Seán mac Ruaidhri Mac Craith (
fl.
''Floruit'' ( ; usually abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for 'flourished') denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indic ...
14th-century) was an Irish historian known as the author of ''Caithréim Thoirdhealbhaigh''.
Biography
The Meic Craith of
Thomond were a learned family who had close ties to Clare Abbey, an Augustinian foundation. They were historians and poets attached to the UÃ Bhriain kings and earls of Thomond. Another family of the name, not known to be related, were natives of Termon McGrath,
Lough Erne
Lough Erne ( , ) is the name of two connected lakes in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is the second-biggest lake system in Northern Ireland and Ulster, and the fourth biggest in Ireland. The lakes are widened sections of the River E ...
.
Magrath's ''
Caithréim Thoirdhealbhaigh'' is an account of the wars fought between two branches of the Uà Bhriain kings in the 13th and 14th century, ending with their successful defeat of the Anglo-Normans at the
Battle of Dysert O'Dea
The Battle of Dysert O'Dea took place on 10 May 1318 at Dysert O'Dea near Corofin, Ireland. It was part of the Bruce campaign in Ireland. The Norman Richard de Clare attacked the Gaelic Irish chieftain Conchobhar ÓDeághaidh, chief of the ...
in 1318, which kept Thomond free of English influence for over two hundred years.
It is also notable for one of the earliest references to the
Banshee
A banshee ( ; Irish language, Modern Irish , from , "woman of the Tumulus#Ireland, fairy mound" or "fairy woman") is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member, usually by screaming, wailing, shrieking, or kee ...
in Irish literature.
Modern editions of the ''Caithréim'' are based on two surviving sources - Royal Irish Academy Ms 23 Q 16, a large fragment on vellum written in 1509; and Trinity College Dublin H. 1. 18 (no. 1292) Ms, written by
Aindrias Mac CruitÃn for Tadhg Mac Conmara in 1721.
See also
*
Mac Craith
Mac Craith (Meic Craith, plural form), meaning "Son of Grace", is an Irish surname, one branch of which is rendered McGrath.
Alternate forms
Among many alternate forms are McCragh, Crah, Crow and Crowe. Some of the forms may link the Mac Craith ...
*
Battle of Dysert O'Dea
The Battle of Dysert O'Dea took place on 10 May 1318 at Dysert O'Dea near Corofin, Ireland. It was part of the Bruce campaign in Ireland. The Norman Richard de Clare attacked the Gaelic Irish chieftain Conchobhar ÓDeághaidh, chief of the ...
External links
* http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/literature/bardic_poem/bardic_families.htm
References
* "The Normans in Thomond", Thomas Johnson Westropp, ''Journal of the
Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland'' 21 (1890–1891) 284–293, 381–387, 462–472.
* "On the external evidences bearing on the historic character of the 'Wars of Torlough' by John, son of Rory MacGrath", Thomas Johnson Westropp, ''Transactions of the
Royal Irish Academy
The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the natural sciences, arts, literature, and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned society and one of its le ...
'', C, 32:2 (1902–1904) 133–198.
* ''Ireland under the Normans'' (4 vols),
Goddard H. Orpen, Oxford, (1911) Vol. 4, 53–106.
* "The wars of Turlogh: an historical document", Edward Curtis, ''The Irish Review'' 2 (1912–1913) 577–586, 644–647; 3 (1913–1914) 34–41.
* Sean Mac Ruaidhri Mac Craith, ''Caithréim Thoirdhealbhaigh: The Triumphs of Turlough'', ed.
Standish Hayes O'Grady, Irish Texts Society, London, 1929, Vol I & II.
* ''The preterite passive plural in Caithréim Thoirdhealbhaigh'', Vernam E. Hull, ''
Éigse'' 8 (1955–1957) 30–31.
* "An examination of the medieval Irish text 'Caithréim Thoirdhealbhaigh': the historical value of the 'Caithréim Thoirdhealbhaigh", Leo F. McNamara, ''North Munster Antiquarian'' Journal 8 (1958–1961) 182–192.
* "The Caithréim Thoirdhealbhaigh manuscripts and O'Grady's edition", Leo F. McNamara, ''Modern Philology'' 59 (1961) 122–125.
* "Traditional motifs in 'Caithréim Thoirdhealbhaigh'", Leo F. McNamara, ''Kentucky Foreign Languages Quarterly'' 8 (1961) 85–92.
* ''A History of the Diocese of Killaloe'', Dermot F. Gleeson, H. Gill & Son, Dublin, 1962, p. 453.
* "Dynastic warfare and historical writing in North Munster, 1276–1350", Aoife Nic Ghiollamhaith, ''Cambridge Medieval Celtic Studies'' 2 (1981) 73–89.
* "The Charter of Clare Abbey and the Augustinian 'Province' in Co. Clare", Michael MacMahon, ''The Other Clare'', Vol.17, 1993, pp. 21–27.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mac Craith, Sean Mac Ruaidhri
14th-century Irish historians
Writers from County Clare
Irish-language writers