Biography

Ó Flaithbertaigh was the grandson of Edmond mac Morogha na Maor and Morogh na Mart Ó Flaithbertaigh, sons of Morogh na Maor Ó Flaithbertaigh, (died 1627, who was the last substantial chief of the O'Flaherty

O'Flaherty

Ó Flaithbertaigh, Gaelic-Irish surname, anglicized as O'Flaherty-Overview:This Gaelic-Irish surname is written as "Ua Flaithbertach" or "Ua Flaithbertaig" in Old Irish and Middle Irish texts....

 clan. Both brothers fought in the Irish Confederate Wars

Irish Confederate Wars

This article is concerned with the military history of Ireland from 1641-53. For the political context of this conflict, see Confederate Ireland....

. Edmond was executed in Galway

Galway

Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...

 in 1653 for the murder of civilians in County Clare

County Clare

-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...

 in 1641. He was survived by three sons, Donal, Morogh and Edmond. Nothing is known of Donal; Morogh is said to have gone to England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 and killed a Captain Vernor in a duel; Edmond Ó Flaithbertaigh fought for James II

James II of England

James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...

 during the Williamite War in Ireland

Williamite war in Ireland

The Williamite War in Ireland—also called the Jacobite War in Ireland, the Williamite-Jacobite War in Ireland and in Irish as Cogadh an Dá Rí —was a conflict between Catholic King James II and Protestant King William of Orange over who would be King of England, Scotland and Ireland...

. After the war he survived by farming land at Renvyle, which were previously in the possession of his family, but now owned by one of The Tribes of Galway, the Blake family. Edmond's son was Eamonn Laidir.

Eamonn Laidir (strong Ned) left a strong impression in Connemara

Connemara

Connemara is a district in the west of Ireland consisting of a broad peninsula between Killary Harbour and Kilkieran Bay in the west of County Galway.-Overview:...

 folk memory, with several anacedotes relating to his strength. In particular, he was remembered for his frequent combats with his neighbour, Captain Richard Martin. Martin had fought with the Jacobites

Jacobitism

Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...

 in the war, but had managed to obtain a pardon from William III

William III of England

William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...

, enabling him to keep title to several estates in Connamara. The pair frequently fought each other on horseback, sword on hand, though because Eamonn Laidir had fewer retainers he was usually obliged to leave the field. He married three times - one of his wives was Julia Martyn, a cousin of Richard Martin - and had four sons.

Eamonn died in deeply distressed circumstances at his home in Cloonadrawen, Ballinakill

Ballinakill

Ballinakill is a small village in County Laois, Ireland on the R432 regional road between Abbeyleix, Ballyragget and Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny-Landmarks:...

, in or about 1749. His body was buried in a small chapel attached to Ballinakill church from where, many years later, they were taken up and placed in a niche in the chapel wall for people to see, due to the large size of Eamonn's bones.