first king. The memory of these three princes is deeply graven on the history of Scotland, so that many Scottish persons and places have been named from them. This colonial kingdom was subject and tributary to the kings. of Ireland, and continued so for nearly three-quarters of a century, when King Aedan, who was brother of Branduff, king of Leinster (page 98), refused to pay tribute any longer, or to acknowledge, as his sovereign lord, the king of Ireland, who at this time happened to be Aed Mac Ainmirè [An'mire].

In order to bring this dangerous dispute, as well as other important matters, to a settlement by peaceful arbitration, a convention of the chief men, both lay and clerical, of Ireland and of the Scottish colony, was summoned by king Aed. This important meeting, which is much celebrated in early Irish history, was held at a place called Drum-Ketta on the river Roe near Limavady in Derry; for Tara had been abandoned as a royal residence some years previously; otherwise this Fes would no doubt have been held there. Among other eminent

A.D. 574

men, St. Columba, who was nearly related to both the Irish and the Scottish kings (for they all belonged to the Hy Neill), came over from Iona to take part in the deliberations; and mainly through his influence, the king of Ireland wisely agreed that the little Scottish kingdom should be then and for evermore independent of the Irish monarchs. The people of this colony, having now free scope for their energies, ultimately mastered the whole country. Fergus was the ancestor of the subsequent kings of Scotland; and from him, through the Stuarts, descend, in one of their lines of pedigree, our present royal family.

Another important matter considered at this conven

H

tion was the position of the bards or poets. As learning of every kind was so much respected in Ireland, these bards were greatly revered and held in high honour. But they had lately grown very numerous, insolent, and troublesome. The ollave poets were in the habit of going about the country with great companies of pupils and followers, and wherever they came they expected to be entertained-themselves and their retinue-in great style, and well paid by the chiefs they visited, who, for dread of their bitter lampoons, seldom ventured to refuse them. They became at last so overbearing and oppressive that the people rose up in indignation against them: and at this meeting of Drum-Ketta many of the leading men, including the king of Ireland, urged that the whole bardic order should be suppressed, and the worst among them expelled the country. But here again Columkille interposed with a more moderate and a better proposal, which was agreed to. The bards and their followers were greatly reduced in number; strict rules were laid down for the regulation of their conduct in the future; and those who were fit for it, especially the ollaves of learning (page 92), were set to work to teach schools, with land for their maintenance, so as to relieve the people from their exactions.

This king, Aed Mac Ainmirè, reigned twenty-six years (572 to 598), and would have reigned longer had he not made an attempt to levy the Boru tribute. His first demand was refused; whereupon, collecting his forces, he marched into the heart of Leinster. But by a skilful stratagem, Branduff, king of the province, with a much smaller force, defeated his army in a night surprise at Dunbolg near Dunlavin in Wicklow; and King Aed himself was slain while retreating.

After several short unimportant reigns, Donall, son of the last-mentioned king Aed Mac Ainmirè,

Foot Soldier.*

ascended the throne in 627. One of his first acts was to expel from Ireland a powerful Ulster prince named Congal Claen, who had killed Donall's predecessor. Congal fled to Britain where he had many relatives among the kings and chiefs there, who espoused his cause. After an exile of nine years, he returned with a great army,

determined to wrest the

throne from king Donall; and he was immediately

joined by his Ulster partisans. Donall had however been made aware of the projected invasion, so that he was fully prepared: and marching

north he con

*

Grotesque figures from the Book of Kells, 7th century, showing some costumes of the period. Foot Soldier: head-dress yellow; coat green; breeches very tight, light-blue; legs and feet bare; small shield held by the left hand; spear exactly the shape of some of those preserved in the National Museum. Horse Soldier: cap yellow; cloak green, with bright red and yellow border; breeches green; leg clothed; foot naked. Horse covered with yellow cloth. From Wilde's Catalogue.

94045

fronted his enemies at Moyrath, now Moira in the present county of Down. Here was A.D. 637 fought one of the most noted and sanguinary battles recorded in Irish history, which lasted for six successive days, and terminated in the total overthrow of the invaders. Congal fell fiercely fighting at the head of his forces; and few of his great army escaped from the field.

On the accession of Finaghta the Festive in 674, he made the old demand on Leinster, and defeated the Leinstermen when they rose in resistance. But the iniquity of the Boru tax and the evils resulting from it seem at last to have created general discontent: for soon after, at the earnest solicitation of St. Moling of Ferns, King Finaghta solemnly renounced the Boru for himself and his successors. This however did not end the trouble. After the lapse of some reigns other kings renewed the claim, and two more destructive battles were fought on account of it; after which this illomened tribute gradually fell into disuse, leaving however an evil mark on the country.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE

EFORE the close of the eighth century the Danes began to make descents on the coasts of Europe. From Jutland, Norway, Sweden, and in general from the coasts and islands of the Baltic, came forth swarms of daring

robbers, who for two centuries kept the whole of western Europe in a state of continual terror. They appeared for the first time on the Irish coast in A.D. 795, when they plundered St. Columkille's church on Rechru or Lambay Island near Dublin. Once they had found the way, party after party continued to come to Ireland, plundering and murdering whereever they came. They soon found out that many of the monasteries were rich in works of art: such as crosiers, shrines, books, bells, &c., ornamented with much gold, silver, and precious stones; and as they hated Christianity and learning of all kinds, they had a double motive in seeking out these establishments. Accordingly they plundered churches, monasteries, and libraries, both on the islands and on the mainland, and what they could not bring away they burned or otherwise destroyed, so far as lay in their power. Their movements moreover were so sudden and quick, that they generally made their escape before the people had time to intercept them. About the middle of the ninth century they established themselves permanently in Dublin, Limerick, and Waterford, where they built fortresses.

For some time in the beginning the Danes came in detached bands, each small party plundering on their own account, with no combined action. But at length their scattered forces were united under their most renowned

leader, Turgesius, who arrived with a A.D. 832 great fleet, and was acknowledged leader by all the Danes then in Ireland. Other fleets soon followed under his direction; and he fixed his headquarters, first at Armagh, and afterwards on Lough Ree, where he had one of his fleets; and from both centres, he plundered the districts all round,