Sydney, wch for want of means for safe conduct upon ye water it hath not prevailed[1]."
These fortified islands were generally artificial, and upon them were constructed wooden huts or cabins, called in Irish, Crannoges; the largest of this description in Ireland is said to have been on an island in Lough Allen, in the county of Leitrim; it was the residence of Mac Anaw, (now Forde,) one of O'Rourke's sub-chieftains: the following notices of crannoges occur, among others, in the annals of the Four Masters.
"A. D. 1246, Turlogh, son of Hugh O'Conor, escaped from the crannog of Loch Leisi, (in Roscommon,) in the harvest, having drowned the persons who were guarding him, viz., Cormac O'Muireadhaigh, (Murry,) and two of the o'Mearans.
"1436, The crannog of Loch Laoghaire, (near Clogher, in Tyrone,) was taken by the sons of Brian Oge O'Neill. O'Neill and Henry (O'Neill,) came to the lake there, and they sent for Maguire, (Thomas Oge,) and when he had arrived they commenced making vessels to carry them to the crannog, on which the sons of Brian Oge were; the sons of Brian then agreed to surrender the crannog to O'Neill, and make peace with him.
"1455, Turloch, son of Philip Mac Guire, went upon Loch Meilge, (between Fermanagh and Leitrim,) and took and plundered a crannog which Mac Flannchaidhe had upon it.
"1512, Crannag Mac Samhradhain, (Mac Gauran's crannog in Tullyhaw, co. Cavan,) was assaulted by Philip Mac Guire and his sons, assisted by the sons of Thomas Mac Magnus Mac Gauran, but they did not succeed in capturing Mac Gauran, who was in it.
"1560, Teige O'Rourke was drowned in the autumn, when going to sleep on a low secluded crannog, in Muinutir Eolais, (Mac Randall's country.)
"1601, Crannog Meic Cnaimhin," (Mac Nevin's crannog,) is mentioned this year.
The county of Monaghan, formerly Mac Mahon's country, studded as it is with small lakes in every district, contained many of these crannoges; they are particularly noticed in the early maps of the county[2] as "The Iland" with the addition generally of the name of the chief who resided in each; at Monaghan we have "The Iland, Mac Mahons house," represented as a mere hut, occupying the whole site of a small
