Deed 21
British Library MS Harley 3756, f. 36r
John Gilbert Facsimiles III, Plate LXI; Standish H. O’Grady, B.Mus.Cat. I, 149–51.
A memorandum of conveyance of the usual type from the weak (Clann Eóchagáin) to the strong (the Earl of Kildare) in return for protection.
MN 25
TEXT
In Dei nomin[e]
Amean
1. As e so cor ara bhfhuair Geroid mac Tom
2. ais meic Seon .i. iarla Chille Dara [words deleted] gnimh
3. na Ratha Driseoguighi o Laigneach mac Connla meic
4. Aedha Buidhe .i. tighearna Cineoil Fiachaigh agus toil sleachta
5. Aedha Buidhe agus sleachta Neil agus Feargail Ruaidh chuigisin
6. .i. in tiarla do togbail Coille Tobuir ina uurlaim pein
7. o shil [above g]Concubhuir do sanntuig ferann cloidheimh do ghenamh
8. dhi agus a [above g]cur do chum cora do ghenamh re Mag Eoch
9. agan agus ata [o] Mag Eochagan don iarla a ceann in feruinn tug
10. dho do cinn in comh[trui]m sin do genam .i. lethmarg ar Coill Tob
11. uir fein do gna[th do] fein agus da mac ina dheaghuidh agus da sli
12. icht agus da mbedh cogadh ar in iarla re ricfad se a leas [ria above] Coill
13. Tobuir daghail dó do chum in coguid agus da mbeadh rann aigi do ric
14. fad a leas ria comuirli in iarla do genamh ar Coill
15. Tobuir do beadh ar maithi ris in rann agus da mbeadh nac tigfad do Ma
16. ag Eochaga [sic] no da slicht Coill Tobuir do barrdacht in tiarla
17. do cur barrda innti
NORMALISED TEXT
Is é so cor ara bhfuair Gearóid mac Tomáis mheic Seóin .i. Iarla Chille Dara gníomh na Rátha Driseógaighe ó Laighneach mac Conla meic Aodha Buidhe .i. tighearna Cineóil Fiachaidh, agus toil shleachta Aodha Buidhe agus sleachta Néill agus Fearghail Ruaidh chuigesin .i. an tIarla do thógbháil Coille Tobair ina urláimh féin ó shíol gConchubhair, do shanntaigh fearann cloidhimh do dhéanamh dhi; agus a gcur do chum córa do dhéanamh re Mág Eóchagán.
Agus atá ó Mhág Eóchagán don Iarla, i gceann an fhearainn tug dhó do chionn an chomhthroim sin do dhéanamh, .i. leathmharg ar Coill Tobuir féin de ghnáth dó féin agus dá mhac ina dheaghaidh agus dá shliocht.
Agus dá mbeadh cogadh ar in iarla ré rigfeadh sé a leas ria, Coill Tobuir d’agháil dó dochum an chogaidh. Agus dá mbeadh rann aige do rigfeadh a leas ria, comhairle an iarla do dhéanamh ar Choill Tobuir do bheadh ar mhaithe ris in rann.
Agus dá mbeadh nach tiocfadh do Mhág Eóchagán nó dá shliocht Coill Tobuir do bhardacht, an t-iarla do chur barda innti.
TRANSLATION
This is the condition on which Gearoid son of Tomás son of Seón, i.e. the Earl of Kildare, received the ploughland of An Ráith Driseógach from Laighneach son of Connla son of Aodh Buidhe, i.e. lord of Cinéal Fiachach, with the consent of Sliocht Aodha Buidhe and Sliocht Néill and Sliocht Fearghail Ruaidh regarding that: i.e. the Earl to take Coill Tobuir into his control from Síol gConchubhair, who desired to make swordland of it, and to compel them to make peace with Mág Eóchagán.
And required from Mág Eóchagán to the Earl is – in addition to the land which he gave him on account of making that agreement – a half-mark on Coill Tobair itself for himself always and his son after him and for his descendants.
And should the earl be at war by which he would have need of it, Coill Tobair is to be acquired by him for the [prosecution of the] war. And should a partisan of his have need of it, the earl’s advice is to be followed in favour of the partisan.
And should Mac Eóchagán or his descendants be unable to garrison Coill Tobair, the earl is to place a garrison there.
NOTES
1–2. Geroid mac Tomais meic Seon .i. iarla Chille Dara Gearóid Mór, 8th Earl of Kildare (1456–1513).
2. gnimh A gníomh was a ploughland (a unit of assessment for tribute, generally taken as 120 nominal acres) or a subdivision thereof, the extent of which varied geographically. In Westmeath it was the equivalent of an entire ploughland, which we are to understand in this case to be the extent of the townland of An Ráth Driseógach. (In Munster a gníomh was one twelfth of a ploughland; in Connacht, one sixth.)
3. na Ratha Driseoguighe Rathdrishoge, par. Castletownkindalen, bar. Moycashel, Co. Westmeath.
Laigneach a personal name found among the Clann Eóchagáin, as well as other families such as the Í Mhaoileachlainn and the Í Dhuinn; it is found also as a surname in a branch of the Berminghams.
4. Cineóil Fiachaigh Ceinéal/Ceineól Fiachach: Mac Eóchagáin’s territory, corresponding to bar. Moycashel, Co. Westmeath, but originally a larger territory (see Onomasticon p. 220).
5. The three kin-groups of Clann Eóchagáin are given here, of which in the 16th century Sliocht Aodha Buidhe was the dominant one.
6. Coille Tobuir Kiltober, par. Rahugh (Ráth Aodha), bar. Moycashel, Co. Westmeath; on Kildare border but some distance south of Ráth Driseogach. Its border location is the reason it might be important to the Earl, and to have it garrisoned in his interest, in time of war. The war envisaged here is with Síol gConchubhair (line 7): the Í Chonchubhair Failghe (the O’Conors of Offaly).
urlaimh DIL s.v. airlam ‘custody, possession, control’.
7. fearann cloidheimh ‘swordland’, land taken by force. The implication is that Coill Tobair was originally Clann Eóchagáin land, but had been forcibly seized by the Í Chonchubhair.
10. lethmarg 6s 8d (‘a legal cow’), one third of a pound