OPINION (AN COLÚN): Shining a light into Offaly's rich past

IT WAS a real pleasure to attend the launch of the new publication "The Annals of Clonmacnoise" on Saturday afternoon last in the Granary, Boher, Ballycumber. This book has been beautifully printed and it shines a light into Offaly's rich past. Thank God for the people who wrote the various Annals because without them our knowledge of our ancestors would be drastically reduced.
The various works known as “the Irish Annals” are our main sources for the history of early to medieval Ireland, providing us with an insight into Gaelic Ireland.
A lot of the Annals are taken up with the accounts of the births, deaths and activities of the Gaelic nobility of Ireland. They also provide valuable insights into major historical events from a Gaelic perspective.
It's believed that the earliest Annals were written by monks in Iona Monastery, perhaps starting in the mid sixth century. Scholars think that a copy of the Iona annals made its way west to Ireland in the mid 8th Century, where Irish monks began adding their own passages, often of a local flavour. These Irish endeavours became literary productions in their own right and each one was assigned its own name to identify it. Therefore, we have the Annals of Tigernach, the Annals of Ulster, the Annals of Roscrea, etc.
The Annals of Clonmacnoise has been known by its name since the late 1630s. It was translated around this time by Conel Mageoghagan, who belonged to a significant Gaelic family which lived on the borders of Offaly and Westmeath. In his opening paragraph Mageoghagan said he translated the Annals “the old Irish book...out of Irish into English faithfully and well”. Mageoghagan translated some of the book in Lemanaghan Offaly, perhaps in Lemanaghan Castle (one of the MacCoghlan castles). This fact is noted with pride by the members of the Lemanaghan Bog Heritage Group, who hosted Saturday's launch in the Granary. Sadly, Lemanaghan Castle no longer exists. The Heritage Group points out that the castle “served as a sanctuary of knowledge and a guardian of history, reflecting the very spirit of the Annals of Clonmacnoise.” The Group said it's dedicated to highlighting and preserving the rich heritage of this part of west Offaly.
The events recorded in the Annals of Clonmacnoise date from the fifth century down to 1408 and, because of their detailed recounting of events in the Clonmacnoise region they must have been written by monks in the famous monastery. However, after 1227 it's possible that they were written in other monasteries or locations. It's highly probable that a number of other versions of the original Iona annals were written in Clonmacnoise; thus providing yet more evidence of what a prominent and scholarly place the Offaly monastery was.
Mageoghagan's translation has been expertly brought up to date by the contemporary scholar Nollaig Ó Muraíle who has made it more accessible for the modern reader. He and the Dublin publisher Eamon De Búrca have done a great job on a number of levels with this new publication.
Being a Birr man the first thing I did when I bought the book was check out the Index and the pages where Birr is mentioned. The first Birr reference is the year 563: “The ascension of Saint Bréanainn of Biorra to the skies in his chariot or coach.” In the year 569 this is written: “The death of Saint Bréanainn of Biorra anno Domini 569.” In 756 the following happened: “There was a field fought between those of Cluain Mhic Nóis and the inhabitants of Biorra in a place called in Irish Móin Choise Blaí.”
824: “There was a meeting between King Conchubhar and Feidhlim at Biorra.”
839: “The Danes continued in Duibhlinn this year, and the Danes of Linn Duachaill preyed and spoiled Cluain Mhic Nóis, Biorra and Saighir.”
923: “Baoithín, abbot of Biorra, died.”
1207: “Muircheartach son of Brian an tSléibhe besieged the castle of Biorra, and at last burnt the whole town.”
1213: “The English army came from thence to Dealbhna Mhic Cochláin, and so to Cluain Mhic Nóis, where they built a castle; also they finished and made the castles of Darmhagh, Biorra, and Ceann Eitigh of that voyage.”
Limited Edition Copies are available to purchase from the publishers by contacting them at deburcararebooks@gmail.com or calling 01 2882159.