Aislinge Meic Mathain: The Vision of Mathieson, or, a Tale of Manufactured Crisis, Industrial Action, and Celtic Studies
In the Middle Irish Aislinge Meic Con Glinne (The Vision of Mac Con Glinne), the titular protagonist, a scholar and poet, abandons his books to seek fame and luxury. He journeys all the way from his native Armagh to Cork, for he has heard of the extravagant feasts hosted there by Cathal Mac Finguinne, a king of Munster. Confident in his learning and poetic skill (highly esteemed in medieval Ireland), Mac Con Glinne expects to be welcomed with open arms. Unfortunately, things quickly take a turn for the worse when he comes to a guesthouse operated by Manchín, the abbot of Cork. The dilapidated structure is empty of all but cold, dirt, and pests, and so Mac Con Glinne sleeps miserably. The next morning, Abbot Manchín sends a student to the guesthouse with a ration of nothing but whey-water and a smouldering sod with which to light a fire. Mac Con Glinne, incensed at receiving such inadequate, tardy, and demeaning treatment, recites a satire against his host, and the student hastily depa...