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Transcriber's note:

      Some typographical and punctuation errors have been
      corrected. A complete list follows the text.

      Variations in spelling and hyphenation have been
      retained as in the original.

      Words italicized in the original are surrounded by
      _underscores_.

      Words with bold emphasis in the original are surrounded
      by =equals signs=.




 A READING BOOK
 IN
 IRISH HISTORY

 BY

 P. W. JOYCE, LL.D.

 _One of the Commissioners for the Publication of
 the Ancient Laws of Ireland_

 Author of

 "A SHORT HISTORY OF IRELAND" "A CHILD'S HISTORY OF IRELAND"
 "IRISH NAMES OF PLACES," "OLD CELTIC ROMANCES"
 "ANCIENT IRISH MUSIC"
 AND OTHER WORKS RELATING TO IRELAND

 LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.

 LONDON, NEW YORK, AND BOMBAY

 DUBLIN: M. H. GILL AND SON
 1900

 [_All rights reserved_]




PREFACE.


As this little book is intended chiefly for children, the language is
very simple. But to make matters still easier, all words and allusions
presenting the smallest difficulty are explained either in footnotes or
in the "Notes and Explanations" at the end.

Advantage has been taken of the descriptions under the several
Illustrations to give a good deal of information on the customs and
usages of the ancient Irish people.

Although the book has been written for children, it will be found, I
hope, sufficiently interesting and instructive for the perusal of older
persons.

The book, as will be seen, contains a mixture of Irish History,
Biography, and Romance; and most of the pieces appear in their present
form now for the first time. A knowledge of the History of the country
is conveyed, partly in special Historical Sketches, partly in the Notes
under the Illustrations, and partly through the Biography of important
personages, who flourished at various periods from St. Brigit down to
the Great Earl of Kildare. And besides this, the Stories, like those of
all other ancient nations, teach History of another kind, very important
in its own way.

Ancient Irish Manuscript books contain great numbers of Historical and
Romantic Tales; and the specimens given here in translation will, I am
confident, give the reader a very favourable impression of old Irish
writings of this class.

       *       *       *       *       *

I make the following acknowledgments of assistance, with pleasure and
thanks:--

To the Council of the Royal Irish Academy I am indebted for the use of
the blocks of many Illustrations in Wilde's "Catalogue of Irish
Antiquities."

I owe to the Council of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland
several Illustrations from their Journal.

Colonel Wood-Martin has given me the use of the blocks of several of the
Illustrations in his "Pagan Ireland."

Lord Walter FitzGerald has given me permission to reproduce the drawing
of the old Chapter House door in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, from
the "Journal of the Kildare ArchA|ological Society."

And lastly, Messrs. Macmillan & Co. have permitted me to print portions
of Lord Tennyson's poem, "The Voyage of Maildune."




CONTENTS.

                                         PAGE

       I. Legends and Early History,        1

      II. The Song of Inisfail,             7

     III. Religion of the Pagan Irish,      8

      IV. Customs and Modes of Life,       14

      =The Fate of the Children of Lir.=

       V. The Children of Lir turned to
            Swans,                         22

      VI. The Swans on Lake Darvra,        27

     VII. The Swans on the Sea of Moyle,   32

    VIII. Death of the Children of Lir,    39

      IX. Religion and Learning in
            Ancient Ireland,               45

       X. The Red Branch Knights,          50

      =The Fate of the Sons of Usna.=

      XI. The Flight to Alban,             55

     XII. Concobar's guileful Message,     60

    XIII. The Return to Emain,             66

     XIV. Trouble Looming,                 72

      XV. The Attack on the Sons of
            Usna,                          75

     XVI. Death of the Sons of Usna,       80

    XVII. Avenging and Bright,             84

   XVIII. The Wrath of Fergus,             85

     XIX. Ancient Irish Physicians: I.     87

      XX. Ancient Irish Physicians: II.    89

     XXI. The Fena of Erin,                92

    XXII. The Chase of Slieve Cullin,      98

   XXIII. Saint Brigit: I.,               103

    XXIV. Saint Brigit: II.,              107

     XXV. Saint Brigit: III.,             111

    XXVI. Irish Scribes and Books,        114

   XXVII. The Gilla Dacker and his
            Horse,                        120

  XXVIII. The Fena carried off by the
            Horse,                        123

    XXIX. Dermot O'Dyna at the Well,      129

     XXX. Dermot and the
            Wizard-Champion,              132

    XXXI. Saint Columkille: I.,           139

   XXXII. Saint Columkille: II.,          145

  XXXIII. Prince Alfred in Ireland,       150

      =The Voyage of Maildune.=

   XXXIV. The Voyage of Maildune,         155

          The First Island,               157

    XXXV. An Extraordinary Monster,       160

          The Silver Pillar of the Sea    160

   XXXVI. Maildune forgives his enemy,    162

  XXXVII. Tennyson's "Voyage of
            Maildune,"                    164

 XXXVIII. Saint Donatus: I.,              167

   XXXIX. Saint Donatus: II.,             170

      XL. Danish and Anglo-Norman
            Invasions,                    173

     XLI. The Watchfire of Barnalee,      179

    XLII. Cahal O'Conor of the Red Hand,  181

   XLIII. Cahal-More of the Wine-red
            hand,                         186

    XLIV. Sir John de Courcy,             