The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

7 he Highland Monthly.
IRELAND BEFORE THE CONQUEST.
IN
1014-1 157.—STATE OF ANARCHY. FOREIGN INFLUENCE
BEGINS TO PREVAIL.
the previous chapter we have shown that during the
one hundred and fifty-three years which intervened
between the death of Brian Boroimhe and the arrival of
the first band of Welsh and Norman adventurers, there
was waged an almost continuous war between the families
of O'Brien, O'Lochlan, O'Connor, and MacMurrough
representing the provincial sovereignties of Munster'
Ulster, Connaught, and Leinster— for the possession of
the high kingship of Ireland. It is remarkable that during
the whole period subsequent to the death of Malachy, none
of his descendants or tribe appears as claiming the
sovereignty, the alternate succession to which was their
ancient right. This probably may be accounted for by the
fact that there were internal divisions in the family. We
read of frequent contests for the sovereignty of Meath,
and of that province being divided into two kingdoms.
None of the competitors except Roderick O'Connor
attained beyond dispute the dignity for which they strove,
and the name of none of them except Roderick is associ-
ated with any great national event which lives in the
recollection of their countrymen or of the people of other
nationalities. Roderick is memorable as being the last
who claimed the dignity, as having been crowned or
inaugurated in Dublin, thus acknowledging the City of the
Foreigner as the National Capital, and as having resigned
his office to Henry II., and consented to hold his hereditary
kingdom of Connaught as a vassal of the English Crown.
There is no record during this time of the passing of any
—