The Life of St. Declan of Ardmore | Page 8

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 Ceallach he was roused to fury and he
followed Ceallach to Tara taking with him his foster child, scil.:--Corc
Duibhne, the son of Cairbre, son of Conaire, son of Mogha Lamha
whom Cormac held as a hostage from the Munstermen, and whom he
had given for safe custody to Oengus. When Oengus reached Tara he
beheld Ceallach sitting behind Cormac. He thrust his spear at Ceallach
and pierced him through from front to back. However as he was
withdrawing the spear the handle struck Cormac's eye and knocked it
out and then, striking the steward, killed him. He himself (Oengus)
with his foster child escaped safely. After a time Cormac, grieving for
the loss of his son, his eye and his steward at the hands of Oengus of
the poisonous javelin and of his kinsmen, ordered their expulsion from
their tribal territory, i.e. from the Decies of Tara, and not alone from
these, but from whole northern half of Ireland. However, seven battles
were fought in which tremendous loss was inflicted on Cormac and his
followers before Oengus and his people, i.e. the three sons of Fiacha
Suighde, namely, Ross and Oengus and Eoghan, as we have already
said, were eventually defeated, and obliged to fly the country and to
suffer exile. Consequent on their banishment as above by the king of
Ireland they sought hospitality from the king of Munster, Oilill Olum,
because Sadhbh, daughter of Conn Ceadcathach was his wife. They got
land from him, scil.: the Decies of Munster, and it is to that race, i.e.
the race of Eoghan Mac Fiacha Suighde that the kings and country of
the Decies belong ever since.
2. Of this same race of Eoghan was the holy bishop Declan of whom I
shall speak later scil.: Declan son of Eirc, son of Trein, son of Lughaidh,
son of Miaich, son of Brian, son of Eoghan, son of Art Corp, son of
Moscorb, son of Mesgeadra,