mara_.--Haverty's _History of Ireland_, p. 156. See also an
interesting note on this subject in the Chronicum Scotorum.

[231] _Martyr_.--Page 887. The famine in the preceding year is also
recorded, as well as the cholic and "lumps," which prevailed in
Leinster, and also spread throughout Ireland. Donough was married to an
English princess, Driella, the daughter of the English Earl Godwin, and
sister of Harold, afterwards King of England. During the rebellion of
Godwin and his sons against Edward the Confessor, Harold was obliged to
take refuge in Ireland, and remained there "all the winter on the king's
security."

[232] _St. Patrick_.--It is observable all through the Annals, how the
name and spiritual authority of St. Patrick is revered. This expression
occurs regularly from the earliest period, wherever the Primate of
Ireland is mentioned.

[233] _Vengeance_.--See O'Curry, _passim_, for curious traditions or
so-called prophecies about St. John Baptist's Day.

[234] _Aileach_.--The remains of this fortress are still visible near
Londonderry, and are called Grianan-Elagh.

[235] _West_.--Annals, vol. ii. p. 969.

[236] _Him.--Ib._ p 973.

[237] _Ua h-Ocain_.--Now anglicised O'Hagan. This family had the special
privilege of crowning the O'Neills, and were their hereditary Brehons.
The Right Honorable Judge O'Hagan is, we believe, the present head of
the family.

[238] _Maelmuire_.--"The servant of Mary." Devotion to the Mother of
God, which is still a special characteristic of the Irish nation, was
early manifested by the adoption of this name.

[239] _Suffering_.--This abuse was not peculiar to the Irish Church. A
canon of the Council of London, A.D. 1125, was framed to prevent similar
lay appropriations. In the time of Cambrensis there were lay (so called)
abbots, who took the property of the Church into their own hands, and
made their children receive holy orders that they might enjoy the
revenues.

[240] _Desmond_.--See the commencement of this chapter, for an
illustration of the ruins of its ancient rath and the more modern
castle. These remains are among the most interesting in Ireland.

[241] _Ibrach_.--Supposed to be Ivragh, in Kerry, which was part of
Cormac Mac Carthy's kingdom.

[242] _Robbed_.--In MacGeoghegan's translation of the Annals of
Clonmacnois he says:--"The clergy of Clone made incessant prayer to God
and St. Keyran, to be a means for the revelation of the party that took
away the