Ossian Collection > Reliquiae Celticae > Volume 2

THE BOOK OF CLANRANALD. 155
O'Colla and Thane of Eargaoidheal). Giolla Bride, son of Gill-
Adamnan, son of , and from him, the Thanes of Argyle, having
been among his kindi-ed in Ireland, that is, from the Ciann Colla,
whicli are the Manchuidli and Mathdamnaidh, viz., the tribes of
Macguire and Macmahon, it happened that this tribe held a meet-
ing and conference in Fermanagh, on the estate of Macgnire, and
among the matters to be transacted was that Giolla Bride should
get some estate of his own country, since he had been in banish-
ment from his inheritance, by the power of the Danes and Nor-
wegians. When Giolla Bride saw a large host of young robust
people in the assembly, and that they were favourable to himself,
the favour he asked of his friends was that so many persons as
the adjacent fort in the place could hold should be allowed to go
to Scotland with him, in the hope that he might obtain possession
of his own inheritance and portion of it.
Giolla Bride proceeded with that party to Scotland, where they
landed. They made frequent onsets and attacks on their enemies
during this time of trouble, for their enemies were powerful and
numerous at that time. All the islands from Man to Orkneys,
and all the border land from Dumbarton to Caithness, in the
north, were in the possession of the Danes ; and such of the Gael
of those lands as remained were protecting themselves in the
woods and mountains ; and at the end of that time Giolla Bride
hud a good son, who had come to maturity and renown.
It happened that the small party who were followers of Giolla
Bride and Somerled were in the mountains and woods of Ardgour
and of Morven, and they were surprised there by a large force of
Danes and Norwegians. All the soldiers and plundering parties
which Somerled had gathered round him, and he arranged them
front and rear. Somerled put them in battle order, and made a
great display of them to his enemies. He marched them three
times before them in one company, so that they supposed there
were three companies there. After that he attacked them, and
they were defeated by Somerled and his party, and he did not
halt in the pursuit till he drove them northward across the river
Slieil, and a part escaped with their king to the Isles ; and he did
ii< t cease from that work till he cleared the western side of Scot-
land of the Danes, except the islands of the Norwegians, called
Innsigall ; and he gained victory over his enemies in every field
of battle. He spent part of his time in war and part in peace,
until he marched with an army to the vicinity of Glasgow, when
he was slain by his page, who took his head to the king in the
year of our Lord 1180 (1164). His own people assert that it was
not to make war against the king that he went on that expedition,
but to obtain peace, for he did more in subduing the king's,
enemies than any war he w^aged against him.