TCD MS 1429 (H.6.28) f. 4r (no. 4)
MN 16
Ostensibly a will, but in reality a death-bed deposition concerning the transfer of lands in the parish of Kilmihil, Co. Clare, from the McMahons to the Gormans, in the second half of the sixteenth century.
TRANSCRIPTION
[agus asíad so na sagairt upper margin]
1. Ase so udhachd Muircertaigh Mic Mathgamhna a naimsir a bais co bhfiadhnaise
2. do na sagartaibh udhachta do bhi do lathair bais Muircertaigh Mic Mathgamhna fa
3. ceand na bfhearand tug Murcertach Mac Math[na]gamhna a ngeall do Donn Ma
4. Cormáin. i. bicaire Cille Muire Murcadh O Caeluidhe agus Mathgamain O Caoluidi an brath
5. air agus Gilla Isa O Loinnsi an brathair oili agus asé méid gill tug Donn Ma Cormáin
6. ar leathceathramhain an Corráin Riabhaigh do Muircertach Mac Mathgamna .i. ui.
7. fichid bo agus .ui. fichid bo oili ag Donn arna tabhairt do Muircertach ar leatceath
8. ramhain Cathrach Ceandamháin agus .ui. fichid bo oili ag Donn arna dtabhairt
9. do Muircertac a ngeall ar leathramhain Doire an Crosáin gurab inand sin agus
10. deith marg agus ceitri fichid uili dfhiachaibh agus ata dfhiachaib ar cloinn Duinn Nollaig
11. agus Caisg do dénam do tShlicht Muircertaigh don té aca do tuillfeadh uathu he
12. agus atá dfhiachaibh ar cloinn Duinn urrus acha agus oireachdais agus tagra acha agus oir
13. eachdais do tSlicht Muircertaigh Mic Mathgamna agus indmala na maitheasa do
14. déndais Slicht Muircertaigh do cloinn Duinn clann Duinn da dénamh doibh sin
15. ar an cor cena agus beith ar son a ceili doib a ngach aon ball.
NORMALISED TEXT
Is é so udhachd Muircheartaigh Mheic Mhathghamhna i n-aimsir a bháis go bhfiadhnaise do na sagartaibh udhachta do bhí do lathair bháis Mhuircheartaigh Mheic Mhathghamhna fa chean na bhfearann tug Muirhceartach Mac Mathghamhna i ngeall do Dhonn Mac Gormáin. Agus agus is iad so na sagairt .i. biocáire Cille Muire. Murchadh Ó Caoluidhe agus Mathghamhain Ó Caoluidhe an bráthair, agus Giolla Íosa Ó Loinnsigh an bráthair oile.
Agus is é méid gill tug Donn Mac Gormáin ar leathcheathramhain an Chorráin Riabhaigh do Mhuircheartach Mac Mathghamna .i. sé fichid bó. Agus sé fichid bó oili ag Donn arna thabhairt do Mhuircheartach ar leathcheathramhain Cathrach Ceannamháin. Agus sé fichid bó oile ag Donn arna dtabhairt do Mhuircheartach i ngeall ar leath[cheath]ramhain Doire an Chrosáin. Gurab ionann sin agus deich marg agus ceithre fichid uile d’fhiachaibh.
Agus atá d’fhiachaibh ar chloinn Duinn Nollaig agus Cáisg do dhéanamh do Shliocht Mhuircheartaigh, don té acu do thuillfeadh uathu hé. Agus atá d’fhiachaibh ar chloinn Duinn urradhas achaidh agus oireachdais, agus tagra achaidh agus oireachdais, do Shliocht Mhuircheartaigh Mheic Mhathghamhna. Agus ionnmhala na maitheasa do-dhéandais Sliocht Muircheartaigh do chloinn Duinn, clann Duinn dá dhéanamh dóibh sin ar an cor céanna, agus beith ar son a chéile dóib i ngach aon bhall.
TRANSLATION
This is the will of Muircheartach Mac Mathghamhna at the time of his death, [dictated] to the testamentary priests who were present at the death of Muircheartach Mac Mathghamna, concerning the lands which Muircheartach Mac Mathghamna gave in pledge to Donn Mac Gormáin. And these are the priests: the vicar of Ceall Muire Murchadh Ó Caoluidhe and Mathghamhain Ó Caoluidhe the friar and Giolla Íosa Ó Loinnsigh the other friar.
And the amount of the pledge that Donn Mac Gormáin gave for the half-quarter of An Corrán Riabhach to Muircheartach Mac Mathghamna was 120 cows. And Donn gave a further 120 cows to Muircheartach for the half-quarter of Cathair Cheannamháin. And Donn gave a further 120 cows to Muircheartach for the half-quarter of Doire an Chrosáin. And that is the equivalent of 90 marks of debt in total.
And the sons of Donn are obliged to provide hospitality at Christmas and Easter for the Sliocht Muircheartaigh, for those who would be entitled to it from them. And the sons of Donn must provide surety in war and peace, and advocacy in war and peace for the Sliocht Muircheartaigh Mheic Mhathghamna. The same good that Sliocht Muircheartaigh would do to the sons of Donn, the sons of Donn were to reciprocate, and to support each other everywhere.
NOTES
1. Muircheartach Mac Mathghamhna Eponym of the Sliocht Muircheartaigh mentioned in lines 11, 13 and 14. The Sliocht was a joint lineage group that held land in common, replacing the concept of the fine in the late Middle Ages and corresponding to the ‘clan’.
2. sagartaibh udhachta A term not, as yet, identified in other sources. We assume that the phrase in the upper margin is to be inserted in line 4, where the priests are identified as the vicar of Kilmurry and two friars (possibly from Ennis friary).
4. Cille Muire Civil parish of Kilmurry, barony of Clonderlaw, Co. Clare.
6. leathceathramhain an Corráin Riabhaigh Unidentified, but presumably adjacent to Cahercannavan.
8. Cathrach Ceandamháin Cahercannavan townland, par. Kilmihil, bar. Clonderlaw, Co. Clare.
9. leathramhain Doire an Crosáin Derrycrossane, a subdivision of Lack West, par. Kilmihil, where the McMahons had a castle.
10. deith marg agus ceitri fichid This gives a value of 1 mark for 4 cows.
12–13. urrus acha agus oireachdais agus tagra acha agus oireachdais. The translation of this unparalleled expression may be extreme: translate, perhaps, ‘informally and formally’.
13. indmala for innamla plural of ionnamhail.