Text items (beta)

Ruadán (of Lorrha) and Brénainn of Birr go to Tara in order to have Áed Guaire released. Díarmait refuses, saying that the Church has no right to provide protection (sarugud) when the offender has breached royal law (recht). The saints chant psalms of malediction (salmu escaine) and sound bells against the king. That night, twelve royal sons who have been given in fosterage to the king die instantly in Tara. Their guardians beg the saints to bring the youths back to life. The churchmen pray and the youths are restored to life.

Agents

Ruadán of LorrhaRuadán of Lorrha
(d. 584)
Ruadán mac Fergusa Birn
(time-frame ass. with Díarmait mac Cerbaill)
Ruadán mac Fergusa Birn, patron saint of Lothra (Lorrha, Co. North Tipperary)
See more Brénainn of BirrBrénainn of Birr
(d. 565/73)
Brendan mac Nemainn, patron saint of Birr
See more Díarmait mac CerbaillDíarmait mac Cerbaill
(supp. d. 565)
In Irish historical tradition, high-king of Ireland, son of Fergus Cerrbél.
See more Áed GuaireÁed Guaire

Entry reserved for but not yet available from the subject index.

Places

Temair

Temair ... Tara

County Meath

Lexical items

Ir. sarugudIrish sarugud
Search eDILIr. salmu escaineIrish salmu escaine
Search eDIL

For a whole year, the saints [Ruadán of Lorrha and Brénainn of Birr] heap curses (escaini) on the king and work many miracles, but Díarmait does not give up: for every act of supernatural power (firt) he returns another. One time, however, as the saints and the king fast against one another (this is implicit in the text of Egerton 1782), the clerics reward the house steward (ferthigis) with Heaven if he can make the king believe that they have broken their fast.

Agents

Díarmait mac CerbaillDíarmait mac Cerbaill
(supp. d. 565)
In Irish historical tradition, high-king of Ireland, son of Fergus Cerrbél.
See more Ruadán of LorrhaRuadán of Lorrha
(d. 584)
Ruadán mac Fergusa Birn
(time-frame ass. with Díarmait mac Cerbaill)
Ruadán mac Fergusa Birn, patron saint of Lothra (Lorrha, Co. North Tipperary)
See more Brénainn of BirrBrénainn of Birr
(d. 565/73)
Brendan mac Nemainn, patron saint of Birr
See more

Lexical items

Ir. ferthigisIrish ferthigis
Search eDIL

That night, the king has a dream in which he sees a tall tree standing in Tara. Fifty foreigners (gall) led by two of them attempt to chop down the tree but at every attempt, the tree is renewed. However, the tree falls as soon as he is removed from it. Díarmait, having awoken at the sound of the crash, interprets the dream as telling him that the clergy are bringing about his downfall, with the tree representing the king himself.

Agents

Díarmait mac CerbaillDíarmait mac Cerbaill
(supp. d. 565)
In Irish historical tradition, high-king of Ireland, son of Fergus Cerrbél.
See more

Places

Temair

Temair ... Tara

County Meath

The following morning, Díarmait goes to confront the saints and vent his anger. Díarmait and Ruadán exchange a series of imprecations. Díarmait wishes that Ruadán’s diocese is the first to fall, that Ruadán will suffer a blemish (resulting in the bursting of one of the saint’s eyes), that Ruadán’s bodily relics will be scattered, etc. Ruadán, in turn, utters curses to the effect that Díarmait’s reign will be cut short, his body dismembered and even that Tara will cease to be a residential site for future kings. As Díarmait notices the ridge-beam (cleith) of the house, Ruadán hints at its role in the king’s death.

Agents

Díarmait mac CerbaillDíarmait mac Cerbaill
(supp. d. 565)
In Irish historical tradition, high-king of Ireland, son of Fergus Cerrbél.
See more Ruadán of LorrhaRuadán of Lorrha
(d. 584)
Ruadán mac Fergusa Birn
(time-frame ass. with Díarmait mac Cerbaill)
Ruadán mac Fergusa Birn, patron saint of Lothra (Lorrha, Co. North Tipperary)
See more Brénainn of BirrBrénainn of Birr
(d. 565/73)
Brendan mac Nemainn, patron saint of Birr
See more

Díarmait releases Áed and makes peace with the saints. He recites a brief poem, beg. ‘Mairg thochrus fri cléirchib cell’, about the tragic conclusion of his conflict with the clerics, notably the fall of Tara. He continues (in prose) reproaching the clerics for the misery they have contributed to the future of Ireland and wishing that secular lords will oppress the churches with their visits.

The poem is considerably longer in RIA MS D ii 1 (22 qq) and also occurs in the second recension. The anecdote about the king fasting against the saints is recalled with some additional details in the conclusion of this text (see further on).

Agents

Díarmait mac CerbaillDíarmait mac Cerbaill
(supp. d. 565)
In Irish historical tradition, high-king of Ireland, son of Fergus Cerrbél.
See more Ruadán of LorrhaRuadán of Lorrha
(d. 584)
Ruadán mac Fergusa Birn
(time-frame ass. with Díarmait mac Cerbaill)
Ruadán mac Fergusa Birn, patron saint of Lothra (Lorrha, Co. North Tipperary)
See more Brénainn of BirrBrénainn of Birr
(d. 565/73)
Brendan mac Nemainn, patron saint of Birr
See more

Included

Beg. Mairg thochrus fri cléirchib cell

Verse beg. Mairg thochrus fri cléirchib cell (22 qq.)

RIA MS D ii 1: 22 qq.

Before Ruadán, Brénainn and Áed return to Poll Ruain, they see 30 splendid horses coming towards them from the sea. They donate the horses, which prove to excel in speed, to Díarmait, but the horses assume their original shapes and return to the sea.

Subjects

magic horsesmagic animals
magic horses

id. 27005

Agents

Ruadán of LorrhaRuadán of Lorrha
(d. 584)
Ruadán mac Fergusa Birn
(time-frame ass. with Díarmait mac Cerbaill)
Ruadán mac Fergusa Birn, patron saint of Lothra (Lorrha, Co. North Tipperary)
See more Brénainn of BirrBrénainn of Birr
(d. 565/73)
Brendan mac Nemainn, patron saint of Birr
See more Áed GuaireÁed Guaire

Entry reserved for but not yet available from the subject index.

Places

Poll RuainPoll Ruain

No description available