The Annals of the Four Masters
The
Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland, or The Annals of the Four Masters as they are
more commonly called, were compiled between 1632 and 1636 under the direction
of Michael O'Clery, a franciscan brother in Donegal. They are a yearly chronicles
of major (and sometimes minor) occurrances in Ireland from the Year of the Deluge
(2242 A.M.) until 1616 A.D. Following are extracts from the Annals that
reference members of the Mac Egan families.
Volume 3
- 1225 A.D. - Flann,
the son of Auliffe O'Fallon, Chief of Clann-Uadagh, was slain by Felim, the
son of Cathal Crovderg, in this war; and Teige O'Finaghty, one of the officers
Aes graidh of Hugh, the son of Roderic, was slain by the people of Mac
Egan during the same war.
- 1249 A.D. - An
army was led by the Roydamnas heirs presumptive of Connaught, namely, Turlough
and Hugh, two sons of Hugh, the son of Cathal Crovderg, to Athenry, on Lady
Day in mid-autumn, to burn and plunder it. The sheriff of Connaught was in
the town before them, with a great number of the English. The English demanded
a truce for that day from the sons of the King of Connaught, in honour of
the Blessed virgin Mary, it being her festival day; but this they did not
obtain from them; and although Turlough forbade his troops to assault the
town, the chiefs of the army would not consent, but determined to make the
attack, in spite of him. When Jordan and the English saw this, they marched
out of the town, armed and clad in mail, against the Irish army. The youths
of the latter army, on seeing them drawn up in battle array, were seized with
fear and dismay, so that they were routed; and this was through the miracles
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on whose festival they had refused to grant the
truce demanded from them. Of their chiefs were here killed Hugh, son of Hugh
O'Conor; Dermot Roe, son of Cormac O'Melaghlin, the two sons of O'Kelly; Brian
an Doire, the son of Manus; Carragh Inshiubhail, son of Niall O'Conor; Boethius
Mac Egan; the two sons of Loughlin O'Conor; Donnell, son of Cormac Mac
Dermot; Finnanach Mac Branan; Cumumhan Mac Cassarly, and others besides.
- 1273 A.D. - A depredation
was committed by Jordan d'Exeter in Corran. A few of the young princes of
Connaught overtook him; but these having adopted an imprudent plan, suggested
by some of the common people, it fell out that Donnell, son of Donough, Manus,
son of Art O'Conor, Aireaghtagh Mac Egan, Hugh O'Beirne, and many others,
were slain.
- 1309 A.D. - Hugh,
the son of Owen, son of Rory, son of Hugh, son of Cathal Crovderg, King of
Connaught, and worthy heir to the monarchy of Ireland, the most hospitable
and expert at arms of all the Irish born in his time, was slain by Hugh Breifneach,
the son of Cathal O'Conor, at Coill-an-clochain, together with many of the
chiefs of his people about him. Among these were Conor Mac Dermot; Dermot
Roe, son of Teige O'Conor; Dermot, son of Cathal Carragh Mac Dermot; Hugh,
son of Murtough, son of Teige, son of Mulrony; and Dermot O'Healy, a princely
brughaidh, the best of his time. On the other side fell Gilla-na-naev Mac
Egan, Chief Brehon of Connaught, and the most illustrious of the Brehons
of his time; Faghartach O'Devlin, and others not mentioned. The Sil-Murray
then conferred the lordship upon Rory,the son of Cathal O'Conor. Rory O'Conor
and O'Flynn afterwards led a troop of cavalry to the Plain, and slew Mac Feorais
Bermingham.
- 1316 A.D. - A very
great army was mustered by Felim O'Conor and the chiefs of the province of
Connaught. In this battle were slain John Mac Egan, O'Conor's
Brehon.
- 1317 A.D. - Maelisa
Roe Mac Egan, the most learned man in Ireland in law and judicature, died.
- 1320 A.D. - A meeting
and conference took place between Cathal O'Conor and Mulrony Mac Dermot: a
kindly and amicable peace was concluded between them, and Mac Dermot then
returned to his own country. Cathal, however, afterwards violated the conditions
of this peace, for he made a prisoner of Mac Dermot at Mullagh Doramhnach,
and also of his wife, the daughter of Mac Manus, at Port-na-Cairrge. Maelisa
Don Mac Egan and his son, and Tomaltagh Mac Donough, Lord of Tirerrill,
were also made prisoners, and the country was entirely plundered.
- 1327 A.D. - Farrell,
son of Ualgarg O'Rourke, Cuilen O'Dempsey, and Sabia, daughter of Mac
Egan, died.
- 1329 A.D. - Maelisa
Donn Mac Egan, Chief Ollav of Connaught, died.
- 1353 A.D. - Saerbhreathach,
son of Maelisa Donn Mac Egan, Ollave of Conmaicne, died on Inis Cloghrann.
- 1355 A.D. - Murrough,
the son of Cathal O'Farrell; Dervorgilla, the daughter of O'Farrell; and Teige
Mac Egan, a man learned in the Fenechas, died.
- 1359 A.D. - Manus
O'Dowda, son of the Lord of Hy Fiachrach, and Hugh, the son of Conor
Mac Egan, the choicest of the Brehons of Ireland, died.
- 1362 A.D. - Auliffe
Mac Firbis, intended Ollav of Tireragh; Farrell, the son of Teige
Mac Egan, a learned Brehon; John, son of Donough Mac Firbis, intended
Ollav of Tireragh; Dermot, son of Mac Carthy; Conor, son of Melaghlin Carragh
O'Dowda, and Murtough, his son, all died.
- 1369 A.D. - Melaghlin
Mac Mahon, heir to the lordship of Oriel; Brian, the son of Murtough O'Conor;
John, the son of Edward Mac Hubert; Donough O'Beirne, Chief of Tir-Briuin;
Randal O'Hanly; Cormac O'Hanly; also John Mac Egan, and Gilbert
O'Bardan, two accomplished young harpers of Conmaicne, died.
Volume 4
- 1378 A.D. - Teige
Mac Egan, Chief Brehon of Lower Connaught, a sage without contention or
reproach, who kept a house of general hospitality for all comers, died.
- 1390 A.D. - Brian
Mac Egan, Ollav of Breifny in judicature, died; and John (i.e. the
Official Mac Egan),successor to this Brian, was slain four nights
before Christmas Day.
- 1399 A.D. - Boethius
Mac Egan, a man extensively skilled in the Fenechus law, and in music,
and who had kept a celebrated house of hospitality; and Gilla-na-naev,
the son of Conor Mac Egan, Arch-Ollav of the Fenechus Law, died.
- 1404 A.D. - Taichleach,
the son of Donough O'Dowda; Tuathal, the son of Melaghlin O'Donnellan, intended
ollav of Sil-Murray in poetry ; and Teige, the son of Boethius Mac
Egan, intended ollav of Lower Connaught in law,---the three died.
- 1409 A.D. - Murtough
Mac Egan, Chief Brehon of Teffia, a learned and profound adept in his
own profession, died.
- 1413 A.D. - Colla,
the son of Teige O'Kelly, heir to the lordship of Hy-Many; Melaghin, the son
of Manus Mac Donnell; O'Meagher, Chief of Hy-Cairin; and Mac Egan of Ormond,
a man learned in the Fenechus, all died.
- 1422 A.D. - Cosnamhach
Oge Mac Egan, Ollav of the Kinel-Fiachach, and of O'Conor Faly in judicature,
was slain, in a mistake, by the sons of O'Melaghlin, with one cast of a javelin.
- 1430 A.D. - Farrell,
the son of Boethius, son of Teige Mac Egan, Ollav of Lower Connaught
in Law, universally learned in every art, and who kept a house of hospitality
for all who came to visit him, died, after a good life.
- 1436 A.D. - Gilla-Isa
Mac Egan, Ollav to Mac Wattin in law, a pious, charitable, and humane
man, and the superintendent of schools of jurisprudence and poetry, died.
- 1438 A.D. - Donough,
the son of Siry O'Cuirnin, a learned historian; O'Daly of Breifny, Chief Poet
to O'Reilly; and Conor Mac Egan, Ollav of Clanrickard in law, died.
- 1443 A.D. - Mac
Egan of Ormond, i.e. Gilla-na-naev, the son of Gilla-na-naev,
son of Hugh, Ollav of Munster in law, a man generally skilled in each
art, and who kept a house of public hospitality for all, died.
- 1443 A.D. - Hugh
Mac Egan, the son of Farrell, son of Boethius, died, in
the springtide of his prosperity. He was the most fluent and eloquent of the
Irish of his times. He was Ollav of Lower Connaught in law.
- 1447 A.D. - Gilla-na-naev,
the son of Aireachtach, who was son of Solomon Mac Egan, the
most learned Brehon and Pprofessor of Laws in Ireland, died.
- 1473 A.D. - Brian,
the son of Robert Mac Egan, ollav to O'Conor Don and O'Hanly, died.
- 1474 A.D. - Gilla-Finn
Mac Egan, Ollav to O'Conor Faly, and Thomas, the son of Donnell O'Coffey,
died.
- 1486 A.D. - Teige
Mac Egan, Ollav of Annaly, was slain in an abominable manner by the descendants
of Irial O'Farrell.
- 1487 A.D. - John,
the son of Conor Mac Egan, Ollav of Clanrickard, and Hugh, the son
of Brian, son of Farrel Roe O'Higgin, died.
Volume
5
- 1529 A.D. - Cosnamhach,
the son of Farrell, son of Donough Duv Mac Egan, the most distinguished
adept in the Fenechas, poetry, and lay Brehonship, in all the Irish territories,
died, and was interred at Elphin.
- 1529 A.D. - Mac
Egan of Ormond (Donnell, the son of Hugh, son of Donnell),
head of the learned of Leath-Mhogha in Feneachus and poetry, died.
Volume
6
- 1601 A.D. - After
they had come together at one place, they pitched and arranged a camp before
Kinsale, and from this they faced Rinn-Corrain; and they allowed them the
garrison there neither quiet, rest, sleep, nor repose, for a long time and
they gave each other violent conflicts and manly onsets, until the warders
after all the hardships they encountered, were forced to come out unarmed,
and surrender at the mercy of the Lord Justice, leaving their ordnance and
their ammunition behind them. The Lord Justice billeted these throughout the
towns of Munster, until he should see what would be the result of his contest
with the other party who were at Kinsale. It was on this occasion that Carbry
Oge, the son of Carbry Mac Egan, who was ensign to the son of the
Earl of Ormond, was slain.
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