Tarlach Ó Mealláin facts for kids

Tarlach Ó Mealláin was an Irish Franciscan friar who lived in the 1600s. He is famous for writing a special diary called Cín Lae Uí Mhealláin.

Who Was Tarlach Ó Mealláin?

Tarlach Ó Mealláin came from a family in Tír Eoghain (Tyrone) that had a special job. For many years, his family were the traditional guardians of the Bell of Saint Patrick. This bell was a very important religious item.

His family lived in an area called An Mheallánacht. This land was located between Slieve Gallon and Lough Neagh. Over time, parts of his family moved south. One group settled in Donaghmore, County Tyrone, and another in Clonfeacle. We don't know which part of the family Tarlach belonged to.

Tarlach joined a group of Franciscans. These friars had been forced to leave their home in Armagh in the 1500s. They found a new home in County Tyrone under the protection of the O'Neill dynasty. They built a friary, which is like a monastery, in a place called Gort Tamlach na Muc. Sadly, this friary was attacked and burned by Scottish soldiers on June 15, 1643.

Tarlach was known for understanding the views of the Catholic people in Ulster. He was one of many dedicated Franciscans who worked hard to write down Irish history. They wanted to make sure future generations would know about the past.

Tarlach's Diary: Cín Lae Uí Mhealláin

Tarlach Ó Mealláin served as a chaplain to Felim O'Neill of Kinard during the Irish Confederate Wars. Because of this, he was present at many important events that he wrote about in his diary, the Cín Lae.

For example, he was at the battle of Clones, County Monaghan on June 13, 1643. He also wrote about the Battle of Benburb in 1646. For this battle, he wrote: Do bhenadar na sloite da cheile ar Dhruim Fhliuch. This means "The armies met on Drum Flugh," which helped historians find the exact battlefield.

Tarlach knew a lot about the leaders in Ulster. He also knew many of the places where battles happened. This makes his diary a very valuable source for historians. It helps them understand the past, learn about place names, and even study family histories. Because of the way he wrote, it's also important for people who study the Irish language.

The Cín Lae was written in a short, quick way. It seems Tarlach used it as a reminder for himself. He might have planned to write a longer, more detailed history later. Unfortunately, it seems he never got to write that full history.

The diary is written on 22 small sheets of paper. Each sheet is about 18.5 cm by 14 cm. The story in the diary suddenly stops on page 44. The last words are: "Tanic trí mile saigdeor ón Pharlemeint i nÁth C. i n-aghaidh Laighneach agus each ..."

A Look Inside the Diary

Here is an example from the first page of Tarlach's diary: "On the eve of the Feast of Saint John Capistranus the lords of Ulster planned to seize in one night, unknown to the English and the Scots, all their walled towns, castles and bawns. The date chosen was 22nd October, Friday to be precise, and the last day of the moon."

This entry describes a plan by the Ulster leaders. They wanted to take over towns and castles from the English and Scots. This event happened on Saturday, October 23, 1641.

What Happened After 1647?

The Cín Lae mentions the Battle of Scarrifholis, which happened in June 1650. This tells us that Tarlach was still alive at that time. However, his diary entries stop in 1647.

Some people think he might have written another work called An Díbirt go Connachta. This work talks about people being moved to Connacht in the mid-1650s. But we are not sure if Tarlach was truly the author of this second work.

See also

• Irish Confederate Wars
• Henry Ó Mealláin
• Feardorcha Ó Mealláin