|
||
| The installation of the Ardri, (High King) was held at Canrfree near Tulsk, where for ages the Connacht kings had been inaugurated. The ceremony took place on an old cairn of stones on top of which rested the
coronation stone. It was an elaborate affair and was attended by many bishops and principal chiefs or sub kings of Connacht. O'Mulconry gave the new kink his wand, O'Flanagan was his High Steward, O'Flaherty and O'Malley had command of the
fleet, O'Kelly was Chief Treasurer, etc. Mageraghty was given special honour and received gifts of cattle and sheep from the new king as an indication of the special relationship between the O'Conors and Mageraghtys. (Both shared a common
ancestry).
An eye witness account of the inauguration of Cathal Crovedearg O'Conor (1201-1224) records that O'Conor gave Mageraghty 'twelve score milch cows, twelve score sheep and twelve score cows". At the ceremony it was decreed that the twelve dynasts or sub-chiefs of Connacht should be present. In addition to those named above were O'Flynn, O'Hanly, O'Fallon, O'Beirne, O'Concanon, O'Heyne, O'Shaughessy and O'Teigh. The latter was the chief of the household of the King of Connacht. The record states that 'fourty-eight townlands constituted the patrimony of each of his four royal chiefs'. Preceding the inauguration, the king would march down from Rathcrogan with his retinue of abbots, bishops, chieftains, sub-chieftains and statesmen. When they reached the top of the cairn the king placed his sword in front of the stone as a symbol that he would rule his people without resorting to might. O'Mulconry presented the king with a wand as a sign of kingship, and a golden slipper which was placed on his right foot. He then walked around the stone three times in a clockwise direction giving him plenty of time to view his new found lands. To take his oath of allegiance he would step on top of the stone and place his foot in the imprint of two footprints that were carved into the stone by the first king of Connacht. The coronation stone had the same significance to the Irish that the Stone of Scone has to the Scots. Upon it the Kings of Scotland were crowned. The Stone of Scone was a gift to the Scots by the Irish in the year 500. It is said, (though not proved) that in ancient times there was a larger stone that was split in two. The Irish kept one part and the other was given by Fergus to the Scots. In the Scottish crowning ceremony, the stone was placed under the king's throne. After Cromwell subdued the Scots, the English transported the Stone of Scone to Westminster Abbey, England. There it remained for centuries until a few years ago when at the persistence of Scottish Nationals, it was returned to Scotland. And you might ask, "whatever happened to the Irish coronation stone?" Well, I'm happy to report that it still exists, though it would seem, it is not held in the same esteem as the Scots have for the Stone of Scone. It now rests at Clonalis House, the ancestral home of the O'Conor Don, on land owned by the O'Conors for 1500 years.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Mageraghty | O'Conor | O'Flannagan | O'Mally | McDermot |