INTRODUCTION.

...which the ancients called Masrige and Cathrige Sleacht, but which the moderns name Teallach Eathach modern-day Tullyhaw, County Cavan.

His mother's name was Forchella, from whom it is thought he himself is called Dallan Forgaill, or Forcellius; and his father was Colla, son of Erc, of the race of Colla surnamed Uais Colla the Noble, King of Ireland. His first cousin was Maidoc of Ferns, the very renowned archbishop of Leinster, who was the grandson of the same Erc through his son Sedna, or Sedonius.

Colgan John Colgan (1592–1658), an Irish Franciscan hagiographer and historian, after speaking of the great learning of Eochaid Dallan's birth name, and explaining the word Dallan (meaning "the blind")—an epithet he received because he lost his sight due to the intensity of his studies—proceeds as follows:

“He wrote several short works in the native speech and in an ancient style. In later ages, these cannot be easily understood even by many who are otherwise well-versed in the old native idiom and history. Consequently, our more learned antiquaries have illustrated them with various commentaries. As rare monuments of our ancient language and history, it is customary to lecture on them and explain them in the schools of our nation's historians.

“Among these is one panegyric a speech or poem of high praise or poem, now and—”

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³ Masrige, etc. This is stated in the previously mentioned Preface.

⁴ His mother’s name was Forchella. This is stated in the same place, and is gathered from Blessed Marianus Gormanis and from the author of the Martyrology of Tallaght, who calls him the son of Forgall. However, his father was not called Forgall or Forchella, but Colla... therefore, that was his mother’s name.

⁵ From whom himself, it is thought, is called Forgaill, or Forcellius. The same Preface testifies to this.

⁶ But his father was Colla, son of Erc. So says the same Preface, the Life of St. Columba (chapters 2, 18), and the Genealogical Menologium (chapter 12).

⁷ Son of Erc, of the race of Colla Uais. This is stated in the same place, but the Genealogical Menologium says that this Erc was the grandson of King Colla through his son Feredach. However, the Life of St. Maedoc and others say that the same Erc was the grandfather of both St. Dallan and St. Maedoc. But the grandfather of St. Maedoc was not the grandson of King Colla, but many generations removed from him... And this opinion pleases me more, because it is more likely that those who lived at the same time were the same number of generations from the common ancestor, rather than one being many more than the other.

⁸ [Here Colgan refers to his Life of Maedoc, whose feast day is January 31st]. —Editor.

⁹ Grandson of the same Erc from his son Sedna. So says the Irish Life of St. Maedoc, chapter 72, etc.