self, were then depe-ndant on the generosity and good will of the O'Neill:.; uf tthe F~e\v~-the ion1y Northern ,family to received ·3ubstantial grants of land o'J. being transplanted into Connacht That these O'Neills did not fail them is evident from the f1act that both the O'Clerys and the O'Donnells (and many other Norther.n families too !) obtained valuable leaseholds frlom the new Hy Niall lords of large tracts of land in Counties Leitrim a;nd Mayo. In time the Q'.Donnells became successors in title (th:r.ough inter-marriage, etc. etc.) <and 1when their Newcastle, Castlebar, Newport stems ar.d their allied bra.nches re-eme.rged .as landed gentry in the Eighteenth century (and the influence of the transplanted O'Neills disappeared) 1the pendulum of bardic effusion swung iagain i.!1 their favour. It is for thi·s reason that we have al1ways advised deeper critical research into all that John O'Donovan has written about the mid a.nd late Seventeenth century O'Donnells of Leitrim and Mayo ? They were well known to Cuicogry O'Clery and yet he almost i1gnored them in his O'Donnell pedigrees ! The O'Clery Book Of Genealogies is not the work of an iaJtruistic nor idealistic 'hi·stori1an. It is, however, the work of a conscientious professional whose services w:ere in constant demand by thiose scio!ls of the old Gaelic aristocracy who could afford to send their sons to continental colleges fr~om whence they emerged as soldiers of fortune, clerics, doctors, l1awyers and merchants. A pedigree drawn up by an O'Clery, endorsed with the signatures of one or two church dignitaries, opened the porttals of preferment for many an exiled Irishman of the Seve;!lteenth (and afterwiards of the Eighteenth) icentuf!Y. :mor this reason any of the O'Clery pedigrees which are extended into the Seventee•!lth century are of great interest to local historians and as these include the O'Boyles, the O'Gallaghers, the O'Dohertys and seve11al other West Ulster famllies, A.11.alo!.cta No 18 is of 1pa:rrticular interest to members of the Cou.nty Donegal Historical Society. It is 1a well produced volume, of moderate price, and is wo~thy of the leather binding with which we always .honour valued works of reference. ARDARA, An Hijstorroal Rieconl and Tourist Guide to Ardara, Capital 1of the Donegal _Highlands. (Ardara Development Associ- .ation 1/-). This 1i ttle book (small iand handy ;as every good guide bdok shiould he) is a credit to the Association which sponsored .it. It is an excellent1y 'balanced work, obviously inspired by men who realise that (3S the f:f-lmily is the basic unit of society 1so also is territorial loyalty the pivot of true patriotism. While it would be invidious of us tro single 1out any of the compilers for ·special mention we are proud tio note that this delightful 'little book bears the imprint of some of the Historical Society's mosit cuMured members. J.C. Mc D. 334.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQxNzU3