ot manifest; but Roderic was liberated through the interference of the
clergy. Seven years after he was again imprisoned, "in violation of the
most solemn pledges and guarantees." The clergy again interfered; from
which we may infer that he was a favourite. They even held a public
feast at Rathbrendan on his behalf; but he was not released until the
following year. In the year 1136 we find the obituary of the chief
keeper of the calendar of Ard-Macha, on the night of Good Friday. He is
also mentioned as its chief antiquary and librarian, an evidence that
the old custom was kept up to the very eve of the English invasion. The
obituary of Donnell O'Duffy, Archbishop of Connaught, is also given. He
died after Mass and celebration; according to the Annals of Clonmacnois,
he had celebrated Mass by himself, at Clonfert, on St. Patrick's Day,
and died immediately after. About the same time the Breinemen behaved
"so exceedingly outrageous," that they irreverently stript O'Daly,
arch-poet of Ireland, "of all his clothes."

In the meantime domestic wars multiplied with extraordinary rapidity.
Dermod Mac Murrough, the infamous King of Leinster, now appears for the
first time in the history of that country which he mainly contributed to
bring under the English yoke. He commenced his career of perfidy by
carrying off the Abbess of Kildare from her cloister, killing 170 of the
people of Kildare, who interfered to prevent this wanton and
sacrilegious outrage. In 1141 he endeavoured to crush the opposers of
his atrocious tyranny by a barbarous onslaught, in which he killed two
nobles, put out the eyes of another, and blinded[243] seventeen
chieftains of inferior rank. A fitting commencement of his career of
treachery towards his unfortunate country! In 1148 a temporary peace was
made by the Primate of Armagh between the northern princes, who had
carried on a deadly feud; but its duration, as usual, was brief.
Turlough O'Brien was deposed by Teigue in 1151. He was assisted by
Turlough O'Connor and the infamous Dermod. The united armies plundered
as far as Moin Mor,[244] where they encountered the Dalcassian forces
returning from the plunder of Desmond. A sanguinary combat ensued, and
the men of north Munster suffered a dreadful slaughter, leaving 7,000
dead upon the field of battle. This terrible sacrifice of life is
attributed to the mistaken valour of the Dal-Cais, who would neither fly
nor ask quarter.

In 1157 a synod was held in t