Page:A Compendium of Irish Biography.djvu/341

 McMaster, Gilbert, D.D,, a divine, and theological writer, was born in Ireland 13th February 1778. While he was still a child, his father emigrated to America, and settled in Pennsylvania. Gilbert was ordained pastor of a Presbyterian congregation at Duanesburg, New York, in 1808, where for thirty-two years, and afterwards for six years at Princeton, Indiana, he exercised his ministry with great acceptance. He was the author of An Analysis of the Shorter Catechism (1815), The Moral Character of Civil Government Considered (1832), and many other theological works. He died at New Albany, Indiana, 17th March 1854, aged 76. 37*

MacMoyer, Florence, was last hereditary keeper of the Book of Armagh, a MS. of 221 vellum leaves. A portion dates as far back as 807. It is written in Latin, and contains the only complete copy of the New Testament scriptures transmitted to our time from the ancient Irish church. Besides the Gospels, Acts, and Epistles, it comprises St. Patrick's Confession and some tracts. It has always been regarded with peculiar veneration, was supposed to have been written by St. Patrick, and was preserved in a silver shrine. This precious relic was in MacMoyer's care on 29th June 1662, as appears from an entry on the reverse of the 104th leaf. MacMoyer was one of the witnesses against Archbishop Plunket in London in 1681. Previously he had pawned the volume for £5. He died, 12th February 1713, and was buried at Ballymoyer. On account of his connexion with Archbishop Plunket's death, his memory is held in the greatest abhorrence by the country people, who believed, until a recent period, that he was annually cursed by the Pope. After passing through various hands, the Book of Armagh came in 1858, by the care of the Rev. William Reeves, and the munificence of the then Lord Primate, into the Library of Trinity College, Dublin. The particulars of the life of John Moyers, given in his evidence against Archbishop Plunket, do not exactly correspond with those generally given of MacMoyer, the hereditary keeper, so that they may have been different persons, and Florence MacMoyer may have given his evidence privately. 11* 312

MacMurrough, Dermot, King of Leinster, was born in 1090. His family had given rulers to the province for some time previous to the Anglo-Norman invasion. In early times they held court at Dinnrigh, on the Barrow, and at Naas in Kildare. Afterwards they had castles at Ferns, which was their capital, at Old Ross in Wexford, and at Ballymoon, near Carlow. The Annals of the Four Masters tell of constant differences between Dermot and his feudatory chiefs, and of the plundering expeditions in which he engaged in different parts of the country, often in alliance with the Northmen. In 1153 he carried off Dervorgilla, daughter of O'Melaghlin, and wife of O'Ruark, prince of Breffny. The transaction cannot have had much of the romance usually associated with the idea of an elopement. She was forty-four years of age, and did not leave her lord without carrying off her cattle and furniture. This was fifteen years before Dermot sought Anglo-Norman assistance, so that the invasion can scarcely be attributable to the elopement. O'Ruark sought the assistance of Turlough O'Conor, then nominal Monarch of Ireland, who was glad of the opportunity of lending aid against Dermot, who had supported the rival house of O'Neill. He ravaged Dermot's territories, and compelled the return of Dervorgilla. Upon O'Conor's death in 1156, Dermot was one of the first to acknowledge the supremacy of Murtough O'Lochlainn, an O'Neill, who reigned ten years, and who established Dermot in all his possessions. O'Lochlainn was slain at the battle of Leiter-Luin (in the barony of the upper Fews, County of Armagh), whereupon Roderic O'Conor assumed the sovereignty; and one of his first acts was to deprive Dermot of his crown. Dermot was evidently a man of singular determination, and not wanting in resource. It had probably reached his ears that King Henry II. of England had received a grant of Ireland from one Pope, and had it confirmed by another, and that he but waited an opportunity to assert his title. He therefore astutely determined to seek an interview, and perform homage, in the hope of regaining his kingdom of Leinster. How he fared cannot be better told than in Keating's words: "Diarmaid then proceeded to the Second Henry, King of Saxon-land, who was then in France, and when he arrived in this King's presence, he was received with a welcome, and with a very great display of friendship. And when he had explained the object of his visit to his host, the latter furnished him with kindly letters to bring him to the land of the Saxons. In these he gave him permission to enlist every one of the Saxons which might be willing to go with him to Ireland, and thus aid in recovering the sovereignty of his own country. Upon receiving these, Diarmaid bid farewell to that King, and set out for the country of the Saxons. When he arrived there he caused the letters of Henry to be read publicly at Bristol, and 317