Maintenance for a Wounded Person

Above: Picture of Diarmuid MacMurchaclha

Folach Othrusa or maintenance for a wounded person : ogairc, two upon folach ; bruighfhear, three; bo-aire, four ; aire desa, six ; aire ard, seven ; aire tuise, eight ; ri beann, ten. A ri buidhean is non-folach ; eight cumhals are pledged to him for his folach, with a retinue to be retained at the expense of the culprit.
Eineachla : It is often asserted that slavery and oppression u’ere universal in early Ireland. This is contrary to fact, bet no one in difficulty be oppressed, says the Seanchus -uor.i liven when the’ goods of the daorfhuidhir were stolen |le became entitled to restitution. His son received corftdire tor bodily injury. If his wife or virgin daughter was outraged he sought and obtained eineachla, though the law allowed him only half the amount awarded to the free clans, even as an og-aire got only two-fifths that of the fear fotla. fo protect his wife, further, he was allowed sell nothing in her absence ; and the unfree women, like the unfree men, were protected in other ways. The daorfhuidhir, indeed, w^ under the protection of the flaith, a guarantee in itself against ill-treatment. Moreover, the fuidhir having a little means a dwellinghouse, for instance, cow house, piggery, sheep’s pen’ and calf house, was entitled to dire, or compensation, just as if he were a ceile.
Diarmuid MacMurchaclha is recorded by the Four Masters as having given eineachla amounting to ioo ounces of gold to Tighearnan Ua Ruairc in satisfaction for having borne away his wife. The king and men of Meath gave 800 cows as eineachla to Ruaidhri Ua Conchubhair in 1168 for having killed Ua Follamhain in violation of the protection of Connacht and the Oirghialla ; while for the killing of Muircheartach Ua Briain the people of Deasmhumha gave Ruaidhri three times twelve score cows.Log enech or honour price is also set out in great detail. Three seds the og-aire; ten seds the aire desa; fifteen seds the aire ard ; twenty seds the aire tuise ; thirty seds the tanaise riogh ; seven cumhals the ri buidhcan ; twice seven cumhals the ri bunaidh. The cumhal generally signified three cows ;  the sed a cow.