ANCIENT IRISH LITERATURE--No. II.
In a preceding paper under this heading we lately gave a sample from the
lighter class of native Irish poetry of the seventeenth century, namely,
“The Woman of Three Cows.” We have now to present our readers with a
specimen of a more serious character, belonging to the same age--an Elegy
on the death of the Tironian and Tirconnellian princes, who having fled
with others from Ireland in the year 1607, and afterwards dying at Rome,
were there interred on St Peter’s Hill, in one grave.
The poem is the production of O’Donnell’s bard, Owen Roe Mac an Bhaird,
or Ward, who accompanied the family in their flight, and is addressed
to Nuala, O’Donnell’s sister, who was also one of the fugitives. As the
circumstances connected with the flight of the Northern Earls, and which
led to the subsequent confiscation of the six Ulster Counties by James
I., may not be immediately in the recollection of many of our readers, it
may be proper briefly to state, that their departure from this country
was caused by the discovery of a letter directed to Sir William Ussher,
Clerk of the Council, which was dropped in the Council-chamber on the
7th of May, and which accused the Northern chieftains generally of a
conspiracy to overthrow the government. Whether this charge was founded
in truth or not, it is not necessary for us to express any opinion; but
as in some degree necessary to the illustration of the poem, and as
an interesting piece of hitherto unpublished literature in itself, we
shall here, as a preface to the poem, extract the following account of
the flight of the Northern Earls, as recorded in the Annals of the Four
Masters, and translated by Mr O’Donovan:--
“Maguire (Cuconnaught) and Donogh, son of Mahon, who was son of the
Bishop O’Brien, sailed in a ship to Ireland, and put in at the harbour
of Swilly. They then took with them from Ireland the Earl O’Neill (Hugh,
son of Ferdoragh) and the Earl O’Donnell (Rory, son of Hugh, who was son
of Magnus) and many others of the nobles of the province of Ulster. These
are the persons who went with O’Neill, namely, his Countess, Catherina,
daughter of Magennis, and her three sons; Hugh, the Baron, John and
Brian; Art Oge, son of Cormac, who was son of the Baron; Ferdoragh, son
of Con, who was son of O’Neill; Hugh Oge, son of Brian, who was son of
Art O’Neill; and many others of his most intimate friends. These were
they who went with the Earl O’Donnell, namely, Caffer, his brother, with
his sister Nuala; Hugh, the Earl’s child, wanting three weeks of being
one year old; Rose, daughter of O’Doherty and wife of Caffer, with her
son Hugh, aged two years and three months; his (Rory’s) brother son
Donnell Oge, son of Donnell, Naghtan son of Calvach, who was son of
Donogh Cairbreach O’Donnell, and many others of his intimate friends.
They embarked on the Festival of the Holy Cross in Autumn.
This was a distinguished company; and it is certain that the sea has not
borne and the wind has not wafted in modern times a number of persons
in one ship more eminent, illustrious or noble, in point of genealogy,
heroic deeds, valour, feats of arms, and brave achievements, than they.
Would that God had but permitted them to remain in their patrimonial
inheritances until the children should arrive at the age of manhood! Woe
to the heart that meditated, woe to the mind that conceived, woe to the
council that recommended the project of this expedition, without knowing
whether they should, to the end of their lives, be able to return to
their native principalities or patrimonies.”