J. F. Campbell Collection > Transactions of the Ossianic Society > Volume 5

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capacity by the O'Hoseys. The O'Keenans were chief
historians in Fermanagh, and the O'Cassidys were chief
physicians to the Maguires.
CoNNAUGHT. — The Mac Egans were Brehons to the
O'Connors, kings of Connaiight. Maolisa Donn Mac Egan,
Ard Ollamh (chief Professor) of Counaught, died A.D. 1329,
according to the Annals of the Four Masters; and one of the
Mac Egans is recorded under the year 1447 as chief Brehon
of all Ireland. The O'Maelconrys were chief Bards and his-
torians to the O'Connors. Torna O'Maelconry, the Bard to
Felim O'Connor, has transmitted to us an account of the ce-
remonies performed at the inauguration of that prince in the
year 1312, when it was the Bard's privilege to place the
Kegal Wand (as he calls it) in the hand of the prince. The
landed property of the O'Maelconry, containing about
10,000 acres, comprised the present parish of Cloncraff in
the county of Roscommon. Some of the written works of
the O'Maelconrys are in the Bodleian Library and several
other places ; and a member of that family was one of the
Four Masters. The Mac Tullys were the hereditary physi-
cians to the O'Connors.
The Mac Egans were Brehons to the O'Rourkes, princes
of Brefney, and the O'Cuirnins were their Bards; the
O'Dalys were Bards to the O'Reillys, princes of East Brefney.
The Mac Egans of Ballymacegan were chief Brehons to
the O'Kellys, princes of Hy Maine, in the counties of Gal-
way and Roscommon, which princely family is now repre-
sented by Denis H. Kelly of Castle Kelly, Esq., an eminent
Celtic scholar. The O'Dugans were hereditary Bards to
the O'Kellys, many of whose works are still extant, parti-
cularly the large vellum manuscript of the O'Kellys, now
buried in some English private collection.
The O'Duigenans of Kilronan were Bards and historians
to the Mac Dermotts, princes of Moylurg in Roscommon
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