Life of St. Declan of Ardmore and Life of St. Mochuda of Lismore
Religion
Life of St. Declan of Ardmore and Life of St. Mochuda of Lismore
Carthach, Saint, Bishop of Lismore, active 570-637 -- Legends; Declan, Saint, Bishop of Ardmore, active 6th century -- Legends
1. The most blessed Bishop Declan of the most noble race of the kings of
Ireland, i.e., the holy bishop who is called Declan was of the most noble
royal family of Ireland--a family which held the sceptre and exacted
tribute from all Ireland at Tara for ages. Declan was by birth of noble
blood as will appear from his origin and genealogy, for it was from
Eochaidh Feidhleach, the powerful Ardrigh of Ireland for twelve years,
that he sprang. Eochaidh aforesaid, had three sons, scil.:--Breas, Nar,
and Lothola, who are called the three Finneavna; there reigned one
hundred and seven kings of their race and kindred before and after them,
i.e. of the race of Eremon, king of Ireland,--before the introduction of
Christianity and since. These three youths lay one day with their own
sister Clothra, daughter of the same father, and she conceived of them.
The son she brought forth as a consequence of that intercourse was marked
by three red wavy lines which indicated his descent from the three youths
aforesaid. He was named Lugaidh Sriabhdearg from the three lines
[sriabaib] in question, and he was beautiful to behold and of greater
bodily strength in infancy than is usual with children of his age. He
commenced his reign as king of Ireland the year in which Caius Caesar
[Caligula] died and he reigned for twenty-six years. His son was named
Criomthan Nianair who reigned but sixteen years. Criomthan's son was
named Fearadach Finnfechtnach whose son was Fiacha Finnolaidh whose son
again was Tuathal Teachtmhar. This Tuathal had a son Felimidh Reachtmhar
who had in turn three sons--Conn Ceadcathach, Eochaidh Finn, and Fiacha
Suighde. Conn was king of Ireland for twenty years and the
productiveness of crops and soil and of dairies in the time of Conn are
worthy of commemoration and of fame to the end of time. Conn was killed
in Magh Cobha by the Ulstermen, scil.:--by Tiopruid Tireach and it is
principally his seed which has held the kingship of Ireland ever since.
Eochaidh Finn was second son to Felimidh Reachtmhar and he migrated to
the latter's province of Leinster, and it is in that province his race
and progeny have remained since then. They are called Leinstermen, and
there are many chieftains and powerful persons of them in Leinster.
Fiacha Suighde moreover, although he died before he succeeded to the
chief sovereignty, possessed land around Tara. He left three sons--Ross,
Oengus, and Eoghan who were renowned for martial deeds--valiant and
heroic in battle and in conflict. Of the three, Oengus excelled in all
gallant deeds so that he came to be styled Oengus of the poisonous
javelin. Cormac Mac Art Mac Conn it was who reigned in Ireland at this
time. Cormac had a son named Ceallach who took by force the daughter of
Eoghan Mac Fiacha Suighde to dwell with him, i.e. Credhe the daughter of
Eoghan. When Oengus Gaebuaibhtheach ("of the poisonous javelin") heard
this, viz., that the daughter of his brother had been abducted by
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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