Muireadhach Albanach
Encyclopedia
Muireadhach Albanach Ó Dálaigh ("Murdoch the Scotsman") was a Gaelic
poet
and crusader and member of the Ó Dálaigh
bardic family.
The Annals of the Four Masters of Ireland
, s.a. 1213, tells us that he was the ollamh (high poet) of Domhnall Ó Domhnaill (died 1241). Muireadhach lived in County Sligo and fled from Ireland
after killing King Domhnall's tax-collector Fionn O'Brollaghan, whom Muireadhach considered had been insolent, with an axe.
In a poem, Ó Dálaigh dismisses his murder as his victim was a mere commoner and therefore of no account, a telling indication of the rigid stratification of traditional Irish society:
Trifling is our difference with the man [Domhnall],
A shepherd was affronting me;
And I killed that clown;
O God! Is this a cause for enmity?
Nevertheless, it was in Scotland that Muireadhach made his name. He served as the court bard to the Mormaer of Lennox. The specific mormaer
who patronized him is often thought to have been Ailín II
(died 1217), but as the mormaer is called "Mac Muireadhach", son of Muireadhach, it was almost certainly in fact his predecessor and father, Ailín I
(died c. 1200). Muireadhach Albanach is important for the cultural history of Scotland because he is the alleged founder of the family of hereditary Scottish bards known to history as the Mac Mhuireadhaich
or "MacVurich" family. Muireadhach, like his fellow Gaelic poet Gillebrìghde Albanach
, went on the Fifth Crusade
and travelled to Acre
and Damietta
(as well as other places, like Rome
). In 1228 he was apparently allowed to re-enter Ireland
.
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and crusader and member of the Ó Dálaigh
Ó Dálaigh
The Ó Dálaigh were a learned Irish bardic family who first came to prominence early in the 12th century, when Cú Connacht Ó Dálaigh was described as "The first Ollamh of poetry in all Ireland" .-Name derivation:The name Ó Dálaigh means 'descendant of Dálach'...
bardic family.
The Annals of the Four Masters of Ireland
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...
, s.a. 1213, tells us that he was the ollamh (high poet) of Domhnall Ó Domhnaill (died 1241). Muireadhach lived in County Sligo and fled from Ireland
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...
after killing King Domhnall's tax-collector Fionn O'Brollaghan, whom Muireadhach considered had been insolent, with an axe.
In a poem, Ó Dálaigh dismisses his murder as his victim was a mere commoner and therefore of no account, a telling indication of the rigid stratification of traditional Irish society:
Trifling is our difference with the man [Domhnall],
A shepherd was affronting me;
And I killed that clown;
O God! Is this a cause for enmity?
Nevertheless, it was in Scotland that Muireadhach made his name. He served as the court bard to the Mormaer of Lennox. The specific mormaer
Mormaer
The title of Mormaer designates a regional or provincial ruler in the medieval Kingdom of the Scots. In theory, although not always in practice, a Mormaer was second only to the King of Scots, and the senior of a toisech.-Origin:...
who patronized him is often thought to have been Ailín II
Ailín II, Earl of Lennox
Mormaer Ailín II of Lennox, also known as Ailean or Alwyn, was the son of Mormaer Ailín I, and ruled Lennox from somewhere in the beginning of the 13th century until his death in 1217....
(died 1217), but as the mormaer is called "Mac Muireadhach", son of Muireadhach, it was almost certainly in fact his predecessor and father, Ailín I
Ailín I, Earl of Lennox
Mormaer Ailín I of Lennox , also Alún or Alwin, ruled Lennox sometime before 1178. He is an obscure figure, known only in two sources, and remains characterless. It is not certain that he was ever recognized as a Mormaer of Lennox, although one source does call him that. In the 1170s, Lennox was in...
(died c. 1200). Muireadhach Albanach is important for the cultural history of Scotland because he is the alleged founder of the family of hereditary Scottish bards known to history as the Mac Mhuireadhaich
MacMhuirich bardic family
The MacMhuirich bardic family, known in Scottish Gaelic as Clann MacMhuirich and Clann Mhuirich, was a prominent family of bards and other professionals in 15th to 18th centuries. The family was centred in the Hebrides, and claimed descent from a 13th century Irish bard who, according to legend,...
or "MacVurich" family. Muireadhach, like his fellow Gaelic poet Gillebrìghde Albanach
Gillebríghde Albanach
Gillebríghde Albanach was a medieval Scottish poet and crusader. He took part, along with his fellow-Gael Muireadhach Albanach, in the Fifth Crusade, reaching Acre in 1218 or 1219, and following the main Crusader army via southern Cyprus to Damietta; He may have been on crusade until 1224 or...
, went on the Fifth Crusade
Fifth Crusade
The Fifth Crusade was an attempt to reacquire Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land by first conquering the powerful Ayyubid state in Egypt....
and travelled to Acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
and Damietta
Damietta
Damietta , also known as Damiata, or Domyat, is a port and the capital of the Damietta Governorate in Egypt. It is located at the intersection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile, about north of Cairo.-History:...
(as well as other places, like Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
). In 1228 he was apparently allowed to re-enter Ireland
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...
.