General Notes

[1700591.ged]
reigned 227-263, he was compared to Solomon so wise and respected was he.
He rebuilt and extended palace at Tara, including the Banquet Room known
as Teach Mi Chuarta, which was 760 ft.  He had a retinue of over 3,000
from all over Europe, including
Gauls, Franks, Romans, Friesians, Caledonians, Picts, and Saxons.  He
brought the first watermill to Ireland.  in 263 his son Cellach insulted
a woman of the Deisi and their king Aonghus put out Cormac's eye in
battle.  A high king can have no blemish
on his person, and he had to step down.  He wrote several books in his
retirement, although several attributed to him actually were written much
later.
Tara is the ancient seat of the Ard Righ.  The only thing that survives
of it today is the Rath na Rithe "Fort of Kings" which contains the Stone
of Fal, which shrieks when the rightful king touches it.  At Samhain
there was always an assembly of
nobles held.  This was the ancient rite of triple killing of the king-
wounding, burning, drowning, when a new king was selected.  There was
another druidic ritual that always happened at tara of king finding
called tarbhfhess "bull sleep". This was
where one druid would sacrifice a bull, eat of its flesh, drink a broth
in which it was cooked, then sleep, through which 4 druids would chant,
and the sleeper would recieve a vision of the next king.
-from _Kingdoms of the Celts: A History and Guide_ by John King 1998.
by Thomas Moore:
The harp that once through Tara's halls
The soul of music shed,
Now hangs as mute on Tara's walls
As if that soul were fled.
So sleeps the pride of former days,
So glory's thrill is o'er,
And hearts that once beat high for praise
Now feel that pulse no more!
No more to chiefs and ladies bright
The harp of Tara swells;
The chord alone that breaks at night
It's tale of ruin tells.
Thus Freedom now so seldom wakes,
The only throb she gives
Is when some heart indignant breaks,
To show that still she lives.
The great High King Cormac macAirt, grandson of Conn of the Hundred
Battles, was said to have established a new Royal capitol at the ancient
site of Teamhair (Tara). Cormac was ancestor to later generations of
Kings and High Kings ruling Gaelic
dynasties of the northern provinces of Connacht, Midhe and Ulster.
In the year 226 AD the battle of Crinna (in Co. Meath) was fought between
Cormac mac Airt, king of Ireland, and the Ulstermen under Fergus, son of
Imchadh. Cormac defeated the Ulster forces with the assistance of Tadg
(or Teige), son of Cian and for
this service the king bestowed on Tadg a large territory which extended
from the Liffey (in Dublin) northwards to Drumskin in Co. Louth. Tadg's
descendants were called Cianachta i.e. "the race of Cian", from his
father and the territory was afterwards
known by this name.
226 AD - Fearghus Duibhdeadach, son of Imchadh, was king over Ireland for
the space of a year, when he fell in the battle of Crinna, by Cormac,
grandson of Conn, by the hand of Lughaidh Lagha. There fell by him also,
in the rout across Breagh, his two
brothers, Fearghus the Long Haired and Fearghus the Fiery, who was called
Fearghus Caisfhiaclach of the Crooked Teeth. In the army of Cormac came
Tadhg, son of Cian, and Lughaidh, to that battle; and it was as a
territorial reward for the battle that
Cormac gave to Tadhg the land on which are the Ciannachta, in Magh
Breagh, as is celebrated in other books.
240 AD - The battle of Magh Techt, and the fleet of Cormac sailed across
Magh Rein (i.e. across the sea), this year, so that it was on that
occasion he obtained the sovereignty of Alba Scotland.
241 AD - These are the battles of Cormac fought against Munster this
year: the battle of Berre; the battle of Loch Lein; the battle of
Luimneach; the battle of Grian; the battle of Classach; the battle of
Muiresc; the battle of Fearta, in which fell
Eochaidh Taebhfada of the Long Side, so