The McGovern's
Preface

 In the BOOK OF MAGAURAN Ireland has many names--Fodhla, Banbha, Inish Fall, etc. McGovern Chieftain of the time was a "Scion" of this or that, one of perhaps fifty different ancestors. The Chieftain was often called a "Griffin" of this or that, Griffin referring to the Greek mythological animal with the head and wings of an eagle and the body and tall of a lion. The "this or that" was usually some geographical place of importance such as Teallach Eochaidh (the McGovern territory), Teamhair (Tara), Midhe (Meath) and soon. If not "Griffin of" they were "Raven of", "Pillar of", "Lion of”, "Hero of", "Prince of", etc., all denoting power, strength, agility and so on. It is interesting to note the many references to “Greek” in the Magauran manuscript and suggests they were familiar with Greek mythology, perhaps stemming from their Milesian ancestry in Scythia and Eastern Greece where the logic of the West meets the mysticism of the East.  It is also interesting to note the many references in the BOOK of MAGAURAN about McGovern Chieftains traversing the “seas” in “ships." Tullyhaw, McGovernland, is now land-locked and it suggests that the area in the 13th and 14th centuries may have been quite a different place, topographically... that the 'sea’ was more accessible to them, or that they roamed farther than would be expected. Perhaps the lakes in Tullyhaw then connected more easily and directly to the Atlantic Ocean--which would be the most natural direction for them to find the sea.

I have included also some information about the poets who wrote the BOOK of MAGAURAN, their relationship to those about whom they wrote and their position in Irish society, which hopefully will make the manuscript a little more understandable to the modern reader.

At any rate, here they are---The McGoverns, Sons and Daughters of Summer---from way, way, back into the far reaches of antiquity.

James E. McGovern
March 1989
St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

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