[235] West.—­Annals, vol. ii. p. 969.

[236] Him.—­Ib. p 973.

[237] Ua h-Ocain.—­Now anglicised O’Hagan.  This family had the special privilege of crowning the O’Neills, and were their hereditary Brehons.  The Right Honorable Judge O’Hagan is, we believe, the present head of the family.

[238] Maelmuire.—­“The servant of Mary.”  Devotion to the Mother of God, which is still a special characteristic of the Irish nation, was early manifested by the adoption of this name.

[239] Suffering.—­This abuse was not peculiar to the Irish Church.  A canon of the Council of London, A.D. 1125, was framed to prevent similar lay appropriations.  In the time of Cambrensis there were lay (so called) abbots, who took the property of the Church into their own hands, and made their children receive holy orders that they might enjoy the revenues.

[240] Desmond.—­See the commencement of this chapter, for an illustration of the ruins of its ancient rath and the more modern castle.  These remains are among the most interesting in Ireland.

[241] Ibrach.—­Supposed to be Ivragh, in Kerry, which was part of Cormac Mac Carthy’s kingdom.

[242] Robbed.—­In MacGeoghegan’s translation of the Annals of Clonmacnois he says:—­“The clergy of Clone made incessant prayer to God and St. Keyran, to be a means for the revelation of the party that took away the said jewels.”  The “party” was a Dane.  He was discovered, and hung in 1130.  It is said that he entered several ships to leave the country, but they could get no wind, while other vessels sailed off freely.—­Annals of the Four Masters, vol. ii. p. 1035.

[243] Blinded.—­In 1165 Henry II. gratified his irritation against the Welsh by laying hands upon the hostages of their noblest families, and commanding that the eyes of the males should be rooted out, and the ears and noses of the females cut off; and yet Henry is said to have been liberal to the poor, and though passionately devoted to the chase, he did not inflict either death or mutilation on the intruders in the royal forests.

[244] Moin Mor.—­Now Moanmore, county Tipperary.

CHAPTER XV.

Social life previous to the English Invasion—­Domestic Habitations—­Forts—­Granard and Staigue—­Crannoges and Log-houses—­Interior of the Houses—­The Hall—­Food and Cooking Utensils—­Regulations about Food—­The Kind of Food used—­Animal Food—­Fish—­Game—­Drink and Drinking Vessels—­Whisky—­Heath Beer—­Mead—­Animal Produce—­Butter and Cheese—­Fire—­Candles—­Occupations and Amusements—­Chess—­Music—­Dress—­Silk—­Linen—­Ancient Woollen Garments—­Gold Ornaments—­Trade—­General Description of the Fauna and Flora of the Country.