Colum cille belonged to the same clan as Domnall mac Aed mac Ainmire, being in fact a first cousin of Ainmire. Both belonged to the northern branch of the Hy Neills (the eighth-century Domnall belonged to the southern branch of the family). Colum cille's blood relationship with the line of kings mentioned in the prose texts may be shown as follows: 45

That Colum cille figures as the anmchara of a king of this line is of course peculiarly appropriate he was the patron saint of the clan.46 Donnchad's resort to Colum cille may have been suggested not only by the blood relationship involved but more probably by the history of Colum cille's political and religious affiliations with Donnchad's father and grandfather. Zimmer in his first study of the legend plausibly suggested that the author was thinking of Colum cille's participation in the great council of Druim Ceta, held by Aed in 574 A. D.47 Aed's three objects in calling this assembly were to banish the poets from Ireland, to impose a tribute on the Scottish Dal Riada, and to oust Scannlan Mor from the kingship of Ossory.48 Colum cille came to the council with a strong clerical party. He plead for the Scottish Dal Riada and for Scannlan Mor and persuaded Aed to modify his proposed move against the poets. Although Aed does not seem to have sent for Colum cille in this instance, the account does show the great saint in the role of influential adviser of Aed mac Ainmire and as an arbiter between the king and his enemies.

47

On

45 Cf. the more detailed genealogical chart in Reeves, p. 251. 46 Keating, History, Book III, Sec. xii (ITS, IX, 1906, printed 1908). According to AU. The "verified " year would be 575. Cf. Mac Carthy, ed., Annals of Ulster, Vol. iv (Dublin, 1901), p. 2. Textual dates in AU are one year earlier than the verified year, from 487 to 1013 A. D. Keating, II, ix; O'Donnell, Betha, Secs. 315-55; Lismore Lives, pp.

48

309 ff.

49

another occasion, according to a tradition preserved in the Book of Lenster, and in O'Donnell's Betha (Sec. 94), Colum cille gave Aed a cowl which would preserve him from death. Aed gave Colum cille the royal fort at Derry, where one of the great Columban monasteries was established.50 Colum cille is said to have brought to life the drowned daughter of Aed."1 Ainmire and his associates won the battle of Cul dreimne through the prayers of Colum cille, according to AU (at 560).

Colum cille's relations with the youthful Domnall on the occasion of the council of Druim Ceta are especially suggestive. Conall, son of Aed's queen, was incited by his mother to throw missiles at the clerics in order to insult them. Colum cille cursed Conall for the deed and said that he should be deprived of coming to the estate of kingship. His attitude toward Domnall offers a striking contrast. Upon first reaching the assembly the saint went directly to the party of Domnall, and after being received with extreme courtesy by the young prince, prophesied that Domnall should survive his brethren, should be a famous king, and should never be delivered into the hands of his enemies.52 O'Donnell's Betha preserves the tradition (Sec. 95) that Colum cille once prophesied in Tir Eogain that "to this sanctuary shall come one Domnall mac Aeda mac Ainmire, king of Erin, and the tribe of Conall with him." The account contains the further prophecy that Domnall and his associates shall violate the sanctuary and that Colum cille, who will at that time be in Alba, shall prevail upon God to bring weakness upon them until they make proper terms with Colum cille's successor.

It may be noted in passing that neither O'Donnell nor presumably his sources scrupled at making Colum cille appear to be alive during Domnall's kingship, a situation affording an inter

49 Quoted and translated by Stokes in Lismore Lives, pp. 306 ff. 50 Lismore Lives, pp. 174-75.

51 O'Donnell, Betha, Sec. 94. For further evidence of the relations between Colum cille and Aed, see Annals of Clonmacnoise, ed., the Rev. Dennis Murphy (Dublin, 1896), p. 94.

52

Keating, loc. cit.; Adamnan, Vita S. Columbae, 1, x; Lismore Lives, pp. 310-11; C. Plummer, ed., Baedae Opera Historica, II (Oxon., 1896), p. 65. O'Donnell's Betha (Sec. 136) cites the incident and asserts that it was by virtue of Colum cille's blessing that Domnall sceured the kingship of Erin.

esting parallel to the comparatively slight anachronism involved in placing Colum cille and Domnall's son in the same period.

A still more significant parallel is found in the Preface to the Hymn of St. Cummian.53 Colum cille here actually appears as the anmchara of Domnall mac Aed mac Ainmire. Domnall, wishing to make confession to his anmchara, sends a messenger to ask Colum cille whether he shall go eastward to Colum cille himself, or, if not, whom he shall accept as anmchara (in Colum cille's stead). The incident evidently took place during Domnall's kingship (cf. the line "Now . . . Domnall recognizes a king above him, etc."). The incident therefore also offers a parallel for the sort of anachronism involved in our imram, since Colum cille had been dead thirty years when Domnall became king, and suggests that the author of our story would not be disturbed by the anachronism involved in making Colum cille and Donnchad contemporaries.

The chief strength of Professor Thurneysen's position lies perhaps in the fact that the seventh-century Domnall had no son Donnchad, so far as known, while the eighth-century Domnall was the father of the powerful high king Donnchad. Yet it must be remembered that none of the existing versions identifies Domnall or Donnchad with the eighth-century rulers, that the phrase used in Poem is inconclusive, and that the earliest complete version, Prose A, makes Donnchad ruler over Tir Connell, not over Ireland. There is an equal lack of evidence for the existence of a son Fiacha in the case of both Domnalls. The significance of the combination Donnchad mac Domnall in identifying the royal persons of the story is also lessened, I think, by an examination of the occurrence of these names in the records of the sixth and following centuries. Donnchad ("Duncan ") and Domnall ("Donnell"), and Fiacha are all names which appear frequently in the annals. They sometimes appear in suggestive combinations. They seem especially common in the clan to which Domnall mac Aed and Colum cille belonged.

Maelcobha, a brother of Domnall mac Aed, father of the immediate successors of Domnall, himself a king of Ireland early in the seventh century, had a grandson named Domnall who had a

53 The Irish Liber Hymnorum, ed., J. H. Bernard and R. Atkinson (Lon don, 1898, Henry Bradshaw Society), pp. 9-10.

54

son named Donnchad.5 This same Maelchoba had a grandson Donnchad who was one of the successors of Colum cille as abbot of Iona.55 There are at least five Donnchad mac Domnalls mentioned in the annals, four of whom were kings, including a king of Leinster, two kings of Meath, and the eighth-century high king (AU 768 et seq., 927, 949, 998, 1088; cf. FM 759 et seq., 922, 989 et seq., 1035, 1071).

Fiachra, or Fiachna, appears as a son of Feradhach or Fergus, a first cousin of Ainmire and Colum cille. Eoghan, a brother of Colum cille and a first cousin of Ainmire, was the father of an Aedh who was father of Donnchad father of Domnall.56 Conall, the brother of Domnall mac Aed mac Ainmire, whom Colum cille cursed at Druim Ceta, had a son Fiachra, who died in 617 (AU). A Fiacha, son of Baedan, was slain by the Picts in 604 (FM). Another Fiacha, son of Baedan, was killed in 622 (FM) by Fiachna son of Deman. The latter Fiachna had a son Donnchad who died in 643 (FM) or 646 (AU). A Fiachra son of Ciaran son of Ainmire died in 615 (FM) or 619 (AU). Suibhne, king of Ireland in 611 (FM) was a son of Fiachna.

A Domnall mac Donnchad was slain by his brothers in 798 (AU). A Fiachra son of Ailene, lord of Mugdorna, was killed in 745 (FM). This Fiacha had a brother Donnchad, who seems later to have been a lord of Mugdorna. This Donnchad mac Ailene was killed in 773 in a war with Donnchad mac Domnall, high king. Here is a Fiacha, ruler over Mugdorna, who has a brother Donnchad, a combination which offers an interesting parallel to the situation in our story. Yet obviously these are not the historic persons who figure in the legend. Another conjunction of the names Fiacha and Donnchad appears at 779 (FM), where a royal meeting is said to have been arranged between Donnchad mac Domnall and Fiacha, son of Aed Roin, at Inis na Righ. A Duncath mac Eugam died in 620 (AU). As to the frequency of the occurrence of the proper names in question one may consult further the following entries in FM: For Domnall, 537, 599, 601, 605, 617, 624, 722, 738, 739, 758, 772, 778, 781, 799, 862, 874, 883, 901; for Donnchad, 616, 635, 643, 657, 665, 669, 673, 674, 675,

54 Reeves, Adamnan, opp. p. 342.

55 Ibid., p. 379. Cf. Bede, Hist. Eccl. Lib. v, Cap. xxii. 50 Reeves, Adamnan, opp. p. 342.

679, 681, 693, 705, 718, 722, 730, 733, 759, 766, 768, 773, 781, 784, 821, 837, 844, 869, 874, 885; for Fiacha, 501, 590, 592, 593, 604, 611, 613, 614, 615, 620, 622, 625, 626, 643, 646, 661, 706, 742, 745, 747, 753, 754, 759, 765, 771, 779, 781, 835, 886, etc. The index to MacCarthy's edition of AU lists 35 Donnchads, 107 Domnalls, and 34 Fiachas (including Fiachra and Fiachna).

The names Fiacha and Donnchad, as well as Domnall, are seen to be extremely common ones, both in the seventh and eighthcentury annalistic entries. None of the Fiachas of the later period seems to be closely related with the ruling house. In the earlier period there are several Donnchads and Fiachas nearly related by blood with Colum cille and with Domnall mac Aed mac Ainmire. Tir Connell, over which Prose A makes Donnchad ruler, was Colum cille's native province (cf. O'Donnell's Betha, Secs. 188-89 and 275), a fact that again suggests that the relation of Colum cille and Donnchad in the story is an original feature. Manus O'Donnell, who collected a vast amount of tradition dealing with Colum cille, never mentions Domnall mac Murchado, although Domnall mac Aed mac Ainmire appears frequently (Secs. 95, 128, 136, 142, 243, 327, 328, 329, 331, 348, 350, 354, and 355).

57

The statement of Prose A is not out of harmony with the historical facts so far as known. The annalists are in doubt as to who succeeded Domnall mac Aed. FM names Conall Cael and Cellach (sons of Maelchoba mac Aed mac Ainmire). AU has a similar entry but adds, "Here it is doubted who reigned after Domnall. Other historiographers say that four kings reigned, viz., Cellach and Conall Cael, and the two sons of Aed Slane 58 (son of Fergus Cerrbhoil, son of Conall Cremthainn, son of Niall Nine

57 It is true, on the other hand, that some indications in the annals point to the association of the late eighth-century kings with Iona. Both Domnall and his son Donnchad made proclamations of the law of Colum cille (tribute to Iona). Niall Frosach, who reigned after Domnall mac Murchado but before Donnchad, seems to have abdicated after a sevenyear reign to become a monk at Iona, where he "died on his pilgrimage in 778 (AU). I find no basis in the annals or elsewhere for the passage quoted in O'Flaherty's Ogygia (Dublin, 1793), II, 376, on the authority of Ware, which says that Domnall mac Murchado died in Iona in 763 on a pilgrimage.

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Aed Slane had a son Donnchad whose son Finnachta was promised the kingship of Erin, according to O'Donnell's Betha, Secs. 136-137.