were at the Incarnation of Christ, which was above 2000 years after their coming into Ireland, then had they those that were called curidha,43 Curdi, Conall Cernach, Cuchulainn, and others that for their agility, strength, and valour were much celebrated; and about 150 years after they had those bands or companies called Fiana44 that for their activity and valour were elected, and chosen out of all the provinces, their chief charge was to watch the havens, and keep the country from sudden invasion, being commanded by Cumhall mac Trénmoir, a Leinsterman, and by Finn mac Cumhaill, his son, after he was killed at the battle of Cnucha by Conn Cédcathach,45 or Conn [of the hundred battles]sup> who, being chief of Hermon's

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house, was at mortal war for the chief rule with Moghnuadhat46 or Mowh, heir and chief of the house of Iberius, whereupon all Ireland was between them divided with a great Trench47 from Dublin Ford called Aahe Clieh [i.e. Átha Cliath], to the other Aahe clieh of Mearie beyond Galway, whereon the South part is ever since called the Half of Mowh and the north the Half of Conn. Shortly after some of the nation began to understand of Christian Religion by Brénainn Birra48 called Brendanus and others, and about the yeare of our Lord 370 Patricius49 being a youth, was brought a prisoner into Ireland, whose life and literature afterwards purchased him to be by Celestine the first imployed thither, where he (accompanied with as many of the Scots nation as he found instructed in the religion) and converted that country people, who for 400 years after50 lived very zealous and liberal to their churches, religious houses, and academies. What their manner of government, wealth and ability was then appears by the number of volumes of good Laws51 made by their kings, by the

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coins stampt for the kings of the Half of Conn at Ardmach52 and for the kings of the Half of Mowh at Cassil53 whereof some is yet extant; by their great traffic and frequentation of merchants,54 and marts and fairs55 which was such as when (in the time that the Danes invaded that country) Counte Olfyn ledd 3 or 4000 Danes from Limbrick to rifle or spoile the faire that was on St Peter and Paul's day at Roscrea56 in Ely, the numbers of buyers and sellers that were there came in arms against him, and overthrew and killed him and his forces. And what their civility was appears by the numbers of their learned men, and their academies, which were chiefly at Downe, Cassil and Ardmacha, where so many colleges were, that (as appears by an ancient record found of late years at Oxford57) the students of Ardmacha being on a time registered, were found to be above 7000, which brought many of that country people to be (for their life and literature) so much esteemed that the Saxon kings of this land intreated Colum Cille, called Columbus, to take their children with him thither to be brought up, as Beda58

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testifies. Neither will the Germans deny but that Bonifacius59 one of the Scotish nation, was their apostle, and when Ferleus60 Foilianus and Ultanus, sons to Aodh Bennan, king of the Half of Mowh came in the year of our Lord 650 into France, king Clodoveus61 accepted them favourablie, and gave them their choice of any land there, whereupon they founded Latiniacum monasterium,62 as Columbanus,63 another of that same house, founded Luxoniense monasterium, in Clotharius his time, all which Placitus the German testifies.