Above: Illustrating picture about Battle of Clontarf

Public Councils or assemblies met from time to time also, and anyone dissatisfied with the verdict of the courts or suffering under some other grievance was free to bring his case before these assemblies. The more important of them were known as the Sabaid Cuirmthighe, Meitheal Flatha, Meitheal Tuatha, Dail, Aonach, Mathshluagh, Tocomrac, Feis, Clann, and so on. The fine of a lord constituted a clann in its limited sense. Clann in its territorial sense comprised all the flatha of a tuath, sometimes a number of tuatha.

• The Mathshluagh was summoned by the Aire Fine. When the tribe were dissatisfied with the findings of any particular court or with the conduct of the king, they brought the matter before the Mathshluagh. Questions relating to war and the like were discussed also by the Mathshluagh.The Meitheal Tuatha was a special meeting of the saer-cheiles and others summoned when it was necessary to make a dun for the king or transact some like business. It was the duty of the people to erect the king’s dun.
• Meitheal Flatha was another special meeting summoned by the flaith, to discuss urgent business like the defence of the territory against threatened aggression. Absence from this Meitheal was regarded by the people as one of the greatest offences imaginable. It was called meath meithle flatha, and was severely punished. " For failing to attend a hosting," says the Seanchus Mor, "chieftains were fined more severely than members of the fine grade ; and the fine for deserting the king at a hosting was greater than that for failing to’j go into it." All of which implies the general loyalty to the flaith and the Feineachas.
• The Feis of Cruachain and the Feis of Eamhain were convened, says Keating, " to approve those who practised mechanical arts in Ireland, such as smithwork, woodwork, stonework and like handicrafts. And the nobles and ollamhs who were at these two assemblies selected from each assembly three score masters of each craft, and these were then dis-l tributed throughout Ireland. No fellow-craftsman to these! was permitted to practise his craft without permission from the master of that craft in that district ; and the master must examine whether he be competent to practise the craft."
• The Sabaid Cuirmthighe, or ale-house council, was composed of the chief men of the tuath, mor-thuath or province in1 which it was convened. " Its functions were ministerial, judicial and legislative." The Sabaid Cuirmthighe of the Ardri was synonymous with the Feis of Tara, described ifl| detail elsewhere.