Index of Names in Irish Annals: Descriptive Bynames: Mainistrech

by Mari Elspeth nic Bryan (Kathleen M. O'Brien)

Descriptive Bynames: Mainistrech

Meaning:

"[of] Monasterboice" (a monastery in County Louth)

Though this byname literally means "[of the] Monastery", in the few examples found of this byname, it is always a specific reference to Mainister Buithe, whose name means 'Buite's Monastery' or 'Monastery [of] Buite'. (Buite is the name of a saint.) This location is known today as Monasterboice and is located in County Louth.

Spellings:

What we know as a set of Irish Annals are manuscripts that were each compiled during a particular time period, usually using older material as sources. For example, when the Annals of the Four Masters were written from 1632 to 1636, they covered events that occurred centuries and millenia before (including legendary history). So, when an entry in this set of annals refers to a person who lived in the year 738, the spelling used for that person's name is very likely not using the spelling that would have been used in 738.

Standard forms of this name (based on spelling systems of different periods) would be:

Old Irish Gaelic (c700-c900) genitive form:	Mainistrech

Middle Irish Gaelic (c900-c1200) genitive form:	Mainistrech

Frequency & Dates:

Number of men found in the annals with this name: 4

Found in Years: 719, 723, 825, 827, 831, 833, 834, 1056, 1067, 1092, 1104

Research Notes:

In regards to the entry (A, M825.5):

Eoghan imorro, fer leighinn Mainistreach
["Eoghan, who was lector of Mainistir"]

O'Donovan provides a footnote identifying this location (FM vol. 1, pp. 437-438, footnote "a"):

Mainistir: i. e. of Mainister-Buithe, now Anglicè Monasterboice, in the county of Louth.

He provides the same identification in reference to (A, M719.3):

Aelchu Mainistrech Buitti
["Aelchu, of Mainistir Buite"]

in another footnote (FM vol. 1, pp. 318, footnote "d"):

Mainistir-Buite. - Now Monasterboice, in the county of Louth.

The origin of this location name is identified by O'Donovan (FM vol. 1, p. 170, footnote "r"):

Buite mac Bronaigh - He is the patron saint of Mainister Buithe, now Monasterboice, in the barony of Ferrard, and county of Louth, where his festival was celebrated on the 7th of December, according to the Feilire-Aenguis.

Sources:

Further information about the byname Mainistrech, may be found in:

FM (vol. 1, pp. 170, footnote "r")
FM (vol. 1, pp. 437-438, footnote "a")

The Sources page lists the Annals referenced below. Information about secondary sources is included on that page as well.

Raw Data

In the table below, I have separated individuals with a blank line. That is, when there are multiple entries in the annals that refer to a single person, those entries are grouped together.

Within the list of entries refering to a single person, I have sorted the entries primarily by orthography when it is obvious that what I am seeing is the same entry showing up in multiple annals. The entries that tend to use older spellings are listed first.

NOTE: The Annals referenced below under the code letters A, B, C, E, & F tend to use later spellings than the other Annals. In some cases, the spellings listed in these Annals may not be appropriate for the year referenced in the Annal entry.

In some Gaelic scripts, there is a character that looks approximately like a lowercase f, but without the crossbar. This character (represented by an underscored , e, in the entries below) sometimes represents e and sometimes ea depending upon the context of the text.

[Standardized form of this man's name]

Annals Entry Context Citation (formatting preserved)

[Ailchú Mainistrech] (d. 719-723)

[Note: OCM (p. 17 s.n. Ailchú) identifies this man as an abbot of Monasterboice.]

U U723.2 R Ailchon Monistrech Buiti ["Ailchú of Mainister Buiti"]

T T723.2 R Faelcon Mainistreach Buitte

A M719.3 R Aelchu Mainistrech Buitti ["Aelchu, of Mainistir Buite"]

[Eógan Mainistrech] (d. 833-834)

U U831.9 R Eugain Mainisdreach, abbatis Airdd Machae

CS CS827 R Eogain

CS CS827 R Eogan fer leiginn Mainistrech ["Eógan, lector of Mainstir"]

CS CS827 R Eogain meic Anmchada

CS CS827 R Eogan Mainistrech ["Eógan of Mainstir"]

A M825.5 R Eoghain Mainistreach

A M825.5 R Eoghan imorro, fer leighinn Mainistreach ["Eoghan, who was lector of Mainistir"]

U U834.2 R Eugan Manistrech, abb Airdd Machae & Cluana Irairdd

I I834.1 R Eogan, epscop Airdd Macha

CS CS834 R Eoccan Mainistrech ab Aird Macha

A M833.14 R Eoghan Mainistreach, abb Arda Macha & Cluana h-Eraird

[Flann Mainistrech] (d. 1056)

U U1056.8 R Flann Mainistrech,aird-fer leighinn & sui senchusa Erenn ["Flann of Mainistir, eminent lector and master of the historical lore of Ireland"]

T LC1056.3 R Flann Main Isdreach, aird fhile & airdfher léighinn

T T1056.3 R Fland Mainistreach ughdar Gaidhel, etir léighind & t-senchus & filidecht & airchedal

B M1056.3 R Fland Mainistreach, fer léighind Mainistreach Búithe, saoi egna n-Gaoidheal, h-i léighionn, & h-i senchus, & h-i filidheacht, & i n-airchetal

U U1067.1 R Ecthigern m. Flainn Mainistrech .i. airchinnech Mainistrech

B M1067.3 R Echtighern, mac Floinn Mainistreach, airchinnech Mainistrech Búithe

U U1104.1 R Feidhlimidh m. Flaind Mainistrech

B M1104.3 R Feidhlimid, mac Flainn Mainistreach

[Cormacc Mainistrech] (d. 1092)

I I1092.8 R Cormac Manistrech, in t-uasalepscobb & in sruithsenoir h-Erenn ["Cormac Mainistrech, the noble bishop and venerable senior of Ireland"]

CS CS1092 R Cormac Mainistreach uasalepscop

B M1092.3 R Corbmac, abb Mainistrech sruith-shenóir naomh, cend eccna & crabhaidh na n-Gaoidhel ["Cormac, Abbot of Mainistir Buithe, a learned and holy senior, head of the wisdom and piety of the Gaeidhil"]

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Number of men found in the annals with this name:	4
Found in Years:	719, 723, 825, 827, 831, 833, 834, 1056, 1067, 1092, 1104

[Standardized form of this man's name]
Annals	Entry	Context	Citation (formatting preserved)

[Ailchú Mainistrech] (d. 719-723)
[Note: OCM (p. 17 s.n. Ailchú) identifies this man as an abbot of Monasterboice.]
U	U723.2	R	Ailchon Monistrech Buiti ["Ailchú of Mainister Buiti"]
T	T723.2	R	Faelcon Mainistreach Buitte
A	M719.3	R	Aelchu Mainistrech Buitti ["Aelchu, of Mainistir Buite"]

[Eógan Mainistrech] (d. 833-834)
U	U831.9	R	Eugain Mainisdreach, abbatis Airdd Machae
CS	CS827	R	Eogain
CS	CS827	R	Eogan fer leiginn Mainistrech ["Eógan, lector of Mainstir"]
CS	CS827	R	Eogain meic Anmchada
CS	CS827	R	Eogan Mainistrech ["Eógan of Mainstir"]
A	M825.5	R	Eoghain Mainistreach
A	M825.5	R	Eoghan imorro, fer leighinn Mainistreach ["Eoghan, who was lector of Mainistir"]
U	U834.2	R	Eugan Manistrech, abb Airdd Machae & Cluana Irairdd
I	I834.1	R	Eogan, epscop Airdd Macha
CS	CS834	R	Eoccan Mainistrech ab Aird Macha
A	M833.14	R	Eoghan Mainistreach, abb Arda Macha & Cluana h-Eraird

[Flann Mainistrech] (d. 1056)
U	U1056.8	R	Flann Mainistrech,aird-fer leighinn & sui senchusa Erenn ["Flann of Mainistir, eminent lector and master of the historical lore of Ireland"]
T	LC1056.3	R	Flann Main Isdreach, aird fhile & airdfher léighinn
T	T1056.3	R	Fland Mainistreach ughdar Gaidhel, etir léighind & t-senchus & filidecht & airchedal
B	M1056.3	R	Fland Mainistreach, fer léighind Mainistreach Búithe, saoi egna n-Gaoidheal, h-i léighionn, & h-i senchus, & h-i filidheacht, & i n-airchetal
U	U1067.1	R	Ecthigern m. Flainn Mainistrech .i. airchinnech Mainistrech
B	M1067.3	R	Echtighern, mac Floinn Mainistreach, airchinnech Mainistrech Búithe
U	U1104.1	R	Feidhlimidh m. Flaind Mainistrech
B	M1104.3	R	Feidhlimid, mac Flainn Mainistreach

[Cormacc Mainistrech] (d. 1092)
I	I1092.8	R	Cormac Manistrech, in t-uasalepscobb & in sruithsenoir h-Erenn ["Cormac Mainistrech, the noble bishop and venerable senior of Ireland"]
CS	CS1092	R	Cormac Mainistreach uasalepscop
B	M1092.3	R	Corbmac, abb Mainistrech sruith-shenóir naomh, cend eccna & crabhaidh na n-Gaoidhel ["Cormac, Abbot of Mainistir Buithe, a learned and holy senior, head of the wisdom and piety of the Gaeidhil"]