The History of Ireland, from the earliest ages to the Union

Front matter

THE HISTORY OF IRELAND, FROM THE EARLIEST AGES TO THE UNION. BY THE REV. SAMUEL BURDY. Primcres populi arripuit p&pulmnque tribiitim, Scilicet uni œguut, virtuti atque ejus amlcti. Hor. A friend to virtue, and to vice a foe, He'd faults of rulers and of people shew. EDINBURGH : Printed b_y Duncan Stevenson and Company, FOR DOIG AND STIRLING, EDINBURGH ; GEORGE COWIE AND COItfPANY, LONDON ; AND J. CUMMING, DUBLIN. 1S17. ENTERED IN STATIONERS1 HALL, acccrBiitff to act of parliament.

ADVERTISEMENT.

. I he Author, soon after he had left the university, sent a letter to a fellow-student, who had gone to America, containing an account of Irish affairs for a few years preceding. This letter was published in London in 1 792, about seven years after it was written; and from the favourable character given of this juvenile production in the Monthly Revi< w,* the Author was induced to undertake the present history, which, from various causes, has been long delayed. In the execution of the work he exerted great industry in endeavouring to attain the real truth, but a particular quotation of authorities would be inconsistent with the plan of an abridg ment. * Review for June 1 792- THE HISTORY OF IRELAND.

Chapter I

Original inhabitants— Religion — Government — Laws— Dwellings — Morals — Food — Dress — Ollam Fodla — Kembtth — Tuathal Nial St. Patrick Complete conversion — Learned and pious men — The Danes or Ostmen — Brian Beromy — Battle of Clonlarffe—Last attempt of the Danes. A he Irish antiquaries have laboured above all others chap. I. to attach peculiar dignity to the country which is the -^— object of their panegyric, and, in the ardour of their zeal, have taken the ideal conceits of bards for true history. Without attending to the whimsies of these, it is just ne cessary to mention, that Ireland was first peopled by a colony of the Celtæ, a nation, of very remote antiquity, that Original in. spread over western Europe, whose language resembled hab'tants* that used by the original Irish at present.

Having ex tended themselves over Germany and Gaul, they passed over to Great Britain, and thence to Ireland, and, after possessing this country for many ages, were at length dis turbed by the Firbolgs, a branch of the great Scythian swarm, that came over from Belgic Gaul. The Celtæ, be ing occupied in the chace, lived in forests ; the Firbolgs, like their brethren in Germany, resided for a great part of A J HISTORY OF IRELAND. chap. I. the year in artificial caves. By these, it is supposed, some knowledge of letters was introduced, and, of course, they were considered more civilized than the others. That Ireland was, however, involved in extreme barbarism, is evident from this circumstance, that it never excited the attention of the Romans, who held the dominion of Britain for four hundred and seventy-six years.

Its subjugation could have been effected, it was thought, in the time of Agricola, by a single legion and a few auxiliaries, amounting to about five thousand men. Keli io religion of the people was druidism, a severe system of superstition, whose priests, termed druids, by means of excommunication and other modes of punishment, obtained supreme sway over them, and obliged them, as well in tem poral as spiritual concerns, to submit to their decisions. Their peculiar doctrines were not completely divulged to the laity, nor committed to writing, but contained in verses, which were carefully treasured up in memory. It is sup posed they prescribed the worship of the sun or fire, of which some relic still remains in the custom of lighting up honfires on the eve preceding the twenty-fourth of June.

Their places of worship were lonely groves, for which they had a superstitious regard ; and for the oak in particular, as appears by the name of their religion,* thev entertained a profound veneration. Their hierarchy consisted of a diversity of ranks, with an arch-druid, who had the principal authority. Yet, with all this solemnity, their precepts of morality were not strict, and these priests chiefly exerted their influence over their votaries in promoting temporal ends, to which they made religion subservient. Hence, in order to inspire the vulgar with courage in. battle, they in culcated the doctrine of the transmigration of souls. Govern. The most ancient form of government in Ireland was a meDt* number of provincial kings, of whom one assumed, for a time, the title of monarch, exacting from the rest, when he could effect it, a kind of homage, military service, and also tribute.

The number was certainly indefinite, varying ac cording to circumstances, and was not confined to five, but extended to six, seven, or more. Each of these kings had Druidism is taken from _]**i/j, quercus, an oak. HISTORY OF IRELAND. 3 subordinate to him a variety of petty kings or princes, of CHAP. I. whom he demanded tribute, assistance, and submission, si milar to what he paid the sovereign. These petty kings had also other chieftains, or heads of inferior clans, subordinate to them, over whom they assumed the same rule. The tribute paid in all these cases was cattle and various goods. The submission, however, which each inferior, in this different gradation of rank, afforded to his superior was not uniform, but varied, being directed by caprice or convenience. The monarch, in particular, was almost con stantly engaged in wars with some or other of the provin cial kings, occasioned, in general, by their withholding the usual tributes.

The succession to the monarchy was elective, but con fined to the family of the three sons of Milesius, the ima ginary hero of the bards, whose names are recorded to be Hebor, Heremon, and Amergin. To prevent, in some de gree, the confusion attending on this unsettled mode, it was thought necessary to elect, during the life of the mo narch, the successor, who seemed the most worthy of the same family. The person chosen was frequently the bro ther, uncle, or cousin-german of the reigning monarch. Successors to the provincial kings and chieftains, whom they termed tainists, were elected in the same manner. This mode, however, did not remedy the inconvenience, but still was the cause of violent contests and bloodshed. The person elected sometimes took up arms against the reigning monarch, and frequently both fell victims to some more potent faction.

So that, out of two hundred monarchs, a hundred and seventy, it is allowed, died by pre mature and violent deaths. The title of each was usually the murder of the one who preceded him. In such an unsettled state of government, laws, we may Laws. suppose, had but a feeble operation. Their laws, however, such as they were, seem not to have been committed to writing, but were transmitted through successive genera tions by a kind of hereditary judges called Brehons, who gave their decisions in the open air. The punishments in flicted were not suitable to the enormity of crimes, and even murder escaped with a fine or commutation called eric, a _K CHAP. I, Dwellings. which was usually paid to the relations of the deceased. Another law required that a man's land, on his death, or on leaving his tribe, should be equally distributed among the families of the community to which he belonged This produced a perpetual fluctuation of property, as men's crimes, or misfortunes, frequently forced them from one tribe to another.

Hence, agriculture was neglected, and industry discouraged. Yet the mensal land, as it was call ed, appropriated to the maintenance of the tainist, was ex cepted from this rule, and descended to him without dimi nution. The moveable effects, however, on a man's, de cease, were divided equally among all his sons, legitimate or not, and, on their failure, among the next male heirs, but females were totally excluded. This also, operated to the discouragement of industry, since part of a man's family was prevented from enjoying the fruits of it. It is supposed, however, that the original Irish had a plurality of wives, a custom derived from the Northerns who arrived here before the second century. The habitations both of princes and people were cabins made of hurdles, and plastered with clay. Eachcl an had their dwellings together, and in the middle was the residence of the chief, situated on a rising ground, and sur rounded with a trench.

These , fortified inclosures were termed raths, and were of different dimensions according to the dignity of the chieftain. Here the whole clan used, in cases of emergency, to shelter themselves from danger. They were also adapted for the accommodation of travellers ; and the Brehon laws required that they should not be too suddenly removed, lest these should be disappointed of their usual entertainment. Such hospitality was essentially necessary among a barbarous people, totally unacquainted with the convenience of inns. Travellers were there allowed provision by right of hospitality, but the people were obliged to support the chieftain and his attendants, who lived among them at free quarters. It was also a custom for different families to exchange children, which was called fosterage, and produced such an intimate connection among the persons thus bred up together, that they coneidered themselves bound to support each other in every chap I quarrel.

Acts of violence, indeed, accompanied by horrible in-M al stances of treachery and perjury, though softened now and then by some generous deeds, were too frequent among them, to which they were excited by their national music and songs, that tended, instead of alleviating, to rouse the vindictive passions of the people. The bards and musi cians, who acquired great influence over them by humour ing their favourite prejudices, had their professions made hereditary (as were also other professions or trades in certain families), and large portions of land appropriated to their use. They attained, it is said, the third part of the national property, which also had the advantage of not be ing liable to the fluctuation of other tenures. Their land, however, was but of small benefit, since f00<*[. agriculture was but little understood or practised, and their chief food was milk, herbs, flesh of cattle, and particularly of wild swine, that abounded in the forests of oaks.

Such diet, with bad cookery, made the leprosy very frequent among them. The little corn they had, instead of being threshed, was freed from the husk by fire, then pounded and boiled, or ground with a hand-mill, and baked in cakes, which were hardened on embers or a griddle. Their principal beverage was mead, which caused the preserva tion of bees to be particularly regarded by the Brehon laws. Their dress can not be settled so exactly, since it was Dress liable to variations by the change of fashion and the introduction of foreigners. They wore a short cloak, at first of skin, and afterwards of cloth, furnished with a hood, and decorated with stripes of various colours. This short cloak was in time exchanged for a long one, and the hood for a conical cap. They also wore a jacket, and trowsers which descended to the feet ; but the poorer sort of them seem to have been naked below.

Their clothes were, like their sheep, of a dark colour, but their trowsers were dyed yel low, as were also their shirts, which were wide, with large folds, and sleeves of great size : one of them would take fifteen yards of yard-wide linen. The shoe was just a piece HISTORY OF IRELAND. CHAP. T Ollam Fod. la. Kembeth. of leather tied on the foot by a thong. They wore a long beard, at least on the upper lip, and a great bunch of hair thrown over their forehead, which gave them a ferocious aspect. A particular detail of the transactions of such barbarous people would produce neither amusement nor instruction, and, indeed, the recital of the same repeated acts of cruelty and treachery would disgust the reader with its dull uniformity. Hence no benefit would be derived from such a particular detail, even if sufficient authority could be obtained ; but this really is not the case, for the knowledge we acquire of the different reigns is usually taken from poems and romances, which, though founded in reality, would afford, when embellished by the fictions of the bards, verv imperfect materials for history.

A sketch, however, of some of the most important reigns is necessary, in order to form a connected narrative. After a variety of monarchs, of whom a particular notice is not requisite, the one called Ollam Fodla, who reigned about nine hundred and fifty years before the Christian era, was distinguished by his capacity for legislation. En dued by nature with a superior understanding, he insti tuted, it is said, the triennial convention of kings, priests, and poets, who met at Tarah, in Meath, for the purpose of establishing laws, and regulating the government. Some others also followed his example, and were useful in pro ducing salutary laws, though barbarous crimes too frequently intervened, and the monarchs themselves were suc cessively removed by a series of assassination. Two hundred and sixty years after Ollam Fodla, Kem beth ascended the throne, who built, it is reported, in the vicinity of Armagh, the palace of Emania, the celebrated residence of the kings of Ulster for almost seven hundred years.

At Emania councils were held subordinate to Tarah, the subject of whose debates related to national police, and the mechanical arts. His queen, Macha, obtained the throne after his death, having gained different victories over her competitors, and, after a reign of seven years, was slain herself, by Reachta, a prince of the line of Heber, who was also put to death by his successor. Hence followed the chap. r. Tuathal reigns of a variety of monarchs, who obtained the supreme sway by destroying the actual possessors of the throne. During this time, some bands of the Scandinavian Goths, from the regions near the Baltic, formed settlements in Ire land ; and, about the first century of the Christian era, the Dumnonian race usurped the chief power by the slaughter of the ancient royal family. At length Tuathal, a prince of this ancient family, re-' turning from North Britain with some auxiliaries, had the general convention assembled at Tarah, and himself acknowledged as supreme monarch.

He obliged hi? subjects by a solemn oath, to elect their future sovereigns from his family, and had the district of Meath appointed as an ap pendage the monarchy. During his reign, an incident took place, which was attended with a very remarkable effect. Eochaid, the provincial king of Leinster, who had married his daughter, conceiving a guilty passion for her sister, pretended, in order to gratify his desire, that his wife was dead, and obtained her sister in marriage. The two ladies happened to meet in the royal house of Leinster, and the meeting had a fatal effect on them, as they both died of vexation. The monarch in a rage invaded his province, which was preserved from desolation only on the express condition of paying a grievous tribute, called the Baromean tribute, as a perpetual memorial of the monarch's resentment, and of the offence that Eochaid had committed.

The exaction of this oppressive tribute produced disorders for ages. Con, one of his successors, who gained the throne, as usual, by putting the reigning monarch to death, found great difficulty in exacting this tribute. He reigned thirty five years, mostly engaged in wars of various success, and at last lost his life in a battle with the King of Ulster. The reign of his son and successor, Art, is only remarkable for having a colony of Irish settled in Albany in North Britain, under a chieftain called Rida. Hence a more intimate in tercourse was established between the two countries. Cormac, the second after him, who was elected monarch in 254-, seemed to possess some political talents, but was so unfortunate as to lose an eye in one of his military expeditions, which rendered him unfit to reign, as no person * HISTORY OF IRELAND. chap. I. maimed could, by the constitution, sit on the throne.

He ~=~== resigned his situation with great calmness, and spent the remainder of his life in philosophic retirement, having composed different works, especially " an Advice to a King,'' for the benefit of his son, who, he expected, would some time or other ascend the throne. Soon after his death, his son, Carbry attained, as he ex pected, the sovereign power j and profiting by his father's instructions, framed some useful institutions, for the purpose of restraining those violent passions which too frequent ly were allowed to operate without controul. Yet his pre cepts seemed not to have had a suitable influence on his own conduct, for though it was his duty, as monarch of Ireland, to promote the happiness of all his subjects, yet he led an army into Leinster, to enforce the payment of the odious Baromean tribute.

In his reign, the national militia, so useful and so much famed by the bards, for reasons not sufficiently known, was disbanded. Flacha, of the house of Heremon, who was elected his successor, was attacked by a faction termed the Collas, who were enraged at the partiality he showed to his son, Mure doch, a young man possessed with a desire of military glory. The king lost his life in a battle with these, one of whom usurped his throne, but was afterwards banished by Mure doch with the whole party to Albany. In three years they returned, having obtained their pardon from Muredoch, who also supplied them with seven thousand men to procure a settlement in Ulster. But this monarch, during the ab sence of his party, was attacked by Collach, one of his chief tains, and deprived of his kingdom and life.

The usurper was soon slain by the king's son, Eochaid, who, as well as Cremlhan, the next successor to the throne, went over to North Britain, in order to assist the Picts against the Romans, and their British auxiliaries. It must be observed, however, that the Irish monarchs had frequently sufficient employment at home, without going abroad on foreign expeditions ; for, beside contending with the provincial kings, who were often turbulent, they were frequently engaged in warfare with colonies of the Scandinavian Goths, already mentioned, who at different times invaded their country with success These colonies were termed Scots; chap. i. and in the fourth century of the Christian era, obtained such ■■■ power as to cause this island to be called Scotia or Scotland, an appellation in later times transferred to another country.

In this same century, it is reported, that they, led on by Oscar, son of Oshin, and grandson of the hero Fin, en gaged in a great battle with the Irish, under a prince of Leinster, in which the latter were victorious. This prevented the subjugation of Ireland at that time. They con tinued, however, masters of the ports but the native princes seemed to have considerable authority in the interior parts of the country. Of all the Irish monarchs at that time, who were most Nial, successful, both in repelling foreign invasion, and in sub duing rebellious chieftains, Nial the Great, or Nial of the Nine Hostages, the immediate successor of Cremthan, was certainly the most remarkable. When he had sufficiently established his authority at home, he followed the example of his predecessors, in going over to North Britain, to ac company the Picts in their expeditions against the unfortu nate Britons.

He broke through the wall built by the Ro mans to prevent the incursion of the Picts, attacked the people, desolated the country, and returned home laden with plunder. He also made two expeditions, of a similar kind, into Gaul, assisted in the first by the Saxons, and, in the second, by the general of the Dulraidas, but was murdered, on the banks of the Loire, in 406, by a son of the king of Leinster, who went over to Gaul for that very purpose. The country was thus happily freed from de predation. In the reign of his nephew Dathy, who succeeded him, the Romans, distressed on the continent by the northern nations, were obliged to withdraw their forces from Britain, which afforded an opportunity to Dathy, and his friends the Picts, to ravage the country. He also led an army to Gaul, where he perished, by a stroke of lightning, at the foot of the Alps.

His successor was Laogary, the son of Nial the Great, who ascended the throne in 428. Soon after his accession, he made a descent on Britain, and compelled the people to CHAP. I. pay him a tribute. Yet, he was unsuccessful in enforcing the payment of the Baromean tribute, being defeated ill battle and taken prisoner by Cremthan the king of Leinster. In order to regain his liberty, he took an oath never more to demand this odious tribute, but being absolved by the druids, he broke his engagement, and continued still to pursue his iniquitous claim. These priests had long before corrupted both religion and morality, and, of course, were injurious to the state. The time now arrived when the Christian religion was more openly professed in Ireland, though some feeble efforts had been tried to introduce it before.

The honour of this St. Patrick. conversion is usually ascribed to St. Patrick, who is reported to be a native of North Britain, and to have entertained a partiality for the Irish, from the circumstance of his being a captive in Ireland in his youth. He arrived here, it is said, on his spiritual enterprise, with authority from Pope Celestine, about 432, when he was in his sixtieth year. Yet, the very existence of this saint has of late been controverted, and such powerful arguments produced, as the most zealous of his advocates and admirers will find difficult to answer.* It appears, that he is not mentioned in any writing of authentic date before the ninth century, a period remarkable for fabricating the lives of saints, nor by the ecclesiastic historians of the intermediate time, Beda, Cogitosus, Adamnan, and Cummian, who, it might be supposed, would not have omitted to take notice of so great a missioner, if any account of him had reached them.

In the calendar, it is owned, his name is frequently found, but this is very suspicious authority. The stories also transmitted to us of his exploits and miracles, have, it is said, too much the appearance of legendary fiction. Yet, it is odd, that the imposture should have been palmed on the world so long, and never discovered till the present time. In converting the natives to Christianity, by whomsoever this useful work was effected, great policy was displayed in endeavouring to make it agreeable to the order of the druids. As certain hereditary priveleges and possessions were annex * See Ledwich's Antiquities of Ireland, where this abstruse subject is amply discussed with singular ingenuity and learning. ed to that order, it was appointed, in conformity to this idea, CHAP. I. that the office of pastors of the several churches should be = confined to certain families, and that the lands set apart for their support should descend by regular inheritance.

This tended in some degree to reconcile the druids to Christian ity, who were before most averse to it, as it showed a respect to their ancient customs, and as they might obtain the same advantage from the present religion, which they en joyed from the last. Still the work of conversion proceeded slowly, as it appears that paganism prevailed very much here, even at the end of the sixth century. The missionaries, however, were so fortunate as to con vert, among other persons of rank, Laogary, the monarch, who, notwithstanding, seems not to have been much improv ed in morality by his change of religion. Once more he joined the Picts with an army in their predatory invasions of Britain, which was continually harassed by their attacks, until the battle of Stamford, in Lincolnshire, took place, in which the Britons were victorious by the assistance of the Saxons, who, being invited as auxiliaries, afterwards took possession of the kingdom.

Laogary, who died in 456, was succeeded by Oliol Melt, of the family of Heremon, who, notwithstanding the failure of his predecessor, led an army into Leinster to enforce the payment of the Baromean tribute, and fought a battle there, of which the event is not related. Soon after, he was en gaged in a contest with Leuighad, the son of Laogary, a competitor for the throne, who, when he came to age, de manded it as the right of his family, and slew Oliol on the plains of Ocha. Leuighad was now crowned monarch, having an undisputed title to the crown, as he was descended from Heremon, and of the house of Nial. The different claims to that honour, between the families of Heber and Heremon, produced, for several ages, a variety of contests, of which, and of the reigns themselves, it may be needless to relate the particulars.

Yet, for the two succeeding centuries, notwithstanding these violent con tests, Christianity and learning made a successful progress in Ireland. The complete conversion of the island wasComP'e|e owing to the clergy of South Britain, who took refuge here V2 HISTORY OF IRELAND. CHAP. I. from the Anglo-Saxon pagans, the sanguinary conquerors of their country. These contributed to found here monasteries and seminaries of learning, which had so much increased in the seventh century as to cause Ireland to be called the island of saints and scholars. Missionaries were then sent from it to different parts of the continent, to propagate the Christian religion and scholastic philosophy, the fashionable learning of the times. This literary pre-eminence, in those dark ages, was not only owing to the asylum it then afforded to men of a contemplative turn, during the troubles on the continent, and Saxon wars in South Britain, but also to the discouragement of knowledge and free inquiry, visibly shewn by the Roman pontiff, who was well assured that ignorance would promote that spiritual dominion at which he aimed.

Literature, however, was entirely confined to the monasteries, which, by their institution, being detached from society, had but little influence on the great body of the people, who were involved in extreme barbarism. Yet, furious and savage as they were, those asylums of piety were respected by them in their most bloody intestine commotions. The fame of those seminaries at that time certainly ex* tended very far, and attracted students from Britain and the continent. Yet the number has been greatly exagge rated by the monkish historians, who tell us there were seven thousand at Armagh, and at least as many at Lismore. From those repositories of learning certainly proceeded many saints and scholars, of whom it may be sufficient to mention a few. Learned About the middle of the sixth century flourished Colum and pious ba, or Columb-Cill, who, after founding a monastery at men- Derry, established a celebrated abbey in the isle of Ilay, one of the Hebrides, which, for almost two hundred years, disseminated Christian knowledge and literature through North Britain and Northumberland.

Hence he was honoured with the title of the Apostle of the North Britains. His biographer, St. Canice, the patron saint of Kilkenny, who also wrote hymns in his praise, immediately succeeded him. In the seventh century flourished, beside a number of HISTORY OP IRELAND. Other holy men, the learned and pious Columbanus, a chap. T. monk of Bangor, in the county of Down, who composed works of celebrity, both in poetry and prose, the latter chiefly in defence of the old observation of Easter. He also founded two monasteries in Burgundy, in France, and one in Britain. The next century produced Virg'ilius Solivagus, the glory of Irish literature, whose fame attracted the notice of Pepin, king of the Franks, who conferred on him the bishoprick of Saltzburg. He was degraded by pope Za chary, for daring to publish the discovery he had made of the real figure of the earth, the fruits of laborious research, but was canonized, five hundred years after, by pope Gre gory the Ninth.

Sedulus Scotigena, distinguished also bv the epithet Secundus, in his writings opposed with ability the high pretensions of the Roman pontiff', and the worship of images. It is to be lamented that those men of literature left us po account of their own country, the records of which in those times are peculiarly meagre and obscure. We have, it is true, The Psalter of Cashel,* The Book of Howth, The Annals of Figernagh, The Annals of Innis fallen, and the Annals of the Four Masters, yet obtain from them very little satisfactory information. The repose, however, of contemplative men was disturb-The panes ed, in the ninth century, by the invasion of the Danes or or Ostmen. Ostmen, who, ascending up the rivers in their light vessels, laid waste the country with fire and sword, butchered the inhabitants of every age and sex, and carried off the plun der.

Against the Christian clergy, in particular, those pa gans exerted their bloody rage, despoiled the monasteries and public seminaries, and obliged many of the learned men to make their escape out of the kingdom. Their su perstition was one of the most sanguinary sort, and inspired them with a desire for slaughter, and a contempt of death. Woden, the object of their worship, was the imaginary god of war, into whose paradise admission was only to be gained by bloodshed. To die by any other means than by war like weapons was esteemed so disgraceful, that, when in • This is a poetic composition, and is supposed to be written by Cor mac Macuillenan, archbishop of Cashel, and king of Munster. HISTORY OF IRELAND. chap. I. danger of being carried off by disease, they prevailed oa their friends to put them to violent deaths.