Seán mac Ruaidhri Mac Craith (

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they 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 indicatin ...

14th-century) was an Irish historian known as the author of ''Caithréim Thoirdhealbhaigh''.

Biography

The Meic Craith of

Thomond Thomond (Classical Irish: ; Modern Irish: ), also known as the kingdom of Limerick, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Clare and County Limerick, as well as parts of County Tipperary around Nenag ...

were a learned family who had close ties to Clare Abbey, an Augustinian foundation. They were historians and poets attached to the Uí 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 Erne, ...

. Magrath's ''

Caithréim Thoirdhealbhaigh ''Cathreim Thoirdhealbhaigh'', or ''Triumphs of Torlough'' in English, is a historical account written in the 14th century in Irish by Seán mac Ruaidhrí Mac Craith, the chief historian to the Uí Bhriain dynasty.Moore, Norman. It depicts the ...

'' is an account of the wars fought between two branches of the Uí 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 Ó Deághaidh, chief of ...

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 ( ; Modern Irish , from sga, ben síde , "woman of the 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 keening. Her name is ...

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 Cruitín Aindrias Mac Cruitín (c. 1650 – c.1738) was a Gaelic- Irish poet. Biography A member of the Mac Cruitín bardic family, Aindrias was born at Moyglass, Milltown Malbay, County Clare, where he was educated and spent much of his life. He ...

for Tadhg Mac Conmara in 1721.

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 The Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland is a learned society based in Ireland, whose aims are "to preserve, examine and illustrate all ancient monuments and memorials of the arts, manners and customs of the past, as connected with the antiquit ...

'' 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; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier learned society and one its leading cultural i ...

'', C, 32:2 (1902–1904) 133–198. * ''Ireland under the Normans'' (4 vols),

Goddard H. Orpen Goddard Henry Orpen (8 May 1852 – 15 May 1932) was an Irish historian. He attended The Abbey School, Tipperary and graduated from Trinity College, Dublin. Orpen was the son of Dr. John Herbert Orpen (1805–1888) and Ellen Susanna Gertude ...

, 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 Standish Hayes O'Grady ( ga, Anéislis Aodh Ó Grádaigh; 19 May 1832 – 16 October 1915) was an Irish antiquarian. He was born at Erinagh House, Castleconnell, County Limerick, the son of Admiral Hayes O'Grady. He was a cousin of the writer St ...

, Irish Texts Society, London, 1929, Vol I & II. * ''The preterite passive plural in Caithréim Thoirdhealbhaigh'', Vernam E. Hull, ''

Éigse ''Éigse: A Journal of Irish Studies'' is an academic journal devoted to the study of the Irish language and literature. It began in 1923 as part of an initiative by the Senate of the National University of Ireland to use the Adam Boyd Simpson Fu ...

'' 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

Biography

See also

External links

References