Flann mac Lonáin was a famed and at times controversial poet. He was the Chief Ollam of Ireland He seems to have been born in the east Clare/west Tipperary region. Distinguished both in his lifetime and after, his compositions were studied and used as exemplars in medieval metrical tracts.
Annalistic verseedit
The Annals of the Four Masters contains two verses of a lament he composed upon the death of Treasach, son of Becan, chief of Ui Bairche Maighe, [who]was slain by Aedh, son of Ilguine in 884:
Of him Flann, son of Lonan, said:
A heavy mist upon the province of Breasal/since they slew at the fortaliced Liphe/Heavy the groans of Assal/for grief at the loss of Treasach.
Wearied my mind, moist my countenance/since Treasach lies in death./The moan of Oenach Lifi all/and of Leinster to the sea, is the son of Becan.
Upon the death of Ceallach mac Flannaghan, King of Brega in 890, he composed the following:
Illustrious the careers/of the three sons of Flann/who coursed over Odhbha/Congalach of Colt/Ceallach of Cearna/and Cinaedh of Cnodhbha.
Though Ceallach slew/an outlaw, pity/he should fall in the battle's onset;/Alas!/his danger was certain;/ that he would not spend/the life of a historian.
Deathedit
He died violently at Waterford Harbour.
The Annals of the Four Masters state that:
M891.14 Flann mac Lonáin, Uirghil Shil Scota primh-fhileGaoidheal uile, file as deach baí i n-Erinn ina aimsir, do mharbhadhla macaibh Cuirbhuidhe, do Uibh Fothaith iat-sen, h-in-duinetaidhe h-ic Loch Dá Caochi n-Deisibh Mumhán.
M891.14 Flann, son of Lonan, the Virgil of the race of Scota, chief poet of all the Gaeidhil, the best poet that was in Ireland in his time, was secretly murdered by the sons of Corrbuidhe (who were of the Ui Fothaith), at Loch Dachaech, in Deisi Mumhan.
Flann son of Lónán, the Virgil of the Irish i.e. the chief poet of the Irish, was slain by the Uí Cuirrbuidh i.e. by the Uí Fothaid, at Loch dá Caoch in the Déisi of Mumu.
In his posthumously-published work, The Irish Tradition (1946), Robin Flower wrote at some length of him and the legends surrounding his life.
Flann is mentioned in the oldest surviving personal letter from Ireland, which dates from the mid 12th century and was addressed to Áed Ua Crimthainn, compiler of the Book of Leinster, by Find, Bishop of Kildare, who wrote: "Let the poem book of Mac Lonáin be brought to me so that we may study the meanings of the poems that are in it, et vale in Christo.[1]
Notesedit
^O'Sullivan, William, 'Notes on the scripts and make-up of the Book of Leinster', in Celtica 7 (1966) pp. 1-31
Referencesedit
Oxford Concise Companion to Irish Literature, Robert Welsh, 1996. ISBN0-19-280080-9
Ubink, Jeanette, Poems attributed to Flann mac Lonáin: including a critical edition of Maiccni Echach ard a nglé 2 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine. University of Utrecht. 2015.
flann, lonáin, died, irish, poet, contents, background, career, annalistic, verse, death, notes, references, external, linksbackground, career, edit, famed, times, controversial, poet, chief, ollam, ireland, seems, have, been, born, east, clare, west, tipperar. Flann mac Lonain died 896 was an Irish poet Contents 1 Background and career 2 Annalistic verse 3 Death 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksBackground and career editFlann mac Lonain was a famed and at times controversial poet He was the Chief Ollam of Ireland He seems to have been born in the east Clare west Tipperary region Distinguished both in his lifetime and after his compositions were studied and used as exemplars in medieval metrical tracts Annalistic verse editThe Annals of the Four Masters contains two verses of a lament he composed upon the death of Treasach son of Becan chief of Ui Bairche Maighe who was slain by Aedh son of Ilguine in 884 Of him Flann son of Lonan said A heavy mist upon the province of Breasal since they slew at the fortaliced Liphe Heavy the groans of Assal for grief at the loss of Treasach Wearied my mind moist my countenance since Treasach lies in death The moan of Oenach Lifi all and of Leinster to the sea is the son of Becan Upon the death of Ceallach mac Flannaghan King of Brega in 890 he composed the following Illustrious the careers of the three sons of Flann who coursed over Odhbha Congalach of Colt Ceallach of Cearna and Cinaedh of Cnodhbha Though Ceallach slew an outlaw pity he should fall in the battle s onset Alas his danger was certain that he would not spend the life of a historian Death editHe died violently at Waterford Harbour The Annals of the Four Masters state that M891 14 Flann mac Lonain Uirghil Shil Scota primh fhileGaoidheal uile file as deach bai i n Erinn ina aimsir do mharbhadhla macaibh Cuirbhuidhe do Uibh Fothaith iat sen h in duinetaidhe h ic Loch Da Caochi n Deisibh Mumhan M891 14 Flann son of Lonan the Virgil of the race of Scota chief poet of all the Gaeidhil the best poet that was in Ireland in his time was secretly murdered by the sons of Corrbuidhe who were of the Ui Fothaith at Loch Dachaech in Deisi Mumhan The Annals of Ulster state that 896 AD Flann son of Lonan grandson of Guaire was slain by the Deisi of Mumu while the Annals of Innisfallen notes The slaying of Flann son of Lonan king of the poets of Ireland by the Ui Fhothaid Tire while the Chronicon Scotorum more fulsomely records that Flann son of Lonan the Virgil of the Irish i e the chief poet of the Irish was slain by the Ui Cuirrbuidh i e by the Ui Fothaid at Loch da Caoch in the Deisi of Mumu In his posthumously published work The Irish Tradition 1946 Robin Flower wrote at some length of him and the legends surrounding his life Flann is mentioned in the oldest surviving personal letter from Ireland which dates from the mid 12th century and was addressed to Aed Ua Crimthainn compiler of the Book of Leinster by Find Bishop of Kildare who wrote Let the poem book of Mac Lonain be brought to me so that we may study the meanings of the poems that are in it et vale in Christo 1 Notes edit O Sullivan William Notes on the scripts and make up of the Book of Leinster in Celtica 7 1966 pp 1 31References editOxford Concise Companion to Irish Literature Robert Welsh 1996 ISBN 0 19 280080 9 Moore Norman 1893 Maclonan Flann In Lee Sidney ed Dictionary of National Biography Vol 35 London Smith Elder amp Co The Irish Tradition Robin Flower 1946 See also Flann Mac Lonain in Repentant Mood and Eulogy on Ecnechan son of Dalach Kingof Tir Conaill 906 by Fland mc Lonain ollam Connacht Ard do scela a meic nacuach Ed J G O Keeffe Ir Texts 1 1931 22 24 54 62 A Story of Flannmac Lonain transcribed by O J Bergin Anecdota from Irish Manuscripts Vol 1 p 45 http www ucc ie academic smg CDI PDFs textarchive IrishTexts1 pdf http www ucc ie academic smg CDI PDFs textarchive AnecdotaIpt2 pdf Ubink Jeanette Poems attributed to Flann mac Lonain including a critical edition of Maiccni Echach ard a ngle Archived 2 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine University of Utrecht 2015 External links edithttps archive org stream historyandantiq01fahegoog historyandantiq01fahegoog djvu txt Preceded byMael Muire Othain Chief Ollam of Ireland887 896 Succeeded byTorpaid mac Taicthech Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Flann mac Lonain amp oldid 1156032330, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
