Eóganachta
Encyclopedia
The Eóganachta or Eoghanachta were an Irish dynasty centred around Cashel
which dominated southern Ireland
from the 6/7th to the 10th centuries, and following that, in a restricted form, the Kingdom of Desmond, and its offshoot Carbery, well into the 16th century. By tradition the dynasty was founded by Conall Corc
but named after his ancestor Éogan
, the firstborn son of the semi-mythological 3rd century king Ailill Aulom
. This dynastic clan-name, for it was never in any sense a 'surname,' should more accurately be restricted to those branches of the royal house which descended from Conall Corc, who established Cashel as his royal seat in the late fifth century.
and Feidlimid mac Cremthanin
, who, although not recognized as high-kings or Kings of Tara
, did control territories in their lifetimes the extent of which were as great as those of the Uí Néill. The kings of the Hill of Tara
were sometimes called high-kings but were not recognized as kings of all Ireland in the historical period. However, this is to put the supposed office "High King of Ireland" on a platform that it probably never enjoyed. The social structure of Gaelic Ireland was extremely complex, heirarchically oriented and aristocratic in concept. At the summit of society stood the king of a province, variously styled in the law texts as "King of great kings" , "Chief of kings" and "The ultimate king of every individual" . From his justice there was no appeal, nor did the Brehon Law acknowledge the existence of the high-kingship of Ireland. The ri ruirech had no legal superior. In Munster this legal theory was explicitly adhered to by the annalists who styled the provincial kings as "High-king" thereby stressing his absolute sovereignty. As the concept of the high-kingship of Ireland was developed from the ninth century onwards by the Uí Néill clan, the kings of Munster counterbalanced this unhistorical doctrine by stressing their alternate right to that office or, in lieu, the enjoyment of full sovereignty in Leth Mogha, that part of Ireland lying south of an imaginary line drawn from Dublin to Galway.
The Eóganacht king Fíngen mac Áedo Duib or Fingin son of Hugh Dubh ruled as King of Munster (died 618 CE) and is the direct male line ancestor of the O'Sullivans. His son Seachnasagh was too young to assume the throne and was therefore followed by Eóganacht king of Munster Faílbe Flann mac Áedo Duib
, direct male line ancestor of the later MacCarthy kings. In the Roll of "The Kings of Munster", under the heading "Provincial Kings," we find that Fingin, son of Hugh Dubh, is No.14 on that Roll, while his brother Failbhe is No.16 thereon. The MacCarthy's owed their prominent position they held in Desmond at that period of the English invasion of Ireland, not to primogeniture, but to the disturbed state and choas of Munster during the Danish wars, in which their immediate ancestors took a prominent and praiseworthy part.
, considerable status and freedom from tribute, based on their former status as rulers of the province. See Byrne 2001 for an extensive description of the kingdom.
Their origins, possibly Gaulish
, are very obscure. According to one of their own origin legends (Laud 610), they were descendants of Heber eldest son of King Milesius from the north of Spain (modern-day Galicia). The proto-Eóganachta, from the time of Mug Nuadat
to the time of Crimthann mac Fidaig and Conall Corc, are sometimes referred to as the Deirgtine
in early sources.
The earliest evidence for the proto-Eóganachta, the Deirgthine or Deirgtine, is in the form of ogham
inscriptions. They appear to have initially been subjects of the Dáirine
, a warlike people with frequently mentioned connections to Ulster
and who were possibly cousins of the Ulaid
. The Dáirine were represented in historical times most clearly by the Corcu Loígde, over whom the Deirgtine finally achieved supremacy during the course of the 7th century, following the loss by the former of their centuries-long hold on the Kingdom of Osraige
, apparently with some outside help from the Uí Néill
.
The Eóganachta achieved their status primarily through political and economic sophistication and not military conquest. Ireland was dominated by several hostile powers whom they were never in any position to challenge militarily on their own, in the initial centuries, but there also existed a number of subject tribes whom the Deirgtine successfully convinced to adopt them as their overlords. The effect was to separate the Dáirine, by now mainly the Corcu Loígde, from their cousin kingdoms and prominent subjects. The Eóganachta progressively surrounded themselves with favoured vassals such as the Múscraige
, who would become the main source of their income as well as defense against the other kingdoms. The later famous Déisi Tuisceart, who would produce Brian Bóruma, were among these vassal peoples. The Déisi Muman
of County Waterford
may have shared Gaulish origins with the Eóganachta themselves.
Another powerful people of early Munster were the Mairtine
, who had their capital at Emly
or Imlech Ibair, first known as Medón Mairtine. It became the head church of the Eóganachta.
, Áine
, Lugaid mac Con
, Battle of Mag Mucrama, Mug Ruith
, Leath Mogha, Senchas Fagbála Caisil
, Mór Muman
, Óengus Bolg
, Aimend
.
, include:
The princely houses of the Eóganachta may usefully be divided into the inner circle, the outer circle and extinct septs.
These three princely houses produced nearly all Kings of Cashel from the 5th to the 10th centuries. Some were strong, others were renowned bishops and scholars, and others were weak. The importance of the Cashel kingship was primarily ceremonial, and rulers were with the occasionl exception not militarily aggressive... although they continually strove for political dominance as far as they could with the province's wealth. Strong petty kingdoms regarded as subject would receive large payments called rath in return for their acknowledgment of the political supremacy of Cashel, and they would sometimes give hostages as well. The most powerful petty kingdoms exchanged hostages with the King of Cashel, and though subject in some sense (by agreement), they were legally free and capable of terminating the contract.
The Eóganacht Chaisil under the MacCarthys would later form the much more militarily capable but unfortunately undermanned Kingdom of Desmond. The O'Sullivans the eldest of the Eóganacht Chaisil were the most powerful lords under them. The O'Keeffes of Eóganacht Glendamnach would later produce many great soldiers for Irish and Continental armies. The O'Callaghans were a smaller sept who have since distinguished themselves in recent times, while the MacAuliffes and MacGillycuddys are as stated simply septs of the MacCarthys and O'Sullivans. The O'Kirbys of Eóganacht Áine were unfortunately ruined by the Norman Invasion of Ireland
.
The two "outer" princely houses of the dynasty dwelt to the west and south of the central dynasties. Though descended from Conall Corc and thus theoretically entitled to hold the kingship, in effect these dynasties were excluded from Cashel politics, a situation which may or may not have been based on geographical realities. Powerful kings could become de facto Kings of Munster, but in general the central dynasties refused to recognize them as such, and this resulted in particular antagonism between Cashel and Eóganacht Locha Léin, the power of which was eventually broken. Eóganacht Raithlind was not as aggressive and so survived under O'Mahony rule well into the 2nd millennium. The O'Donoghues, originally from Eóganacht Raithlind, would move in to become the new princes of Eóganacht Locha Léin, and are still represented among the Irish nobles today by the Lord of Glenflesk (see below).
Oddly enough, the Eóganacht Raithlind, the Eóganacht Locha Léin, and the Uí Fidgenti-Liatháin (below), are all together referred to as the Three Eóganachta of Munster in early medieval story known as The Expulsion of the Déisi
, which is strange in part because the first two were supposedly descended from Conall Corc and not Dáire Cerbba, but this grouping may be simply meant to illustrate that these were all free tribes in comparison with the rent-paying Déisi
. The Eóganacht Locha Léin were themselves often viewed by the "inner circle" with surprisingly vicious hostility, and this somehow involved a connection to the Picts
of Scotland
.
The occasional misguided attempts to "rank" these powerful septs "below" those of the inner circle, or even to exclude them from the Eóganachta entirely, can be rejected. See also Iarmuman
.
, O'Sullivan, O'Sullivan Beare
, O'Mahony
, O'Donoghue
, O'Donoghue of the Glens
, Moriarty
, O'Keeffe, O'Callaghan, and Kirby
, among many others, many of them of contested origin. MacAuliffe
(or McAuliffe
) is typically a MacCarthy sept
. MacGillycuddy
is an O'Sullivan (Mor) sept. O'Long is classed as Eóganacht (Raithlind). O'Driscoll
is Corcu Loígde (Dáirine) but the family are related to the Eóganachta through early and late marriages and so qualify as natural kin. O'Leary
can be either Corcu Loígde or Uí Fidgenti or Eóganacht depending on the sept. O'Carroll
of Éile
may or may not be distantly related to the Eóganachta. Scannell
was also a sept of some significance and it is recorded that in 1014, Eocha, son of Dunadbach, Chief of Clann Scannail, and Scannail son of Cathal, Lord of Eóganacht Locha Léin
, were killed at the Battle of Clontarf
.
Out of the approximately 150 surviving Irish surnames of princely or comital origins, the Eóganachta and their allies account for approximately 30, or about one fifth. Unfortunately their pedigrees are often hopelessly disorganized and confused and so it is difficult or impossible to tell in many cases which people belong to which septs, or in fact if they even belong to the Eóganachta at all. There is also great evidence in the pedigrees and regnal lists of repeated modification, outright fabrication, and unceremonious deletion, at least for the early period (all concerned sources), with some criticisms quite severe, although this is also a problem with Connachta
and Laigin
material.
Sometimes also included are the Uí Fidgenti
(O'Donovan
, Ó Coileáin
, O'Connell
, others) and the related Uí Liatháin
(Lyons
, Gleeson
, others), ancient allies of the Eóganachta who may have originally belonged to the Dáirine
, although it is also possible they were earlier or peripheral branches of the descendants of Ailill Flann Bec, or of Ailill Aulomm, not involved in the innovative Cashel politics of the descendants of Conall Corc, actual founder of the Eóganachta dynasties. In this way, the children of Fidach, the early monarch Crimthand Mór mac Fidaig and his sister Mongfind
, also belong to the peripheral Eóganachta. But only the descendants of Conall Corc, son of Luigdech or Lugaid, son of Ailill Flann Bec, could claim Cashel, whereas all three of these more distantly related aristocracies appear to descend from Dáire Cerbba
and/or Maine Munchaín, so-called brother(s) of Lugaid. In any case, both the Uí Fidgenti and Uí Liatháin were apparently fading, for whatever reasons, while the Eóganachta were in their prime. They paid no obvious tribute but were little involved in the political scene after a period, the terms of the alliance being only that they were expected to support the Eóganachta militarily on "honour related" expeditions outside Munster or in the defence of it. The Uí Fidgenti did exchange hostages with the King of Cashel, just like the Eóganacht Raithlind and Eóganacht Locha Léin were honoured, and so they appear to have been viewed as kin from an early period, even if they may have been Dáirine to begin with or included very substantial elements. In the earliest genealogies, mostly found in Rawlinson B 502, they are in some way kin to the Eóganachta, even if only through marriage at first as suggested by some later interpreters.
According to Rawlinson B 502, Dáire Cerbba was born in Brega
, County Meath
, but no explanation is given. This might mean his family were even later arrivals to Munster than the Eóganachta and help explain their lack of centralization and well known colonies in Britain
. The Uí Fidgenti (NW) and Uí Liatháin (SE) were in opposing corners of Munster with the Eóganacht Áine and Eóganacht Glendamnach more or less in between, as well as the Fir Mag Fene. Brega bordered on the territory of the Laigin
, and was originally a part of it. Against this is the fact that the Uí Fidgenti had their own capital at Dún Eochair in Munster, constructed by the Dáirine several centuries before the rise of Cashel, as described by Geoffrey Keating
.
, but they were also frustrated by their exclusion and forced isolation by the inner circle. Glaringly, they were said to descend from a Pictish woman, and this was sometimes given as the reason for their isolation. The inner circle exhibited peculiar attitudes from time to time and so this could have been the real story.
, Feidlimid mac Cremthanin
, Synod of Birr
.
, Eógan
had a younger brother, Cas
, who is said to have originated the rival Dál gCais
dynasty of Ireland, although this has been disproven. The smaller Dál gCais kingdom proved to have surprising military might, and displaced the increasingly beset Eóganachta, who were suffering also from attacks by the Vikings and the Uí Néill
, on the Munster throne during the course of the 10th century. From this the Eóganachta and their allies would never fully recover, but they did continue, largely in the form of the MacCarthys
and O'Sullivan
s, to assert their authority and rule large parts of Desmond for the next six centuries. They would badly rout the FitzGerald
s at the Battle of Callann
, halting the advance of the Normans
into Desmond, and win back many territories briefly held by them.
See Byrne (2001), Todd (1867), Brian Bóruma, Mathgamain mac Cennétig
, Cennétig mac Lorcáin
, Kings of Munster
, Kings of Desmond, Thomond
, County Clare
, Déisi
.
, Battle of Callann
, Earl of Desmond
, Desmond Rebellions
, Second Desmond Rebellion
, Florence MacCarthy
, Tudor conquest of Ireland, Dónall Cam Ó Súilleabháin Béirre, Siege of Dunboy
, Plantations of Ireland
, Irish Confederate Wars
, Donagh MacCarthy, Viscount Muskerry
, Earl of Clancarty
.
Other notable people are:
For the 20th century, the long hidden Ó Coileáins of Uí Conaill Gabhra, once the most dominant sept of the Uí Fidgenti, produced the famous Michael Collins
, or Mícheál Ó Coileáin. His sept were driven out of County Limerick
in the 13th century by the FitzGeralds, but still regarded themselves as dispossessed aristocracy. The Ó Coileáins had joined their cousins the O'Donovans in County Cork
, who themselves had been assisted by their friends the O'Mahonys. The MacCarthy Reagh
s would soon follow to become the princes of the area, or Barony of Carbery
, and later both they and the O'Mahonys would send septs to be accepted among the aristocracy in France
. See also Counts of Toulouse
. Of the four, only the O'Donovans, keeping a low profile, remained Gaelic lords after a time.
The MacCarthy of Muskerry
dynasty are of great importance and there are several surviving septs.
Daniel "The Liberator" O'Connell
belonged to a small sept of the Uí Fidgenti who found themselves in County Kerry.
Another lively figure was Pierce Charles de Lacy O'Mahony
.
Modern Eóganacht
Curley gives profiles of some twenty current Irish lords, several of them Eóganacht or allied, enjoying varying levels of recognition.
The scandal created by Terence Francis MacCarthy
has left their futures uncertain. He inserted himself into the pedigree of the Sliocht Cormaic of Dunguile
, the senior surviving sept of the MacCarthy dynasty, who still await recognition from the Irish government following the scandal.
Rock of Cashel
The Rock of Cashel , also known as Cashel of the Kings and St. Patrick's Rock, is a historic site in Ireland's province of Munster, located at Cashel, South Tipperary.-History:...
which dominated southern Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
from the 6/7th to the 10th centuries, and following that, in a restricted form, the Kingdom of Desmond, and its offshoot Carbery, well into the 16th century. By tradition the dynasty was founded by Conall Corc
Conall Corc
Corc mac Luigthig, also called Conall Corc, Corc of Cashel, and Corc mac Láire, is the hero of Irish language tales which form part of the origin legend of the Eóganachta, a group of kindreds which traced their descent from Conall Corc and took their name from his ancestor Éogan Mór. The early...
but named after his ancestor Éogan
Éogan
In Irish traditional history Eógan , eldest son of Ailill Ollamh, was a 2nd or 3rd century AD king of Munster. He is credited with founding or at least giving his name to the Eóganachta, a dynasty which ruled as kings of Munster and later princes of Desmond until the late 16th century...
, the firstborn son of the semi-mythological 3rd century king Ailill Aulom
Ailill Aulom
In Irish traditional history Ailill Ollamh , son of Mug Nuadat, was a king of the southern half of Ireland. Sabia, daughter of Conn of the Hundred Battles, was his wife. He divided the kingdom between his sons Éogan, Cormac Cas, and Cian. Éogan founded the dynasty of the Eóganachta...
. This dynastic clan-name, for it was never in any sense a 'surname,' should more accurately be restricted to those branches of the royal house which descended from Conall Corc, who established Cashel as his royal seat in the late fifth century.
High Kingship issue
As powerful as the Eóganachta were in Munster, they never provided Ireland with a High King. Serious challenges to the Uí Néill were however presented by Cathal mac FinguineCathal mac Finguine
Cathal mac Finguine was an Irish King of Munster or Cashel, and effectively High King of Ireland as well. He belonged to the Eóganacht Glendamnach sept of the dominant Eóganachta kin-group whose members dominated Munster from the 7th century to the 10th...
and Feidlimid mac Cremthanin
Feidlimid mac Cremthanin
Fedelmid mac Crimthainn was the King of Munster between 820 and 846. He was numbered as a member of the Céli Dé, an abbot of Cork Abbey and Clonfert Abbey, and possibly a bishop...
, who, although not recognized as high-kings or Kings of Tara
Kings of Tara
The term King of Tara was a title of authority in ancient Ireland. The position was considered an eminent authority in medieval Irish literature and mythology, though national kingship was never a historical reality in early Ireland....
, did control territories in their lifetimes the extent of which were as great as those of the Uí Néill. The kings of the Hill of Tara
Hill of Tara
The Hill of Tara , located near the River Boyne, is an archaeological complex that runs between Navan and Dunshaughlin in County Meath, Leinster, Ireland...
were sometimes called high-kings but were not recognized as kings of all Ireland in the historical period. However, this is to put the supposed office "High King of Ireland" on a platform that it probably never enjoyed. The social structure of Gaelic Ireland was extremely complex, heirarchically oriented and aristocratic in concept. At the summit of society stood the king of a province, variously styled in the law texts as "King of great kings" , "Chief of kings" and "The ultimate king of every individual" . From his justice there was no appeal, nor did the Brehon Law acknowledge the existence of the high-kingship of Ireland. The ri ruirech had no legal superior. In Munster this legal theory was explicitly adhered to by the annalists who styled the provincial kings as "High-king" thereby stressing his absolute sovereignty. As the concept of the high-kingship of Ireland was developed from the ninth century onwards by the Uí Néill clan, the kings of Munster counterbalanced this unhistorical doctrine by stressing their alternate right to that office or, in lieu, the enjoyment of full sovereignty in Leth Mogha, that part of Ireland lying south of an imaginary line drawn from Dublin to Galway.
The Eóganacht king Fíngen mac Áedo Duib or Fingin son of Hugh Dubh ruled as King of Munster (died 618 CE) and is the direct male line ancestor of the O'Sullivans. His son Seachnasagh was too young to assume the throne and was therefore followed by Eóganacht king of Munster Faílbe Flann mac Áedo Duib
Faílbe Flann mac Áedo Duib
Faílbe Flann mac Áedo Duib was a King of Munster from the Eóganacht Chaisil branch of the Eoganachta. He succeeded Cathal mac Áedo Flaind Chathrach of the Glendamnach branch in 628. He was the younger brother of a previous king Fíngen mac Áedo Duib...
, direct male line ancestor of the later MacCarthy kings. In the Roll of "The Kings of Munster", under the heading "Provincial Kings," we find that Fingin, son of Hugh Dubh, is No.14 on that Roll, while his brother Failbhe is No.16 thereon. The MacCarthy's owed their prominent position they held in Desmond at that period of the English invasion of Ireland, not to primogeniture, but to the disturbed state and choas of Munster during the Danish wars, in which their immediate ancestors took a prominent and praiseworthy part.
Gentle rulers
The rule of the Eóganachta in Munster is widely regarded as gentle and more sophisticated in comparison with the other provincial dynasties of Ireland. Not only was Munster the wealthiest of the provinces, but the Eóganachta were willing to concede other previously powerful kingdoms whom they had politically marginalized, such as the Corcu LoígdeCorcu Loígde
The Corcu Loígde , meaning Gens of the Calf Goddess, also called the Síl Lugdach meic Itha, were a kingdom centered in West County Cork who descended from the proto-historical rulers of Munster, the Dáirine, of whom they were the principal royal sept...
, considerable status and freedom from tribute, based on their former status as rulers of the province. See Byrne 2001 for an extensive description of the kingdom.
Ancient origins
Gauls
The Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
, are very obscure. According to one of their own origin legends (Laud 610), they were descendants of Heber eldest son of King Milesius from the north of Spain (modern-day Galicia). The proto-Eóganachta, from the time of Mug Nuadat
Mug Nuadat
In Irish mythological history Mug Nuadat was a legendary, supposed King of Munster in the 2nd century AD. He was, according to later medieval tradition, a rival of the High King, Conn of the Hundred Battles and for a time after the year 123 was the de facto ruler of the southern half of Ireland...
to the time of Crimthann mac Fidaig and Conall Corc, are sometimes referred to as the Deirgtine
Deirgtine
The Deirgtine or Clanna Dergthened were the proto-historical ancestors of the historical Eóganachta dynasties of Munster. Their origins are unclear but they may have been of fairly recent Gaulish derivation...
in early sources.
The earliest evidence for the proto-Eóganachta, the Deirgthine or Deirgtine, is in the form of ogham
Ogham
Ogham is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write the Old Irish language, and occasionally the Brythonic language. Ogham is sometimes called the "Celtic Tree Alphabet", based on a High Medieval Bríatharogam tradition ascribing names of trees to the individual letters.There are roughly...
inscriptions. They appear to have initially been subjects of the Dáirine
Dáirine
The Dáirine , later known dynastically as the Corcu Loígde, were the proto-historical rulers of Munster before the rise of the Eóganachta in the 7th century AD. They appear to have derived from the Darini of Ptolemy and to have been related to the Ulaid and Dál Riata of Ulster and Scotland...
, a warlike people with frequently mentioned connections to Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
and who were possibly cousins of the Ulaid
Ulaid
The Ulaid or Ulaidh were a people of early Ireland who gave their name to the modern province of Ulster...
. The Dáirine were represented in historical times most clearly by the Corcu Loígde, over whom the Deirgtine finally achieved supremacy during the course of the 7th century, following the loss by the former of their centuries-long hold on the Kingdom of Osraige
Kingdom of Osraige
The Kingdom of Osraighe , anglicized as Ossory, was an ancient kingdom of Ireland. It formed the easternmost part of the kingdom and province of Munster until the middle of the 9th century, after which it attached itself to Leinster...
, apparently with some outside help from the Uí Néill
Uí Néill
The Uí Néill are Irish and Scottish dynasties who claim descent from Niall Noigiallach , an historical King of Tara who died about 405....
.
The Eóganachta achieved their status primarily through political and economic sophistication and not military conquest. Ireland was dominated by several hostile powers whom they were never in any position to challenge militarily on their own, in the initial centuries, but there also existed a number of subject tribes whom the Deirgtine successfully convinced to adopt them as their overlords. The effect was to separate the Dáirine, by now mainly the Corcu Loígde, from their cousin kingdoms and prominent subjects. The Eóganachta progressively surrounded themselves with favoured vassals such as the Múscraige
Múscraige
The Múscraighe were an important Érainn people of Munster, descending from Cairpre Músc, son of Conaire Cóem, a High King of Ireland. Closely related were the Corcu Duibne, Corcu Baiscind, both of Munster, and also the Dál Riata of Ulster and Scotland, all being referred to as the Síl Conairi in...
, who would become the main source of their income as well as defense against the other kingdoms. The later famous Déisi Tuisceart, who would produce Brian Bóruma, were among these vassal peoples. The Déisi Muman
Déisi
The Déisi were a class of peoples in ancient and medieval Ireland. The term is Old Irish, and derives from the word déis, meaning "vassal" or "subject"; in its original sense, it designated groups who were vassals or rent-payers to a landowner. Later, it became a proper name for certain septs and...
of County Waterford
County Waterford
*Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...
may have shared Gaulish origins with the Eóganachta themselves.
Another powerful people of early Munster were the Mairtine
Mairtine
The Mairtine were an important people of late prehistoric Munster, Ireland, who by early historical times appear to have completely vanished from the Irish political landscape...
, who had their capital at Emly
Emly
Emly or Emlybeg is a village in South Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Clanwilliam. It is also an Ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly....
or Imlech Ibair, first known as Medón Mairtine. It became the head church of the Eóganachta.
Mythology
See Nia SegamainNia Segamain
Nia Segamain, son of Adamair, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He took power after killing his predecessor, Conall Collamrach. Geoffrey Keating says his mother was the presumed woodland goddess Flidais of the Tuatha Dé Danann, whose magic...
, Áine
Áine
Áine is an Irish goddess of love, summer, wealth and sovereignty. She is associated with the sun and midsummer, and is sometimes represented by a red mare. She is the daughter of Egobail, the sister of Aillen and/or Fennen, and is claimed as an ancestor by multiple Irish clans...
, Lugaid mac Con
Lugaid mac Con
Lugaid Mac Con, often known simply as Mac Con, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He belonged to the Corcu Loígde, and thus to the Dáirine. His father was Macnia mac Lugdach, and his mother was Sadb ingen Chuinn, daughter of the former High...
, Battle of Mag Mucrama, Mug Ruith
Mug Ruith
Mug Ruith is a figure in Irish mythology, a powerful blind druid of Munster who lived on Valentia Island, County Kerry. He could grow to enormous size, and his breath caused storms and turned men to stone. He wore a hornless bull-hide and a bird mask, and flew in a machine called the roth rámach,...
, Leath Mogha, Senchas Fagbála Caisil
Senchas Fagbála Caisil
Senchas Fagbála Caisil "The Story of the Finding of Cashel" is an early medieval Irish text which relates, in two variants, the origin legend of the kingship of Cashel. Myles Dillon has dated the first variant to the 8th century, and the second tentatively to the 10th century.-Witnesses:The text...
, Mór Muman
Mór Muman
Mór Muman , also written Mór Mumhan or Mór Mumain, is stated to have been a daughter of Áed Bennán, sometime King of Munster, but may in fact represent a euhemerised sovereignty goddess, particularly associated with the Eóganachta.The Irish language tale Mór Muman 7 Aided Cuanach meic Ailchine Mór...
, Óengus Bolg
Óengus Bolg
Óengus Bolg, son of Lugaid, son of Mac Nia, son of Mac Con, son of Lugaid Loígde, son of Dáire Doimthech, was a king of the Corcu Loígde, and an ancestor of the Eóganachta "inner circle" through his daughter Aimend, married to Conall Corc...
, Aimend
Aimend
In Irish mythology and genealogy, Aimend is the daughter of Óengus Bolg, king of the Dáirine or Corcu Loígde. She marries Conall Corc, founder of the Eóganachta dynasties, and through him is an ancestor of the "inner circle" septs of Eóganacht Chaisil, Eóganacht Glendamnach, and Eóganacht Áine, who...
.
Early figures
A number of the figures below may be listed under the wrong septs. The quality of Eóganachta genealogical and historical writing greatly improves in the 2nd millennium under the MacCarthy overlords but some problems remain. The earliest historical rulers from the Eóganachta, descendants of Conall CorcConall Corc
Corc mac Luigthig, also called Conall Corc, Corc of Cashel, and Corc mac Láire, is the hero of Irish language tales which form part of the origin legend of the Eóganachta, a group of kindreds which traced their descent from Conall Corc and took their name from his ancestor Éogan Mór. The early...
, include:
- Mug NuadatMug NuadatIn Irish mythological history Mug Nuadat was a legendary, supposed King of Munster in the 2nd century AD. He was, according to later medieval tradition, a rival of the High King, Conn of the Hundred Battles and for a time after the year 123 was the de facto ruler of the southern half of Ireland...
(DeirgtineDeirgtineThe Deirgtine or Clanna Dergthened were the proto-historical ancestors of the historical Eóganachta dynasties of Munster. Their origins are unclear but they may have been of fairly recent Gaulish derivation...
) - Ailill Aulomm
- Éogan Mór
- Fiachu MuillethanFiachu MuillethanFiachu Muillethan or Fiachu Fer Da Liach , son of Éogan Mór, was a legendary king belonging to the Deirgtine, the proto-historical ancestors of the Eóganachta dynasties of Munster...
- Ailill Flann BecAilill Flann BecAilill Flann Bec, son of Fiachu Muillethan, was an Irish dynast belonging to the Deirgtine, the proto-historical ancestors of the historical Eóganachta dynasties of Munster. He was the father of Luigthech, also known as Lugaid, and thus the grandfather of Conall Corc...
- Luigthech
- Conall Corc (Eóganachta)
- Nad Froích mac Cuirc (Inner Circle)
- Óengus mac Nad FroíchÓengus mac Nad FroíchÓengus mac Nad Froích was an Eoganachta and the first Christian king of Munster. He was the son of Nad Froich mac Cuirc by Faochan, a British lady...
, d. 489- Feidlimid mac ÓengusaFeidlimid mac ÓengusaFeidlimid mac Óengusa or Feidlimid Dub was an Eoganachta King of Munster in the early 6th century. He was the son of Óengus mac Nad Froích, the first Christian king of Munster....
- Eochaid mac ÓengusaEochaid mac ÓengusaEochaid mac Óengusa was a King of Munster from the ruling Eoganachta dynasty. He was the son of Óengus mac Nad Froích , the first Christian king of Munster.The chronology of the 6th century Munster kings is confusing in the sources...
, d. 522
- Feidlimid mac Óengusa
- Ailill mac Nad Froích
- Óengus mac Nad Froích
- Coirpre Luachra mac CuircCoirpre Luachra mac CuircCoirpre Luachra mac Cuirc was the ancestor of the Eóganacht Locha Léin branch of the Eoganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster. This branch was also called the Ui Caipre Luachra, named after him and became the rulers of Iarmuman...
(Uí Choirpri Lúachra) - Mac Cass mac Cuirc (Uí Echach Muman)
- Nad Froích mac Cuirc (Inner Circle)
The princely houses of the Eóganachta may usefully be divided into the inner circle, the outer circle and extinct septs.
Princely houses: inner circle
- Eóganacht Chaisil
- Eóganacht Áine
- Eóganacht Glendamnach
These three princely houses produced nearly all Kings of Cashel from the 5th to the 10th centuries. Some were strong, others were renowned bishops and scholars, and others were weak. The importance of the Cashel kingship was primarily ceremonial, and rulers were with the occasionl exception not militarily aggressive... although they continually strove for political dominance as far as they could with the province's wealth. Strong petty kingdoms regarded as subject would receive large payments called rath in return for their acknowledgment of the political supremacy of Cashel, and they would sometimes give hostages as well. The most powerful petty kingdoms exchanged hostages with the King of Cashel, and though subject in some sense (by agreement), they were legally free and capable of terminating the contract.
The Eóganacht Chaisil under the MacCarthys would later form the much more militarily capable but unfortunately undermanned Kingdom of Desmond. The O'Sullivans the eldest of the Eóganacht Chaisil were the most powerful lords under them. The O'Keeffes of Eóganacht Glendamnach would later produce many great soldiers for Irish and Continental armies. The O'Callaghans were a smaller sept who have since distinguished themselves in recent times, while the MacAuliffes and MacGillycuddys are as stated simply septs of the MacCarthys and O'Sullivans. The O'Kirbys of Eóganacht Áine were unfortunately ruined by the Norman Invasion of Ireland
Norman Invasion of Ireland
The Norman invasion of Ireland was a two-stage process, which began on 1 May 1169 when a force of loosely associated Norman knights landed near Bannow, County Wexford...
.
- Eóganacht ChaisilEóganacht ChaisilEóganacht Chaisil were a branch of the Eóganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster during the 5th-10th centuries. They took their name from Cashel which was the capital of the early Christian kingdom of Munster...
of Cashel (MacCarthy, O'Sullivan, O'Callaghan, MacAuliffe, MacGillycuddy)- Carthage the ElderCarthage the ElderSaint Carthage the Elder was an Irish bishop and abbot in the sixth century. His feast day is March 5.The saint is mainly known as the tutor and fosterer of his greater namesake, Saint Carthage of Lismore, also known as Saint Mochuda. Carthage was of the Eóganacht Chaisil and son, or, more...
- Fíngen mac Áedo DuibFíngen mac Áedo DuibFíngen mac Áedo Duib was a King of Munster from the Eóganacht Chaisil branch of the Eoganachta. He was the great-grandson of Feidlimid mac Óengusa, a previous king. He succeeded Amalgaid mac Éndai as king in 601....
, d. 618 - Faílbe Flann mac Áedo DuibFaílbe Flann mac Áedo DuibFaílbe Flann mac Áedo Duib was a King of Munster from the Eóganacht Chaisil branch of the Eoganachta. He succeeded Cathal mac Áedo Flaind Chathrach of the Glendamnach branch in 628. He was the younger brother of a previous king Fíngen mac Áedo Duib...
, d. 639 - Máenach mac FínginMáenach mac FínginMáenach mac Fíngin was a King of Munster from the Eóganacht Chaisil branch of the Eoganachta. He was the son of Fíngen mac Áedo Duib , a previous king. His mother was Mór Muman , daughter of Áed Bennán mac Crimthainn of the Loch Lein. He succeeded Cúán mac Amalgado as king in 641 The annals...
, d. 661 - Colgú mac Faílbe FlaindColgú mac Faílbe FlaindColgú mac Faílbe Flaind was a King of Munster from the Eóganacht Chaisil branch of the Eoganachta. He was the son of Faílbe Flann mac Áedo Duib , a previous king. He succeeded Cathal Cú-cen-máthair mac Cathail as king in 665. The annals mention no details of his reign...
, d. 678 - Cormac mac AilelloCormac mac AilelloCormac mac Ailello was a king of Munster from the Eóganacht Chaisil branch of the Eoganachta and the Cenél Fíngin sept of this branch. He was the grandson of Máenach mac Fíngin a previous king. He succeeded Eterscél mac Máele Umai in 702 who had abdicated.The annals report that Cormac fought...
, d. 712 - Tnúthgal mac DonngaileTnúthgal mac DonngaileTnúthgal mac Donngaile was a supposed King of Munster from the Eóganacht Chaisil branch of the Eoganachta. He was a fifth generation descendant of Colgú mac Faílbe Flaind , a previous king....
, d. 820 - Feidlimid mac CremthaninFeidlimid mac CremthaninFedelmid mac Crimthainn was the King of Munster between 820 and 846. He was numbered as a member of the Céli Dé, an abbot of Cork Abbey and Clonfert Abbey, and possibly a bishop...
, d. 847 - Áilgenán mac DonngaileÁilgenán mac DonngaileÁilgenán mac Donngaile was a King of Munster from the Eóganacht Chaisil branch of the Eoganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster. He was of the Clann Faílbe sept of this branch and a grandson of Tnúthgal mac Donngaile , whom some sources name as King of Munster. His branch of the ruling dynasty had...
, d. 853 - Máel Gualae, d. 859
- Cormac mac CuilennáinCormac mac CuilennáinCormac mac Cuilennáin was an Irish bishop and was king of Munster from 902 until his death. He was killed fighting in Leinster, probably attempting to restore the fortunes of the kings of Munster by reimposing authority over that province.Cormac was regarded as a saintly figure after his death,...
, d. 908 (see also Sanas CormaicSanas CormaicSanas Cormaic , also known as Cormac's Glossary, is an early Irish glossary containing etymologies and explanations of over 1,400 Irish words, many of which are difficult or outdated. The shortest and earliest version of the work is ascribed to Cormac mac Cuilennáin , king-bishop of Munster...
, Cormac's Glossary) - Cellachán CaisilCellachán CaisilCellachán mac Buadacháin , called Cellachán Caisil, was King of Munster.The son of Buadachán mac Lachtnai, he belonged to the Cashel branch of the Eóganachta kindred, the Eóganacht Chaisil. The last of his cognatic ancestors to have held the kingship of Munster was Colgú mac Faílbe Flaind Cellachán...
, d. 954 - Donnchad mac CellacháinDonnchad mac CellacháinDonnchad mac Cellacháin was a son of Cellachan of Cashel who is alleged to have briefly ruled as King of Cashel and Munster from 961 until 963, when he was murdered by his brother....
, d. 963
- Carthage the Elder
- Eóganacht GlendamnachEóganacht GlendamnachEóganacht Glendamnach were a branch of the Eóganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster during the 5th-10th centuries. They took their name from Glendamnach . They were descended from Óengus mac Nad Froích , the first Christian King of Munster through his son Eochaid mac Óengusa and grandson...
(O'Keeffe)- Crimthann Srem mac EchadoCrimthann Srem mac EchadoCrimthann Srem mac Echado or Crimthann Feimin was a King of Munster from the Eoganachta dynasty in the early 6th century. He was the son of Eochaid mac Óengusa and grandson of the first Christian king of Munster, Óengus mac Nad Froích .The Annals of Tigernach record his succession to his father...
, d. circa 542 - Coirpre Cromm mac CrimthainnCoirpre Cromm mac CrimthainnCoirpre Cromm mac Crimthainn was a King of Munster from the Eóganacht Glendamnach sept of the ruling Eoganachta dynasty. This branch was centered at Glanworth, County Cork. He was the son of Crimthann Srem mac Echado ....
, d. 577 - Cathal mac ÁedoCathal mac ÁedoCathal mac Áedo Flaind Chathrach was a King of Cashel in Munster from the Glendamnach sept of the Eoganachta. He was the son of Áed Fland Cathrach and grandson of Coirpre Cromm mac Crimthainn a previous king of Cashel...
, d. 627 - Cathal Cú-cen-máthairCathal Cú-cen-máthairCathal Cú-cen-máthair mac Cathaíl , often known as Cú-cen-máthair, was an Irish King of Munster from around 661 until his death. He was a son of Cathal mac Áedo Flaind Chathrach and belonged to the Glendamnach sept of the Eóganachta dynasty...
, d. 665 - Finguine mac CathailFinguine mac CathailFinguine mac Cathail Con-cen-máthair was a King of Munster from the Glendamnach branch of the Eoganachta. He was the son of Cathal Cú-cen-máthair mac Cathaíl . He succeeded Colgú mac Faílbe Flaind in 678....
, d. 696 - Ailill mac CathailAilill mac CathailAilill mac Cathail Con-cen-máthair was a King of Munster from the Glendamnach branch of the Eoganachta. He was the son of Cathal Cú-cen-máthair mac Cathaíl and brother of his predecessor Finguine mac Cathail Con-cen-máthair Ailill mac Cathail Con-cen-máthair (died 701) was a King of Munster from...
, d. 701 - Cathal mac FinguineCathal mac FinguineCathal mac Finguine was an Irish King of Munster or Cashel, and effectively High King of Ireland as well. He belonged to the Eóganacht Glendamnach sept of the dominant Eóganachta kin-group whose members dominated Munster from the 7th century to the 10th...
, d. 742 - Artrí mac CathailArtrí mac CathailArtrí mac Cathail was a King of Munster from the Glendamnach branch of the Eoganachta. He was the son of Cathal mac Finguine , a previous king. He reigned from 793 to 820....
, d. 821
- Crimthann Srem mac Echado
- Eóganacht ÁineEóganacht ÁineEóganacht Áine or Eóganacht Áine Cliach was a princely house of the Eóganachta, dynasty of Munster during the 5th–12th centuries. They took their name from the Hill of Aine near the present day village of Knockainy, County Limerick. This region of Cliú is centred around the barony of Small...
(O'Kirby, O'Kirwick/Kerwick)- Garbán mac ÉndaiGarbán mac ÉndaiGarbán mac Éndai was a King of Munster from the Eóganacht Áine branch of the Eoganachta and appears as the first king from this branch with his brother Amalgaid mac Éndai.The chronology of the Munster kings from this period is confusing...
- Amalgaid mac ÉndaiAmalgaid mac ÉndaiAmalgaid mac Éndai was a King of Munster from the Eóganacht Áine branch of the Eoganachta and appears as the first king from this branch....
, d. 601 - Cúán mac AmalgadoCúán mac AmalgadoCúán mac Amalgado was a King of Munster from the Eóganacht Áine branch of the Eóganachta. He was the son of a previous king Amalgaid mac Éndai ....
, d. 641 - Eterscél mac Máele UmaiEterscél mac Máele UmaiEterscél mac Máele Umai was a king of Munster from the Eóganacht Áine branch of the Eóganachta. He was the grandson of Cúán mac Amalgado , a previous king....
, d. 721 - Cathussach mac EterscélaiCathussach mac EterscélaiCathussach mac Eterscélai was a king of Munster from the Eóganacht Áine branch of the Eóganachta. He was the son of Eterscél mac Máele Umai , a previous king...
, d. circa 769 - Ólchobar mac Duib-IndrechtÓlchobar mac Duib-IndrechtÓlchobar mac Duib-Indrecht was a supposed King of Munster from the Eóganacht Áine branch of the Eóganachta. His last paternal ancestor to hold the throne was Cúán mac Amalgado , five generations previous. His great grandfather Uisnech had been the brother of another King Eterscél mac Máele Umai...
, d. 805 - Ólchobar mac CináedaÓlchobar mac CináedaÓlchobar mac Cináeda was King of Munster from 847 until his death. He may be the "king of the Irish" who sent an embassy to Frankish Emperor Charles the Bald announcing a series of victories over Vikings in Ireland in 848.-Origins:...
, d. 851 - Cenn Fáelad hua MugthigirnCenn Fáelad hua MugthigirnCenn Fáelad hua Mugthigirn was a King of Munster of the Eoganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster. He ruled from 861-872. He was also abbot of Emly from 851-872, an important monastery in County Tipperary where he succeeded a previous King of Munster, Ólchobar mac Cináeda .He was originally...
, d. 872
- Garbán mac Éndai
Princely houses: outer circle
- Eóganacht Locha Léin
- Eóganacht Raithlind
The two "outer" princely houses of the dynasty dwelt to the west and south of the central dynasties. Though descended from Conall Corc and thus theoretically entitled to hold the kingship, in effect these dynasties were excluded from Cashel politics, a situation which may or may not have been based on geographical realities. Powerful kings could become de facto Kings of Munster, but in general the central dynasties refused to recognize them as such, and this resulted in particular antagonism between Cashel and Eóganacht Locha Léin, the power of which was eventually broken. Eóganacht Raithlind was not as aggressive and so survived under O'Mahony rule well into the 2nd millennium. The O'Donoghues, originally from Eóganacht Raithlind, would move in to become the new princes of Eóganacht Locha Léin, and are still represented among the Irish nobles today by the Lord of Glenflesk (see below).
Oddly enough, the Eóganacht Raithlind, the Eóganacht Locha Léin, and the Uí Fidgenti-Liatháin (below), are all together referred to as the Three Eóganachta of Munster in early medieval story known as The Expulsion of the Déisi
The Expulsion of the Déisi
The Expulsion of the Déisi is a medieval Irish narrative of the Cycles of the Kings. It dates approximately to the 8th century, but survives only in manuscripts of a much later date. It describes the fictional history of the Déisi, a group that had gained political power in parts of Ireland during...
, which is strange in part because the first two were supposedly descended from Conall Corc and not Dáire Cerbba, but this grouping may be simply meant to illustrate that these were all free tribes in comparison with the rent-paying Déisi
Déisi
The Déisi were a class of peoples in ancient and medieval Ireland. The term is Old Irish, and derives from the word déis, meaning "vassal" or "subject"; in its original sense, it designated groups who were vassals or rent-payers to a landowner. Later, it became a proper name for certain septs and...
. The Eóganacht Locha Léin were themselves often viewed by the "inner circle" with surprisingly vicious hostility, and this somehow involved a connection to the Picts
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The occasional misguided attempts to "rank" these powerful septs "below" those of the inner circle, or even to exclude them from the Eóganachta entirely, can be rejected. See also Iarmuman
Iarmuman
Iarmhumhain was a Kingdom in the early Christian period of Ireland in west Munster. Its ruling dynasty was related to the main ruling dynasty of Munster known as the Eóganachta. Its ruling branch was called the Eóganacht Locha Léin or Ui Chairpri Lúachra. Their center was around Killarney, County...
.
- Eóganacht Locha LéinEóganacht Locha LéinEóganacht Locha Léin or Ui Caipre Luachra were a branch of the ruling Eoganachta of Munster. Their territory was in Iarmuman or West Munster. Luachair is the old name of a large district on the borders of Co Cork, Kerry and Limerick...
(O'Moriarty and others, later O'Donoghue)- Dauí Iarlaithe mac MaithniDauí Iarlaithe mac MaithniDauí Iarlaithe mac Maithni was a King of Iarmuman from the Eóganacht Locha Léin branch of the Eoganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster. He was the grandson of the founder of this branch of the dynasty, Coirpre Luachra mac Cuirc...
- Áed Bennán mac CrimthainnÁed Bennán mac CrimthainnÁed Bennán mac Crimthainn was a possible King of Munster from the Eóganacht Locha Léin branch of the Eoganachta. He was definitely king of West Munster or Iarmuman. He was the great grandson of Dauí Iarlaithe mac Maithni also a possible king of Munster from this branchThere is some dispute in the...
, d. 618 - Máel Dúin mac Áedo BennánMáel Dúin mac Áedo BennánMáel Dúin mac Áedo Bennán was a King of Iarmuman from the Eóganacht Locha Léin branch of the Eoganachta. He was the son of Áed Bennán mac Crimthainn , who may have been King of all Munster...
, d. 661 - Congal mac Máele DúinCongal mac Máele DúinCongal mac Máele Dúin was a King of Iarmuman from the Eóganacht Locha Léin branch of the Eoganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster. He was the son of Máel Dúin mac Áedo Bennán , previous king of Iarmuman and grandson of Áed Bennán mac Crimthainn , who may have been King of all Munster...
, d. 690 - Máel Dúin mac ÁedoMáel Dúin mac ÁedoMáel Dúin mac Áedo was a possible King of Munster from the Eóganacht Locha Léin branch of the Eóganachta. He was the son of Áed Bennán mac Conaing , a king of Iarmuman or West Munster and great great grandson of Áed Bennán mac Crimthainn who may have been King of all Munster.The Eóganacht Locha...
, d. 786
- Dauí Iarlaithe mac Maithni
- Eóganacht RaithlindEóganacht RaithlindEóganacht Raithlind or Uí Echach Muman are a branch of the Eóganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster during the 5th-10th centuries. They took their name from Raithlinn or Raithleann described around the area of Bandon, in the same area...
(O'Mahony, O'Donoghue, O'Long, and many others)- Feidlimid mac TigernaigFeidlimid mac TigernaigFeidlimid mac Tigernaig was a King of Munster from the Raithlind branch of the Eoganachta. This branch of the family only rarely provided a king in Munster...
, d. 588 - Máel Muad mac BrainMáel Muad mac BrainMáel Muad mac Brain , commonly anglicised Molloy, was King of Munster, first possibly from 959 or alternatively 963 to around 970, when he may have been deposed by Mathgamain mac Cennétig of the Dál gCais, and then again from 976, following his putting to death of the latter, until his own death...
, d. 978 (see also Mathgamain mac CennétigMathgamain mac CennétigMathgamain mac Cennétig was King of Munster from around 970 to his death in 976. He is the elder brother of Brian Bóruma and the ancestor of the McMahon family of County Clare in Western Ireland ....
)
- Feidlimid mac Tigernaig
Extinct septs
There are several extinct and/or unconfirmed septs:- Eóganacht Airthir CliachEóganacht Airthir CliachEóganacht Airthir Cliach were a branch of the Eóganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster during the 5th-10th centuries. They took their name from Cliú, a territory in eastern Co.Limerick and parts of Tipperary. Airthir meant east and their territrory was in the eastern section of this territory in...
(extinct)- Fergus Scandal mac CrimthainnFergus Scandal mac CrimthainnFergus Scandal mac Crimthainn was a king of Munster from the Eóganacht Airthir Cliach branch of the Eoganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster. He was the son of Crimthann Dearcon mac Eochaid and great-grandson of Óengus mac Nad Froích the first Christian king of Munster...
, d. 582
- Fergus Scandal mac Crimthainn
- Éoganacht Ua Cathbach
Surnames and clan names
Eóganachta dynastic surnames include MacCarthy, MacCarthy ReaghMacCarthy Reagh
The MacCarthy Reagh dynasty are a branch of the great MacCarthy dynasty, Kings of Desmond, deriving from the ancient Eóganachta, of the central Eóganacht Chaisil sept. The MacCarthys Reagh seated themselves as Princes of Carbery in what is now southwestern County Cork in the 13th century...
, O'Sullivan, O'Sullivan Beare
O'Sullivan
O'Sullivan or simply Sullivan is an Irish surname, associated with the southwestern part of Ireland, originally found in County Tipperary before the Anglo-Norman invasion, then in County Cork and County Kerry, which due to emigration is also common in Australia, North America and Britain...
, O'Mahony
O'Mahony
O'Mahony or O'Mahoney, or simply Mahony or Mahoney, without the prefix, is an Irish surname, and may refer to:The O'Mahonys were Cenél nÁeda princes of the ancient Eóganacht Raithlind...
, O'Donoghue
O'Donoghue
Donoghue or O'Donoghue is an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Ó Donnchadha or Ó Donnchú ‘descendant of Donnchadh’, a personal name composed of the elements donn = ‘brown-haired man’ or ‘lord’ + cath = ‘battle’....
, O'Donoghue of the Glens
O'Donoghue of the Glens
The O'Donoghue of the Glens , Prince of Glenflesk, is the hereditary chieftain of his sept of the Kerry Eóganacht...
, Moriarty
Moriarty
The name Moriarty is an Anglicized version of the irish name Ó Muircheartaigh which orginated in County Kerry,Ireland. Ó Muircheartaigh can be translated to mean navigator or sea worthy, as the irish word muir means sea and cheart means correct...
, O'Keeffe, O'Callaghan, and Kirby
Kirby (surname)
Kirby is a surname, and may refer to:* Alan Kirby * Andy Kirby* Bill Kirby* Bruce Kirby * Bruno Kirby, American film and television actor* Chauncy Kirby, Canadian ice hockey player* David Kirby * David Kirby...
, among many others, many of them of contested origin. MacAuliffe
Mac Amhlaoibh and Mac Amhalghaidh (Irish septs)
Mac Amhlaoibh and Mac Amhalghaidh are two different Gaelic patronymic names with different origins and meanings, but which share the same or similar Anglicisations...
(or McAuliffe
McAuliffe (surname)
McAuliffe or MacAuliffe is a surname of Norse Irish origin. The name is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic Mac Amhlaoibh , meaning "son of Amhlaoibh". The Gaelic name, Amhlaoibh, was derived from the Old Norse personal name Olaf. The surname occurs frequently in Munster, especially northern County...
) is typically a MacCarthy sept
Sept (social)
A sept is an English word for a division of a family, especially a division of a clan. The word might have its origin from Latin saeptum "enclosure, fold", or it can be an alteration of sect.The term is found in both Ireland and Scotland...
. MacGillycuddy
McGillycuddy of the Reeks
The McGillycuddy of the Reeks is one of the hereditary chiefs of the name of Ireland. The current family head is Donough McGillycuddy, who lives in Himeville, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.-Mythology:...
is an O'Sullivan (Mor) sept. O'Long is classed as Eóganacht (Raithlind). O'Driscoll
Driscoll (surname)
Driscoll is one derivation of the Irish Gaelic surname O'Driscoll. The Irish for O'Driscoll is Ó hEidirsceoil. It originates from Cork in the province of Munster where the O'Driscolls were, in ancient times, a powerful clan. They descend from an early High King of Ireland known as Lugaid mac Con...
is Corcu Loígde (Dáirine) but the family are related to the Eóganachta through early and late marriages and so qualify as natural kin. O'Leary
O'Leary
O'Leary is an Irish name, an anglicized version of the original Gaelic patronym Ó Laoghaire or Ó Laoire.The Uí Laoghaire clan, today associated with the Uibh Laoghaire parish in County Cork, is considered by scholars to have originated on the south-west coast, in the area of Ros Ó gCairbre , of...
can be either Corcu Loígde or Uí Fidgenti or Eóganacht depending on the sept. O'Carroll
O'Carroll
O' Carroll is an Irish family name, deriving from the Gaelic Ó Cearbhail.-O' Carroll name and territorial extent:Notable is the history of the Clan Ó Cearbhail whose territory, known as Ely O' Carroll in Éile, consisted of the pasture lands of Ballycrinass, Rosscullenagh and Drumcan, extending to...
of Éile
Éile
Éile, Éle or Éli, commonly anglicised Ely, was an ancient and medieval kingdom of northern Munster in Ireland.-Overview:They claimed descent from Céin , a possibly mythical or spurious younger son of Ailill Aulom and brother of Éogan Mór, and thus kinship with the Eóganachta...
may or may not be distantly related to the Eóganachta. Scannell
Scannell
Scannell or Ó Scannail may refer to:* Damian Scannell, English footballer* Herb Scannell* John J. Scannell* Matt Scannell, lead vocalist of Vertical Horizon* Sean Scannell, Irish footballer* Susan Scannell* Tony Scannell* Vernon Scannell-Name:...
was also a sept of some significance and it is recorded that in 1014, Eocha, son of Dunadbach, Chief of Clann Scannail, and Scannail son of Cathal, Lord of Eóganacht Locha Léin
Eóganacht Locha Léin
Eóganacht Locha Léin or Ui Caipre Luachra were a branch of the ruling Eoganachta of Munster. Their territory was in Iarmuman or West Munster. Luachair is the old name of a large district on the borders of Co Cork, Kerry and Limerick...
, were killed at the Battle of Clontarf
Battle of Clontarf
The Battle of Clontarf took place on 23 April 1014 between the forces of Brian Boru and the forces led by the King of Leinster, Máel Mórda mac Murchada: composed mainly of his own men, Viking mercenaries from Dublin and the Orkney Islands led by his cousin Sigtrygg, as well as the one rebellious...
.
Out of the approximately 150 surviving Irish surnames of princely or comital origins, the Eóganachta and their allies account for approximately 30, or about one fifth. Unfortunately their pedigrees are often hopelessly disorganized and confused and so it is difficult or impossible to tell in many cases which people belong to which septs, or in fact if they even belong to the Eóganachta at all. There is also great evidence in the pedigrees and regnal lists of repeated modification, outright fabrication, and unceremonious deletion, at least for the early period (all concerned sources), with some criticisms quite severe, although this is also a problem with Connachta
Connachta
The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King Conn Cétchathach...
and Laigin
Laigin
The Laigin, modern spelling Laighin , were a population group of early Ireland who gave their name to the province of Leinster...
material.
In Ireland
Sometimes also included are the Uí Fidgenti
Uí Fidgenti
The Uí Fidgenti or Wood-Sprung People were an early kingdom of northern Munster, situated mostly in modern County Limerick, but extending into County Clare and County Tipperary, and possibly even County Kerry and County Cork, at maximum extents, which varied over time...
(O'Donovan
O'Donovan
O'Donovan or Donovan is an Irish surname, as well as a hereditary Gaelic title. It is also written Dhonnabháin in certain grammatical contexts, and Donndubháin, being originally composed of the elements donn, meaning lord or dark brown, dubh, meaning dark or black, and the diminutive suffix án...
, Ó Coileáin
Ó Coileáin
Ó Coileáin is a Modern Irish surname generally belonging to the descendants of the last leading family of the Uí Chonaill Gabra, a sept and small but notable overkingdom of medieval and ancient Ireland, based in western County Limerick...
, O'Connell
O'Connell of Derrynane
The O'Connell family, principally of Derrynane, are a Gaelic Irish noble family of County Kerry in Munster. The principal seat of the senior line of the family was Derrynane House, now an Irish National Monument.-Notable family members:...
, others) and the related Uí Liatháin
Uí Liatháin
The Uí Liatháin were an early kingdom of Munster in southern Ireland. They belonged the same kindred as the Uí Fidgenti, and the two are considered together in the earliest sources, for example The Expulsion of the Déisi...
(Lyons
Lyons (surname)
Lyons is a surname with a variety of origins, from England, Ireland, Scotland, or perhaps France. The English surname Lyons can be traced back to the Norman French, when it was introduced after the Norman Conquest in 1066...
, Gleeson
Gleeson (surname)
Gleeson is an Irish surname. It is an anglicisation of the Irish name Ó Glasáin or Ó Gliasáin. The name is most common in County Tipperary but originates in East County Cork, in the once powerful Uí Liatháin kingdom, where the Gleesons were great lords and sometimes kings.Persons:*Brendan Gleeson ,...
, others), ancient allies of the Eóganachta who may have originally belonged to the Dáirine
Dáirine
The Dáirine , later known dynastically as the Corcu Loígde, were the proto-historical rulers of Munster before the rise of the Eóganachta in the 7th century AD. They appear to have derived from the Darini of Ptolemy and to have been related to the Ulaid and Dál Riata of Ulster and Scotland...
, although it is also possible they were earlier or peripheral branches of the descendants of Ailill Flann Bec, or of Ailill Aulomm, not involved in the innovative Cashel politics of the descendants of Conall Corc, actual founder of the Eóganachta dynasties. In this way, the children of Fidach, the early monarch Crimthand Mór mac Fidaig and his sister Mongfind
Mongfind
Queen Mongfind was the wife, of apparent Munster origins, of the legendary Irish High King Eochaid Mugmedón and mother of his eldest three sons, Brion, Ailill and Fiachrae, ancestors of the historical Connachta, through whom she is an ancestor of many Irish and European nobility today...
, also belong to the peripheral Eóganachta. But only the descendants of Conall Corc, son of Luigdech or Lugaid, son of Ailill Flann Bec, could claim Cashel, whereas all three of these more distantly related aristocracies appear to descend from Dáire Cerbba
Dáire Cerbba
Dáire Cerbba was an Irish dynast of uncertain origins, named in many early and late sources as the grandfather of the semi-mythological Mongfind and Crimthann mac Fidaig, and the most frequently named early ancestor of the historical Uí Liatháin and Uí Fidgenti...
and/or Maine Munchaín, so-called brother(s) of Lugaid. In any case, both the Uí Fidgenti and Uí Liatháin were apparently fading, for whatever reasons, while the Eóganachta were in their prime. They paid no obvious tribute but were little involved in the political scene after a period, the terms of the alliance being only that they were expected to support the Eóganachta militarily on "honour related" expeditions outside Munster or in the defence of it. The Uí Fidgenti did exchange hostages with the King of Cashel, just like the Eóganacht Raithlind and Eóganacht Locha Léin were honoured, and so they appear to have been viewed as kin from an early period, even if they may have been Dáirine to begin with or included very substantial elements. In the earliest genealogies, mostly found in Rawlinson B 502, they are in some way kin to the Eóganachta, even if only through marriage at first as suggested by some later interpreters.
According to Rawlinson B 502, Dáire Cerbba was born in Brega
Kings of Brega
-Overview:Brega took its name from Mag Breg, the plain of Brega, in modern County Meath, County Louth and County Dublin, Ireland. They formed part of the Uí Néill kindred, belonging to the Síl nÁedo Sláine branch of the southern Uí Néill. The kingdom of Brega included the Hill of Tara, the site...
, County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
, but no explanation is given. This might mean his family were even later arrivals to Munster than the Eóganachta and help explain their lack of centralization and well known colonies in Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. The Uí Fidgenti (NW) and Uí Liatháin (SE) were in opposing corners of Munster with the Eóganacht Áine and Eóganacht Glendamnach more or less in between, as well as the Fir Mag Fene. Brega bordered on the territory of the Laigin
Laigin
The Laigin, modern spelling Laighin , were a population group of early Ireland who gave their name to the province of Leinster...
, and was originally a part of it. Against this is the fact that the Uí Fidgenti had their own capital at Dún Eochair in Munster, constructed by the Dáirine several centuries before the rise of Cashel, as described by Geoffrey Keating
Geoffrey Keating
Seathrún Céitinn, known in English as Geoffrey Keating, was a 17th century Irish Roman Catholic priest, poet and historian. He was born in County Tipperary c. 1569, and died c. 1644...
.
In Scotland
It has been suggested that the Kings of the Picts were derived from a sept of the Eóganachta. If so, then the Eóganacht Locha Léin, and thus the ancestors of the O'Moriartys and others, are the most obvious candidates. Not only were they at one point expansive as the powerful Kingdom of IarmumanIarmuman
Iarmhumhain was a Kingdom in the early Christian period of Ireland in west Munster. Its ruling dynasty was related to the main ruling dynasty of Munster known as the Eóganachta. Its ruling branch was called the Eóganacht Locha Léin or Ui Chairpri Lúachra. Their center was around Killarney, County...
, but they were also frustrated by their exclusion and forced isolation by the inner circle. Glaringly, they were said to descend from a Pictish woman, and this was sometimes given as the reason for their isolation. The inner circle exhibited peculiar attitudes from time to time and so this could have been the real story.
- Eóganacht Maige Geirginn. The plain of Circinn is thought to be the area of AngusAngusAngus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
and the MearnsMearnsMearns can refer to*Mearns Academy* Mearns, Alberta* Mearns Castle*Mearns Castle High School* Mearns FM* Mearns Primary School* Kincardineshire, the County of Kincardine, The Mearns in Scotland* Newton Mearnsin biology:...
in ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.- Óengus I of the PictsÓengus I of the PictsÓengus son of Fergus , was king of the Picts from 732 until his death in 761. His reign can be reconstructed in some detail from a variety of sources.Óengus became the chief king in Pictland following a period of civil war in the late 720s...
, d. 761 - Bridei V of the PictsBridei V of the PictsBridei V was king of Fortriu from 761 until 763. He was the brother of Óengus. His death is recorded by the Annals of Ulster and the Annals of Tigernach.-See also:*House of Óengus...
- Talorgan II of the PictsTalorgan II of the PictsTalorgan was a king of the Picts. The Annals of Ulster report the death of Dub Tholargg king of the Picts on this side of the Mounth in 782. He is presumed to have been the son of Óengus mac Fergusa. He was succeeded by his son Drest.-External links:**...
, d. 782 - Drest VIII of the PictsDrest VIII of the PictsDrest son of Talorgan , was king of the Picts from 782 to 787, succeeding his father Talorgan.-See also:* House of Óengus-External links:*...
- Constantín mac Fergusa, d. 820
- Óengus II of the PictsÓengus II of the PictsÓengus mac Fergusa was king of the Picts , in modern Scotland, from about 820 until 834. Tradition associates him with the cult of Saint Andrew and the Flag of Scotland....
, d. 834 - Drest IX of the Picts, d. 836 or 837
- Eóganan mac Óengusa, d. 839
- Óengus I of the Picts
Competition with the Uí Néill
See Byrne (2001), Cathal mac FinguineCathal mac Finguine
Cathal mac Finguine was an Irish King of Munster or Cashel, and effectively High King of Ireland as well. He belonged to the Eóganacht Glendamnach sept of the dominant Eóganachta kin-group whose members dominated Munster from the 7th century to the 10th...
, Feidlimid mac Cremthanin
Feidlimid mac Cremthanin
Fedelmid mac Crimthainn was the King of Munster between 820 and 846. He was numbered as a member of the Céli Dé, an abbot of Cork Abbey and Clonfert Abbey, and possibly a bishop...
, Synod of Birr
Synod of Birr
The Synod of Birr, held at Birr in modern County Offaly, Ireland in 697 was a meeting of churchmen and secular notables. Best remembered as the occasion on which the Cáin Adomnáin—the Law of Innocents—was guaranteed, the survival of a list of the guarantors of the law sheds some light...
.
Competition with the Dál gCais
In some later traditions of ThomondThomond
Thomond The region of Ireland associated with the name Thomond is County Clare, County Limerick and north County Tipperary; effectively most of north Munster. The name is used by a variety of establishments and organisations located in , or associated with the region...
, Eógan
Éogan
In Irish traditional history Eógan , eldest son of Ailill Ollamh, was a 2nd or 3rd century AD king of Munster. He is credited with founding or at least giving his name to the Eóganachta, a dynasty which ruled as kings of Munster and later princes of Desmond until the late 16th century...
had a younger brother, Cas
Cas
Cas may also mean:* Cas , an ancient people near the Caspian Sea* Cas Guava , a species of guava that grows in Costa Rica* Caş, a type of cheese made in Romania...
, who is said to have originated the rival Dál gCais
Dál gCais
The Dál gCais were a dynastic group of related septs located in north Munster who rose to political prominence in the 10th century AD in Ireland. They claimed descent from Cormac Cas, or Cas mac Conall Echlúath, hence the term "Dál", meaning "portion" or "share" of Cas...
dynasty of Ireland, although this has been disproven. The smaller Dál gCais kingdom proved to have surprising military might, and displaced the increasingly beset Eóganachta, who were suffering also from attacks by the Vikings and the Uí Néill
Uí Néill
The Uí Néill are Irish and Scottish dynasties who claim descent from Niall Noigiallach , an historical King of Tara who died about 405....
, on the Munster throne during the course of the 10th century. From this the Eóganachta and their allies would never fully recover, but they did continue, largely in the form of the MacCarthys
McCarthy (surname)
The MacCarthy dynasty was one of Ireland's greatest medieval dynasties. It was and continues to be divided into several great branches. The MacCarthy Reagh, MacCarthy of Muskerry, and MacCarthy of Duhallow dynasties were the three most important of these, after the central or MacCarthy Mór...
and O'Sullivan
O'Sullivan
O'Sullivan or simply Sullivan is an Irish surname, associated with the southwestern part of Ireland, originally found in County Tipperary before the Anglo-Norman invasion, then in County Cork and County Kerry, which due to emigration is also common in Australia, North America and Britain...
s, to assert their authority and rule large parts of Desmond for the next six centuries. They would badly rout the FitzGerald
FitzGerald
The surname FitzGerald is a translation of the French-Norman fils de Gérald, or son of Gerald . Variant spellings include Fitz-Gerald and the modern Fitzgerald. The name can also be used as two separate words Fitz Gerald...
s at the Battle of Callann
Battle of Callann
The Battle of Callann was fought in 1261 between the Normans, under John FitzGerald, 1st Baron Desmond, and the Gaelic forces of Fínghin Mac Carthaigh, King of Desmond, ancestor of the MacCarthy Reagh dynasty. MacCarthy was victorious...
, halting the advance of the Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
into Desmond, and win back many territories briefly held by them.
See Byrne (2001), Todd (1867), Brian Bóruma, Mathgamain mac Cennétig
Mathgamain mac Cennétig
Mathgamain mac Cennétig was King of Munster from around 970 to his death in 976. He is the elder brother of Brian Bóruma and the ancestor of the McMahon family of County Clare in Western Ireland ....
, Cennétig mac Lorcáin
Cennétig mac Lorcáin
Cennétig mac Lorcáin was an Irish king. He was the father of Brian Boru.-Reign:Cennétig was king of the Dál gCais, one of the tribes of the Déisi, subject peoples in Munster. Their name was new, first recorded in the 930s, and they had previously been an undistinguished part of the northern Déisi...
, Kings of Munster
Kings of Munster
The name Munster is derived from the Gaelic God, Muman. The province of Munster was once divided into six regions: Tuadh Mhuman , Des Mhuman , Aur/Ur Mumhan , Iar mumhan or Iarmuman , Ernaibh Muman , and Deisi Muman...
, Kings of Desmond, Thomond
Thomond
Thomond The region of Ireland associated with the name Thomond is County Clare, County Limerick and north County Tipperary; effectively most of north Munster. The name is used by a variety of establishments and organisations located in , or associated with the region...
, 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...
, Déisi
Déisi
The Déisi were a class of peoples in ancient and medieval Ireland. The term is Old Irish, and derives from the word déis, meaning "vassal" or "subject"; in its original sense, it designated groups who were vassals or rent-payers to a landowner. Later, it became a proper name for certain septs and...
.
The Cambro-Normans and England
See FitzGeraldFitzGerald
The surname FitzGerald is a translation of the French-Norman fils de Gérald, or son of Gerald . Variant spellings include Fitz-Gerald and the modern Fitzgerald. The name can also be used as two separate words Fitz Gerald...
, Battle of Callann
Battle of Callann
The Battle of Callann was fought in 1261 between the Normans, under John FitzGerald, 1st Baron Desmond, and the Gaelic forces of Fínghin Mac Carthaigh, King of Desmond, ancestor of the MacCarthy Reagh dynasty. MacCarthy was victorious...
, Earl of Desmond
Earl of Desmond
The title of Earl of Desmond has been held historically by lords in Ireland, first as a title outside of the peerage system and later as part of the Peerage of Ireland....
, Desmond Rebellions
Desmond Rebellions
The Desmond Rebellions occurred in 1569-1573 and 1579-1583 in the Irish province of Munster.They were rebellions by the Earl of Desmond – head of the FitzGerald dynasty in Munster – and his followers, the Geraldines and their allies against the threat of the extension of Elizabethan English...
, Second Desmond Rebellion
Second Desmond Rebellion
The Second Desmond rebellion was the more widespread and bloody of the two Desmond Rebellions launched by the FitzGerald dynasty of Desmond in Munster, Ireland, against English rule in Ireland...
, Florence MacCarthy
Florence MacCarthy
Finnian or Fínghin mac Donnchadh Mac Cárthaigh , known to the English as Florence MacCarthy, was an Irish prince of the late 16th century and the last credible claimant to the MacCarthy Mór title before its suppression by English authority...
, Tudor conquest of Ireland, Dónall Cam Ó Súilleabháin Béirre, Siege of Dunboy
Siege of Dunboy
The Siege of Dunboy took place at Dunboy Castle on 5–18 June 1602, during the Nine Years' War in Ireland. It was one of the last battles of the conflict and was a victory for the English Army.-The Castle:...
, Plantations of Ireland
Plantations of Ireland
Plantations in 16th and 17th century Ireland were the confiscation of land by the English crown and the colonisation of this land with settlers from England and the Scottish Lowlands....
, 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....
, Donagh MacCarthy, Viscount Muskerry
Donagh MacCarthy, Viscount Muskerry
Donagh [Donough] MacCarthy, 1st Earl of Clancarty, 2nd Viscount Muskerry was an Irish noble. He married Ellen Butler , who was the sister of James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde). The Earl served as a Munster general during the Irish Confederate Wars...
, Earl of Clancarty
Earl of Clancarty
Earl of Clancarty, in the Irish counties of Cork and of Galway, is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland.-First creation: MacCarty family of Muskerry:...
.
Marriages and pedigrees
See O'Hart (1892), Cronnelly (1864), Burke (1976), D'Alton (1861), O'Donovan (1856), O'Keeffe (1703), Byrne (2001).Later figures
- Charles MacCarthy (Irish soldier)
- Robert MacCarty, Viscount Muskerry
- Charles MacCarthy (governor)Charles MacCarthy (governor)Brigadier-General Sir Charles MacCarthy KCMG was an Irish-born soldier who served in the French, Dutch and British armies, and was a governor of various British territories in West Africa....
Other notable people are:
- Thaddeus MacCarthy,
- Nicholas Tuite MacCarthyNicholas Tuite MacCarthyNicholas Tuite MacCarthy was a renowned Jesuit preacher in late eighteenth and early nineteenth century France. He was known also as the Abbé de Lévignac. He was of noble birth, being a member of the MacCarthy Reagh family of Springhouse, Bansha, Co...
- Eoghan Rua Ó Súilleabháin
For the 20th century, the long hidden Ó Coileáins of Uí Conaill Gabhra, once the most dominant sept of the Uí Fidgenti, produced the famous Michael Collins
Michael Collins (Irish leader)
Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the...
, or Mícheál Ó Coileáin. His sept were driven out of County Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
in the 13th century by the FitzGeralds, but still regarded themselves as dispossessed aristocracy. The Ó Coileáins had joined their cousins the O'Donovans in County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, who themselves had been assisted by their friends the O'Mahonys. The MacCarthy Reagh
MacCarthy Reagh
The MacCarthy Reagh dynasty are a branch of the great MacCarthy dynasty, Kings of Desmond, deriving from the ancient Eóganachta, of the central Eóganacht Chaisil sept. The MacCarthys Reagh seated themselves as Princes of Carbery in what is now southwestern County Cork in the 13th century...
s would soon follow to become the princes of the area, or Barony of Carbery
Barony of Carbery
Carbery, or the Barony of Carbery, was once the largest barony in Ireland, and essentially a small, semi-independent kingdom on the southwestern coast of Munster, in what is now County Cork, from its founding in the 1230s by Donal Gott MacCarthy to its gradual decline in the late 16th and early...
, and later both they and the O'Mahonys would send septs to be accepted among the aristocracy in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. See also Counts of Toulouse
Counts of Toulouse
The first Counts of Toulouse were the administrators of the city and its environs under the Merovingians. No succession of such royal appointees is known, though a few names survive to the present...
. Of the four, only the O'Donovans, keeping a low profile, remained Gaelic lords after a time.
The MacCarthy of Muskerry
MacCarthy of Muskerry
The MacCarthy dynasty of Muskerry is a branch of the great MacCarthy Mor dynasty, the Kings of Desmond. Their branch descends from Dermod Mor MacCarthy, 1st Lord of Muscry , second son of Cormac MacCarthy Mor , King of Desmond....
dynasty are of great importance and there are several surviving septs.
Daniel "The Liberator" O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847; often referred to as The Liberator, or The Emancipator, was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century...
belonged to a small sept of the Uí Fidgenti who found themselves in County Kerry.
Another lively figure was Pierce Charles de Lacy O'Mahony
Pierce Charles de Lacy O'Mahony
Pierce Charles de Lacy O'Mahony , known up to 1901 as Pierce Mahony, and from 1912 also as The O'Mahony of Kerry, was an Irish Protestant nationalist politician and philanthropist, who practised as a barrister from 1898 to 1900...
.
Modern Eóganacht
Curley gives profiles of some twenty current Irish lords, several of them Eóganacht or allied, enjoying varying levels of recognition.
- O'Donoghue of the GlensO'Donoghue of the GlensThe O'Donoghue of the Glens , Prince of Glenflesk, is the hereditary chieftain of his sept of the Kerry Eóganacht...
(Eóganacht Locha Léin, first Eóganacht Raithlind) - McGillycuddy of the ReeksMcGillycuddy of the ReeksThe McGillycuddy of the Reeks is one of the hereditary chiefs of the name of Ireland. The current family head is Donough McGillycuddy, who lives in Himeville, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.-Mythology:...
(O'Sullivan Mor: Eóganacht Chaisil) - O'Callaghan of Duhallow (Eóganacht Chaisil)
- O'Donovan of ClancahillO'DonovanO'Donovan or Donovan is an Irish surname, as well as a hereditary Gaelic title. It is also written Dhonnabháin in certain grammatical contexts, and Donndubháin, being originally composed of the elements donn, meaning lord or dark brown, dubh, meaning dark or black, and the diminutive suffix án...
(Uí Fidgenti)
The scandal created by Terence Francis MacCarthy
Terence Francis MacCarthy
Terence Francis MacCarthy , formerly self-styled Tadhg V, The MacCarthy Mór, Prince of Desmond and Lord of Kerslawny, is a genealogist, historian, and writer. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he is a resident of Morocco...
has left their futures uncertain. He inserted himself into the pedigree of the Sliocht Cormaic of Dunguile
Sliocht Cormaic of Dunguile
The Sliocht Cormaic of Dunguile, otherwise known as the MacCarthys of Srugrena Abbey, or the Srugrena sept, as well as the Trant McCarthys, are the principal and today perhaps only known surviving sept of the MacCarthy Mór dynasty, the Kings of Desmond...
, the senior surviving sept of the MacCarthy dynasty, who still await recognition from the Irish government following the scandal.
See also
- Kingdoms of Ireland
- Kings of MunsterKings of MunsterThe name Munster is derived from the Gaelic God, Muman. The province of Munster was once divided into six regions: Tuadh Mhuman , Des Mhuman , Aur/Ur Mumhan , Iar mumhan or Iarmuman , Ernaibh Muman , and Deisi Muman...
- Kings of Desmond
- Mac Carthaigh's BookMac Carthaigh's BookMac Carthaigh’s Book is a collection of annals of the period AD 1114-1437 inclusive. It was compiled from earlier material by Fínghin Mac Carthaigh Mór an Irish nobleman who was imprisoned for years in London. He was a patron of learning and a scholar in his own right...
- Counts of ToulouseCounts of ToulouseThe first Counts of Toulouse were the administrators of the city and its environs under the Merovingians. No succession of such royal appointees is known, though a few names survive to the present...
- Earl of ClancartyEarl of ClancartyEarl of Clancarty, in the Irish counties of Cork and of Galway, is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland.-First creation: MacCarty family of Muskerry:...
- Irish nobilityIrish nobilityThis article concerns the Gaelic nobility of Ireland from ancient to modern times. It only partly overlaps with Chiefs of the Name because it excludes Scotland and other discussion...
- Family of BarrauFamily of BarrauThe patronymic name, Barrau, would be of Gallo-Roman origin. The Gaulish root Barr indicates an obstacle, a difficult place of access.The Gaulish language belongs to the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family....
- Irish royal familiesIrish Royal FamiliesThe Irish Royal Families were dynasties who ruled large overkingdoms and smaller petty kingdoms on the island of Ireland over the last two millennia.-Locality:...
- Chief of the Name
- Terence Francis MacCarthyTerence Francis MacCarthyTerence Francis MacCarthy , formerly self-styled Tadhg V, The MacCarthy Mór, Prince of Desmond and Lord of Kerslawny, is a genealogist, historian, and writer. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he is a resident of Morocco...
External links
- Mumu
- Tuadmumu
- Do bunad imthechta Éoganachta
- Conall Corc 7 Ríge Caisil
- Genemain Chuirc meic Luigdech
- Aided Chrimthainn meic Fhidaig 7 Trí Mac Echach Muigmedóin
- Echtra Mac nEchach Muigmedóin
- Irish Historical Mysteries: The MacCarthy Mór Hoax
- South Irish R1b Y-DNA
- The Eóganacht Septs of Ireland (Y-DNA related)
- Famille MacCarthy Reagh at GeneaWiki (in French)
- Famille O'Mahony at GeneaWiki (in French)