MN 11
Source: TCD MS 1429, no. 7 (f. 6r)
SUMMARY
In 1587, the division of land among the sons and grandsons of Tadhg (mac Uilliam) Ó Maoil Riain (presumably following his death) - Conchubhar and Mac Raith and the sons of their deceased older brother Domhnall - leads to a dangerous dispute between Conchubhar and the younger and poorer Mac Raith concerning land in Garraidh Órtha (Goldengarden, par. Kilpatrick, Co. Tipperary) which Mac Raith was occupying . This dispute goes to arbitration supervised by Ó Duibhir (Pilib) [chief of the O'Dwyers of Dundrum] and his son Diarmaid. The arbitrators confirm that Conchubhar is entitled to Garraidh Órtha, but nevertheless they award it to Mac Craith and his heirs in perpetuity; in return, Mac Craith is obliged to transfer five milch cows worth of land that he had mortgaged for six cows (he retaining the sixth part) to Conchubhar, and guarantee that land against any future claims.
TRANSCRIPTION
1. Ag so in timirisin tarrla itir Concubur mac Taidhg agus Mac Raith mac Taidg fa cheand Garraidh Órrtha agus is amla tarrla
2. an timirisin so .i. rainn fearainn arna deanam ag clainn Taidg meic [Uilliam above] ar a gcuid do Bhaile hSidhnóid agus rogha na ronda
3. sin ag clainn Domnaill meic Taidg agus an dara rogha ag Concubur mac Taidg agus ase roga ruc Concubar .i. Garraidh
4. Orrtha mur a roib Mac Craith mac Taidg ina shuigi agus adubuirt Mac Raith nach fuicfeadh se fein an tinut inar
5. fhac a aithair é agus inar chaith se morán da aimseir agus adubuirt Concubur os e fein do bo sine agus dob fearr ann nach geubha
6. se gan Garraidh Órrtha dfaghail mur rogh fearainn agus tarrla sin in imirisin perfiaclach eaturra do laithair Í Duibir agus maithi [an] tire agus
7. do cinnidur an dias sin com comtroim fa ceann an imirisin sin agus do mholadur an comtrom Garraidh Orrtha do Concubur do thoradh
8. a sinnserachta agus a mathusa agus o fuaradur an comtrom so an cúis rena reightec agus rena cur fa mur adearadais fein do moladur Garr
9. aidh Orrtha o Concubur agus on oidhribh go brath do Mac Raith agus da mac ina diaigh agus do moladur an dara roga fineachuis do Con
10. [con exp.] cubur agus as e abur an scribinn seo .i. da cuimniugad go dtucadur an comtrom sin agus Mac Raith fein do thoil a cheile méad airithi do
11. luaidhecht o Mac Craith do Concubur [do cinn na cuisi above] do fagail rena reitec agus do cinn Garraidh Orrtha do liginn cum Meic Raith agus ag so méd an luaidh
12. echta sin .i. se loilicha ata ag Mac Raith ar chuid dfearann Shleachta Meic Raith meic Concubuir agus dfacbudur an comtrom sin .u. loilicha
13. ag Concubur air a bfuil o Cill Padraig aniar don ferann sin agus an loilich eile ag Mac Raith air a bfuil o Cill siar agus dias do
14. daoinaibh comtroma do chur do meas an ferainn sin tiar agus tair agus a lucht fein don ioc do cur a ndiaigh cach codach accu agus ag so
15. ainm an ferinn sin [ata above] ag Concubur o Mac Raith .i. acara ar Guirtín a Doruis agus ceandait amaille fris agus trian Beil Atha Briain agus trian
16. Guirt I Ghormaoiladh agus an cethramha cuid do Gort Finn agus don Seanbaili agus a ngaband leo do caill agus dainaitheamh
17. agus ag so an comtrom do bi ag deanamh an orrdaithe sin .i. O Duibir agus a mac oidhreachta .i. Diarmaid O Duibir agus Mathgamoin mac Uilliam
18. agus [mathgamoin struck through] agus Maolseclaind mac Diarmada agus misi Uilliam mac Giolla na Naomh lamh an scribind do toil an da rann agus do fiadnuisi
19. an ordaith[e] agus O Duibir agus Diarmaid O Duibir do bo cosc itir na randaib sin agus pian .u. marg ag O Duibir agus ag Diarmaid O Duibir ar an te do
20. na fecheamnuib do tiucam a naigidh an orrdaithi seo agus ata dfiachaibh air Mac Raith an ferann sin do dion do cert air laim Concubuir
21. a ngeall re .u. loilicha o an uili duine deileochadh é Anno Domini 1587
22. Pilip Duipir
23. Mac Raith R
NORMALISED TEXT
Ag so an t-imreasan tarla idir Conchubhar mac Taidhg agus Mac Raith mac Taidhg fa cheand Garraidh Órtha. Agus is amhlaidh tarla an t-imreasan so .i. rainn fearainn arna déanamh ag clainn Taidhg mheic Uilliam ar a gcuid de Bhaile Shiodhnóid, agus rogha na ronna sin ag clainn Domhnaill mheic Thaidhg, agus an dara rogha ag Conchubhar mac Taidhg.
Agus is é rogha rug Conchubhar .i. Garraidh Órtha mar a roibh Mac Craith mac Taidhg ina shuighe. Agus adubhairt Mac Raith nach fúigfeadh sé féin an t-inad inar fhág a athair é, agus inar chaith sé mórán dá aimsir. Agus adubhairt Conchubhar, ó ’s é féin do ba shine agus dob fhearr ann, nach géabhadh sé gan Garraidh Órtha d’fagháil mar rogha fearainn.
Agus tarla sin ina imreasan peiriaclach eatarra do láthair Í Dhuibhir agus maithe an tíre. Agus do chinneadar an dias sin comhchomhtroim fa cheann an imreasain sin. Agus do mholadar an comhthrom Garraidh Órtha do Chonchubhar, do thoradh a shinsearachta agus a mhaitheasa; agus ó fuaradar an comhthrom so an chúis rena réidhteach agus rena cur fa mar adéaradaís féin, do mholadar Garraidh Órtha ó Chonchubhar agus óna oighribh go bráth do Mhac Raith agus dá mhac ina dhiaidh. Agus do mholadar an dara rogha fineachais do Chonchubhar.
Agus is é adhbhar an scríbinn seo .i. da chuimhniughadh go dtugadar an comhthrom sin agus Mac Raith féin, de thoil a chéile, méad áirithi do luaigheacht ó Mhac Craith do Choncubhar de chionn na cúise do fhágbháil rena réidhteach, agus de chionn Garraidh Órtha do leigean chum Meic Raith.
Agus ag so méad an luaidheachta sin .i. sé loilgheacha atá ag Mac Raith ar chuid d’fhearann Shleachta Meic Raith meic Chonchubhair, agus d’fhágbhadar an comtrom sin cúig loilgheacha ag Conchubhar ar a bhfuil ó Chill Phádraig aniar don fhearann sin, agus an loilgheach eile [atá] ag Mac Raith ar a bhfuil ó Chill siar,agus dias do dhaoinibh comtroma do chur do mheas an fhearainn sin tiar agus tair, agus a lucht féin don íoc do chur i ndiaidh gach codach acu.
Agus ag so ainm an fhearainn sin atá ag Conchubhar ó Mhac Raith .i. acara ar Ghuirtín an Doruis agus ceannáit amaille fris; agus trian Béil Átha Briain, agus trian Guirt Í Ghormaoiladh, agus an ceathramha cuid do Ghort Finn agus don Seanbhaile, agus a ngabhann leo do chaill agus d’anaitheamh.
Agus ag so an comhthrom do bhí ag déanamh an ordaighthe sin .i. Ó Duibhir agus a mhac oighreachta .i. Diarmaid Ó Duibhir, agus Mathghamhain mac Uilliam, agus Maoil Sheachlainn mac Diarmada. Agus mise Uilliam mac Giolla na Naomh, lámh an scríbinn de thoil an dá rann, agus do fhiadnaise an ordaithe; agus Ó Duibhiragus Diarmaid Ó Duibhir do ba chosc idir na rannaibh sin, agus pian cúig mharg ag Ó Duibhir agus ag Diarmaid Ó Duibhir ar an té do na feicheamhnaibh do thiucfadh i n-aighidh an ordaighthe seo. Agus atá d’fhiachaibh ar Mhac Raith an fearann sin do dhíon, de cheart ar láimh Chonchubhair i ngeall re cúig loilgheacha, ó an uile dhuine d’éileóchadh é.
Anno Domini 1587
Pilip Duibhir
Mac Raith R[iain ?]
TRANSLATION
This is the dispute that arose between Conchubhar son of Tadhg and Mac Raith son of Tadhg concerning Garraidh Órtha. And this dispute came about thus: the sons of Tadhg son of Uilliam made a division of their share of the land of Baile Siodhnóid, and the sons of Domhnall son of Tadhg had the [first] choice of that division, and Conchubhar son of Tadhg had the second choice.
And the choice that Conchubhar made was Garraidh Órtha, which Mac Raith son of Tadhg was occupying. And Mac Raith said that he himself would not leave the place where his father had left him and where he had spent a great deal of his time. And Conchubhar said that, since he himself was the elder and worthier there, he would have nothing other than Garraidh Órtha as his choice of land.
And that [matter] turned into a dangerous dispute between them, in the presence of Ó Duibhir and the nobles of [his] country. And these two [sc. Conchubhar and Mac Raith] agreed on co-arbitrators concerning that dispute. And the arbitrators adjudicated [that] Garraidh Órtha [belonged] to Conchubhar on account of his seniority and [greater] worth; and since the arbitrators had received this case to settle and arrange as they themselves would declare, they awarded Garraidh Órtha to Mac Raith and to his son after him from Conchubhar and his heirs in perpetuity, and awarded the second [i.e. the next] choice of ancestral land to Conchubhar.
And the purpose of this writing is to record that those arbitrators and Mac Craith himself, by mutual consent, gave Conchubhar a certain amount of compensation from Mac Craith on account of submitting the case to arbitration and on account of releasing Garraidh Órtha to Mac Raith.
And this is the amount of that compensation: six milch cows are due to Mac Raith [as a pledge] on part of the land owned by the Sept of Mac Raith son of Conchubar, and those arbitrators awarded five milch cows to Conchubhar on the land that lies east of Ceall Phádraig, and the other milch cow to Mac Raith on what lies west of Ceall Phádraig. And two impartial persons to be appointed to assess that land to the west and to the east, and to assign each part its own portion of the payment.
And this is the name of that land that Conchubhar has from Mac Raith: one acre in Guirtín an Doruis and a homestead along with it; and a third of Béal Átha Briain and a third of Gort Í Ghormaoilaidh; and a quarter portion of Gort Fionn and of Seanbhaile and all timber and wasteland (?) attached to them.
And these are the arbitrators who were making that ordinance: Ó Duibhir and his son and heir i.e. Diarmaid Ó Duibhir; and Mathgamhain son of Uilliam; and Maoileachlainn son of Diarmaid.
And I am Uilliam son of Giolla na Naomh who wrote the document by the agreement of both parties and as witness to the ordinance; and Ó Duibhir and Diarmuaid Ó Duibhir were referees between those parties; and whichever of the claimants shall contravene this award is to be penalised in the sum of five marks by Ó Duibhir and Diarmaid Ó Duibhir. And Mac Raith is bound to protect the land by right, [now] held by Conchubhar in security for five milch cows, from every person who would have a claim against it.
Anno Domini 1587
Pilip Duibhir
Mac Raith R[iain ?]
NOTES
2-3. rogha na ronda The sons of Domhnall mac Taidhg had the first (and undisputed) choice, because - we infer - he had been the eldest son. He is also referred to in D1.
4-5. an tinut inar fhac a aithair é Mac Craith claims that his father had assigned this property to him prior to his father's death.
7 (etc.). comtrom This substantive use of comhthrom, meaning here a committee of arbitration, is not recorded in DIL.
14. do meas an ferainn sin To establish the boundaries of the land.
16. ainaitheamh See DIL s.vv aithem and 2 etham (= 'arable land').
17. mac oidhreachta Literally 'inheriting son', in other words 'son and heir', showing the influence of English law.
19. cosc Such was the danger of trouble erupting after the arbitration was made that high-status referees were appointed to enforce it. The use of cosc here reflects the meaning of the root verb con-secha 'corrects, punishes, restrains'.
20. agus ata dfiachaibh air Mac Raith The document concludes with a clause of warranty, where Mac Raith is obliged to guarantee the land that he has transferred to Conchubhar against a third party emerging to make a claim on it in the future.
22-23. The dropping of the Ó from the surnames, here and in D3.11, is of interest at this relatively early date.