and then to Ireland, to which country he goes to prepare the way for Mucertach. Here we read that he became first bishop of Ternbar (Tara) and the Clan O'Neil, his former designation having been 'Bishop of Tours and Cornwall' (Britain-Cornn). These events may have taken place about 504, when Mucertach MacErca became king of Ireland (Annals of Four Masters, i. 165, with which, however, cf. Tighernac, A.D. 509, and Ann. Ult, 512). Lastly we read that Cairnech became 'first monk of Erin and the first Brehon of the men of Erin also.' Here, as in the former quotation, where St. Cairnech is styled bishop of Cornwall, it is impossible not at least to suspect a confusion with his namesake, the friend of St. Patrick. But, whether strictly historical or no, there can be little doubt that an extremely ancient tradition has coupled together the names Cairnech and Mucertach (see Reeves's quotation from manuscript account of Mucertach's death, Adamnan, xciv. &c.) Even so early as the eleventh century there was a set of Irish verses current purporting to contain Cairnech's prophecy or narrative of his cousin's fate (Tighernac, 133; Annals of Four Masters, i.173). In an early Irish poem we have a somewhat detailed account of St. Cairnech's friendship with his aunt Erc, who gave him Druim-Tighean (Drumleene, W. of Lough Foyle) in full possession. From this document Dr. Todd has attempted to fix the year of Cairnech's death (539).
[Chronicle of Picts and Scots, ed. Skene, 52, 56; Irish Nennius, ed. Todd, 178-92, ci-cx; Annals of the Four Masters, ed. O'Donovan; Tighernac's Annals and the Annales Ultonienses are quoted from O'Conor's Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores, of which collection they form part of vol. iii.; Adamnan's Vita Columbæ, ed. Reeves; Colgan's Acta Sanctorum, 781-3; Dictionary of Christian Biography, i. 383; Hardy's Catalogue, i. 46-7.]
CAIRNES, DAVID (1645–1722), defender of Londonderry, was born in 1645. He was a lawyer in the city, and a person of considerable property and influence. On the approach of Tyrconnell's troops against Londonderry in December 1688, he advised the citizens to concert measures for its defence. On the 11th he was sent to London to ask assistance on its behalf from the Irish Society of London and William III. He was detained for several months in London before obtaining success in his mission, but at last returned on 11 April 1689 with special instructions from the king in time to thwart a design that had been entertained of delivering up the city. He was appointed lieutenant-colonel of a regiment, and took a prominent part in its defence until it was relieved in the following August. At the conclusion of the war he was chosen member of parliament for Londonderry, which he continued to represent till the close of his life. He was also appointed recorder, and held various other offices. He died in 1722, and was buried in the cathedral church.
[Wills's Illustrious Irishmen; Hempton's History of Londonderry; Derriana.]
CAIRNES, JOHN ELLIOT (1823–1875), economist, was born at Castle Bellingham, Co. Louth, 26 Dec. 1828. He was the sixth child and eldest surviving son of William Cairnes by his wife, Mary Anne (Wolsey). His father was partner in a brewery in Castle Bellingham, and two years after the son's birth took a brewery in Drogheda. When eight years old the boy was sent to a boarding school at Kingstown, and at fourteen or fifteen was placed with a clergyman named Hutton at Chester. Mr. Hutton thought him a dull boy, and told his father that he was unfit for college. He was therefore placed in his father's house at Drogheda, and stayed there three years, during which he learnt some chemistry, and became intimate with a young man named La Bart. La Bart's influence drew him for a time towards Calvinism, and the young men held prayer meetings together, while Cairnes also began to develope intellectual tastes. He read Gibbon and many other books, and gradually took a dislike to business. His desire to go to college now led to a coolness with his father, which lasted for some years. His father, however, made him a small allowance, upon which he lived at Trinity College, Dublin. He graduated as B.A. in 1848, and as M.A. in 1854. He led a desultory life for some time, studying chemistry occasionally, and at one time entered an engineer's office at Galway. Here he became acquainted with Professor Nesbitt of Queen's College, Galway. Nesbitt turned his attention to political economy, and advised him to compete for the Whately professorship of political economy at Dublin. He won this upon an examination in 1856, and held it for the regular term of five years. He delivered his first course of lectures in the Hilary term of 1857, and published them in the same year as 'The Character and Logical Method of Political Economy' (second edition in 1875). In 1859 he was appointed professor of political economy and jurisprudence in Queen's College, Galway. He had been called to the Irish bar in the Michaelmas term 1857, but never seriously practised. In 1860 he injured his knee by an accident in hunting, the consequences of which were ultimately fatal to
