J·,:mRNAL OF THE COUNTY DONEGAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY And he bestowed his bti.essing on his country and its fortresses, churches and rivers." It was not long before the Saint's prophesy was fulfilled, for to 1the wife of Fergus's son, Feilim, was born a child that shed lustre on the Church, his people and his country; one whose fame and work extended beyond our shores.. This was Columcille, patron of Cineal Chonaill, our greatest National Saint next to Patriok himself and, broadly speaking, the first O'Donnell in exile! The incident of St. Co1umcille surreptitiously copying a book of St. Finian and the latter demanding the return of both book and copy is well known. Here we have the first case of c·opy·right being invoked in the country! Columbkille's refusal to part with the copy brought the dispute before the Ard Ri, who gave his famous judgement "to every cow her calf and to every boo~ its copy." This decision did not please the Saint and a battle resulted in 1which the King's f.orces were defeated with terrible slaughter. Columbcille became grieved at all the bloodshed and took upon himself the respons~bility for it. As a penance he submitted to perpetual exHe. The manusori·pt that caused all the trouible was a copy of the Psalter in Columcille's own handwriting. It was restored to him after the ibattle and ever afterwards became known as the "Cath:ach" or "Battle-Book." It was inherited by the O'Donnel:ls, who guarded and treasured it as their greatest spiritual talisman. The belief was that if the sacred p:nchments were carried thrice around the army on the breast of a sinless cleric before battle victory was assured. It also pl:ayed an important part in the 1n auguration of the Ohieftains at the Rocks of Doon :- Here he swore upon the cathach, Held aloft the willow wand, While ten thousand tribesmen hailed him And awaited his command." The MacGroartys were the hereditary cu:.todians of the Cathach. Cathbharr O'Donnell had a magnificent silver and guilt shrine made for it about the close of the eleventh century. It was usually kept in the little church at Ballymagroarty, near Ballintra, where a secret crypt was constDucted as a hiding place. In times of stress, however, it was taken to Tory. The leading families in the country began to adopt surnames during the reign of Bri1an Boru (circa 1,000 A.D.). The earlier system was for a person t.o add the name of his father or grandfather to his own. Brian extended the more convenient arrangement by making it compulsory for each family to adopt a permanent surname. This was done by selecting the name of some distinguished ancestor and prefixing it by either "O" or "Mac". The char:ge to the new system was gradual and almost a century elapsed before the sur?ame " O' Domhnaill, " angllc1sed "O'Donnell," was fi.rst taken by Cathbharr (died 1106), the greatl?'randson of DomhnaJ.1 Mor who flourished in 970 A.D. In due course the surn::tmes O'Gall~gher. O'Cannon, O'Muldory, 0 D~ herty, O' Boyle, etc., made :heir appearanee in Cineal Chona,111. The O'Muldorys and 0 Cannanans were the rulers of Tyrconnell before the rise to power of the O'Donnells. It was ~ot until circa 1200 A.D. that Eign~acain was installed as the . first "O'Domhnaill." He was follo"'.'ed by twenty-four others endmg with Sir Niall Garbh, who was inauimrated in 1603. · The ori~inal home of the O'Donnells was on the Len~on ;>t Ramelton but upon_ becommg Chieftains they established th_emseives at Murvagh on the River Erne. In the second quar!er of t.he 15th century they built a Norman-type castle at Ballyr,hannnon and about. 70 years later transferred their seat to Donegal. Here they also built a castle which they subsequently 264.
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