Deed 7

This is the earliest of a series of surviving deeds concerning Domhnall Óg Ó Cearnaigh of Cratloe, par. Kilfintinan, Co. Clare. For commentary see Mac Niocaill, 'Land-transfer in sixteenth-century Thomond'.

The case presented here suggests that the elderly lady mentioned, Gráinne ní Mheic Con, is a poor widow, and that the pledge of land that she holds, and now transfers to Domhnall Óg Ó Cearnaigh, was the guarantee that her late husband gave to her as protection for the dowry that she brought with her at marriage; this explains why it is mentioned that her son could redeem the pledge. A parallel case is documented by Kenneth Nichollls in 'Irishwomen and property in the sixteenth century'.

MN 32

Original does not survive. 19^th-century transcripts - all of Co. Clare provenance - as follows:

(A) Maynooth MS C 26, p. 280 (Brian Ó Luanaigh?)

(B) Maynooth MS R 70 (Mícheál Ó Raghallaigh, 1825–48 ), p. 544

(C) Maynooth MS C 71, (30), (Eugene O’Curry, 1842)

(D) TCD MS 1430 (Eugene O’Curry, pp. 59-60)

All derive from a common original. The text here is based on A, as it appears to be the witness that best preserves features (contractions and layout) of the lost original. Significant variants from the other transcripts are noted.

TRANSCRIPTION

1. Is se so cunnradh Domnaill Oig I Cernaigh agus Graidhne ni Meic Con agus [sé adhbhar an scríbhinn]

2. .i. Graidhne a dere a aoisi .i. aon uinge .x. do bi mar geall ag Gradhne ar

3. da trian Lao na Ui agus da trian Cluain idir da Sruthan agus da trian lethe in Guirtinn

4. Gerr agus in da garrda agus da ba saorad agus do tuc Graidhne a inad fein orrtha

5. sin do Domnall a ngill ris na fiachaibh sin tuas agus Graidhne ar mbeth a deri

6. a aoisi agus tabartus a cloinne maille re agus do molad ar Domnall a bethudh agus issi

7. ar tabairt in ferinn sin do Domnall agus i fein do bethudh agus dil aonuinge .x. di

8. in a beathaidh fairis di cenn sin agus ní bhuil ar cumus do dhuine ar bith in feronn sin

9. do fhuasgladh acht da mac agus a fuascladh da airneis fein agus da mbeth leasu

10. no foirgnim meas do cur air agus a fuasgladh do reir in measda agus a fuasgladh o Belltaine

11. co Feil Breninn agus muna dentar gan a fuasgladh go ti Belltine dar cinn.

12. Na fiadain do[n] scribinn sin

do [?ced] in da rann

13. agus isi aois in tigherna mile agus .u.c. agus 2 bliadhain .xx. agus .xx.it

14. agus issiad fiadhuin in cunnarta so Domnall Derg agus clann Fininn Me Con agus Mac

15. Con mac Loclainn agus Ruisderd O Cernaigh agus Tadhg mac Pilib meic [?Nuadha] agus mu

16. aran malle riu

Readings

1. [sé adhbhar an scríbhinn] re na [fa air-e struck through] A; rann saoirne B; om. CD;

4. garr- AB, garradh CD; orrtha] suspension stroke above rr AB

8. fairis] between lines 8 and 9 A, inserted after fhuasgladh (line 9) B, between sin and agus CD.

14. Derg om D

15. [?Nuadha] n-2 ABC, naodha D

NORMALISED TEXT

Is sé so cunnradh Domnaill Óig Í Chearnaigh agus Gráinne ní Meic Con.

Agus is é adhbhar an scríbhinn .i. Gráinne i ndeireadh a haoisi .i. aon uinge déag do bhí mar gheall ag Gráinne ar dhá dtrian [? Lao na Ní], agus dhá dtrian Cluain Idirdhá Shruthán, agus dhá dtrian leithe an Ghuirtín Gheirr, agus in dá gharrdha, agus dhá bha shaora. Agus do thug Gráinne a hionad féin orrtha sin do Dhomhnall i ngioll risna fiachaibh sin tuas, agus Gráinne ar mbeith i ndeireadh a haoise agus tabhartas a cloinne maille ré.

Agus do moladar Domhnall a beathughadh – agus issi ar dtabhairt an fhearainn sin do Dhomnall agus í féin do bheathughadh – agus díol aonuinge déag di ina beathaidh fairis de cheann sin.

Agus ní bhfuil ar cumas do dhuine ar bith an fearann sin do fhuasgladh acht dá mac, agus a fhuasgladh dá airnéis féin. Agus dá mbeath leasughadh nó foirgnimh, meas do chur air agus a fhuasgladh do réir an mheasda. Agus a fhuasgladh ó Bhealltaine go Féile Bréanainn, agus muna dhéantar, gan a fhuasgladh go dtí Bealltine dar cionn.

Na fiadhain don scríbinn sin do chead an dá rann:

Agus is í aois an Tighearna míle agus cúig céad agus dhá bhliadhain fichead agus fichid. Agus is siad fiadhain an chunnartha so, Domhnall Dearg agus clann Fhinín Meic Con agus Mac Con mac Lochlainn, agus Ruisdeard Ó Cearnaigh, agus Tadhg mac Pilib mheic [?Nuadha], agus mórán maille riú.

TRANSLATION

This is the agreement of Domhnall Óg Ó Cearnaigh and Gráinne daughter of Mac Con.

[And the substance of the writing is] that Gráinne is of an advanced age [and] that Gráinne had eleven ounces[1] as a pledge against two thirds of [Lao na Ní?] and two thirds of Cluain idir dá Shruthán, and two thirds of half of An Guirtín Gearr, and the two gardens, and [the free grazing of] two cows.[2]And Gráinne gave her own place on those [lands] to Domhnall in pledge for those debts above-mentioned,[3] and Gráinne being of an advanced age and, in addition, having the power of alienation over her sons[4].

And they recommended that her maintenance should be on Domhnall after she had given the land to him and having maintained herself [heretofore], and that she should be paid 11 ounces while she lived in addition on that account.

And no-one can redeem that land except her son, and he should redeem it from his own resources. And should it be manured or buildings be [on the land], it is to be assessed and to be redeemed according to the assessment. And it is to be redeemed between May Day and the Feast of St Brendan,[5] and if not, it may not be redeemed until the following May Day.

The witnesses to that document,

agreed by both parties:

And it is the Year if the Lord 1542. And the witnesses to this agreement are Domhnall Dearg, and the sons of Finín Meic Con, and Mac Con mac Lochlainn and Risdeard Ó Cearnaigh, and Tadhg mac Pilib meic [?Nuadha], and many [others] along with them.[6]

Notes

[1]An ounce = one twelfth of a pound, or 20 pence.

[2]See Dinneen s.v. saoradh: 'thug mé seafaid dó ar a s[aoradh], I gave him a a milking cow free (on her keeping, he was to feed her and the milk was free)'. In this case, MS saorad may be a hypercorrect spelling of pl. adj. saora

[3]That is, she assigned the right to claim these debts to Domhnall.

[4] As it was a pledge, Gráinne could dispose of it at will, without reference to her children.

[5] 16 May

[6] A legally binding document would have all witnesses clearly named; the generalised nature of the witness list here emphasises that this document is more in the nature of a record of public agreement.