DEED 16
Survives in nineteenth-century transcripts only, as follows:
Maynooth MS C 26, pp 279–80, Eugene O’Curry, undated
Maynooth MS C 71 item (27a) Eugene O’Curry c. 1840
Maynooth MS R 70, p. 543 Mícheál Ó Raghallaigh, Ennistymon, Co. Clare, c. 1848
RIA MS 24 C 20 (326), pp 33–4 Brian Ó Luana, Monreel, Ennistymon, Co. Clare, undated
RIA MS 23 H 13 (706), pp 368–70 Brian Ó Luana, Monreel, Ennistymon, Co. Clare, 1858
Text based on Maynooth MS C 26.
MN 56
The Sliocht Mhaoil Sheachlainn of the Í Lochlainn transfer their land in Ballyvaughan, and the castle of Binroe, Co. Clare, to Donnchadh Ó Briain, 4th earl of Thomond, renewing an earlier contract in favour of his great-grandfather Conchubhar.
TRANSCRIPTION
1. Biodh a fios ag gach aon leighfes agus éistfeas an sgribhinn so gu
2. bfuil maidne an mheide so maires do Sliocht Mailsechlainn I Lochlainn o
3. Bhaile hI Béchain mar ta Irial mac Rosa agus Donnchadh mac Briain
4. agus Laisech mac Mathgamhna Ballaigh adhmhalach annsa chunnradh do bhi ag Concubur
5. mac Toirdelbaigh I Briain sean sean athair an Iarla so ar ar ndaoinibh romhainn
6. do beith uaind fein agat a Donnchaidh I Briain agus da reir sin ag so ar lamha air sin
7. gu bfiadhnaisi dona daoinibh chuirfes a lamha ar in sgribhinn so et ase so
8. an cundradh iad fein Sliocht Mailsechlainn agus Baile I Bhechain agus in Beann Ruadh
9. agus a cuit finechais agus duchais do beith ceangailti agus an aighrighi an
10. andiaigh do Concubhur O Briain agus da oighribh ana dhiaigh agus gan ar cumus doibh
11. aon fod do duithi na do chaislen do chur a ngeall na a ndiol ar
12. bith acht do réir thoile Concubair nó a hoighre na diaigh agus gurabé Concubhar
13. no a hoighre na dhiaigh as oighre ar Sliocht Mailsechlainn agus ata dfhiachaibh
14. ar Shliocht Mhailsechlainn beith do reir agus ar a lucht leanamna beith do reir
15. thoile Concubhair I Briain agus a oigri na diaigh. Tuilledh eile ataimsi Iarla Tuadh
16. muman admalach fam anoir gur gheall me cidh be ar bith dfearann
17. no do chaislen do chuit na muinntire so do bherthai chum crithi moladh
18. Baothghalalaigh [sic] agus tSeaain I Thigerna agus Eoghain I Dhalaigh do beith on nIarla
19. doibh dhe sin agus ni chuirmait na fearainn ata ag Baothghalach Mag
20. Flannchadha fan cunnradh so aois Crisd mile bliadan agus .u.c. a haon .x. agus ceithri
21. .xx. aniu ar in Cnoc Fionn anaomha la do mí Meadoin in tSamraidh
22. tugamar ar toil chum an sgribind so thsuas agus chumar lam do
23. chur air so ar lorg in tsean cundartha agus oighrighi na muindtiri so
24. le chele do beith ceangailti da cheile gu sioiraighi.
25. Misi Giolla na Naomh Og Ó Dabhoirenn do sgriobh in copi so.
26. Donoch Ó Lochlainn Donogh Thomonde
27. Irial O’Lochlainn Copia vera ex par[te] Bat. Clanchy.
28. Eogan O Daluid testis. written deade was written reade & published
29. Seán Rech O Tigearna
This is a coppie of the Irish writting which the Slought of Mullaghlin OLoghlyn
past to Conchor OBryen the original remaininge with Boetius oge McClanchy of
Knockfyn the 16th of October 1604
for their lands in the Burne and Corcomroe
NORMALISED TEXT
Bíodh a fhios ag gach aon léighfeas agus éistfeas an sgríbheann so go bhfuil maidne, an méide so mhaireas de Shliocht Maoil Sheachlainn Í Lochlainn ó Bhaile hÍ Beacháin – mar tá, Írial mac Rosa agus Donnchadh mac Briain agus Laoisech mac Mathghamhna Ballaigh – admhálach annsa chunnradh do bhí ag Concubhur mac Toirdhealhbaigh Í Bhriain, sein-shean-athair an Iarla so, ar ar ndaoinibh romhainn, do bheith uainn féin agat, a Dhonnchaidh Í Bhriain. Agus, dá réir sin, ag so ar lámha air sin, go bhfiadhnaise dena daoinibh chuirfeas a lámha ar in sgribhinn so.
Et is é so an cunnradh: iad féin, Sliocht Maoil Sheachlainn, agus Baile Í Bheacháin agus an Beann Ruadh agus a gcuid fineachais agus dúthchais, do bheith ceangailte, agus a n-oighridhe ina ndiaidh, do Chonchubhar Ó Briain agus dá oighribh ina dhiaidh. Agus gan ar cumas dóibh aonfhód de dhúthaigh ná de chaisléan do chur i ngeall ná i ndíol ar bith acht do réir thoile Conchubhair nó a oighre ’na dhiaigh. Agus gurab é Conchubhar nó a oighre ’na dhiaigh is oighre ar Sliocht Maoil Sheachlainn, agus atá d’fhiachaibh ar Shliocht Mhaoil Shechlainn beith dá réir agus ar a lucht leanamhana beith do réir thoile Conchubhair Í Bhriain agus a oighre ’na dhiaigh.
Tuilleadh eile: atáimsi, Iarla Tuadhmhumhan, admhálach fám anóir gur gheall mé cidh bé ar bith d’fherann nó de chaisléan do chuid na muinntire so do bhéarthaoi chum críthe, moladh Baothghalaigh agus tSeaáin Í Thighearna agus Eóghain Í Dhálaigh do bheith ón Iarla dóibh dhe sin. Agus ní chuir maid na fearainn atá ag Baothghalach Mág Flannchadha fán chunnradh so.
Aois Chríosd, míle bliadhan agus cúig céad, a haon déag agus ceithri fichid aniu, ar an Chnoc Fionn, an naomhadh lá de mhí Mheadhóin an tSamhraidh, tugamar ar dtoil chum an sgríbinn so thuas, agus chum ar lámh do chur air so, ar lorg in tsean-chunnartha. Agus oighridhi na muinntire so le chéile do bheith ceangailte dá chéile go síoraidhe.
Mise, Giolla na Naomh Óg Ó Dabhoireann, do sgríobh an copy so.
Donnachadh Ó Lochlainn Donogh Thomonde
Írial Ó Lochlainn Copia vera ex par[te] Bat. Clanchy.
Eóghan Ó Dálaigh testis. written deade was written reade & published
Seán Riabhach Ó Tighearna
TRANSLATION
Let all who will read and hear this document know that we, being the descendants [now] living of Sliocht Maoil Sheachlainn Í Lochlainn from Baile Í Bheacháin – that is, Írial son of Rosa, Donnchadh son of Brian and Laoiseach son of Mathghamhain Ballach – confirm that the agreement that Conchubhar son of Toirdhealbhach Ó Briain, great grandfather of the present Earl, had with our people before us, we [now] have from you, Donnchadh Ó Briain, of our own volition. And accordingly here are our signatures to that, together with the witness of those who will put their signatures to this document.
And this is the agreement: they, Sliocht Maoil Sheachlainn, and their heirs after them, together with Baile Í Bheacháin and An Beann Ruadh and their hereditary land and patrimony, are bound to Conchubhar Ó Briain and to his heirs after him. And they shall not pledge or sell any part of land or castle except through the consent of Conchubhar or his heir after him. And that Conchubhar or his heir after him is heir to Sliocht Maoil Sheachlainn, and Sliocht Maoil Sheachlainn are obliged to be loyal to him, and their followers must obey the will of Conchubhar Ó Briain and his heir after him.
Furthermore: I, the Earl of Thomond, acknowledge by my honour that I have promised that whatever land or castle belonging to these people should be brought to arbitration, the Earl will give them the counsel of Baothghalach and of Seaán Ó Tighearna and of Eóghan Ó Dálaigh in that matter. And we do not place the lands of Baothghalach Mág Flannchadha under this agreement.
The age of Christ, 1591, at An Cnoc Fionn, the 9th of June, we agreed to the [terms of the] above writing, and to put our signature to this, following the earlier agreement. And the heirs of these people together to be bound together in perpetuity.
NOTES
2. bhfuil maidne The spelling and word-separation suggest the analytic form of the verb with the new independent pronoun, 1st person plural, possibly reflecting the proximity of the geography of the document to Galway. Cf. ni chuirmait line 19.
2. mheide A late form of méid.
3. Bhaile hI Bechain Ballyvaghan/Ballyvaughan town, parish of Drumcreehy, barony of Burren, Co. Clare.
4–5. Concubhur mac Toirdelbaigh I Briain sen sen athair an Iarla so Conchubhar (died 1539) son of Toirdhealbhach Donn (died 1528).
6. a Donnchaidh I Briain 4th earl of Thomond, 1581–1624
8. in Beann Ruadh Binroe Castle (tld Ballymahony, par. Noughaval, bar. Burren)
9. For fineachas see D2.2.
10. aighrighi A late form of the nom. pl. oighreadha, which may have a dental inflection in the plural, as here, or none, as in oighribh in the next line.
11. duithi Spelling for dúthaigh ‘native land, patrimony’.
14. lucht leanamna i.e. their tenants and servants.
16. admalach fam anoir As in the case of the Earl of Kildare in Deed19, a peer’s honour is sufficient as his guarantee.
17. crithi (nom. críoth) an early verb noun of creanaidh ‘buys’, evolving to mean here ‘an arrangement’, ‘a settlement’, ‘a deal’.
21. in Cnoc Fionn Knockfin (tld Ballyvoe, par. Killilagh, bar. Corcomroe) where the Clann Fhlannchadha had their castle.
24-5. Note that the signature of Laoiseach Ó Lochlainn is not recorded.