Hugh, his father owned Kilbarron Castle, with all its wide domains, and sat amongst the noblest at O’Donnell’s board in the Castle of Donegal. But now his castle was dismantled, and his lands were seized by Sir Henry Ffolliott and his followers. He had nothing left but his books, which he tells us in his will he valued more than everything else in the world. Like a true scholar, he would part with everything—castle, lands, and honours sooner than part with these beloved books that he had now before him on the table. At the foot of the table sat Conary O’Clery, an excellent scholar and scribe, but still not ranking with the official ollaves present. He seems to have been chosen as secretary and attendant to the official historians, and hence is not reckoned by Colgan amongst the Four Masters properly so called.
And now that the Masters are about to begin their labours, Brother Michael explains in brief and touching words the object and purpose of their labours, which was to collect and arrange and illustrate[1] the Annals of Erin, both sacred and profane, from the very dawn of our Island’s history down to their own time.
"For [he said] as you well know, my friends, evil days have come upon us and upon our country and if this work is not done now these old books of ours that contain the history of our country—of its kings and its warriors, its saints and its scholars—may be lost to posterity, or at least may never be brought together again; and thus a great and irreparable evil would befall our native land. Now, we have here collected together the best and most copious books of Annals that we could find throughout all Ireland, which, as you are well aware, was no easy task to accomplish. We must, therefore, begin with the oldest entries in these ancient books we must examine them carefully, one by one we must compare them, and, if need be, correct them then, as every entry is thus examined and approved of by us, it will be entered by you, Conary O’Clery, in those sheets of parchment, and thus preserved to latest posterity for the glory of God and the honour of Erin.
"The good brothers of this convent, poor as they are themselves, have still undertaken to provide us with food and attendance. There is, alas, no O’Donnell now in Donegal to be our patron and protector; but, as you know, the noble Ferrall O’Gara has promised to give you, my friends, a recompense for your labours that will help to maintain your families at home. As for myself—a poor brother of St. Francis only needs humble fare, and the plain habit of our holy founder. So now let us set to work hard, late and early, with the blessing of God, and leave the future entirely in His hands.”
- ↑ As O’Queely puts it, "colligendo, castigando, illustrando."
