Aed mac Conchbair Mac Aodhagáin (1330–1359) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

bard.

Mac Aodhagáin Mac Aodhagáin (English: ''Egan'' or ''Keegan''), is an Irish Gaelic clan of Brehons who were hereditary lawyers - firstly to the Ó Conchobhair Kings of Connacht, and later to the Burkes of Clanricarde. The earliest surviving Irish law manus ...

was a member of a bardic family who originated from Park, in north County Galway. He was a scribe and based in Dún Daighre, (Duniry), County Galway, and was an

ollamh An or ollamh (; anglicised as ollave or ollav), plural ollomain, in early Irish literature, is a member of the highest rank of filí. The term is used to refer to the highest member of any group; thus an ''ollam brithem'' would be the highes ...

in law for the

Clanricarde Clanricarde (; ), also known as Mac William Uachtar (Upper Mac William) or the Galway Burkes, were a fully Gaelicised branch of the Hiberno-Norman House of Burgh who were important landowners in Ireland from the 13th to the 20th centuries. T ...

. His genealogy was Aed mac Conchbair mac Gilla na Naem mic Duinn Sleibhe Mac Aodhagáin . He is notable for, along with

John Clyn John Clyn, O.F.M. (c. 1286 – c. 1349), of the Friars Minor, Kilkenny, was a 14th-century Irish friar and chronicler who lived at the time of the Black Death. Background Clyn was probably born in Leinster some years prior to 1300, possibly a ...

( fl. 1332–1349), one of the few Irish chroniclers to leave a personal note of the Black Death. A marginal note in the book states:

''"One thousand three hundred and fifty years from the birth of
Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
to this night and this is the second year since the coming of the
plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pe ...
to
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. I have written this in the twentieth year of my age. I am Aed mac Conchbair Mac Aodhagáin and whoever reads it let him offer a prayer for my soul. This is
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
night. On this night I place myself under the protection of the king of Heaven and
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
, beseeching that he will bring me and my friends safe through this plague and restore us once more to joy and gladness. Aed mac Conchbair Mac Aodhagáin who wrote this in the year of the great plague."''

Beneath the above note is a second, dated a year later, Christmas night 1351:

''"It is just a year tonight since I wroter the lines on the margin below and if it be God's will, may I reach the anniversary of this night many times, amen."''

He is believed to have attended the great poetic festival held in 1351:

''"at Christmas by William, the son of Donough Muimhneach O'Kelly, to the learned of Ireland, travellers, the poor and the indigent, and they were all served to their satisfaction, both good and bad, noble and ignoble, so that they were all thankful to him and his son, Melaghlin."''

Aed died in 1359, and was noted as ''"the best of the

Brehon Brehon ( ga, breitheamh, ) is a term for a historical arbitration, mediative and judicial role in Gaelic culture. Brehons were part of the system of Early Irish law, which was also simply called " Brehon law". Brehons were judges, close in impo ...

s of Ireland."''

External links

* http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100005C/

References

* ''The Book of Uí Maine'', otherwise called 'The book of the O'Kellys', R.A.S. Mac Alister (ed.), Dublin, 1942. {{DEFAULTSORT:Mac Aodhagain, Aed Mac Conchbair People from County Galway Medieval Irish poets 1330 births 1359 deaths 14th-century Irish writers 14th-century Irish poets Irish male poets Irish-language writers

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References