Laeghaire Lorc

e reigned 2 years. His mother was a French princess, named Ceasair Cruthach, a daughter of the king of France. This king was distinguished by the name of Laoghaire Lorc because he seized upon the murderer of his father, Badhbhchadh, and slew him, for the word "Lorch" means murder or slaughter; but he was slain himself by his brother, Cobhthach Caolmbreag, afterwards at Dinn Righ, near the river Barrow, anciently named Bearbha.

The king, Laoghaire, was very kind and indulgent to his brother, and settled a princely income upon him, but his bounty and affection met with very ungrateful returns from the wicked Cobhthach, who, coveting his brother's crown and kingdom, resolved to murder him. The brother of this king of Ireland, Cobhthach Caol mBreagh, was full of envy that Laoghaire had the high Kingship and not him. Cobhthach was so envious he became ill.

When Laoghaire heard that he was sick, he came with an armed force to visit him. When Cobhthach saw him, he said it was sad that his brother always had a suspicion of him and would not come into his presence without an escort. "Not so," said Laoghaire, "I will come peacefully into thy presence the next time unattended by an armed escort." Now Cobhthach took the advice of a druid who was with him as to how he could lay hold on his kinsman to kill him. "What you must do," said the druid, "is to feign death, and go into a bier as a corpse, and to send word of this to Laoghaire; and he will come to thee with only a small escort; and when he will come into thy presence, he will lie on thy body lamenting thee, and do thou stab him in the chest with a dirk, and thus kill him."

When Cobhthach had in this manner finished the killing of Laoghaire, he also killed the son of Laoghaire (Oilill Aine). Cobhthach commanded the son of Oilill Aine, Maon, to eat a portion of his father's and grandfather's hearts, and to swallow a mouse with her young. But the child lost his speech from the disgust he felt, and at this Cobhthach let him go (Maon was no longer a threat to the kingship because he was blemished by lack of speech).

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