, an Irish gentleman of learning, who had a considerable knowledge
, an Irish
gentleman of learning, who had a considerable knowledge
in the history and antiquities of his country, was born in.
1650, at Moycullin, co. Galway, the ancient estate of his
family, which became forfeited by the rebellion in 1641,
when he was only eleven years old. He published at
London, 1685, a book under the singular and mystic title
of “Ogygia, or Rerum Hibernicarum Chronologia,
” containing chronological memoirs upon the antiquities of the
kingdom of Ireland; compiled, as he observes, “ex pervetustis monumentis fideliter inter se collatis eruta, atque
e sacris et profanis litteris primarum orbis gentium, tarn
genealogicis, quam chronologicis suffulta prresidiis.
” This
work, a 4to volume, containing about 600 pages, he" dedicated to the then duke of York, afterwards king James II.
of England. The author commences his history from the deluge, continues it to the year of Christ 42 8, and has divided it
into three parts. The first describes the island, its various
names, inhabitants, extent, kings, the manner of their annual
election, &c. The second is a kind of chronological parallel
of the Irish affairs, with the events that happened during the
same period in other countries. The third is a more ample
detail of particular transactions in the same kingdom. To
this is added a professedly exact chronological table of all
the Christian kings who have ruled over Ireland, from
A. D. 482 till A. D. 1022; and a brief relation of the most
prominent historic features of the island till the time of
Charles II. in 1685. To this succeeds a chronological
poem, which forms a summary of Irish history to the same
period. At the end is a very curious catalogue of the
Scottish kings, Irish, who have reigned in the British isles.
In his genealogical remarks on the regal house of the
Stewarts, the author attempts to prove they were originally an Irish family. It is surprising that neither the author nor his work has been noticed by Macpherson or
Whitaker in their controversy respecting the peopling of
Hibernia, and the origin of the Caledonians; although
he is particularly noticed by O'Hallaran in his History of
Ireland.