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The Circuit of Ireland. The Hosting of the Great Frost and the capture and release of Ceallachan of Cashel (Callaghan the Just). There are several references to the events in The Circuit of Ireland in the Annals of Ulster. As pointed out by a footnote in the Annals of Ulster, Cormacan Eiges in 942 wrote an account of the "Hosting" (or expedition) of the Great Frost which resulted in Ceallachan's capture. This was later edited by John O'Donovan for publication by the Irish Archaeological Society (1841) with the title "The Circuit of Ireland by Muicheartach Mac Neill, Prince of Aileach; a poem written in the year DCCCCXLII. by Cormacan Eigas, Chief Poet of the North of Ireland." The introduction to the poem describes Ceallachan, king of Cashel (or Caisal) and the political situation that generated the expedition in some detail. The "Circuit of Ireland" was published in Tracts Relating to Ireland 1841, Vol. I, printed for the Irish Archaeological Society, Dublin. (O'Donovan 1841; cf. Annals of Ulster 1887:460; Annals of Clonmacnoise 1893-95:152-156). Here are a few quotes from John O'Donovan's publication of the Circuit of Ireland: [Footnote 115 on page 43] "Callaghan the just.-This Callaghan is called the turbulent King of Munster in Mageoghegan's translation of the Annals of Clonmacnoise. The first mention of him in the Irish Annals is in the Chronicon Scotorum at the year 936, when we find him, in conjunction with a party of Danes, plundering Clonmacnoise. His death is recorded in the same Chronicle, at the year 954.He is the ancestor of the families of Mac Carthy and O'Callaghan, of the latter of whom Lord Lismore is the present head." Genealogical tables exist at the end of the publication. [From the poem, pg.43-44] "The hardy Callaghan said,-- (And to us it was victory),-- "O men of Munster! men of reknown! Oppose not the race of Eoghan. Better that I go with them, as a hostage, Than that we should all be driven to battle; They will kill man for man, The noble people of Muircheartach." We took with us therefore Callaghan the just, Who received his due honour, Namely, a ring of fifteen ounces on his hand, And a chain of iron on his stout leg. [Footnote 116 pg.43]"His honour.--i.e. such honor as was due him. The expression would seem to be ironical, but it may allude to the ring (of gold perhaps) of fifteen ounces, which may have been put on him as a mark of distinction." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ On page 13, O'Donovan quotes Charles O'Conor, of Belanagare, Dissertations on the History of Ireland, Dublin, 1766, p. 248. O'Conor wrote later in the eighteenth century that: "Two extraordinary characters distinguish these times: their rank, their birth, and their abilities, would bring them forward, and give them the lead in times of the greatest eclat: Callaghan, or Cellachan of Cashell, King of Munster; and Murkertach, the Roydamna we have just mentioned: the one artful, insinuating, and popular; the other generous, resentful, and sincere. Cellachan turned out an enemy to his country; Murkertagh sacrificed every just resentment to its interests. Having taken such different sides, the one endeavoured to ensnare the other by negociation, [sic.] and became the victim of his own treachery. Murkertagh seized on him, in the midst of his own province, and brought him a captive to Tyrone. Never did one enemy experience more generosity in another." Map showing the route of the Circuit of Ireland (O'Donovan 1848) John O'Donovan in his "Introductory Remarks" (pg. 4) to the poem states: "Muircheartach was King of Aileach, and as such was entitled to the tributes of all the provinces of Ulster, with the exception of Tulach Og, Craebh, and Moy Ith, Inishowen, and Tirconnell, which were free territories, and he was, moreover, by birth, the next heir to the throne of Ireland. In the year 941, after a brilliant career of victory over the Danes of Dublin, and after having reduced to subjection for the monarch, (who was then an old man, and died soon after, in 944,) the native princes of Ossory and the Desies, he determined by a bold movement to facilitate his peaceful accession to the throne, by impressing the conviction on the minds of the Irish in general, that he was the next most powerful, as well as the most legitimate, heir to the monarchy then existing. Accordingly, in the depth of winter, when he knew that his opponents, not expecting such a movement, were unprepared to make any formidable resistance to it, set out with an army of a thousand chosen men to make the circuit of Ireland, for the purpose of exacting hostages from all such chieftans as he supposed were likely to oppose his future elevation. In this expedition he was emminently successful: he led the provincial kings or their sons captive, and after having detained them as hostages for five months at his palace of Aileach, he sent them to Donnchadh, or Donough, the supreme king of Ireland, in testimony of his own loyalty, and to shew that he made no pretensions to the throne during the life-time of the reigning monarch. Donnchadh, however, resolving not to be outdone in generosity, refused to accept the hostages thus obtained; and there is every reason to believe, though it is no where distinctly stated, that they were conducted back to Aileach and detained there until the death of Muircheartach, which occurred in the year 943." The actual years are a bit off in various publications and need corrections. For example, years in the Annals of Ulster must be corrected by the addition of one year as further described in O'Donovan (1843:5). Click here to see the Title Page of the Circuit of Ireland Callahan and MacCarthy Genealogy chart, 954 A.D.-1773 A.D. (O' Donovan 1841:64). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Further explanatory details of this expedition are contained in O'Donovan's introduction at pp.9-11 citing Flann's poem on the History of the Kinel Owen and collected by the Four Masters. "The Desies were slaughtered by Callaghan, [King of Munster,] and the men of Munster, because they had submitted to Muircheartach, the son of Niall. He slew two thousand of them together with Ceilechar, the son of Cormac, Maolgorm, the son of Giphlechan, Segda, the son of Oebelan, and Cleireach, the son of Sesta, [all chiefs of the Desies]. The Desies and Ossorians gained a victory over the King of Cashel; during the battle many were slain. After hearing of this, Muircheartach assembled the race of Conall and Eoghan, and all the inhabitants of the North, at Aileach, and he selected one thousand of the chosen heroes of Fochla and made a circuit of Ireland, keeping his left hand to the sea until he arrived at Dublin, and he brought Sitric, the Danish Lord of Dublin, with him as a hostage. He afterwards proceeded into Leinster, where the Lagenians at first resolved to oppose him, but finally agreed to submit to him. He took Lorcan, the King of Leinster, with him [as a hostage]. He next went to Munster, and the men of Munster were in readiness on his arrival to give him battle, but they ultimately resolved to give up their King, Callaghan, and Muircheartach put a fetter on him. He afterwards proceeded to Connaught, where Concobar, the son of Teige, came to meet him, but no fetter was put upon him. He then returned home to Aileach, carrying these kings with him as hostages, and they were for nine [recte five] months feasting there. And at the end of that time he sent the hostages to Donnchadh, King of Ireland, because it was he who reigned at Tara, and the kingdom was his. The following quatrain was composed concerning the taking of Callaghan: Muircheartach went to the South, To the beautiful chalk-white strong Cashel, So that he brought with him Callaghan of Troops; He would accept of no other hostage." (O'Donovan 1848:9-10). [Comments by Kevin L. Callahan: According to these historical sources, Muircheartach (the figure who held Ceallachan, and others, hostage), was killed in in 941, corresponding to AD 943, by the son of the Lord of the Danes. The Danes then plundered Armagh. It was probably at this time that the Irish hostages, (which included Ceallachan) were released. I would guess they may have been sent home to fight the Danes or possibly they were released by the Danes. During this period the Danes were considered foreigners (and perhaps Viking heathens?)and were a serious external threat to Ireland. The seriousness of Danish expansionism is illustrated by the fact that in 1016 the Danes conquered all of England. King Cnut - King of Denmark and England - successfully ruled England from 1016 to 1035. It should also perhaps be noted here that Muircheartach's second WIFE was the daughter of the King of Ossory who was fighting Callaghan, which might help explain the timing of the wintertime Circuit of Ireland collecting hostages.]