Tuairimítear gurbh é an duine deireanach é a fuair oiliúint mar fhile gairmiúil den seandéanamh. In An tUltach, Feabhra 1954 (‘Dánta de chuid Uladh: An teach a ndearnadh Ballóg De’) deir Éamonn Ó Tuathail: ‘Is cosúil gur duine amháin an Diarmuid Mac an Bhaird a chum an dán atá i gcló anseo agus an Diarmuid (Mac Laoisigh) Mac an Bhaird a rinne tuireamh ar Thadhg Ó Rodaighe i mbliain a 1689 (Cat. Ir Mss in T.C.D., lch 292). Agus b’fhéidir gur ua nó fionn-ua é do “Lissagh mc Der-mod McEvard” a bhí ina chónaí i bhFearnaigh [i gContae Mhuineacháin] i mbliain a 1601 (Fiants of Elizabeth 65637).’ Bhí muintir Mhic An Bhaird in Oirghialla ón 15ú céad anall. In ainneoin filí agus fir léinn níos aitheanta a bheith i dTír Chonaill, nocht Tomás Ó Rathile an tuairim seo in Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy XXXVI, C, 1922 (‘Irish Poets, Historians, and Judges in English Documents, 1538–1615’): ‘The family of Mac-an-Bhaird in the sixteenth century were settled in several districts. Perhaps the most important branch of them was that in MacMahon’s country of Farney, Co. Monaghan...’. Is dóigh leis gurb é an ‘Deirmod McE[evard]’ ar tugadh pardún dó 4 Nollaig 1602 an file seo. Deir Láimhbheartach Mac Cionnaith in Aithdioghluim dána, 1939 faoi Dhiarmuid: ‘The genealogy of this poet’s family seems not to be given in the genealogical tracts – a strange fact as the family was one of the most notable Bardic ones in the country.’ Tuairimíonn Seosamh Ó Dufaigh in Comhairle Mhic Clamha ó Achadh na Muileann, 1966 gurbh i gCoill an Chait, paróiste Achadh na Muileann i ndeoise Chlochair, a bhí cónaí air.

Is dóigh le Ó Tuathail gur faoi áras a bhí ag duine de mhuintir Mhic Mhathghamhna i gContae Mhuineacháin a cumadh an dán atá in eagar aige, ‘Truagh an cor-sa ar ráth na ríogh’. Tá dán a scríobh sé do Chormac Ó Néill (‘lmir do chluiche a Chormaic’) in Leabhar Cloinne Aodha Buidhe, 1931 in eagar ag Tadhg Ó Donnchadha. Bhí coimhlint fhileata aige le Eoghan Ó Donnghaile: fianaise air sin is ea freagra Eoghain (i gcló ag Alexander Cameron in Reliquiae Celticae. Texts, papers and studies in Gaelic literature and philology, 1894). Deir Cameron: ‘In the first, Diarmad mac Laoisighe mhic an Bhaird proves in 17 verses that the Red Hand belongs to Clann Rughruidhe, the descendants of Ir. and the Ulster men, citing mostly the exploits of Conall Cearnach (circa year 1 of our era) who placed two thousand heads on one withe in revenge for Cuchuluin. In the second poem of equal length, Eogan O’Donelly derides and ridicules this, claiming the Red Hand for Conn and his descendants, whereof are Clann Colla, whence, as we have it, the Macdonalds are descended.’ Tá an péire dán sin in ‘Black Book of Clanranald’. Tá péire dán le Laoiseach Mac an Bhaird in eagar agus roghnaithe ag Osborn Bergin in Irish bardic poetry ..., 1970, ‘A fhir ghlacas a ghalldacht’ agus ‘Mo chean duitsi, a thulach thall’.

Diarmuid Breathnach

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