MN 76
British Library Egerton 152, f. 62 [the source of Hardiman XII and XIII]
Maynooth MS C71c, item 29.
Original does not survive. Both of these sources are undated but in the hand of Muiris Ó Gormáin (died c. 1794). Text here from Egerton 152 with variants from C71.
These two documents record the conversion by Domhnall Óg Ó Cearnaigh of a series of debts owed to him by Donnchadh Mac Con Mara into pledges on a piece of land, as a means of becoming de facto owner of the land.
TRANSCRIPTION
[a]
1. Is se so cundradh [Meic] Chonmaru meic Donaill .i. Donnchadh meic Conmaredh agus Donaill Óig I
2. Cerrnuidh re ceilidh fath ceann cethraimhe mir Guirt in Aithcailedh .i. Donall Óg
3. do thabairt gill dó air itir coruid agus caill agus cruatann .i. eon marg deag do
4. bhoi ag Duimnaig do Fuit air .i. Dónall Óg da híc sin re Duimnaigh tar cheann
5. Donchadh meic Conmaru mar gheall ar in chethruime [mír] sin Guirt in Aithcailedh. Tuile eile
6. dfíachaibh Dónaill Óig ar mac Conmarudh meic Donaill .i. moran urrgais do deanamh air, agus
7. moran fiach do hic taru a ceann agus móran airligthe do thabhairt dó gach uair da rigadh
8. se a leas fris. Agus Dónall Óg O Cerrnud agus Donchadh mac Conmaraidh danmuin fa
9. mar dérrach Muiris Ó Máolconaire agus Tadhg mac Pilip Finn agus Donall Derg agus [?Ruisiderd]
10. a ceard [sic] hÓ Cerrnudh agus ise réiteach do rinnatur in lucht sin aturra .i. .v. marg .x.
11. dágbhail ag [Doimnig do Fuit agus Donnchadh mac Conmara] do thabhairt cetruime mir Guirt in Aith
12. cailedh dó a gheall fris na fíachaibh sin. Tuile eile do fíachuibh Dónaill Óig ar Donnchadh
13. mac Conmaru .i. trí marg do tabuirt do ar urrus Seangúin meic Maithgamna mec na Mara
14. agus Donnchadh da fhácbhail sin aige mar geall ar in cetruimhe mir ced[na] agus sí suim na fiacadh sin
15. le chéile .i. naoí marg fichit do bhuaibh no dairget na haimsire béas ann agus aimsir
16. ocht mbliadhan on fhéil Maithil so air gan fuaslugha agus a fuaslughadh la feil Mithil agus
17. muna fuasluigter gan fuaslugadh go ceann tri mbliadhan ón fhéil Mithil sin agus siat
18. fiadhuin laithreach in chunnradh sin .i. Muiris Ó Maoilconaire agus Tadhg mac Pilaib
19. agus Ruisderrd Ó Cerrna agus Donall Derg agus in dis tagart .i. Áodh Ó Dhallain agus Mathgamain
20. mac Uilliam agus Ferdorcha Ó Maoilchaine agus Conchubhar Ó Chomraighe agus Tadhg Óg [blank]
21. agus Tadhg O Siagaile, agus dis mac Mathgamna Mec Namaradh agus gan cumas Donaill Óig dath
22. chur as in feronn acht muna cuire roinn comhmbraithrech as hé, agus da cuire comhmaith
23. in ferroinn sin dfaghail do annsin Creatluige agus gan neart a chur amach acht comh
24. maith a leasuighe fein agus aiti do tabhairt dó annsa in mbaile asdigh. Isiat
25. slán comaill in cunnnra sin .i. Dia ar tús agus Seangan mac Cuilain a hug I Briain
[f. 62v]
26. agus Muiris Ó Maoílconaire a huch aoísi ealgan Tuadhmumhan agus óglach in méire a hug
27. cathrach Luimne, agus Donall O Brian mar urraidh agus mar slán comhail in cuunnre sin aturru
[b]
28. Is se seo cundradh Donaill Óig agus Donnchadh meic Conmaraidh re chéile fa ceann lethcethreimhe
29. mír do Cille Finntinain .i. ocht marg do thabuirt do Donchadh mac Conmaraigh mar gheall
30. ar in lethcethruimhe mír sin do Donnchadh mac Namaraigh, agus aimsir thri mbliadhan ón fhéil Mithil
31. seo air gan fuaslugadh, agus muna fuaslugter in lá sin he, aimsir trí mbliadhan ón
32. lá sin ar gan fuasluga. agus isíat fíadhuin in chundraidh sin .i. Muiris Ó Maoíl=
33. conaire agus dís mac Mathghamna Mec Namaruigh agus Fer Dorchuidh Ó Maoílchaine, agus
34. Tadhg mac Philuib agus Morchadh O Briain agus Dónall O Briain is urrghas agus slánaibh
35. comhail in chundraidh sin aturra. et reliqua
36. [. . .] Na maru tornaerri macna do sgriba in dinntur seo.
This is a true copy transcribed out of Vellum and every letter and word as directly in the original of said Vellum. Scripsit. May 9th 1767. by Maurice Gorman. I got the original from Major Valancey at ye Black Rock near Dublin.
Variant readings
C71: ‘This is a copy of the Deed No. 12 of Hardimans Collection in the R.I.A., Transactions vol. 15. This is the writing of Maurice Gorman, & both itself and the published copy are inaccurate. Eugene Curry October 19th 1854.’
1. Meic Conmaru] Meic om. Eg. 152. 2. Coruid] corud C71. 5. [mír] om. 6. díachaibh C71; meic domhnuill C71. 9. Derg] Og C71. 9–10 Ruisderd / a ceard ] muircheard C71. 11. sic C71, dágbhail ag Donnchadh mac Conmaru agus Donchadh do thabhairt Eg. 152. 13. Seangain C71; 14. cheadna C71. 17. mbliadhna C71. 18. in chunnra C71. 19 Derg] Og C71; in dis tagart] om. C71; Dallain] Taillire C71. 20. Maoilchaine] Maoilchonaire C71; blank] mac Tomais C71. 21. Siaghail C71. 21–2. dath/chur] do chur C71. 22 Cuire] cuirfidh C71. 22. comhmaith] om. C71. 23. fearann . . . chreatalaigh C71, comh] cum C71. 24. Leasoighthe . . . ait C71; annsa in] annsan C71. 25. chunnartha C71; Dia ar tús agus] ar tús C71; a hug] as ucht C71. 25 a huch . . a hug] as ucht C71. 26. chunnartha . . eatarra C71. 27. Luimnigh C71; Chunnartha C71. 28 agus] om. Eg 152. 30. do Donnchadh mac Namaraigh] om. C71. 30–31. agus aimsir tri mbliadna gan fuaslugadh ón fheil mithil so air gan fuaslugadh C71. 33. Maoílchaine] maoil conaire C71. 34. Tadhg mac Philuib agus Morchadh O Briain] Tadhg O Briain C71; is urrghas agus slánaibh] mar lanurrgas agus slán C71. 36. om. C71.
NORMALISED TEXT
[a]
Is sé so cunnradh [Meic] Chon Mara meic Domhnaill .i. Donnchadh meic Con Mara agus Domhnaill Óig Í Chearnaigh re chéile fa cheann ceathramha mír Guirt an Aithchaileadh .i. Domhnall Óg do thabhairt ghill dó air, idir cora agus caill agus cruatan .i. aon mharg déag do bhaoi ag Domnaig de Fuít air .i. Domhnall Óg dá híoc sin re Domnaig tar cheann Donnchaidh Mheic Con Mara mar gheall ar an cheathramha [mír] sin Guirt an Aithchaileadh.
Tuilleadh eile d’fiachaibh Domhnaill Óig ar Mac Con Mara meic Domhnaill .i. mórán urradhais do dhéanamh air, agus mórán fiach do híoc tar a cheann, agus móran airligthe do thabhairt dó gach uair dá rigeadh sé a leas fris.
Agus Domhnall Óg Ó Cearnaigh agus Donnchadh Mac Con Mara d’anmhuin fa mar déaradh Muiris Ó Maoil Chonaire agus Tadhg mac Pilib Finn agus Domhnall Dearg agus [?Ruisdeard] Ó Cearnaigh. Agus is é réiteach do rinneadar an lucht sin eatarra .i. cúig mharg déag d’ágbháil ag Domnaig de Fuít agus Donnchadh Mac Con Mara do thabhairt ceatramha mír Guirt an Aithchaileadh dó i ngeall frisna fíachaibh sin.
Tuilleadh eile do fhiachuibh Dhomhnaill Óig ar Donnchadh Mac Con Mara .i. trí mharg do thabhairt dó ar urradhas Seangúin mheic Mhathgamhna Meic Con Mara, agus Donnchadh dá fhágbháil sin aige mar gheall ar an cheathramha mír céadna.
Agus ’s í suim na bhfiachadh sin le chéile .i. naoi marg fichead do bhuaibh nó d’airgead na haimsire bheas ann. Agus aimsir ocht mbliadhan ón Fhéile Mhichíl so air gan fuasglughadh. Agus a fuasglughadh lá Féile Michíl. Agus muna fuasgluighthear gan [a] fuasglughadh go ceann trí mbliadhan ón Fhéile Mhichíl sin.
Agus ’s iad fiadhain láithreach an chunnraidh sin .i. Muiris Ó Maoil Chonaire agus Tadhg mac Pilib agus Ruisdeard Ó Cearnaigh agus Domhnall Dearg agus an dís tsagart .i. Aodh Ó Dalláin agus Mathghamhain mac Uilliam, agus Fear Dorcha Ó Maoil Chaoine agus Conchubhar Ó Chomhraighe agus Tadhg Óg [blank] agus Tadhg Ó Siadhaile, agus dís mhac Mathghamhna Meic Con Mara.
Agus gan cumas Domhnaill Óig d'athchur as an fhearann, acht muna chuire roinn comhbráithreach as hé, agus dá gcuire, comhmaith an fhearainn sin d’fagháil dó annsan Chreatlaigh, agus gan neart a chur amach acht comhmaith a leasuighthe féin agus áite do thabhairt dó annsan mbaile isdigh.
Is iad slán comhaill an chunnraidh sin .i. Dia ar tús, agus Seangán mac Cuileáin a hucht Í Bhriain, agus Muiris Ó Maoil Chonaire a hucht aoise ealadhan Tuadhmhumhan, agus óglách an Mhéire a hucht cathrach Luimnigh, agus Domhnall Ó Briain mar urradh agus mar slán comhaill an chunnraidh sin eatarra.
[b]
Is sé seo cunnradh Domhnaill Óig agus Donnchaidh mheic Con Mara re chéile fa cheann leathcheathramha mír do Chill Finntanáin .i. ocht marg do thabhairt do Dhonnchadh Mac Con Mara mar gheall ar an leathcheathramha mír sin do Dhonnchadh Mac Namara. Agus aimsir thrí mbliadhan ón Fhéile Mhichíl seo air gan fuasglughadh, agus muna fuasgluighthear an lá sin hé, aimsir trí mbliadhan ón lá sin air gan fuasglaga.
Agus is iad fíadhain an chunnraidh sin .i. Muiris Ó Maoil Chonaire agus dís mac Mathghamhna Meic Con Mara agus Fear Dorcha Ó Maoil Chaoine agus Tadhg mac Philib agus Murchadh Ó Briain agus Domhnall Ó Briain is urradhas agus slánaibh comhaill an chunnraidh sin eatarra. et reliqua.
[. . .] Con Mara tornaeire Mac na [Mara?] do sgríobh an dinntiúr seo.
TRANSLATION
[a]
This is the agreement of Mac Con Mara son of Domhnall (i.e. Donnchadh Mac Con Mara) and Domhnall Óg Ó Cearnaigh with each other concerning a Quarter part of Gort an Aithchaileadh i.e Domhnall Óg is to give him a pledge for it to include weir, wood and firm ground i.e. Dominic de Fuít had 11 marks on it i.e. Domhnall Óg paid that to Dominic on behalf of Donnchadh Mac Con Mara as a pledge on the Quarter part of Gort an Aithchaileadh.
Further debts owed to Domhnall Óg by Mac Con Mara son of Domhnall i.e. he made many sureties for him and paid many debts on his behalf and gave him many loans whenever he had need of it.
And Domhnall Óg Ó Cearnaigh and Donnchadh Mac Con Mara [agreed] to abide by whatever Muiris Ó Maoil Chonaire, Tadhg son of Pilib Fionn, Domhnall Dearg and Risteard Ó Cearnaigh would decree. And the settlement arrived at by that group [was]: to discharge 15 marks owed to Dominic de Fuít, and Donnchadh Mac Con Mara should give the Quarter part of Gort an Aithchaileadh to him [sc. Domhnall Óg] as a pledge against those debts.
Further debts owed to Domhnall Óg by Donnchadh Mac Con Mara i.e. he gave three marks as surety for Seangán son of Mathghamhain Mac na Mara, and Donnchadh granted him that as a pledge for the same Quarter part.
And the total of those debts combined is 29 marks in cows or in money of the time [when it is redeemed]. And it is to remain unredeemed for a period of eight years from this Feast of St Michael. And it is to be redeemed on the Feast of St Michael; and if it is not redeemed, it may not be redeemed until three years after that Feast of St Michael.
And the witnesses of the occasion of this agreement [are]: Muiris Ó Maoil Conaire and Tadhg son of Pilib and Risdeard Ó Cearnaigh, and Domhnall Dearg, and the two priests i.e. Aodh Ó Dalláin and Mathghamhain son of Uilliam, and Fear Dorcha Ó Maoil Chaoine and Conchubhar Ó Comhraighe and Tadhg Óg [blank] and Tadhg Ó Siadhail and the two sons of Mathghamhain Mac Con Mara.
And Domhnall Óg cannot be ejected from the land unless a division of co-heirs does so. And should he be ejected, land of equivalent quality must be provided for him in Creatlach, and he is not to be ejected without land such as he had cultivated himself and an equivalent homestead being provided for him within the townland.
The sureties for the fulfilment of this agreement are God in the first place, and Seangán son of Cuileáin on behalf of Ó Briain, and Muiris Ó Maoil Chonaire on behalf of the learned orders of Thomond, and the Mayor’s representative on behalf of the City of Limerick, and Domhnall Ó Briain as a surety and guarantor of that agreement made between them.
[b]
This is the agreement between Domhnall Óg and Donnchadh Mac Con Mara concerning a half Quarter part of Cill Fhiontannáin i.e. eight marks were given to Donnchadh Mac Con Mara as a pledge for that half Quarter part, and it not to be redeemed for a period of three years from this Feast of St Michael, and if it is not redeemed on that day, it is not to be redeemed for a further three years.
And the witnesses to this agreement [are]: Muiris Ó Maoil Chonaire and the two sons of Mathghamhain Mac Con Mara and Fear Dorcha Ó Maoil Chaoine and Tadhg son of Pilib; and Murchadh Ó Briain and Domhnall Ó Briain are sureties and guarantors that the agreement between them will be fulfilled etc.
[blank Mac] Con Mara is the attorney [of the Meic na Mara?] who wrote this indenture.
NOTES
3. cruatan This is the only example of cruatan in this sense recorded in DIL.
9. Ruisiderd . . .The reading of C71 (muircheard) would be marginally preferable to the corrupt text of Egerton, were Ruisderrd not mentioned again in line 19. Note that for Domhnall Dearg C71 reads Domhnall Óg here and in line 19.
10. .v. marg .x. The value of the further debts referred to earlier.
11. The reading of C71, shown within square brackets, makes better sense here and is incorporated into the text.
13. Seangún / Seangán (here and line 25). An unusual forename. KN suggests a possible mistranscription of Seaghán by Ó Gormáin.
22. comhmbraithrech If some Mac Con Mara kinsman (within three generations) came of age and claimed a right to his share, the land would have to be divided.
24. mbaile asdigh i.e. An Chreatlach
25-7. A record of elite sureties for the agreement: God, the Earl of Thomond, the learned orders of Thomond, and the City of Limerick.
28ff. This may possibly be an endorsement on the original document recording an additional pledge.
33. Morchadh O Briain Possibly the first earl of Thomond (died 1551); and Dónall O Briain (here and in line 27) may be his nephew, chief of his name, who died 1579.