political power achieved by his dynasty by highlight-
ing the remarkable deeds achieved by his ancestors.
Another twelfth-century dynastic propaganda text con-
cerned with resistance against the invading Vikings is
Caithréim Chellacháin Chaisil(The Victorious Career
of Cellachán of Cashel) which appears to have been
written between 1127 and 1134. In this instance the
kings of another dynasty, the Eóganachta, are glorified
and their ancestor, Cellachán, is portrayed as defender
of Ireland. It has been remarked upon by Donnchadh
Ó Corráin (1974) that themes of the great and just king,
of the sainted royal ancestor, and of patriotism as they
were developed in Irish historical tales such as Cogad
Gáedel re GallaibhandCaithréim Chellacháin Chaisil
are also present in the European literature of the age.
Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain,
a narrative held to boost the ideal image of English
kingship, was completed within a decade of Caithréim
Chellacháin Chaisil. Ó Corráin also suggests that
Cogad Gáedel re Gallaibhmay have had Asser’s Life
of Alfredas its model.
Post-Norman Period
Historical tales continued to be used for propaganda
purposes in the post-Norman period. A notable exam-
ple is Caithréim Thoirdhealbhaigh(The Victorious
Career of Turlough). The narrative is concerned not
only with the Tairdelbach Ua Briain (d. 1306) of the
title but also with events after his death. In style and
method it is closely modeled on its twelfth-century
predecessor, Cogad Gáedel re Gallaibh. The narrative
deals with the civil wars among the Uí Briain
(O’Briens) of Thomond (North Munster) in the late
thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries and appears
to have been written about the middle of the fourteenth
century. The two branches of the Uí Briain in conflict
with one another are Clann Taidc (supported by the
Anglo-Irish de Burghs) and Clann Briain Ruaid (sup-
ported by their Anglo-Irish allies, the de Clares). Clann
Taidc are eulogized from start to finish. It has been
argued that Caithréim Thoirdhealbhaighwas commis-
sioned by a king from among Clann Taidc to discredit
Clann Briain Ruaid and to prove that the descendants
of Tadc Ua Briain were the authentic heirs of Brian
Boru and thus of purer stock. It has also been pointed
out that although the kings of Clann Taidc are por-
trayed in the mold of Brian Boru, the narrative betrays
a sympathy for the foreigners; such acceptance is alien
to the traditions of Gaelic dynastic propaganda in the
pre-Norman period. This may reflect intimate ties
between the Clann Taidc branch of the Uí Briain and
Anglo-Irish magnates which developed from the 1270s
on. Several marriages, for instance, served to cement
the political alliance of Clann Taidc and the de Burghs.
It has been remarked upon that although the de Burghs
are occasionally criticized in Caithréim Thoirdhealb-
haigh, they are more often described as “kingly” and
“of English origin but now Irish-natured.” Caithréim
Thoirdhealbhaighcan be viewed as marking a signif-
icant development in Irish historical tales in that it
reflects changing circumstances in post-Norman Ireland.
It is an example of political propaganda in which,
following an earlier tradition, in which heroes continue
to be depicted as the epitome of all that was most
praiseworthy in a Gaelic king, but also one in which
the changed reality of ties with the Anglo-Irish lordship
could also be reflected and, in this case, approved of.
CAOIMHÍN BREATNACHReferences and Further Reading
Herbert, Máire. “Fled Dúin na nGéd: A Reappraisal.” Cam-
bridge Medieval Celtic Studies18 (Winter 1989): 75–87.
Nic Ghiollamhaith, Aoife. “Dynastic Warfare and Historical
Writing in North Munster.” Cambridge Medieval Celtic
Studies2 (Winter 1981): 73–89.
Ní Mhaonaigh, Máire. “Cogad Gáedel re Gallaiband the
Annals: A Comparison.” Ériu47 (1996): 101–126.
Ó Corráin, Donnchadh. “Caithréim Chellacháin Chaisil: His-
tory or Propaganda?” Ériu25 (1974): 1–69.
Ó Riain, Pádraig. Cath Almaine. Dublin: Dublin Institute for
Advanced Studies, 1978.
See alsoGaelicization; Ó Briain; Viking IncursionsHOARDS
In archaeological terms, a hoard may be defined as a
group of artifacts found together, usually not associated
with any known archaeological feature, site or monu-
ment. Hoards are thus distinguished from assemblages
of artifacts found in the excavation of settlement sites,
graves or burial chambers (although there are rare exam-
ples of hoards found in the excavation of such sites).
While some hoards may reflect nothing more than acci-
dental loss, most are seen as the result of deliberate
deposition, for which a variety of motives have been
suggested. Hoards are an important feature of the
archaeology of prehistoric (i.e., pre-Christian) Ireland,
especially in the Bronze Age and Iron Age. Many of
these hoards have been interpreted as ritual or votive
offerings—that is, as a deliberate offering to deities or
spirits without any intention of retrieval. As Ireland
became a Christianized society, however, such practices
disappeared and throughout the medieval period the pur-
pose of hoard deposition, almost without exception, was
to conceal the objects for safekeeping, with the intention
of retrieving them. In a society without banks or safety
deposits, and where most buildings were all-too-easily
destructible, the concealment of valuables in the ground
was often the only means of safekeeping in times ofHISTORICAL TALES