Cormac MacCullinan

Cormac MacCullinan, Bishop, and afterwards King of Cashel, was born about 837. He is distinguished by his great work, the Psalter of Cashel, of which only fragments now remain. It must have existed, though in a dilapidated state, in 1454, as there is a copy of the portions then extant in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. Cormac's Glossary was compiled therefrom. O'Curry says that "It must have been a historical and genealogical compilation of large size and great diversity." Towards the end of Cormac's life he became involved in wars with the Ard-Righ and minor kings. In 902 he fought two successful battles — one against the Ard-Righ, the other against the Connaught men. In the following year, 903, he fought another battle with the Ard-Righ, Flann Sinna, at Belach Mughna, three miles north of Kildare, of which Keating gives a full and interesting account. Cormac was so unwilling to engage in the expedition, that before starting he made his will and arranged for his successor. His forces were routed; he fell in the slaughter that ensued, and his head was cut off and brought to his victorious adversary, Flann. His remains were buried either at Cashel or Castledermot. O'Curry says: "He has always been regarded as one of the most distinguished scholars in Europe of his time. He was educated at Castledermot, and besides the knowledge which he is recorded to have acquired of the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, the British, Saxon, and Danish, and other northern languages, he is regarded as having been one of the greatest Gsedhelic scholars that ever lived."[261] Mr. Petrie considers that Cormac's Chapel at Cashel was not built by him, but by Cormac MacCarthy, King of Munster, about 1130.

Sources

171. Ireland, History of, from the earliest period to the English Invasion: Rev. Geoffrey Keating: Translated from the Irish, and Noted by John O'Mahony. New York, 1857.

260. O'Curry, Eugene: Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History. Dublin, 1861.

261. O'Curry, Eugene: Ancient Irish Manners and Customs: Edited by W. K. Sullivan, Ph.D. 3 vols. London, 1873.

298. Round Towers and Ecclesiastical Architecture of Ireland: George Petrie, LL.D. Dublin, 1845.

339. Ware, Sir James, Works: Walter Harris. 2 vols. Dublin, 1764.