on the one side, and the Southerns, under the command of Mortogh, son of Turlogh, on the other. Four thousand were left dead on the field, including some of the most powerful of the chiefs. According to the Annals of Ulster, victory lay on the side of Mortogh, who brought with him, and posted up on the gate of Limerick, the head of his principal opponent, Donogh O'Ruarck. One other achievement of Turlogh, now well advanced in years, is recorded. He went himself in person to avenge the plundering, in his absence, of Killaloe, Tuaimgreine, and Moynoe, by the Connaught clans. "Morogh, son of Dubh, chief of all Muinter-Eolais (Leitrim), was taken prisoner by Turlogh O'Brian, and all Muinter-Eolais was plundered by him."1 With this parting gleam of victory on his brow, the old Dalcassian chief, in the seventy-seventh year of his age and the thirty-second year of his reign, having never fully recovered the shock of the incident connecting him with the violation of the Clonmacnoise sanctuary, passed away peaceably at Kincora, A.D. 1086.

The Clare of to-day may well look back with pride on the career of one of her sons, who, imitating the vigour and piety of his illustrious grandfather, secured from Pope Gregory VII. a recognition of his supreme authority, and was spoken of by Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury, in the following terms, in a letter 2 addressed to "The Magnificent Turlogh, King of Ireland:" "God was mercifully disposed towards the people of Ireland in giving him royal power over that land;" and bearing witness to his well-known character "for pious humility, severe justice, and discreet equity." This letter was one of the many evidences that the Danish Church in Ireland, of which he complains to its monarch for certain abuses that disfigured it, was under the direct jurisdiction of the Prelate of Canterbury. The Four Masters, as translated by O'Donovan, describe the manner of his death in the following pathetic and instructive words: "He died after long suffering, and after intense penance for his sins, and after taking the body of Christ and His blood; and Teigue O'Brian and his son died in 1 Four Masters. 2 Ussher, Vet. Epist. Hibern. Syll.

the same month. Turlogh was said

In commemoration of the death of

Eighty years without falsehood,

And a thousand of great extent,

And six years from the death of the dear Son of God

To the death of the modest Turlogh.

The night of Tuesday, on the pridie of the Ides of July,
Before the festival of pure Jacob of pure mind,

On the twenty-second died the

Mighty Supreme King Turlogh."

CHAPTER VIII.

FROM 1086 TO 1171.

Mortogh Mor, last Dalcassian Ard-Righ-His rival, Turlogh O'Connor of Connaught His Defeats and Death-Conor, son of Diarmid, elected-Death of Ceallagh (St. Celsus)-Building of Cormac's Chapel at Cashel-Contests on Lough Derg and the Western CoastAnother Turlogh succeeds Conor-Diarmid MacMurrough-St. Malachi-National Councils-O'Ruarck, Prince of Breffny-Expulsion of Diarmid, father-in-law of Turlogh-English Invasion.

TURLOGH'S Son Mortogh was elected to succeed him as prince of Thomond, and was installed by the chief of the Clan Cuilean (MacNamara) at the royal rath of Magh-Adhair, near Tulla. He was recognised also by the Eoghanachts as King of Munster; for we find him, the year after his father's death, at the head of the army of Munster, doing battle with Donal, King of Leinster, for the supremacy of Leathmogha, the southern half of Ireland. In this battle the Dalcassian prince defeated his rival with great slaughter, in his own territory near Dublin.

The following year, however, was one of disaster for him. Rory O'Connor, his brother-in-law, anticipated attack by occupying in force an island at the northern side of Lough Derg, barring the passage up the Shannon. In an attempt to dislodge him from this position, the Dalcassians suffered a defeat with considerable loss. No better fortune awaited them later on, when, sailing round by the Atlantic, an attack was made on Connaught from the sea. They were again repulsed, and Rory, taking advantage of the confusion consequent on those defeats, marched into Corcomroe, devastating all before him, but losing three of his chieftains, who were intercepted and slain. There followed a still greater collapse. Donal MacLaughlin, of the Northern

dynasty, claiming the throne of Ireland, overawed O'Connor, taking hostages from him in token of submission. Both together then advanced by the eastern side of the Shannon on Limerick, and, laying it in ruins, plundered the rich plain to the south as far as Emly and Bruree. On their return they crossed the Shannon at Limerick, bringing with them the head of O'Ruarck, which had been exposed at Singland near that city; and, after "breaking down and demolishing" Kincora itself, returned in triumph with great spoil, and not fewer than eight score Dalcassian and Danish hostages. A time of woe indeed in proud Thomond. But the Dalcassian spirit was not subdued. A race less warlike might, for a time at least, succumb to such a series of defeats. In the very next year they tried to recover their lost prestige by an attack on Connaught. Ascending in their vessels, they plundered the islands in Lough Righ, sparing the holy sanctuary of Clonmacnoise. Here they again met

with a repulse, and in their retreat found themselves confronted by Rory O'Connor, who had in the meantime taken possession of two islands which offered an advantageous position for intercepting their return homeward. Driven back towards Athlone, they were watched by Donal O'Mealaghlin, King of Meath, and had to surrender to him their vessels for a safe-conduct through his territory. With these vessels, O'Mealaghlin and O'Connor, who were acting in concert, swooped down directly on their baffled foes, and carried away great plunder from East Thomond (Tipperary).

The Dalcassians, being now exhausted, had to abandon for some time all hope of placing one of their race on the throne of Ireland. In the year following, a friendly meeting was arranged, at which the supremacy of the Northern Hy Niall was acknowledged by the Kings of Meath, Connaught, and Munster. Some encounters took place, in A.D. 1091, between the men of Munster and those of Connaught and Meath, wherein the former were usually defeated. It may be that this was due, in no small measure, to the fact that Mortogh did not command the undivided support of the Dalcassians. The sons of his elder brother contested his right to rule, and must have had a considerable following,

as he found it necessary to effect some kind of compromise with them. It did not last long. The King of Connaught, who favoured their pretensions in order to weaken Mortogh, was encouraged by them to swoop down on West Thomond, where they committed great devastation, having taken Mortogh completely by surprise. For this he made them pay dearly the following year, A.D. 1093. Attacking Connaught with great force, he made O'Connor prisoner, and swept the country clear of his clan. They retreated into Tirowen.

The next year found the Northerns and Southerns once more at war for supremacy in Ireland. The Southerns, finding themselves overmatched, withdrew without engaging; but as soon as the Northern prince retired into his own territory, Mortogh wreaked vengeance on his allies, the King of Meath and the Danes of Dublin, whom he reduced to submission. He next turned his arms against the O'Connors, who had returned from Tirowen into their own country, but without success. A great pestilence, which took away some of the principal men of the kingdom, among whom is named “the priest of Cill da Lua," put an end for some time to the weary and melancholy shedding of blood. At a National Council held this year-the successor of St. Patrick presiding -a rigid fast and abstinence was proclaimed and put in force, as a continuance of the pestilence was greatly feared. "Many alms and offerings were made to God, many lands were granted to churches and clergymen by kings and chieftains; and the men of Ireland were saved for that time from the fire of vengeance." 2

1

During the lull Mortogh and the Dalcassians built up again the fortress at Kincora which the Northerns had some years before demolished.

An incident recorded in the year A.D. 1096 is no way creditable to Mortogh. He delivered up a chieftain, MacCoirten, to his enemies, the O'Learys, on receiving from them eight hostages, one hundred cows, and thirty ounces of gold; a bribe of no little value in those days, but a poor compensation for so dishonourable a transaction.

The year ensuing found Mortogh again at the gates of the