And that whoever takes his first arms, &c. — This passage reads in the Book of Lecan thus: ‘Cach nech gebus arm, coma ó sil Diarmada, mic Cathail, mic Caeman, gebus a ched-gabail airm ar tus, ocus luach impidi cach ingine rig dia rigraid, ocus each ocus errad cach rig leo do gres, ar n-dul fa didean Garailt.’ These words are thus paraphrased by the Rev. Patrick Mac Loughlin, in his abstract of the Book of Lecan, a manuscript in the Library of the Royal Irish Academy: ‘And all those who bore arms were to have their first arms from O'Caomhan, and every daughter born of the chief representative of the family was to have her request granted by the prince.’ But he has not here given the true meaning of luach impidi, for we know from good authorities that it was the name of a fine paid on several occasions. Distinct mention is made of this fine in the Annals of the Four Masters at the year 1414, as paid by one of the Anglo-Irish inhabitants of the English pale to O'Conor Faly and Mageoghegan. ‘A.D. 1414. A great victory was gained over the English of Meath by Murchadh O'Conor, Lord of Offaly, and Fergal Ruadh Mageoghegan, Lord of Cinel Fiachach mic Neill. The Baron of Skreen, and many of his adherent gentlemen and plebeians, were slain in the conflict, and the son of the Baron of Slane was taken prisoner, for whose ransom fourteen hundred marks were afterwards paid. Dardis the Lawless was also taken prisoner together with numbers of others, for whose ransom twelve hundred marks were obtained, besides the fines called Luach leasa and Luach impidhe.’
Luach leasa literally means reward, or price of welfare, and Luach impidhe reward, or price of intercession. Sir John Davis, in his letter to the Earl of Salisbury, makes mention of the latter fine in treating of the origin and duties of the Irish ecclesiastical officer called herenach. His words are: ‘The herenach was to make a weekly commemoration of the founder in the church; he had always primam tonsuram, but took no other orders. He had a voice in the chapter, when they consulted about their revenues, and paid a certain yearly rent to the bishop, besides a fine upon the marriage of every of his daughters, which they call a Loughinipy’ &c.
The term Luach leasa is frequently used by the Irish poets of the sixteenth century in the sense of omen of welfare. It is curious that our author has used the term Luach leasa instead of the Luach impidhe of the Book of Lecan; indeed it is likely that they are nearly synonimous, and the Editor is of opinion that the modern Anglo-Irish term luck-penny is derived from the latter.