Mac Con Midhe
Encyclopedia
Mac Con Midhe was the name of a family of poets in Gaelic
Ireland. The name is also now rendered as MacNamee, Conmee, and Conway.
sept
who were erenagh
s of Comber
on the river Foyle
in the deanery of Derry
, and they are recorded as such as late as 1606 when Bishop Montgomery's survey of the diocese
was made. Just about that time the Ulster Plantation records show Mac Con Midhe's among the natives of County Tyrone
and later in the century the name appeared in Charles O'Neill's regiment in James II's Irish army. Tyrone and Derry is where the name is mainly found today. That was not the case in the seventeenth century. Petty's "census" found them most numerous in County Leitrim
and in the previous century the 'Fiants' show that they were in Leitrim and other parts of Connacht
bordering on Ulster
, as well as in Derry and Donegal
.
The Annals of Loch Cé tell us that in the thirteenth century the chief of Muintir Laoideacháin on the border of Connacht and north-west Leinster
was Mac Con Meadha. In Carew's list (1602) of the gentry
of County Clare
and their castles Teige Oge MacConmea of Neadenurry is found, this could be an error for MacConway It is stated that the sept of MacNamee was seated beside the Shannon
in the barony of Kilkenny west County Westmeath
.
In 1875 the Conmees of Kingsland were among the leading gentry of County Roscommon
. As the name MacNamee is now rare in Connacht it may be assumed that survivors of the sept in that province have become Conmee, which has been widely absorbed in the wellknown surname Conway.
Cormac is considered one of the last of the poets of the classical phase of Gaelic
civilization
.
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...
Ireland. The name is also now rendered as MacNamee, Conmee, and Conway.
Overview
There was a branch of this UlsterUlster
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...
sept
Sept
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...
who were erenagh
Erenagh
The medieval Irish office of Erenagh was responsible for receiving parish revenue from tithes and rents, building and maintaining church property and overseeing the termon lands that generated parish income. Thus he had a prebendary role...
s of Comber
Comber
Comber is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies 5 miles south of Newtownards, at the northern end of Strangford Lough. It had a population of 8,933 people in the 2001 Census. Comber is part of the Borough of Ards...
on the river Foyle
Foyle
Foyle can refer to:*The River Foyle in Northern Ireland*Lough Foyle, the river's estuary*Several organisations and divisions that take their name from the river including:**Foyle **Foyle...
in the deanery of Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, and they are recorded as such as late as 1606 when Bishop Montgomery's survey of the diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
was made. Just about that time the Ulster Plantation records show Mac Con Midhe's among the natives of County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
and later in the century the name appeared in Charles O'Neill's regiment in James II's Irish army. Tyrone and Derry is where the name is mainly found today. That was not the case in the seventeenth century. Petty's "census" found them most numerous in County Leitrim
County Leitrim
County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...
and in the previous century the 'Fiants' show that they were in Leitrim and other parts of Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. 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...
bordering on 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...
, as well as in Derry and Donegal
Donegal
Donegal or Donegal Town is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. Its name, which was historically written in English as Dunnagall or Dunagall, translates from Irish as "stronghold of the foreigners" ....
.
The Annals of Loch Cé tell us that in the thirteenth century the chief of Muintir Laoideacháin on the border of Connacht and north-west Leinster
Leinster
Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...
was Mac Con Meadha. In Carew's list (1602) of the gentry
Gentry
Gentry denotes "well-born and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past....
of 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...
and their castles Teige Oge MacConmea of Neadenurry is found, this could be an error for MacConway It is stated that the sept of MacNamee was seated beside the Shannon
River Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
in the barony of Kilkenny west County Westmeath
County Westmeath
-Economy:Westmeath has a strong agricultural economy. Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and its strategic location on the main Dublin–Galway route across the River Shannon. Mullingar...
.
In 1875 the Conmees of Kingsland were among the leading gentry of County Roscommon
County Roscommon
County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...
. As the name MacNamee is now rare in Connacht it may be assumed that survivors of the sept in that province have become Conmee, which has been widely absorbed in the wellknown surname Conway.
Notables
- Giolla Brighde Mac Con MidheGiolla Brighde Mac Con Midhe-Background and family:Giolla Brighde Mac Con Midhe was a descendant of the Cenél nEógain; Ceart Uí Néill places the Mac Con Midhe family in the area of Ardstraw. His mother was of the Cenél Chonaill, so he addressed poems to the Ó Domhaills as well as the Ó Néills...
(fl.FloruitFloruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1210?-1272?) - Teige Mac Con MidheTeige Mac Con MidheTeige Mac Con Midhe, Irish poet and writer, died 1493.Mac Con Midhe was a member of an Irish brehon family. According to the Annals of the Four Masters:...
, died 1493. - Brian Mac Con MidheBrian Mac Con MidheBrian Mac Con Midhe, Irish poet and writer, fl 1590s.A son of Aonghus Mac Con Midhe, Brian was a member of an Irish brehon family, and chief poet to Turlough Luineach O'Neill.-See also:* Giolla Brighde Mac Con Midhe * Teige Mac Con Midhe...
, chief poet to Turlough Luineach O'NeillTurlough Luineach O'NeillToirdhealbhach Luineach Mac Néill Chonnalaigh Ó Néill , the earl of the Clan-Connell, was inaugurated as the King of Tyrone, upon Shane O’Neill’s death... - Cormac Mac Con MidheCormac Mac Con MidheCormac Mac Con Midhe, aka Cormac mac Cearbhaill Mac Con Midhe, early Modern Irish poet, died 1627.Manuscript H.5.6, held at Trinity College, Dublin, contains a poem of 24 stanzas apparently written by Mac Con Midhe for Toirealach Ó Néill of Sliocht Airt Óig of Tyrone and his wife, Sorcha. It...
(d.1627
Cormac is considered one of the last of the poets of the classical phase of Gaelic
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...
civilization
Civilization
Civilization is a sometimes controversial term that has been used in several related ways. Primarily, the term has been used to refer to the material and instrumental side of human cultures that are complex in terms of technology, science, and division of labor. Such civilizations are generally...
.
External links
- http://www.goireland.com/genealogy/family.htm?FamilyId=997