Muircheartach mac Con Ceartaich Mac Liag, aka Muircheartach Beag, Irish poet, died 1015. MacLiag was Chief Ollam of Ireland. He was a native of South Connacht and died in 1015. He was the chief poet and secretary of King Brian Boru. He is supposedly the source of the history of Brian Boru called Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib (English: The War of the Irish with the Foreigners). His obit is given in the Annals of the Four Masters as follows- "M1015.7 Macliag, i.e. Muircheartach, son of Cuceartach, chief poet of Ireland at that time, died. The following was Macliag's first quatrain: 1. Muircheartach Beag, son of Maelcertach, who has been herding the cows, It is more worthy that he retaliates not,—give him a handful of findraip (corn). His last quatrain was this: 1. O Bell, which art at the head of my pillow, to visit thee no friends come; Though thou makest thy ‘ding dang,’ it is by thee the salt is measured.". (This is a very early example of the phrase "ding dong" to describe the sound a bell makes. The Oxford English Dictionary only manages to trace the phrase back to the 15th century. They are currently investigating this quote from the annals with a view to amending their entry) His obit is given in the

Annals of Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' ( ga, Annála Uladh) are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, ...

as follows- "U1016.3 Mac Liag, chief ollav of Ireland, died." His obit is given in the

Annals of Loch Cé The ''Annals of Loch Cé'' (also ''Annals of Lough Cé'') cover events, mainly in Connacht and its neighbouring regions, from 1014 to 1590. It takes its name from Lough Cé in the kingdom of Moylurg - now north County Roscommon - which was the c ...

as follows- "LC1016.1 Mac Liag, chief poet of Erinn, mortuus est." His obit is given in the

Chronicon Scotorum ''Chronicon Scotorum'', also known as ''Chronicum Scotorum'', is a medieval Irish chronicle. Overview According to Nollaig Ó Muraíle, it is "a collection of annals belonging to the ' Clonmacnoise group', covering the period from prehistoric tim ...

as follows- "Annal CS1016 Kalends. Mac Liac i.e. Muirchertach, chief ollamh of Ireland, an excellent man, dies in Inis Gaill Duibh on the Sinna. Mac Liac's first verse: 1. Little Muircertach, son of Maelcertach, Who is wont to be herding the cows— He is the innocent who attempts not to wound; Give him a handful of finnraip.(corn)"

External links

* http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100005B/index.html Writers from County Galway Writers from County Roscommon Medieval Irish poets 11th-century Irish poets 11th-century Irish writers 1015 deaths Year of birth unknown Irish male poets Irish-language writers {{Ireland-poet-stub