The Annals of
the Kingdom of Ireland, or The Annals of the Four Masters as they are more commonly
called, were compiled between 1632 and 1636 under the direction of Michael O'Clery,
a franciscan brother in Donegal. They are a yearly chronicles of major (and sometimes
minor) occurrances in Ireland from the Year of the Deluge (2242 A.M.) until 1616
A.D. Following are extracts from the Annals that reference members of the
Mac Egan families.
Volume 3
1225 A.D.
- Flann, the son of Auliffe O'Fallon, Chief of Clann-Uadagh, was slain by
Felim, the son of Cathal Crovderg, in this war; and Teige O'Finaghty, one
of the officers Aes graidh of Hugh, the son of Roderic, was slain by the people
of Mac Egan during the same war.
1249 A.D.
- An army was led by the Roydamnas heirs presumptive of Connaught, namely,
Turlough and Hugh, two sons of Hugh, the son of Cathal Crovderg, to Athenry,
on Lady Day in mid-autumn, to burn and plunder it. The sheriff of Connaught
was in the town before them, with a great number of the English. The English
demanded a truce for that day from the sons of the King of Connaught, in honour
of the Blessed virgin Mary, it being her festival day; but this they did not
obtain from them; and although Turlough forbade his troops to assault the
town, the chiefs of the army would not consent, but determined to make the
attack, in spite of him. When Jordan and the English saw this, they marched
out of the town, armed and clad in mail, against the Irish army. The youths
of the latter army, on seeing them drawn up in battle array, were seized with
fear and dismay, so that they were routed; and this was through the miracles
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on whose festival they had refused to grant the
truce demanded from them. Of their chiefs were here killed Hugh, son of Hugh
O'Conor; Dermot Roe, son of Cormac O'Melaghlin, the two sons of O'Kelly; Brian
an Doire, the son of Manus; Carragh Inshiubhail, son of Niall O'Conor; Boethius
Mac Egan; the two sons of Loughlin O'Conor; Donnell, son of Cormac Mac
Dermot; Finnanach Mac Branan; Cumumhan Mac Cassarly, and others besides.
1273 A.D.
- A depredation was committed by Jordan d'Exeter in Corran. A few of the young
princes of Connaught overtook him; but these having adopted an imprudent plan,
suggested by some of the common people, it fell out that Donnell, son of Donough,
Manus, son of Art O'Conor, Aireaghtagh Mac Egan, Hugh O'Beirne, and
many others, were slain.
1309 A.D.
- Hugh, the son of Owen, son of Rory, son of Hugh, son of Cathal Crovderg,
King of Connaught, and worthy heir to the monarchy of Ireland, the most hospitable
and expert at arms of all the Irish born in his time, was slain by Hugh Breifneach,
the son of Cathal O'Conor, at Coill-an-clochain, together with many of the
chiefs of his people about him. Among these were Conor Mac Dermot; Dermot
Roe, son of Teige O'Conor; Dermot, son of Cathal Carragh Mac Dermot; Hugh,
son of Murtough, son of Teige, son of Mulrony; and Dermot O'Healy, a princely
brughaidh, the best of his time. On the other side fell Gilla-na-naev Mac
Egan, Chief Brehon of Connaught, and the most illustrious of the Brehons
of his time; Faghartach O'Devlin, and others not mentioned. The Sil-Murray
then conferred the lordship upon Rory,the son of Cathal O'Conor. Rory O'Conor
and O'Flynn afterwards led a troop of cavalry to the Plain, and slew Mac Feorais
Bermingham.
1316 A.D.
- A very great army was mustered by Felim O'Conor and the chiefs of the province
of Connaught. In this battle were slain John Mac Egan, O'Conor's
Brehon.
1317 A.D.
- Maelisa Roe Mac Egan, the most learned man in Ireland in law and
judicature, died.
1320 A.D.
- A meeting and conference took place between Cathal O'Conor and Mulrony Mac
Dermot: a kindly and amicable peace was concluded between them, and Mac Dermot
then returned to his own country. Cathal, however, afterwards violated the
conditions of this peace, for he made a prisoner of Mac Dermot at Mullagh
Doramhnach, and also of his wife, the daughter of Mac Manus, at Port-na-Cairrge.
Maelisa Don Mac Egan and his son, and Tomaltagh Mac Donough, Lord of
Tirerrill, were also made prisoners, and the country was entirely plundered.
1327 A.D.
- Farrell, son of Ualgarg O'Rourke, Cuilen O'Dempsey, and Sabia, daughter
of Mac Egan, died.
1329 A.D.
- Maelisa Donn Mac Egan, Chief Ollav of Connaught, died.
1353 A.D.
- Saerbhreathach, son of Maelisa Donn Mac Egan, Ollave of Conmaicne,
died on Inis Cloghrann.
1355 A.D.
- Murrough, the son of Cathal O'Farrell; Dervorgilla, the daughter of O'Farrell;
and Teige MacEgan, a man learned in the Fenechas, died.
1359 A.D.
- Manus O'Dowda, son of the Lord of Hy Fiachrach, and Hugh, the son
of Conor Mac Egan, the choicest of the Brehons of Ireland, died.
1362 A.D.
- Auliffe Mac Firbis, intended Ollav of Tireragh; Farrell, the son
of Teige Mac Egan, a learned Brehon; John, son of Donough Mac Firbis,
intended Ollav of Tireragh; Dermot, son of Mac Carthy; Conor, son of Melaghlin
Carragh O'Dowda, and Murtough, his son, all died.
1369 A.D.
- Melaghlin Mac Mahon, heir to the lordship of Oriel; Brian, the son of Murtough
O'Conor; John, the son of Edward Mac Hubert; Donough O'Beirne, Chief of Tir-Briuin;
Randal O'Hanly; Cormac O'Hanly; also JohnMac Egan, and Gilbert
O'Bardan, two accomplished young harpers of Conmaicne, died.
Volume 4
1378 A.D.
- Teige Mac Egan, Chief Brehon of Lower Connaught, a sage without contention
or reproach, who kept a house of general hospitality for all comers, died.
1390 A.D.
- Brian Mac Egan, Ollav of Breifny in judicature, died; and John
(i.e. the Official Mac Egan),successor to this Brian, was slain
four nights before Christmas Day.
1399 A.D.
- Boethius Mac Egan, a man extensively skilled in the Fenechus law,
and in music, and who had kept a celebrated house of hospitality; and Gilla-na-naev,
the son of Conor Mac Egan, Arch-Ollav of the Fenechus Law, died.
1404 A.D.
- Taichleach, the son of Donough O'Dowda; Tuathal, the son of Melaghlin O'Donnellan,
intended ollav of Sil-Murray in poetry ; and Teige, the son of Boethius
Mac Egan, intended ollav of Lower Connaught in law,---the three died.
1409 A.D.
- Murtough Mac Egan, Chief Brehon of Teffia, a learned and profound
adept in his own profession, died.
1413 A.D.
- Colla, the son of Teige O'Kelly, heir to the lordship of Hy-Many; Melaghin,
the son of Manus Mac Donnell; O'Meagher, Chief of Hy-Cairin; and Mac Egan
of Ormond, a man learned in the Fenechus, all died.
1422 A.D.
- Cosnamhach Oge Mac Egan, Ollav of the Kinel-Fiachach, and of O'Conor
Faly in judicature, was slain, in a mistake, by the sons of O'Melaghlin, with
one cast of a javelin.
1430 A.D.
- Farrell, the son of Boethius, son of Teige Mac Egan,
Ollav of Lower Connaught in Law, universally learned in every art, and who
kept a house of hospitality for all who came to visit him, died, after a good
life.
1436 A.D.
- Gilla-Isa Mac Egan, Ollav to Mac Wattin in law, a pious, charitable,
and humane man, and the superintendent of schools of jurisprudence and poetry,
died.
1438 A.D.
- Donough, the son of Siry O'Cuirnin, a learned historian; O'Daly of Breifny,
Chief Poet to O'Reilly; and Conor Mac Egan, Ollav of Clanrickard in
law, died.
1443 A.D.
- Mac Egan of Ormond, i.e. Gilla-na-naev, the son of Gilla-na-naev,
son of Hugh, Ollav of Munster in law, a man generally skilled in each
art, and who kept a house of public hospitality for all, died.
1443 A.D.
- Hugh Mac Egan, the son of Farrell, son of Boethius,
died, in the springtide of his prosperity. He was the most fluent and eloquent
of the Irish of his times. He was Ollav of Lower Connaught in law.
1447 A.D.
- Gilla-na-naev, the son of Aireachtach, who was son of Solomon
Mac Egan, the most learned Brehon and Pprofessor of Laws in Ireland, died.
1473 A.D.
- Brian, the son of Robert Mac Egan, ollav to O'Conor Don and
O'Hanly, died.
1474 A.D.
- Gilla-Finn Mac Egan, Ollav to O'Conor Faly, and Thomas, the son of
Donnell O'Coffey, died.
1486 A.D.
- Teige Mac Egan, Ollav of Annaly, was slain in an abominable manner
by the descendants of Irial O'Farrell.
1487 A.D.
- John, the son of Conor Mac Egan, Ollav of Clanrickard, and
Hugh, the son of Brian, son of Farrel Roe O'Higgin, died.
Volume
5
1529 A.D.
- Cosnamhach, the son of Farrell, son of Donough Duv Mac
Egan, the most distinguished adept in the Fenechas, poetry, and lay Brehonship,
in all the Irish territories, died, and was interred at Elphin.
1529 A.D.
- Mac Egan of Ormond (Donnell, the son of Hugh, son of
Donnell), head of the learned of Leath-Mhogha in Feneachus and poetry,
died.
