Of the Descendents of Earc Here

Of the Descendents of Earc Here

Taken from the poem beginning “Enna, the pupil of hardy Cairbre..” Poem probably twelfth century or later. Title is mine. Notice the mention of Fearghus Fail, here fail/fal probably meaning Ireland. His descendent was Adamnan, who wrote the Vita of St.Columcille in the late seventh century. Also note the mention of Massan and Cassan, disciples of St.Cairnech, who are also mentioned in the story of Muircertach Mac Erca's death. St. Cairnech was the equivalent to, or the same person as St. Caranog of the Britons, one of the few saints to be associated with King Arthur. Translation by Todd and Herbert in The Irish Version of the Historia Brittonum 1848 with only small amendments.

Erc, the daughter of unsubdued Loarn,

The mother of eight great brave sons,

Whose seed has been powerful within,

Between Eoghan and Conall.

Tigearnach, who ruled with bravery

And Fearadach of Kingly power,

Muircheartach and Moan, rich in mead,

Were sons of Earc by Muireadach.

The race of Tigearnach of rich domains,

Are the Siol Tigearnach Mic Earce

Fearadhach too, a full ripe chief,

From whom are the Cenel Fearadhaigh.

Cenel Moain of the mead,

From Moan son of Muireadach,

Muircheartach, the gentle and merry,

From him descend the kings of Aileach.

Those are the descendents of the four gentle sons

Whom Earc left in Tir-Eoghain,

Now I shall name for you without fail

The descendants of Earc’s sons in Tir Chonaill.

The Earc, whose sons these were,

Was the daughter of Loarn of Alba;

Whom Fearghus, the son of Conall, took

To wife, for dowry, after Muireadhach.

Seadna, Feidhlimidh, well do I know,

Breanainn and Loarn, the right handed,

Were the sons of Earc, valorous the band,

And Fearghus, the son of Conall.

Feilim left no children,

Except Eoghan the little and Colum.

Breanainn of happy career left not,

But only Baothin of the goodly deeds.

Loarn, whose hand was strong,

Illustrious was the first born of his sons,

Ronan, the father of powerful sons,

Colman, Seighinn and Laisreann.

These three sons which Earc left,

Were without issue, except saints of saintly power.

Seadna was hers for the propagation

Of people, chiefs and brave kings.

Seadna, the son of Fearghus of Fail,

From whom descended the Siol Seadna, noble and brave,

Cenel Lughdach in the East and here,

And the hosts of Fanad, it is true.

The Clann Ciarain and the sons of fair Clann Crunnmaoil,

And the kingly Clann Loingsigh,

They, the distinguished for valiant deeds,

Are the descendents of Seadna, the son of Fearghus.

These are the descendents of Earcs sons without reproach,

In the countries of Conall and of Eoghan.

Ill did their friendship work

To the descendents of Cormac, son of Enna.

Earc besought a noble gift

From her eight sons of great renown.

A territory free of all claim to depend,

From the descendents of Earc’s sons in Tir Conaill.

The Sons of Fearghus gave unto her

Druim Lighean because of its nobleness,

For its convenient situation within the land,

Between Tir Eoghain and Tir Conaill.

She made he will before her death.

Earc the beautiful, without a doubt.

She bequeathed her territory to the venerated powerful Cairneach,

The godly son of her sister.

Her horses, her gold, her apparel

Her presents of many hundreds,

And that he be entertained at banquets

For her, by the sons of Muiredhach.

Her suit of apparel every year,

As if she were alive, by strict injunction,

And a hundred of every kind of cattle,

To Cairneach, from the seed of Eoghan.

The seed of Eghan paid the tribute

During Cairneach’s life without murmer,

And they paid it, noble the deed,

After him for a term of twenty years.

Massan and Cassan then,

Were the two Coarbs after Cairneach,

They gave away Druim Lighean freely,

Upon condition of receiving Cairneach’s tribute.

The prosperous Clann Neill gave,

Free of expeditions or of hosting,

Although they might have kept it without reproach,

Cairneach’s tribute as they asked.

Fearghus, the son of Muircheartach,

With his noble illustrious, great sons,

Took the Drium subject to this tribute

And hence why they are called Fir Droma.