Mícheál Ó Cléirigh
Encyclopedia
Mícheál Ó Cléirigh sometimes known as Michael O'Clery, was an Irish
chronicler, scribe and antiquary and chief author of the Annals of the Four Masters
, assisted by Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh
, Fearfeasa Ó Maol Chonaire
, and Peregrinus Ó Duibhgeannain.
of Uí Chléirigh
in Donegal
, he was born in Kilbarron near Creevy, between Rossnowlagh
and Ballyshannon
on Donegal Bay
. He was baptized Tadhg Ó Cléirigh and was known by the nickname Tadhg an tSléibhe (meaning Tadhg of the mountain), but took the name of Mícheál when he became a Franciscan
friar
. He was the youngest of four sons of Donnchadh Ó Cléirigh and his mother was Onóra Ultach. Of his older brothers were Uilliam, Conaire and Maolmhuire, Conaire is known to have worked on the annals as a scribe, while Maolmhuire also became a Franciscan at Louvain. Micheál was a cousin of Lughaidh Ó Cléirigh
(fl. 1595
-1630
), also famous as an Irish historian and author of one of the major sources of the annals.
As a member of one of the foremost learned families of Gaelic Ireland, Ó Cléirigh received a wide-ranging and thorough education. He records that he was taught, for instance, by a Baothghalach Ruadh Mac Aodhagáin, an individual who may have been active in County Tipperary
. Tadhg followed Maolmhuire to continental Europe some time after the Flight of the Earls
. He may be the Don Tadeo Cleri who was serving as a soldier in Spain in July 1621. At some point before March of 1623 he became a lay brother of the Franciscan order. He was never ordained a priest.
, when he entered the Irish College of St Anthony at Louvain (Dutch:Leuven
). In 1624, through the initiative of Aedh Buidh Mac-An-Bhaird (1580-1635), warden of the college, and himself a famous Irish historian and poet, and one of an old family of hereditary bard
s in Tyrconnell, he began to collect Irish manuscripts and to transcribe everything he could find of historical importance. To do this he returned to Ireland in 1626 and spent over a decade based at a Franciscan house by the River Drowes on the Donegal-Leitrim border. He was assisted by other Irish scholars, most notably Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh
, Fearfeasa Ó Maol Chonaire
and Peregrinus Ó Duibhgeannain. Ó Cléirigh travelled widely throughout Ireland during this period, collecting and transcribing a vast quantity of Irish texts. His initial focus was material of ecclesiastical importance, particularly saints' lives, but by 1631 he and his colleagues were beginning to copy secular material such as the Irish pseudo-history Leabhar Gabhála
.
In 1632 the group began to assemble the most extensive set of Irish annals ever compiled. The project took four years and resulted in the vast collection dubbed Annála Ríoghachta Éireann (Annals of the kingdom of Ireland) but now better known as the Annals of the Four Masters. The 'four masters' in question are Mícheál Ó Cléirigh, Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh, Fearfeasa Ó Maol Chonaire and Peregrine Ó Duibhgeannain and the term was devised by John Colgan
. However, other important collaborators included Muiris mac Torna Uí Mhaolchonaire Ó Cléirigh's brother Conaire. The work was completed in August 1636 and two manuscript copies of the annals were made.
Among the other works copied and compiled in this period were Reim Rioghroidhe (Royal List) in 1630
, Leabhar Gabhála
(Book of Invasions) in 1631
, Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib. He subsequently produced his Martyrologium of Irish saints, based on various ancient manuscripts, such as the Martyrology of Tallaght
.
Mícheál Ó Cléirigh appears as an historical character in Darach Ó Scolaí
's novel, An Cléireach
. In 1944, An Post
issued two stamps to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the death of Ó Cléirigh. The Mícheál Ó Cléirigh Institute for the Study of Irish History and Civilisation at University College Dublin
is named in his honour.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
chronicler, scribe and antiquary and chief author of the Annals of the Four Masters
Annals of the Four Masters
The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...
, assisted by Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh
Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh
Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh was an Irish historian and genealogist, known in English as Peregrine O'Clery.-Life and work:Ó Cléirigh was a son of Diarmaid Ó Cléirigh, and thus a third-cousin once removed to Brother Mícheál Ó Cléirigh, whom he assisted in compiling the Annals of the Four...
, Fearfeasa Ó Maol Chonaire
Fearfeasa Ó Maol Chonaire
Fearfeasa Ó Maol Chonaire, co-compiler and scribe of the Annals of the Four Masters, fl. 1620's-1640's.-Family background:Ó Maol Chonaire was a member of the Ó Maolconaire brehon family of north County Roscommon...
, and Peregrinus Ó Duibhgeannain.
Background and early life
Grandson of Tuathal Ó Cléirigh, a chief of the septSept (social)
A sept is an English word for a division of a family, especially a division of a clan. The word might have its origin from Latin saeptum "enclosure, fold", or it can be an alteration of sect.The term is found in both Ireland and Scotland...
of Uí Chléirigh
Ó Cléirigh
Ó Cléirigh is the surname of a learned Irish family whose members appear in historical records dating to the mid-Medieval Period. In the centuries prior to the historical era, they had been rulers of Uí Fiachrach Aidhne, a kingdom in what is now the south of County Galway, but were subsequently...
in Donegal
Donegal
Donegal or Donegal Town is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. Its name, which was historically written in English as Dunnagall or Dunagall, translates from Irish as "stronghold of the foreigners" ....
, he was born in Kilbarron near Creevy, between Rossnowlagh
Rossnowlagh
Rossnowlagh or Rosnowlagh is a seaside beach resort in south County Donegal, Ireland. It is about 8.5 km north of Ballyshannon and 16.0 km southwest of Donegal Town. The extensive beach is very popular with families and is frequented by walkers, surfers, wind-surfers, kite-surfers and swimmers,...
and Ballyshannon
Ballyshannon
Ballyshannon is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located where the N3 and N15 cross the River Erne, and claims to be the oldest town in Ireland.-Location:...
on Donegal Bay
Donegal Bay
Donegal Bay is an inlet in the northwest of Ireland. Three counties – Donegal to the north and west, Leitrim and Sligo to the south – have shorelines on the bay, which is bounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean...
. He was baptized Tadhg Ó Cléirigh and was known by the nickname Tadhg an tSléibhe (meaning Tadhg of the mountain), but took the name of Mícheál when he became a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
friar
Friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
. He was the youngest of four sons of Donnchadh Ó Cléirigh and his mother was Onóra Ultach. Of his older brothers were Uilliam, Conaire and Maolmhuire, Conaire is known to have worked on the annals as a scribe, while Maolmhuire also became a Franciscan at Louvain. Micheál was a cousin of Lughaidh Ó Cléirigh
Lughaidh Ó Cléirigh
Lughaidh Ó Cléirigh , sometimes anglicised as Lewey O'Clery, was an Irish Gaelic poet and historian. He is best known today as the author of Beatha Aodha Ruaidh Uí Dhomhnaill, a biography of Red Hugh O'Donnell.-Life:...
(fl. 1595
1595 in Ireland
-Events:*Rebellion of Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone .*March - Battle of Clontibret...
-1630
1630 in Ireland
-Deaths:*James "Spanish" Blake, spy.*Lughaidh Ó Cléirigh , cousin of Mícheál Ó Cléirigh who, with his son Cacrigcriche Ó Cléirigh , one of Mícheál's co-workers, is also famous as an Irish historian....
), also famous as an Irish historian and author of one of the major sources of the annals.
As a member of one of the foremost learned families of Gaelic Ireland, Ó Cléirigh received a wide-ranging and thorough education. He records that he was taught, for instance, by a Baothghalach Ruadh Mac Aodhagáin, an individual who may have been active in County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
. Tadhg followed Maolmhuire to continental Europe some time after the Flight of the Earls
Flight of the Earls
The Flight of the Earls took place on 14 September 1607, when Hugh Ó Neill of Tír Eóghain, Rory Ó Donnell of Tír Chonaill and about ninety followers left Ireland for mainland Europe.-Background to the exile:...
. He may be the Don Tadeo Cleri who was serving as a soldier in Spain in July 1621. At some point before March of 1623 he became a lay brother of the Franciscan order. He was never ordained a priest.
Scholarship
Ó Cléirigh had already gained a reputation as an antiquary and student of Irish history and Irish literatureIrish literature
For a comparatively small island, Ireland has made a disproportionately large contribution to world literature. Irish literature encompasses the Irish and English languages.-The beginning of writing in Irish:...
, when he entered the Irish College of St Anthony at Louvain (Dutch:Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
). In 1624, through the initiative of Aedh Buidh Mac-An-Bhaird (1580-1635), warden of the college, and himself a famous Irish historian and poet, and one of an old family of hereditary bard
Bard
In medieval Gaelic and British culture a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.Originally a specific class of poet, contrasting with another class known as fili in Ireland...
s in Tyrconnell, he began to collect Irish manuscripts and to transcribe everything he could find of historical importance. To do this he returned to Ireland in 1626 and spent over a decade based at a Franciscan house by the River Drowes on the Donegal-Leitrim border. He was assisted by other Irish scholars, most notably Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh
Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh
Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh was an Irish historian and genealogist, known in English as Peregrine O'Clery.-Life and work:Ó Cléirigh was a son of Diarmaid Ó Cléirigh, and thus a third-cousin once removed to Brother Mícheál Ó Cléirigh, whom he assisted in compiling the Annals of the Four...
, Fearfeasa Ó Maol Chonaire
Fearfeasa Ó Maol Chonaire
Fearfeasa Ó Maol Chonaire, co-compiler and scribe of the Annals of the Four Masters, fl. 1620's-1640's.-Family background:Ó Maol Chonaire was a member of the Ó Maolconaire brehon family of north County Roscommon...
and Peregrinus Ó Duibhgeannain. Ó Cléirigh travelled widely throughout Ireland during this period, collecting and transcribing a vast quantity of Irish texts. His initial focus was material of ecclesiastical importance, particularly saints' lives, but by 1631 he and his colleagues were beginning to copy secular material such as the Irish pseudo-history Leabhar Gabhála
Lebor Gabála Érenn
Lebor Gabála Érenn is the Middle Irish title of a loose collection of poems and prose narratives recounting the mythical origins and history of the Irish from the creation of the world down to the Middle Ages...
.
In 1632 the group began to assemble the most extensive set of Irish annals ever compiled. The project took four years and resulted in the vast collection dubbed Annála Ríoghachta Éireann (Annals of the kingdom of Ireland) but now better known as the Annals of the Four Masters. The 'four masters' in question are Mícheál Ó Cléirigh, Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh, Fearfeasa Ó Maol Chonaire and Peregrine Ó Duibhgeannain and the term was devised by John Colgan
John Colgan
John Colgan was an Irish hagiographer and historian.-Life:...
. However, other important collaborators included Muiris mac Torna Uí Mhaolchonaire Ó Cléirigh's brother Conaire. The work was completed in August 1636 and two manuscript copies of the annals were made.
Among the other works copied and compiled in this period were Reim Rioghroidhe (Royal List) in 1630
1630 in Ireland
-Deaths:*James "Spanish" Blake, spy.*Lughaidh Ó Cléirigh , cousin of Mícheál Ó Cléirigh who, with his son Cacrigcriche Ó Cléirigh , one of Mícheál's co-workers, is also famous as an Irish historian....
, Leabhar Gabhála
Lebor Gabála Érenn
Lebor Gabála Érenn is the Middle Irish title of a loose collection of poems and prose narratives recounting the mythical origins and history of the Irish from the creation of the world down to the Middle Ages...
(Book of Invasions) in 1631
1631 in Ireland
-Events:* June 20 - Sack of Baltimore: the town of Baltimore, County Cork, is sacked by Algerian pirates....
, Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib. He subsequently produced his Martyrologium of Irish saints, based on various ancient manuscripts, such as the Martyrology of Tallaght
Martyrology of Tallaght
The Martyrology of Tallaght, which is closely related to the Félire Oengusso or Martyrology of Óengus the Culdee, is an eighth- or ninth-century martyrology, a list of saints and their feast days assembled by Máel Ruain and/or Óengus the Culdee at Tallaght Monastery, near Dublin...
.
Later life and legacy
He returned to the continent in early 1637. The only work by Ó Cléirigh to be published in his lifetime, a glossary called Foclóir nó Sanasán Nua, appeared in 1643. His precise date of death is unknown, but he is generally thought to have died at Louvain in 1643.Mícheál Ó Cléirigh appears as an historical character in Darach Ó Scolaí
Darach Ó Scolaí
Darach Ó Scolaí is an Irish novelist, playwright, publisher, and artist living in the County Galway Gaeltacht of Connemara. He was awarded the Oireachtas Prize for Literature in 2007 for his novel, An Cléireach.- Writing :...
's novel, An Cléireach
An Cléireach
An Cléireach is a novel by the Irish writer Darach Ó Scolaí, published in 2007 and winner of the 2007 Oireachtas Prize for Literature.The protogonist and narrator is a soldier and clerk in dispute with his colonel over a promotion...
. In 1944, An Post
An Post
An Post is the State-owned provider of postal services in the Republic of Ireland. An Post provides a universal postal service to all parts of the country as a member of the Universal Postal Union...
issued two stamps to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the death of Ó Cléirigh. The Mícheál Ó Cléirigh Institute for the Study of Irish History and Civilisation at University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
is named in his honour.
See also
- Cú Choigcríche Ó CléirighCú Choigcríche Ó CléirighCú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh was an Irish historian and genealogist, known in English as Peregrine O'Clery.-Life and work:Ó Cléirigh was a son of Diarmaid Ó Cléirigh, and thus a third-cousin once removed to Brother Mícheál Ó Cléirigh, whom he assisted in compiling the Annals of the Four...
- Tadhg Og Ó Cianáin
- Peregrine Ó Duibhgeannain
- Lughaidh Ó CléirighLughaidh Ó CléirighLughaidh Ó Cléirigh , sometimes anglicised as Lewey O'Clery, was an Irish Gaelic poet and historian. He is best known today as the author of Beatha Aodha Ruaidh Uí Dhomhnaill, a biography of Red Hugh O'Donnell.-Life:...
- James UssherJames UssherJames Ussher was Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland between 1625–56...
- Sir James WareSir James WareSir James Ware was an Irish historian.-Early life:Born at Castle Street, Dublin, Ware was the eldest son of James Ware, who arrived in Ireland in 1588 as a secretary to Lord Deputy FitzWilliam. His father was knighted by King James I, was elected M.P...
- Mary Bonaventure BrowneMary Bonaventure BrowneMother Mary Bonaventure Browne, Poor Clare and Irish historian, born after 1610, died after 1670.-Background:A daughter of Andrew Browne fitz Oliver, a wealthy merchant and a member of The Tribes of Galway. She was a niece of Martin Browne, whose townhouse doorway, the Browne doorway, now stands in...
- Dubhaltach Mac FhirbhisighDubhaltach Mac FhirbhisighDubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh, also known as Dubhaltach Óg mac Giolla Íosa Mór mac Dubhaltach Mór Mac Fhirbhisigh, Duald Mac Firbis, Dudly Ferbisie, and Dualdus Firbissius was an Irish scribe, translator, historian and genealogist...
- Ruaidhrí Ó FlaithbheartaighRuaidhri Ó FlaithbheartaighRuaidhri Ó Flaithbheartaigh, King of Iar Connacht and Chief of the Name, fl. 1244-1273.-Biography:Ruaidhri was a brother of the preceding chief, Morogh...
- Uilliam Ó DuinnínUilliam Ó DuinnínUilliam Ó Duinnín was an Irish scribe.The son of Domhnall Óg Ó Duinnín, Uilliam was the owner of MS 1336, which he may have sold to Edward Lhuyd...
- Charles O'Conor (historian)Charles O'Conor (historian)Charles O'Conor Don, The O'Conor Don, Prince of Connacht of Belanagare was an Irish writer and antiquarian who was enormously influential as a protagonist for the preservation of Irish culture and history in the eighteenth century...
- Eugene O'CurryEugene O'Curry-Life:He was born at Doonaha, near Carrigaholt, County Clare, the son of Eoghan Ó Comhraí, a farmer, and his wife Cáit. Eoghan had spent some time as a travelling pedlar and had developed an interest in Irish folklore and music. Unusually for someone of his background, he appears to have been...
- John O'Donovan (scholar)John O'Donovan (scholar)John O'Donovan , from Atateemore, in the parish of Kilcolumb, County Kilkenny, and educated at Hunt's Academy, Waterford, was an Irish language scholar from Ireland.-Life:...