These essays are part of a presentation made by Madeleine Cleary in 2019.
Br. Mícheál Uí Cléirigh
Michael O’Clery, is probably the best-known of the O’Clery clan of Kilbarron. As you know, he is well-known principally because of his main achievement Annála Ríoghachta na hEireann ‘The Annals of the Four Masters’[1], the wonderful history whose compilation he led and wrote with Fearfeasa O Maolchonaire from Roscommon, Cúchoigcríche O Duibhgeannain from Leitrim and Cúchoigríche O’Clery (his cousin) helped by Conaire O’Clery (Michael’s older brother) and Muiris O Maolchonaire.
Michael, a third cousin of Lughaidh and Flan, was also known as Tadgh an tSléibhe. He was born in Kilbarron Castle circa 1590 and studied, among others, under Baothghalach Ruadh mac Aodhagáin who was based in Ormond territory in Munster. Some historians claim that he was the Don Thadeus Cleri[1] listed in the Spanish archives as a soldier in Spanish Flanders in 1621.
He became a Franciscan lay brother circa 1623 in Leuven Belgium, close to the time that Fr Hugh Ward, came there from Paris, to take up the post of lector and later as Guardian of the monastery. They were both about the same age, related (Fr Hugh’s mother was Maire O Cleirigh) and from the same home locality (the barony of Tirhugh). Brother Michael was just the person Fr Hugh needed to assist him in the quest for Irish documents, for his knowledge of Irish and his familiarity with Irish sources would have been of especial value to ensure that the kingdom of Ireland would have a history such as other European nations had.
In 1626 he was sent to Ireland to collect material on Irish Saints. The history of Gaelic Ireland, contained in manuscripts and genealogies painstakingly recorded for hundreds of years were in danger of fast disappearing under English rule. These precious documents were being systematically destroyed. The aim of Brother Michael and his fellow annalists was to salvage, preserve and record the history of Gaelic Ireland for posterity.
During this time he collected old books of history to be copied, manuscripts, any document that could throw light on the secular and ecclesiastical story of Ireland, fragments of annals to be transcribed until he had finally amassed the greatest body of annals that had ever been gathered into one collection in Ireland, and the greatest collection of lives of saints in Irish that had ever been assembled within the covers of a single series. The annals were begun in 1632 and finished in 1636. In order to compile the Annals- a chronicle of Irish history from prehistory to AD 1616, Michael and his colleagues travelled around the country, and showed great courage and stamina as they often had to go into hiding and to live very roughly so as not to draw the attention of the English authorities to themselves.
Brief description of manuscripts:
Biblical texts in manuscripts form probably appeared in Ireland with the earliest Christian missionaries from Britain and continental Europe. As Christianity spread throughout Ireland, these texts were copied extensively by Irish scribes. By the late 6th century a distinctive native writing style had developed. Some monasteries became important centres of learning and attracted students from Britain and the Continent.
Manuscripts were expensive to produce as they required large numbers of calfskins with which to make vellum. The preparation of vellum was a specialised task. When prepared, the skins were cut into leaves that were then arranged in gatherings (otherwise known as quires). The scribe scored lines on each sheet to act as a guide for the text. Ink could be made from carbon or from oak galls (growths caused by insects on oak trees). Pigments were used to decorate manuscripts in different colours, and these were often difficult to obtain and were therefore probably costly.
When in Donegal, during the compilation of the Annals, he spent much of his time at the Monastery of Donegal which was not actually at the site of the ruined monastery in the town of Donegal but at Bundrowes on the Tir Conaill-Leitrim border. He would also have been sheltered and protected by his O’Clery kinsmen in Donegal, including his cousin Flan. Brother Michael left Ireland in 1637 when the compilation of the Annals was finished. He died in Louvain in 1643. He is buried in an unmarked and unknown grave within what was the cloister garth of St Anthony’s College, Louvain.
Michael had a varied career. He was a gifted scholar, a soldier for a time, and a Franciscan lay brother very much in touch with the Church and State politics of that time. His inside knowledge of politics would have been very useful to his family, in order to inform them about what they needed to do to survive. Through his work on the Annals of the Four Masters, the importance of his contribution to the history of Ireland is enormous and cannot be over-estimated.
References
[1] Wild Geese in Spanish Flanders 1582-1700 Fr Brendan Jennings
[1] Franciscan Donegal – A souvenir of the dedication of the Franciscan Church, Ros Nuala, edited by Fr Terence O’Donnell OFM published by John English & Co. Ltd., Wexford 1952.
Cú Coigcríche Uí Cléirigh
Cú Choigríche[1] O’Clery, of BallyCleary, Co Donegal,“head of the Tirconnell sept of the O Clearys” according to the introductory remarks to the Annals of the Four Masters by Kenneth Nicholls, who must have been of full age in 1632, when, in an Inquisition held on the 25th of May that year at Lifford, it was stated that he held the half quarter of the lands of Coobeg and Doughill, (the modern Killybegs and Doochill (“DubhChoill, near (a few hundred yards from) Ardara in the Barony of Boylagh and Bannagh, in the County of Donegal, from Hollantide 1631 until May 1632, for which he paid eight pounds sterling per annum to William Farrell, Esq. assignee to John Murray, Earl of Annandale, undertaker of 10,000 acres in the Barony of Boylagh and Bannagh under the Plantation of Ulster.
Like his ancestors, he was a professional historian, and together with his third cousins Brother Michael O Clery and Conary O Clery, was one of the “Quatuor Magistri”, or ” Four Masters” , a phrase coined by Fr. Colgan, a contemporary of Cucogry’s, in 1645. Together they compiled the most comprehensive history of Ireland ever written to that date, from earliest times until 1605, which became known as the Annals of the Four Masters. The Annals were finished in 1636 under the patronage of Fergal O Gara, M.P. for Sligo, at Bundrowes in Donegal. Another patron at this time was Brian Ruadh Maguire, 1st Baron Enniskillen.
In 1654 Rory O Donnell, son of Colonel Manus O Donnell, who had been killed at Benburb in 1646, transplanted from Lifford to Mayo with a large group of Ulster kith and kin, including the O Clerys as part of the Cromwellian transplantation. Their descendants are still known as “The Ultaigh” or the Ulster-people. With Cucogry O Clery were his brother, Cairbre, his wife, at least two sons, (probably his daughter also) along with many other families such as the MacSweeneys and the O Boyles.
They settled on a remote corner of the Ormond Estate in North West Mayo (Burrishoole) probably partly because the O Donnells and their followers had been in the faction of the Duke of Ormond during the wars. The O Clerys first resided at Kilalla, before moving to Burrishoole, on the Ormond estate which Rory O Donnell seems to have settled on, and then moved West to Ballycroy, in West Mayo, where there are still places named in Irish after Cucogry and his brother, i.e. “Ard Cairbre” and”Tobar Cucogry”.
He brought with him his most prized possessions, namely his books. After some time, Cucogry migrated back East to Burrishoole, where he settled in the valley of Glenhest, at the foot of Nephin Beg, overlooking Lough Beltra at a place called Gort na hEilte (today Gortnaheltia). Rory O Donnell owned or leased the land around Glenhest, which Cucogry settled on, and the O Donnells still owned it in 1796 when they settled a large number of Catholic families there who were fleeing from Ulster. There Cucogry wrote prolifically, one of his last poems being written in 1662: “Cucogry O Cleary, son of Diarmuid,composed this, lamenting the deaths of the children of Aodh, son of Magnus ODonnell, and particularly Mary, who was the last of that family to die.” This Mary O Donnell was last married to David Burke. In addition he transcribed the”Life of Aodh Ruadh O Donnell”, and the Book of the Invasions of Ireland, and the O Clery Book of Genealogies. It was probably in order to consult this book that the other celebrated Gaelic Antiquary of the Seventeenth century, Dubhaltach Mac Firbisigh (1600-1671) of Castle Lacken, Tirawley, Co Mayo, made the then dangerous and arduous journey, “probably by way of David and Dorothy O Dowd’s estate at Bunnyconnelan, across the south-western side of Lough Conn, and down through Glen Nephin to Glenhest” – from The Celebrated Antiquary by Nollaig O Muraile. This was a journey of over twenty miles, perhaps made easier by the use of a horse, but fraught with danger. “where a man in 1672 could not travayle that roadd without danger of being killed or robbed by woodkerne or outlaws, of late years called Toryes…” .
Cucogry married a Miss MacSweeney, who was a close relation (perhaps1st cousin once removed) of Dr. Bartholomew Murry (1695-1767), of Co. Clare, Doctor-Regent of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Paris and founder (in 1761) of a number of Bourses (scholarships) in the Irish College in Paris (College des Lombards), including three Bourses of 500 livres (pounds) each for the education of his relations (his grandparent’s names were Murry, Lafferty, O Cahan and O Doherty in that order -O Murry’s were a clan of South County Derry along with the O Cahans accordingto Lewis’s topographical dictionary). Here follows the exact text of the donation:
“Three burses for students of families transplanted from Ulster to Co Mayo and borders of Sligo and Roscommon with preference for Murrys, O Dohertys, notably maternal relatives of the donor, and descendants of Gerard Og O Doherty, Touragee, near Bellahawnas, O Clery race, notably descendants of Cucogry O Cleary, of Tyrawley, near Kilalla, whose wife, MacSweeney was related to the donor,Dunlevys, particularly relatives of Andre Dunlevy, former prefect, who live onthe Mayo-Sligo borders near Bellahy, O Shiels, or poorest families transplanted to these counties.”
Cucogchriche died around 1664 (his partially legible will (transcription & translation from the Irish) is dated 1664 at Gortnaheltia, Mayo) and he is said to have been buried in Burrishoole Abbey, near the altar.
Reference
[1] O’Cleirigh- Background Family tree DNA webpage
Fr Bernadine O’Clery
Backstory to the Franciscan Order[1] in Donegal in the 17th century:
The day-to-day existence of the Friars consisted of masses, offices, work and spiritual exercises. Some engaged in preaching, some in studies, some in manual labour, around the house and garden, others going around being required to minister to the spiritual needs of those who were unable to visit the friary.
The Friars helped to educate the children of the district, acted as spiritual advisers to the O’Donnells and their sub-chieftains, offered masses and prayer for the spiritual and temporal welfare of the inhabitants of Tyrconnell and tried to introduce some Christain morality,forbearance, and mercy into the inevitable struggles and warring campaigns of the times.
Maolmhuire or Myler was the eldest of four boys and his brothers were called Uilliam, Conaire and Tadgh (later Brother Michael). His father was called Donnchadh and his mother Honora Ultach. Maolmhuire[2] was born at Kilbarron in 1588 and by 1610 he was a student at Salamanca. From there in 1616 he went to Leuven in Belgium where he received the habit and took the name Bernadinus a Sancta Maria. He received tonsure and minor orders in 1616, sub-diaconate 1617, diaconate in 1618, and was ordained to the priesthood at Brussels in 1619. He must have returned to Ireland then as there is no further mention of him in the College Records.
The Abbey or Friary at Donegal was established in 1474. It looked out over the bay and was so close to the sea that ships could load and unload under the windows of the refectory. It was surrounded by fair grounds, orchards and gardens. The spacious church was well furnished and in the sanctuary there were 40 sets of vestments, 16 silver chalices and 2 ciboria. O’Donnell chiefs and other well-known people including Giolla Riabhach O’Clery who died in 1527 and his father Tadhg Cam O’Clery who died in 1566, were buried in the grounds.
In 1600 the community numbered 40. In 1601, during the absence of Hugh Roe O’Donnell and his forces, 500 soldiers under Sir Henry Dowcra took possession of the friary and in September of that year the garrison powder magazine blew up and all the buildings except the stone house were destroyed by fire.
Following this, the Irish Franciscans felt the necessity to establish a safe refuge on the Continent to train their novices and students. Permission had been granted to the Provincial Fr Florence Conry in 1606 by Philip 111 of Spain who had also promised an annual endowment of 1,000 crowns. Papal sanction was given by Pope Paul V in 1607 St Anthony’s College at Leuven was established.
In 1603 under Rory O’Donnell part of the Donegal friary buildings were restored. 1607 after the Flight of the Earls, the Friars had to flee again and gather in small groups in other local areas.
Fr Bernadine O’Clery[3] was Guardian of the Franciscan Convent of Donegal located at Bundrowes in 1629 and again in 1635 so he was able to provide hospitality to his kinsman the Four Masters and their assistants during their work gathering and compiling the Annals and he signed the preface to the Annals when completed.
His brother Conaire[4] also had professional or family links with the Donegal Franciscans, even before Michael O Clery’s arrival in 1626. It could even by argued that with Conaire’s evident expertise as a scribe and Cu Choigcriche’s proven skills both as a redactor of historical and hagiographical texts, and the interest displayed by the senior members of the Donegal convent in hagiographical work, there was scarcely any need for Michael O Clery to become involved at all. It seems to have been Michael O Clery’s commitment and enterprise that provided the momentum for the project, sustaining a team of scholars over an extended period of time, and shaping the history to serve the needs of the hagiographical scholars at Louvain.
References
[1] Franciscan Donegal- A Souvenir of the dedication of the Franciscan Church, Ros Nuala 1952 – Edited by Fr Terence O’Donnell OFM
[2] Michael O Cleirigh (Chief of the Four Masters) and his Associates, Rev. Brendan Jennings OFM- published by the Talbot Press Ltd 1936
[3] The Annals of the Four Masters – Irish history, kingship and society in the early seventeenth century – Dr Bernadette Cunningham – published by Four Courts Press 2010
[4] The Annals of the Four Masters – Irish history, Kingship and society in the early seventeenth century- Dr Bernadette Cunningham – published by Four Courts Press 2010