at the
time of the northern conquest. This work, containing 1660 lines in all
in debide metre, was completed by his younger contemporary Gilla na naem
O'Huidhrin. From the beginning of the 13th century the official poets
began to give way to the hereditary bards and families of scribes. Among
the chief bardic families we may mention the O'Dalys, the MacWards, the
O'Higinns, the MacBrodys and the MacDaires. We must here content
ourselves with glancing at a few of the more prominent names. Muiredach
Albanach (c. 1214-1240), whose real name was O'Daly, has left behind in
addition to the religious verses a considerable number of poems in
praise of various patrons in Ireland and Scotland. He is said by Skene
to be the first of the Macvurrichs, bards to Macdonald of Clanranald. A
number of his compositions are preserved in the Book of the Dean of
Lismore. Gilla Brigde MacConmidhe was a contemporary of the
last-mentioned bard. He wrote a number of poems in praise of the
O'Neills and O'Donnells. We may next mention the name of an abbot of
Boyle, Donnchad Mor O'Dalaig (d. 1244), a writer whose extant poems are
usually of a religious character. Many of them are addressed to the
Virgin. Most of them appear in late MSS., but some few are preserved in
the Book of the Hy Maine. Donnchad Mor is said to be the greatest
religious poet that Ireland has produced. Many other members of the
O'Daly family belonging to the 14th and 15th centuries have left poems
behind them, but we cannot mention them here. Angus O'Daly, who lived in
the second half of the 16th century, was employed by the English to
satirize the chief Gaelic families in Ireland. Two members of the
O'Higinn family deserve mention, Tadg mor O'Higinn (d. 1315). and Tadg
Og O'Higinn (d. 1448), a voluminous writer who eulogized the O'Neills,
O'Connors and O'Kellys. Tadg Og also composed a number of religious
poems, which enjoyed enormous popularity in both Ireland and Scotland. A
_duanaire_ was inserted into YBL., which contains some forty poems by
him.

Closely connected with the compositions of the official poets are the
works of native topography. Most of the sagas contain a number of
explanations of the origins of place-names. The _Dindsenchus_ is a
compilation of such etymologies. But its chief value consists in the
amount of legendary matter it contains, adduced in support of the
etymologies given. The _Dindsenchus_ has come down to us in various
forms both in prose and in