Book Excerpts from Hand of History, Burden of Psuedo History
by Tom O Connor
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P. 10
'History' is a stubborn, sanctimonious, sly, slippery serpent, notoriously so in Ireland. History does not lie. Not so Irish ‘historians’! They personify Samuel Butler's dictum that "though God cannot alter the past, ‘historians’ can.” Their ‘histories’ pulverized early Irish history. The hand of history weighs heavily on Ireland, the burden of pseudo-history infinitely more so.
P. 12
The political geography of Ptolemy of Alexandria's 2nd century Irish record corresponds to that of the Ulidian Tales, Ireland's oldest record. It is totally at odds with that projected by Irish pseudo-history. Ptolemy is corroborated by the Ulidian Tales in projecting an Ireland dominated by 2 warring powers, Ulster and Connacht, the 2 provinces in which his 2 REGIA (Capitals) are located, namely, Emain Macha in Ulster and his Connacht Iron Age Oppidum of Regia E Te[mh]ra.
P. 13
By 50 BC Southern Britain was dominated by Celtic Belgae, as Caesar affirmed. Ptolemy’s Irish record shows that the Belgae (Fir Belg) had exerted their dominance over Southern Ireland. As a prelude to examining the Belgic invasion of Ireland and primary settlement areas there, it is apt to review the distant origins of the Belgae (Fir Belg) to dispel the many myths and fictions latched on to their name.
P. 25
Commius, a classically educated charismatic leader emerged on the Belgic stage. His sterling leadership qualities attracted Caesar's instant attention and respect. Having curbed Belgic Atrebaten resistance by expelling their anti-Roman chiefs, Caesar appointed Commius as their King. "Commius" he said "was a man both courageous and politic, a noble of great influence and learning." Caesar also made him king of the Morini when their anti-Roman rulers fled. Commius had an astute ability to be accepted as a leader of diverse Celtic tribes. He was acceptable to all, a pan-Celtic international, the first true European.
P. 27
Caesar's plan to invade Britain was formed in 57 BC while fighting the Continental Belgae. Belgic clans in SE Britain maintained contact with their mainland cousins, aiding them in the war against Caesar. This was the excuse for his invasion of Britain. He chose 10,000 legionaries for his invasion. He sent Commius to Britain to encourage submission to Rome. Caesar’s success depended on Commius.
P. 28
Caesar's fleet ran aground 250 feet from shore at South Foreland on 25th August 55 BC. Celtic warriors massed along the cliff-tops, placed on high alert by Commius. Heavily laden troops waded ashore through withering Celtic fire. War chariots with scythes fitted unnerved the Romans and mowed them down. Warriors engaged the invaders in hand to hand combat before darting back on chariots and racing away. Caesar’s artillery legion then turned its fire on the Celts who draw back, confused.
Caesar ordered the VII Legion to reap crops ready for harvesting and plunder supplies from nearby settlements. It was set upon by Celtic war-chariots lying in ambush. He ordered his whole army to the scene of action to save his legion. This drew from Caesar a glowing account of the methods of Celtic chariot warfare that threw Roman ranks into confusion. As Caesar retreated, the Celts carried off large numbers of Roman prisoners. Caesar's much depleted army, without provisions, fled back to the Continent. From a military viewpoint the expedition was a disaster. As his war galley backed away from the British coast, Caesar was already planning a 'full-scale conquest' of Britain with a vastly larger force.
P.
56
Emperor Claudius ordered the invasion of Britain in 43 AD.
P. 61
Suetonius stormed the Druid’s headquarters in Anglesey in N Wales. The druids were slain, their sacred altars smashed. Celtic religion suffered its most devastating blow. Celtic gods were furious. Rebellion broke out all across Britain. With Suetonius 250 miles away, a furious horde burst from the Iceni forests seeking revenge. At their head was the multi-colour-tuniced, fiery-eyed Queen Boudicea, gold-broach-fastened cloak over her shoulder, a gold torc round her neck and flowing red hair falling to her hips. Chosen by the Iceni, Trinovantes and Catuvellauni as leader of the rebellion, she had nothing to lose, many wrongs to right. She marshaled 120,000 warriors. Her eloquent battle oration fanned their frenzied fury: “Day of retribution has dawned! Fear not the barbarous Romans hiding behind helmet, breastplate and stone palisade, trembling in fear. Show them that they are but hares and foxes trying to lord it over wolves and wardogs. Victory or death today!” In unison they roared “Boudicea” (‘Victory’).
The mob surged forth; their numbers multiplied as they descended on the Roman Capital, Camulodunum. Thunderous uproar sent shivers through Roman residents. Rumour spread that the statue of Victory had fallen, its back to the enemy as if in flight. Roman author Tacitus described the horrific scene: "Delirious women chanted the destruction at hand, outlandish yells reverberated through the senate; the theatre re-echoed with blood-curling shrieks; at the mouth of the Thames a ghost settlement was in ruins. The sea was blood-red, shapes like human corpses left by the tide littered the beaches..."
Boudicea's massed warriors crashed through the defenses. Claudius' temple was pulled down, the statue of the Emperor smashed. The 3 largest towns in Britain were destroyed and 70,000 people killed. "This was the worst disaster to have befallen a civil population in the Roman Empire for a very long time."
P. 65
The Romans demonized Boudicea for her back-lash. What else could one expect from a Queen who witnessed the wanton way her people had been treated, herself scourged unconscious and her daughters gang-raped by barbarous Romans! Her rebellion came only after extreme provocation. “She had trusted the Romans.” It was only after their debauched behaviour “that she turned against them – as you would.”
Suetonius marched on Boudicea’s army. The Romans killed men, women, children and baggage animals. Horror of horrors! Massacre most foul! “Heaps of dead” (Tacitus’ words). 80,000 corpses piled high. Shame! “Sure Victory Day” turned into inglorious Dooms-Day for Celtic Britain by day’s downfall.
P. 66
Britain was a corpse. Countless Celts were dead or fled – to Ireland.
P. 78
Having examined the unique Belgic defensive system on the Continent and in Britain, it is time to look at those areas of Ireland to which the Belgae (Fir Belg) migrated and set up their primary settlement areas.
P. 80
Belgic tribes from SE England led by Gann (Commius) and Sengann invaded along the Shannon estuary in W Ireland where Ptolemy located the Gangani. Dela, grandson of Gann, invaded through Ath Cliath Magh Ri in Galway Bay. He made Turoe/Knocknadala in central Galway the core of his kigdom where Ptolemy located Regia e Tera (REGIA E TE[mh]RA, Capital at Turoe) and NAG na TAL (Knocknadal).
P. 89
Chapter 2 reconstructs the Turoe oppidum and its Belgic defensive system. Thrill to the ‘discovery’ of Ptolemy’s "most extensive acropolis in all Britannia" of one of the most massive oppida in Celtic Europe.
P. 120
Ptolemy located Regia E Tera in central Co. Galway where Turoe (Cnoc Temhro) stands today.
P. 184
Ptolemy's Regia E Tera in Western Ireland is as close a rendition of the Irish Regia e Temhra (minus the silenced 'mh' = Capital at Turoe, e Temhra) as one could achieve in Greek letters.
P. 194
'Senchas na Releg' (Necropolis History) and 'Shighud Tellaig na Cruachna' (Cruachan Necropolis)preserve the geo-political essence of Iron Age Ireland totally at variance with the projections of pseudo-history. They corroborate the evidence of Ptolemy and the Ulidian Tales that Ireland was divided by 2 great powers with their own Acropolis/Necropolis. They project the 2 'Priomh Relec' (Chief Necropoli) as Cruachu, burial place of Connacht Kings, and Tailtiu, burial place of Ulster Kings. Archaic texts, Senchas na Releg, De Gabail an tSída, De Copur in da Muccida and Shíghud Tellaig na Cruachna anchor the Chief Iron Age Necropolis, Relig na Rí lamh le Cruacha, at Athenry’s Sidhe Boidb and Sidh nOchaill, not at Rathcroghan of Roscommon as falsely claimed by 8th/9th century pseudo-history. They tell that the Early Kings of Connacht, Rí Temhróit (of Turoe), were interred there. Gods/goddesses of the Celtic Pantheon had their Otherworld Abodes (Sidhe) there, allotted to them in the Mountain (Cruachan) North, South, East and West complexes around Athenry by the Daghdha, father of the gods/goddesses. Their names still ring out across the archaic Celtic landscape of Rath Cruachain of Athenry.
P. 218
What is startling about the list of territories of Conor Mac Nessa’s ancient Ulster is Ulster’s massive extent stretching down to the midlands and west across the Shannon into Connacht as far as the River Suck. "To Furbaide, Conor Mac Nessa’s son, was given North and South Tethba including Longford and the west half of Westmeath down to the Midlands. To Glaisni, son of Conor, was given Fir Maland and Findclair na Bredcha." Findclair na Bredcha was the territory west of the Shannon stretching from Athlone to the River Suck at Ballinasloe in Galway. It ran north, bounded by the Suck forming the Galway/Roscommon border, to the Cruithintuatha na Chroghain district of Rathcroghan. Cruthintuatha na Chroghain denotes its possession by the Cruthin. Far indeed from Queen Medb having her royal throne at Rathcroghan, it belonged to her bitterest enemy, the Cruthin King of Rathcroghan. Glaisne, son of Conor Mac Nessa, next Overking of Greater Ulster at Emain Macha, was king of this territory with its capital at Rathcroghan at the time of the Battle of Airtech. The extent of Ulster in Medb's time underpins the significance of the archaic name of Medb’s Fir Belg embryonic province of lower Connacht, namely, Ól nÉcmacht, 'Embanked Enclave', surrounded by Cruthin territory, with its back to the sea.
P. 226
The Book of Leinster preserves a detail with enormous implications for Irish history. At Tara, Fedelm's son, Conor Mac Nessa's grandson, Erc, was bestowed the Tara kingdom by Conor. That Conor, Cruthin King of Ulster, could bestow Tara on his grandson confirms that it was in his possession to do so. That this adverse detail for the political interests of Leinster, then beginning to make its own claims on Tara, is admitted by the Book of Leinster shows that this was an indisputable fact of history. From Conor Mac Nessa's day until the Battle of Moyrath in 637, Ulster Cruthin regents alone reigned at Tara of Meath. Underscoring this fact, Erc took Cu Chulainn's daughter, Findscoth, in marriage. An all Ulster affair!
P. 185
O Rahilly had finally to humbly admit in his almost unnoticed ‘Additional Notes’ that at that time the power of the Ulaid (ancient Ulster) extended south of the Boyne and included Tara."
P. 308
Truth is often bitter, fact stranger than fiction. Tara, contrary to prevalent belief, was never the Capital of an Iron Age or medieval united Ireland. The projection of a High-Kingship of Ireland in St. Patrick’s time is pure fiction perpetrated for propaganda purposes. A great medieval conspiracy suppressed the archaic history of the Turoe/Athenry oppidum in particular, and of Ireland in general, in favour of Tara of Meath and Rathcroghan of Roscommon which were glorified as the Royal Seats of the High-Kingship of Ireland and of Connacht respectively from time immemorial. Chapter 4 addresses this hideous hoax.
P. 309
While the historicity of the Iron Age Irish record remains open to question, the political geography of Tara and Rathcroghan as the Capitals of Celtic Iron Age Ireland are taken for granted without question. By assuming the stream of Irish history evolved and revolved around Tara from time immemorial, genuine history is sidetracked. Hence historians have thrown Irish pre-Christian history overboard as pure myth, having failed to find a place for it in the context of Tara and Rathcroghan. To see how Pseudo-History usurped the place of genuine history one must go back to the coming of the Celts. To analyze the manufacture of this myth in motion one must go back to Patrick's mission and re-examine how he was resurrected, animated, inflated and elongated the length and breadth of Ireland by the blatantly ambitious monastic federation of Armagh for its own aggrandizement.
P. 315
Muirchu (for Armagh’s monastic federation) and Adomnan (for Columcille’s) strove to outdo each other in the art of political propaganda to win over powerful patronage. Claims of High-kingship of Ireland for coveted patrons are blatant, politicized, patronage-seeking propaganda concocted by both clerics without the slightest foundation of historical truth, yet articulated in such a sophisticated manner as to confound astute scholars of history. Adomnan glorified the King of Northumbria as “Emperor of Britain” and Ui Neill kings as “ordained by God to be Over-kings of Ireland” to win their patronage. If Adomnan could get away with such highfaluting propaganda, just watch Muirchu! This cunning cleric would conjure up a subtly sophisticated scheming stew that would overawe the overtures of Adomnan and bowl over Ui Neill warlords. Indeed, all Ireland was bowled over and has still to recover its senses. In brewing the most sophisticated political propaganda ever devised in their war of words to win the hearts and minds of Ui Neill warlords, Adomnan and Muirchu became inebriated by the sheer exuberance of their own high-flown, bombastic language which had no relation to reality. Muirchu rose to heights hitherto undreamt of in glorified propagandist flattery that set Ui Neill hearts aflutter. He enlisted the supernatural power of a newly minted Moses-like Patrick. Hitherto Patrick’s cult was purely local in Armagh and Downpatrick districts and embarrassingly associated with the defeated Cruthin isolated in the petty kingdom around Downpatrick. Muirchu would change all that and aggrandize Armagh and Patrick. He minted an Ui Neill connection to Patrick that was like a dream almost too good to be true. Move over Adomnan!
P. 332
Muirchu's manufacture of motifs as links to Patrick and manipulation of secular and Biblical history to boost his High Kingship myth brewed the potent cocktail of pseudo-history. It went straight to the hearts of the Irish. This pseudo-historian took medieval Ireland by storm and still holds all Ireland in thrall.
P. 348
"Here, as elsewhere, one has to gasp at the political skill of Armagh’s 7th century politicians who contrived to gain the support of the powerful dynasties who were subjecting the old tribal communities throughout the country while bringing their tribal churches under her wing." Here was political brink-manship at its dangerous and dizzy heights. Armagh was not satisfied with backing the winning horse - the Ui Neill dynasty, she determined to have as many thoroughbred dynasties as possible in her stables.
Catastrophic change took place in 6th/7th century Ireland as on the Continent. Independent kingdoms and their churches were part of a social, political, world that was rapidly collapsing, giving way to a brash new world. Political structures which supported Ireland's primary Christianity in the 5th century were being replaced in the 7th century. Major monasteries that had their origins in the 6th and 7th centuries rose to greatness on the patronage of the new expanding dynasties. In the Paschal Controversy of the same period Armagh again backed the winner, Rome. Thus she attracted to herself all those who called themselves 'Romani', while those in opposition, like Iona, Columcille's monastic federation, waned.
P. 349
Muirchu embedded his Tara/Patrick fraud in such an enthralling saga that it etched itself on the soul of Ireland for all time. Nothing can erase this luscious lie which burnt itself indelibly into the Irish psyche.
P. 356
Muirchu stands at the source of the muddling of early Irish history and political geography. This evolved round the main axis of his 'Life of Patrick' based on the Patrick/King Laoghaire episode at Tara.
P. 361
The manuscript history of St. Patrick’s 2 genuine writings has its own poignant story to tell. For his complete uncensored texts Ireland is dependent on those preserved on the Continent. Ferdomnach copied into the Book of Armagh a drastically censored version of Patrick’s ‘Confession’, the only one permitted in Ireland by Armagh, and suppressed his ‘Letter to Coroticus’. Yet, Armagh claimed she was the preserver of Patrick’s writings and of early Irish history. The deliberate omission of the ‘Letter of Coroticus’ and the crude censoring of the ‘Confession’ were part of the ongoing monumental fraud being perpetrated by Armagh. It was a blatant suppression of the humble, holy, persecuted Patrick presented in the numerous uncensored sections of the ‘Confession’ which were anathema to Armagh’s conventional picture of a glorified Patrick triumphantly progressing like a conquering hero on his circuit of Ireland.
P. 364
Continental influences on Irish ‘hagiographers’ led to the creation of the Tara/Patrick Myth. “Drawing on continental hagiography of the worst genre, Muirchu's 'Life of Patrick' became a trend setter in spurious hagiography.” The most highly spurious models, the fabulous Lives of St. Martin, were favoured by him. His newly-minted Patrick was elongated the length and breadth of Ireland to claim churches in his name in places the real Patrick never set foot, following the spurious "Lives" of Martin.
P. 366
This was a time of major upheaval in Ireland as on the Continent. Patterns were being created which shaped Europe and molded its life and mentality for centuries to come. “Old tribal identities were being replaced by new national names. Gaul became the land of the Franks. For the first time in Europe from the mid 7th century, National Kingship was established as a brand new institution, overruling tribal organizations and petty kingships. A similar trend is observable in the ecclesiastical realm.”
Ireland played a startlingly significant role in major political and ecclesiastical Continental changes. The episode of the enforced Irish exile of infant King Dagobert II shows the sheer depth of the involvement of Irish abbots in Frankish politics. They were as much involved in Continental politics as they were at home. A stream of inspiration flowed in from the Continent via Abbot Ultan to Muirchu and Tirechan who honed it to perfection in sharp contestation between them and the similarly inspired Adomnan.
P. 370
Pippin II needed a strong Merovingian king to lend legitimacy to his own rule over the Franks. Abbot Ultan reminded him where to find a thoroughbred erudite Merovingian prince in the prime of life ready to take hold of the reins of kingship. Pippin's uncle Grimoald had packed Dagobert off to exile in Ireland some 20 years earlier. Dagobert’s presence in Ireland was covered in utmost secrecy in Irish records. As patron of Ultan's monasteries, Pippin II called on Ultan to organize the safe return of the new King, Dagobert, from Ireland. This was carried out in the Spring of 676 and Dagobert was crowned King.
P. 372
Cross–pollination took place between France and Ireland. Pippin II’s national Over-kingship of the Franks had a profound impact on the growth of the Tara/Patrick Myth and the High Kingship of Ireland. His creation of the Frankish national monarchy was played out before acutely observant Irish eyes. Seizure of power by Pippin II was a violent attempt by the Carolingians to reign as sovereign monarchs of the Franks. Pippin II emerged as the most powerful man in the 3 kingdoms of the Franks. He became their Over-king, creating a national monarchy for the first time ever. Ultan and pro-Armagh Irishmen who witnessed the birth of this institution saw similar possibilities for Irish dynasts. National Over-kingship was an idea whose time had come. Armagh was raring to seize this raging bull by the horns to win over powerful Ui Neill war-lords as prized patrons. Muirchu adapted this idea to the developing situation in Ireland. The Ui Neill were only too willing to emulate the Pippinids. If one is appalled at the violent methods of Ui Neill warlords in their scramble for over-kingship, one has only to look closer to find an exemplar in the atrocity of the contemporary Frankish society. It was an ‘Era of Violence’.
P. 394
“By the 11th/12th centuries ‘poet-historians’ had elaborated in full the concept of a monarchy of All Ireland and projected it back into the pre-Christian past, so that the High-kingship of Ireland took on the character of an immemorial tradition.”
P. 397
Flann Mainistreach (+1056), canonized by Armagh and Ui Neill dynasts for high-handed manipulation of manuscript material in their best interests, had his censorial pen in every line he deemed anathema to the Tara/Patrick Myth. On pretext of gathering historical material he gained access to monastic libraries, even in enemy camps (hence his sobriquet, Flann of the Monasteries). He interpolated manuscripts in the interests of his royal patrons. In the name of syncretism, multiple pages of prestigious Annals and whole books of early history went missing. Perhaps he can explain how Connacht’s ‘Yellow Book of Lecan’ from which he lifted material found its way into Armagh’s strong room. Armagh made herself the Media Mogul and Official Censor responsible for ‘syncretising’ (=censoring) such material for her own ulterior motives. It began with Muirchu and Ferdomnach. It continued to Flann’s day. Nor was Flann alone. The reason for the disappearance of Connacht’s other Great Book, the Lebor Balb, is less enigmatic since this is spelt out by its nickname ‘Balb’ (= silenced). It was violently muffled simply because it contained too much material which flew in the face of ‘the new official doctrine’ of the pseudo-historians. Openly contradicting their fictitious concoctions, they had no option but to have it buried alive. Its sobriquet spells out the naked truth: it was silenced, suppressed, assassinated, buried in a bog.
P. 398
Ambitions of becoming High King of Ireland won for Diarmait Mac Murchada so many enemies that in 1166 he fled to France to Henry II. Returning with a Norman army, he engaged ‘Historians’ to invent a new ‘official doctrine’, a radical ‘restructuring of history’ in Leinster’s favour. His resolve to overthrow Irish law and order extended to the Great Books to make way for his planned revolutionary take-over of Ireland. The scribe of the Book of Leinster was commissioned by Diarmait. His hand closely resembles the violently interpolating hand of H throughout other 12th century Annals such as ‘Lebor na hUidhre’. History withered. Pseudo-history prospered under Diarmait. The crude hand of the highly motivated interpolator, H, was rude and violent. Not only single lines, but whole pages have been erased by him (the membrane rubbed down into holes) and leaves intercalated to make way for the particular recensions he favoured. The hand of H appears again as interpolator in the Annals of Tigernach, in 2 Clonmacnoise manuscripts and in those of Connacht. The Book of Leinster and manuscript material of this period produced substantially altered recensions of archaic history and saga (Táin Bó Cuailgne) redone in a new Leinster context, making Tara the Capital of Leinster from time immemorial. It welded Connacht’s Regents, Ailill and Medb, to the Leinster genealogy. It pulled the pedestal from under the Ui Neill/ Armagh ‘official doctrine’ and created a Leinster layer of pseudo-history that has duped historians.
P. 404
Ireland is so wrapped with multi-layers of pseudo-history that no one can solve her bloody perennial problems without first unbinding multi-layers of falsehood. The truth that “false images of Ireland’s past were undermining its present and mortgaging its future” must be taken seriously. The historic perception presented here is diametrically opposed to that put forward by pseudo-history. This should be essential reading to counteract all the untold harm and misunderstanding created by Irish pseudo-history. Peace efforts without this historic insight will never succeed since these are approached with diametrically opposed expectations regarding the final outcome based on pseudo-historic misconceptions. Irish society, warped by naked bigoted sectarian hatred, has reaped the opprobrium of civilized society worldwide. Unless knowledge of the genuine pristine history of all Irish peoples, Celtic and Pre-Celtic alike, becomes widespread, as opposed to an enslaving pseudo-history which has brought only blood, death and destruction in its wake, Ireland will never experience true peace. That is, until the slippery slimy serpent of pseudo-history has done its wicked worst, until all Ireland can no longer endure the hurt, until Peace comes riding back on the clouds above. Until then, dare anyone say "Ireland is free!"
O Ireland, if only….