General Notes

Murchad's Death in the Annals of the Four Masters
Murchadh, son of Diarmaid, son of Mael-na-mbo, lord of the foreigners and of Leinster, under his father, died at Ath-cliath, precisely on Sunday, the festival of Mary, in winter. It was in lamentation of him the poet composed these quatrains:

There is grief for a chief king at Ath Cliath,
Which will not be exceeded till the terrible Judgment Day;
Empty is the fortress without the descendant of Duach,
Quickly was the vigour of its heroes cut down.
Sorrowful every party in the fortress
For their chief, against whom no army prevailed;
Since the body of the king was hidden from all,
Every evil has showered ever constant.
For Murchadh, son of Diarmaid the impetuous,
Many a fervent prayer is offered;
In sorrow for the death of the chief is every host
That was wont to defeat in the battle,
Great the sorrow that he was not everlasting;
Pity that death hath attacked him.
Too early it was that he removed from him his complexion,
That he removed one like him from his body.
Liberal of wealth was the grandson of Mael-na-mbo;
He bestowed horses, and he distributed cows,
For the sake of his going to God.
Who is it to whom 'tis best to give fleeting wealth?
Sources:

http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100005B/index.html
"Irish Kings and High Kings", Francis John Bryne, Dublin, 1973.  (from Wikipedia.org)