Ódhrán Ua hEolais

Odhrán Ua hEolais
The cross-stone of Odhran Ua Eolais
Born	10th century Muintir Eolais
Died	994 Clonmacnoise
Education	Monasticism, Letters
Occupation	Scribe
Home town	Muintir Eolais, County Leitrim IE
Relatives	Eolais Mac Biobhsach (grandfather?)

Odhran Ua hEolais (Irish: Ódhrán, Odhrán, Odrán, Odráin, pron. "Orin", dim. of Odar 'gray', or "pale" anglicised "Horan", and Irish: hEolais family name is still used today, anglicized as "Olus", died A.D. 994), was a medieval scribe and scholar at the abbey of Clonmacnoise. He must have been born, and lived his childhood, in the kingdom of Conmaicne Réin, which corresponds to present day south county Leitrim. We do not know any significant details of his personal life, but Odhran moved to county Offaly in adult life, to become Lector and a famous scriba of Clonmacnoise. His death is recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters. A cross-stone of Odhran, with his name inscription legible in middle Irish, is preserved to this day.

Odhran was born into the Túath called Conmaicne Réin, present day south county Leitrim, sometime in the first half of the 10th century. His family a Gaelic dynasty who ruled it, and Odhran was probably grandson of Eolais Mac Biobhsach (Irish: Ua h-Eolais, "descendant of Eolais"), a king "Conmaicne Réin". He received some sort of formal education probably at the Fenagh, Mohill, or Cloone monastery in county Leitrim. He became proficient and literate in Irish language, Latin, bardic tradtion, and religious doctrine.