Mongfind
Encyclopedia
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 Europe
an nobility today. She was the sister of Crimthann mac Fidaig
, King of Munster and the next High King of Ireland, whom she is said to have killed with poison in the attempt to have the kingdom for her sons. She drank the same to convince him, and died soon after at Samhain
, becoming a goddess of sorcery.
She was the first wife of Eochaid; he took a second wife, Cairenn
, who gave birth to Niall of the Nine Hostages
. Several stories depict Mongfind as an adversary of her stepson.
According to Cormac's Glossary, she was a goddess the pagan Irish worshipped on Samhain. This was also called the Féile Moingfhinne i.e. "Festival of Mongfind". Later legend, as documented in Patrick Weston Joyce
's Social History of Ancient Ireland, makes her a bean sidhe. A prominent hill called Cnoc Samhna "Hill of Samhain
" also known as Ard na Ríoghraidhe "Height of the Kingfolk" south of Bruree
, County Limerick
is associated with a tale connected to Mongfind. "Anocht Oíche Shamhna Moingfhinne banda" is children's rhyme from County Waterford
which translates as "Tonight is the eve of Samhain of Mongfhionn the goddess". Variant spellings of her name include Mongfinn, Mongfionn, Mongfhind, Mongfhinn, Mongfhionn, Mongfinne, Mongfhinne, Mong Find, Mong Finn, Mong Fionn, Mong Fhionn, Mungfionn, Mung Finn, Mung Fionn.
Mongfind and her brother, children of Fidach and grandchildren of Dáire Cerbba
in most sources, are sometimes said to belong to an early or peripheral branch of the Eóganachta
. However, this is unlikely, as the evidence suggests that, if historical, they belong to a distinct people associated with other kingdoms, possibly the Dáirine
, who may be referred to as their people in an obscure poem in Old Irish by Flann mac Lonáin
(d. 896). In the Banshenchus she is called "Mongfind of the Érnai" (Érainn), and given a later son Sidach following the Connachta. Dáire Cerbba is stated in Rawlinson B 502 to have been born in Mag Breg (Brega), Mide, much of which probably remained Érainn territory at the time of his supposed floruit. It is difficult to distinguish the Dáirine from the Érainn in the surviving corpus.
. In this she is associated with sites belonging to her relatives the Uí Fidgenti
, although they are not specifically mentioned, and neither is Crimthand Mór, her brother in the other tales. She is stated simply to be the daughter of Dáire (Cerbba?), son of Findchad, someone otherwise unknown, and her father in the other sources, Fidach, is not mentioned. Further, she is the wife of the King of Ulster and the names of their three sons are not those of the Three Connachta.
It is difficult to date the tale. Though the manuscript is late, it is also of Munster provenance and so it may contain archaic elements lost in the tales involving the sons of Eochaid Mugmedón. The fact that Dún Eochair is mentioned as a seat of the King of Munster suggests memories from the time before the 7th century when the Dáirine ruled the kingdom, as this was one their great seats, later inherited by the Uí Fidgenti, who were probably Érainn or Dáirine themselves. This has the effect of putting more distance between Mongfind and the Eóganachta.
But as no Mongfind is recorded as the wife of any Ulster king, it is likely the Munster storytellers forgot her legendary role as the fracturer of the Uí Néill
from the Connachta but could still recall associated localities in Munster. She is placed in the alternate version encamped at Cnoc Samhna (Knocksouna) i.e. Ard na Ríoghraidhe, which may have been the inauguration site of the Uí Fidgenti. Later tradition finds them in alliance with Mongfind's descendants the Uí Fiachrach Aidhne
, especially in the time of Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin
, king of Connacht.
Anachronistically, the King of Munster given in the tale is Cathal mac Áedo
(d. 627), possibly a replacement for Mongfind's brother, Crimthann mac Fidaig.
princess wedded to Conall Corc
, ancestress of the Eóganacht Locha Léin
of Iarmuman
and of a line of powerful Pictish kings, e.g. Óengus I of the Picts
, but it appears this can be dismissed as a case of coincidental influences on the story associating Crimthann mac Fidaig with the Pictish king and father, called Feredach. From the perspective of the early Eóganachta, Crimthann mac Fidaig, named in various sources as "King of Ireland and Alba
", was hostile to his supposed cousin or nephew Conall Corc, who went on a journey to Pictland and there was married to the daughter of the Pictish king. The descendants of this marriage were the Eóganacht Locha Léin and were hostile to the Inner Circle ruling at Cashel
. It appears to have been in this political climate that the "original" Irish queen/goddess Mongfind became associated with the Picts.
A major remaining difficulty is how the historical Conall Corc and Crimthann mac Fidaig may originally have been related to each other. Possibly it was through marriage. Unfortunately the traditions of the Connachta provide no clues and nowhere associate the Mongfind known to them with Conall Corc, and likewise she is unassociated by name with her supposed brother or even with the Eóganachta in the Munster tales, with only the notoriously unreliable genealogies providing these links for scholars. In one and perhaps the oldest version of Mongfind's pedigree the Uí Liatháin
are close kin, who are broadly associated with Crimthann mac Fidaig in other sources. Theirs is said in several early tales to have been a sister kingdom to the Uí Fidgenti mentioned above, which the genealogies confirm, but modern scholarship dismisses the two as 8th century add-ons to the Eóganachta pedigree, which may have implications for the ancestry of Mongfind and Crimthann. Additionally, the descent of the Eóganacht Locha Léin from Conall Corc has also been questioned. Only the Eóganacht Raithlind
had a generally close relationship with the Inner Circle, and although they are sometimes associated with the Eóganacht Locha Léin, they were also not said to be products of the marriage of Conall Corc to the Pictish princess "Mongfind".
Notably, the other wife of Conall Corc was Aimend
of the Corcu Loígde
, who may also have been a goddess in origin. Unlike Mongfind, Aimend is directly stated to have been his wife in all sources.
and Uí Fiachrach
provided many Kings of Connacht
. Each dynasty further provided two High Kings of Ireland apiece: Nath Í
and Ailill Molt
; Toirdelbach Ua Conchobair and Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair
.
:
Mug Nuadat
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Ailill Aulomm
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Eógan Mór
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Fiachu Muillethan
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Ailill Flann Bec
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|____________________________ ???
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Lugaid
Dáire Cerbba
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| |__________________________
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| Fidach Uí Fidgenti
& Uí Liatháin
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| |__________________________
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| Crimthann mac Fidaig
Mongfind = Eochaid Mugmedón
= Cairenn
| | |
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Conall Corc
Connachta
Niall Noígiallach
Munster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south 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 administrative and judicial purposes...
origins, of the legendary Irish High King
High King of Ireland
The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...
Eochaid Mugmedón
Eochaid Mugmedon
-Biography:According to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, Eochaid was a High King of Ireland, best known as the father of Niall of the Nine Hostages and ancestor of the Uí Néill and Connachta dynasties...
and mother of his eldest three sons, Brion
Brion (Irish)
Brión , son of Eochaid Mugmedón, was a legendary and possibly historical Irish king, fl. 4th/5th century.-Biography:The older half-brother of Niall of the Nine Hostages and one of the three brothers whose descendants were known as the Connachta, Brión is said to have been king of Connacht....
, Ailill
Ailill mac Echach Mugmedóin
Ailill mac Echach Mugmedóin was an Irish prince, the son of the high king Eochaid Mugmedón by his wife Mongfind, sister of Crimthann mac Fidaig. He was ancestor of the Uí nAilello dynasty of Connacht. He lived in the late 4th century....
and Fiachrae
Fiachrae
Fiachrae was an Irish prince, the son of the high king Eochaid Mugmedón by his wife Mongfind, sister of Crimthann mac Fidaig. He was ancestor of the Uí Fiachrach dynasties of Connacht. He lived in the late 4th century....
, ancestors of the historical Connachta
Connachta
The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King Conn Cétchathach...
, through whom she is an ancestor of many Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an nobility today. She was the sister of Crimthann mac Fidaig
Crimthann mac Fidaig
Crimthann Mór, son of Fidach , also written Crimthand Mór, was a semi-mythological king of Munster and High King of Ireland of the 4th century. He gained territory in Britain and Gaul, but died poisoned by his sister Mongfind. It is possible that he was also recognized as king of Scotland or Alba...
, King of Munster and the next High King of Ireland, whom she is said to have killed with poison in the attempt to have the kingdom for her sons. She drank the same to convince him, and died soon after at Samhain
Samhain
Samhain is a Gaelic harvest festival held on October 31–November 1. It was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures, and was popularised as the "Celtic New Year" from the late 19th century, following Sir John Rhys and Sir James Frazer...
, becoming a goddess of sorcery.
She was the first wife of Eochaid; he took a second wife, Cairenn
Cairenn
Cairenn Chasdub; Caireann was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, the daughter of Sachell Balb, king of the Saxons, the second wife of the Irish High King Eochaid Mugmedón, and the mother of Niall of the Nine Hostages.When she was pregnant with Niall, Eochaid's first wife...
, who gave birth to Niall of the Nine Hostages
Niall of the Nine Hostages
Niall Noígíallach , or in English, Niall of the Nine Hostages, son of Eochaid Mugmedón, was an Irish king, the eponymous ancestor of the Uí Néill kindred who dominated Ireland from the 6th century to the 10th century...
. Several stories depict Mongfind as an adversary of her stepson.
According to Cormac's Glossary, she was a goddess the pagan Irish worshipped on Samhain. This was also called the Féile Moingfhinne i.e. "Festival of Mongfind". Later legend, as documented in Patrick Weston Joyce
Patrick Weston Joyce
Patrick Weston Joyce was an Irish historian, writer and music collector, known particularly for his research in local place names of Ireland.-Biography:...
's Social History of Ancient Ireland, makes her a bean sidhe. A prominent hill called Cnoc Samhna "Hill of Samhain
Samhain
Samhain is a Gaelic harvest festival held on October 31–November 1. It was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures, and was popularised as the "Celtic New Year" from the late 19th century, following Sir John Rhys and Sir James Frazer...
" also known as Ard na Ríoghraidhe "Height of the Kingfolk" south of Bruree
Bruree
Bruree is a village in south-eastern County Limerick, Ireland, on the River Maigue. It takes its name from the nearby ancient royal fortress, the alternative name of which from the earliest times into the High Middle Ages was Dún Eochair Maigue or the Fortress on the Brink of the Maigue.- History...
, 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...
is associated with a tale connected to Mongfind. "Anocht Oíche Shamhna Moingfhinne banda" is children's rhyme from 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,...
which translates as "Tonight is the eve of Samhain of Mongfhionn the goddess". Variant spellings of her name include Mongfinn, Mongfionn, Mongfhind, Mongfhinn, Mongfhionn, Mongfinne, Mongfhinne, Mong Find, Mong Finn, Mong Fionn, Mong Fhionn, Mungfionn, Mung Finn, Mung Fionn.
Mongfind and her brother, children of Fidach and grandchildren of 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...
in most sources, are sometimes said to belong to an early or peripheral branch of the Eóganachta
Eóganachta
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...
. However, this is unlikely, as the evidence suggests that, if historical, they belong to a distinct people associated with other kingdoms, possibly 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...
, who may be referred to as their people in an obscure poem in Old Irish by Flann mac Lonáin
Flann mac Lonáin
-Background and career:Flann mac Lonáin was a famed and at times controversial poet. He was the Chief Ollam of Ireland He seems to have being born in the east Clare/west Tipperary region...
(d. 896). In the Banshenchus she is called "Mongfind of the Érnai" (Érainn), and given a later son Sidach following the Connachta. Dáire Cerbba is stated in Rawlinson B 502 to have been born in Mag Breg (Brega), Mide, much of which probably remained Érainn territory at the time of his supposed floruit. It is difficult to distinguish the Dáirine from the Érainn in the surviving corpus.
"Alternate" version
An interesting alternate version of the story of Mongfind and her sons exists in a saint's life from the Book of LismoreBook of Lismore
The Book of Lismore is a Medieval Irish manuscript.-Overview:The Book of Lismore is an Irish vellum manuscript, compiled in early 15th century, Lismore, Ireland. Its original name was Leabhar Mhic Cárthaigh Riabhaigh...
. In this she is associated with sites belonging to her relatives 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...
, although they are not specifically mentioned, and neither is Crimthand Mór, her brother in the other tales. She is stated simply to be the daughter of Dáire (Cerbba?), son of Findchad, someone otherwise unknown, and her father in the other sources, Fidach, is not mentioned. Further, she is the wife of the King of Ulster and the names of their three sons are not those of the Three Connachta.
It is difficult to date the tale. Though the manuscript is late, it is also of Munster provenance and so it may contain archaic elements lost in the tales involving the sons of Eochaid Mugmedón. The fact that Dún Eochair is mentioned as a seat of the King of Munster suggests memories from the time before the 7th century when the Dáirine ruled the kingdom, as this was one their great seats, later inherited by the Uí Fidgenti, who were probably Érainn or Dáirine themselves. This has the effect of putting more distance between Mongfind and the Eóganachta.
But as no Mongfind is recorded as the wife of any Ulster king, it is likely the Munster storytellers forgot her legendary role as the fracturer of 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....
from the Connachta but could still recall associated localities in Munster. She is placed in the alternate version encamped at Cnoc Samhna (Knocksouna) i.e. Ard na Ríoghraidhe, which may have been the inauguration site of the Uí Fidgenti. Later tradition finds them in alliance with Mongfind's descendants the Uí Fiachrach Aidhne
Uí Fiachrach Aidhne
Uí Fhiachrach Aidhne was a kingdom located in what is now the south of Co. Galway.-Legendary origins and geography:...
, especially in the time of Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin
Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin
Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin was a king of Connacht. A member of the Ui Fiachrach Aidhne and son of king Colmán mac Cobthaig . Guiare ruled at the height of Ui Fiachrach Aidne power in south Connacht.-Early reign:...
, king of Connacht.
Anachronistically, the King of Munster given in the tale is Cathal mac Áedo
Cathal mac Áedo
Cathal 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), possibly a replacement for Mongfind's brother, Crimthann mac Fidaig.
Pictish princess
Mongfind also occurs as the name of the PictishPicts
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...
princess wedded to 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...
, ancestress of the 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...
of 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...
and of a line of powerful Pictish kings, e.g. Óengus I of the Picts
Óengus I of the Picts
Óengus 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...
, but it appears this can be dismissed as a case of coincidental influences on the story associating Crimthann mac Fidaig with the Pictish king and father, called Feredach. From the perspective of the early Eóganachta, Crimthann mac Fidaig, named in various sources as "King of Ireland and Alba
Kingdom of Alba
The name Kingdom of Alba pertains to the Kingdom of Scotland between the deaths of Donald II in 900, and of Alexander III in 1286 which then led indirectly to the Scottish Wars of Independence...
", was hostile to his supposed cousin or nephew Conall Corc, who went on a journey to Pictland and there was married to the daughter of the Pictish king. The descendants of this marriage were the Eóganacht Locha Léin and were hostile to the Inner Circle ruling at Cashel
Cashel, County Tipperary
Cashel is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 2936 at the 2006 census. The town gives its name to the ecclesiastical province of Cashel. Additionally, the cathedra of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly was originally in the town prior to the English Reformation....
. It appears to have been in this political climate that the "original" Irish queen/goddess Mongfind became associated with the Picts.
A major remaining difficulty is how the historical Conall Corc and Crimthann mac Fidaig may originally have been related to each other. Possibly it was through marriage. Unfortunately the traditions of the Connachta provide no clues and nowhere associate the Mongfind known to them with Conall Corc, and likewise she is unassociated by name with her supposed brother or even with the Eóganachta in the Munster tales, with only the notoriously unreliable genealogies providing these links for scholars. In one and perhaps the oldest version of Mongfind's pedigree the 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...
are close kin, who are broadly associated with Crimthann mac Fidaig in other sources. Theirs is said in several early tales to have been a sister kingdom to the Uí Fidgenti mentioned above, which the genealogies confirm, but modern scholarship dismisses the two as 8th century add-ons to the Eóganachta pedigree, which may have implications for the ancestry of Mongfind and Crimthann. Additionally, the descent of the Eóganacht Locha Léin from Conall Corc has also been questioned. Only the Eóganacht Raithlind
Eóganacht Raithlind
Eóganacht 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...
had a generally close relationship with the Inner Circle, and although they are sometimes associated with the Eóganacht Locha Léin, they were also not said to be products of the marriage of Conall Corc to the Pictish princess "Mongfind".
Notably, the other wife of Conall Corc was 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...
of the Corcu Loígde
Corcu 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...
, who may also have been a goddess in origin. Unlike Mongfind, Aimend is directly stated to have been his wife in all sources.
Descendant houses
Both the Uí BriúinUí Briúin
The Uí Briúin were an Irish kin-group. Their eponymous apical ancestor was Brion, son of Eochaid Mugmedon and Mongfind, and an elder half brother of Niall of the Nine Hostages. They formed part of the Connachta, along with the Uí Fiachrach and Uí Ailello, putative descendants of Eochaid Mugmedon's...
and Uí Fiachrach
Uí Fiachrach
The Uí Fiachrach were a dynasty who originated in, and whose descendants later ruled, the coicead or fifth of Connacht at different times from the mid-first millennium onwards. They claimed descent from Fiachrae, an older half-brother of Niall Noigiallach or Niall of the Nine Hostages...
provided many Kings of Connacht
Kings of Connacht
The Kings of Connacht were rulers of the cóiced of Connacht, which lies west of the River Shannon, Ireland. However, the name only became applied to it in the early medieval era, being named after The Connachta.The old name for the province was Cóiced Ol nEchmacht . Ptolemy's map of c. 150 AD...
. Each dynasty further provided two High Kings of Ireland apiece: Nath Í
Nath Í
Nath Í, an early Irish personal name for males, may refer to:*Nath Í mac Fiachrach, 5th-century legendary king of Connacht*Nath Í of Cúl Fothirbe, saint of the Dál Messin Corb of Leinster...
and Ailill Molt
Ailill Molt
Ailill mac Nath Í , called Ailill Molt, is included in most lists of the High Kings of Ireland and is also called King of Connacht. His cognomen, molt, means "ram" but its origin is unknown....
; Toirdelbach Ua Conchobair and Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair
Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair
Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair , often anglicised Rory O'Connor, reigned as King of Connacht from 1156 to 1186, and from 1166 to 1198 was the last High King before the Norman invasion of Ireland .Ruaidrí was one of over twenty sons of King...
.
- Uí BriúinUí BriúinThe Uí Briúin were an Irish kin-group. Their eponymous apical ancestor was Brion, son of Eochaid Mugmedon and Mongfind, and an elder half brother of Niall of the Nine Hostages. They formed part of the Connachta, along with the Uí Fiachrach and Uí Ailello, putative descendants of Eochaid Mugmedon's...
- Uí Briúin Ai
- O'Conor DonO'Conor DonThe Ó Conchubhair Donn is the hereditary Prince and Chief of the Name of the Royal Family of Connacht, the Clan Ó Conchubhair.-Overview:...
- MacDermotMacDermotMac Diarmata is an Irish surname, and the surname of the ruling dynasty of Moylurg, a kingdom that existed in Connacht from the 10th to 16th centuries.-Overview:...
- O'Conor Don
- Uí Briúin Bréifne
- Uí Briúin Ai
- Uí FiachrachUí FiachrachThe Uí Fiachrach were a dynasty who originated in, and whose descendants later ruled, the coicead or fifth of Connacht at different times from the mid-first millennium onwards. They claimed descent from Fiachrae, an older half-brother of Niall Noigiallach or Niall of the Nine Hostages...
- Uí Fiachrach AidhneUí Fiachrach AidhneUí Fhiachrach Aidhne was a kingdom located in what is now the south of Co. Galway.-Legendary origins and geography:...
- Ó CléirighÓ CléirighÓ Cléirigh is the surname of a learned Irish family whose members appear in historical records dating to the mid-Medieval Period. In the centuries prior to the historical era, they had been rulers of Uí Fiachrach Aidhne, a kingdom in what is now the south of County Galway, but were subsequently...
- HynesHynes-People:* Eidhean mac Cléireach, fl. 800, ancestor of the Ó hEidhin/Hynes family of south County Galway*Andrew Hynes , a founder of Elizabethtown, Kentucky*Charles J...
- O'ShaughnessyO'ShaughnessyÓ Seachnasaigh, O'Shaughnessy, collectively Uí Sheachnasaigh, clan name Cinél nAedha na hEchtghe, is a family surname of Irish origin.The name is found primarily in County Galway and County Limerick...
- Ó Cléirigh
- Uí Fiachrach MuaidheUí Fiachrach MuaidheUí Fiachrach Muaidhe were a branch of the Ui Fiachrach dynasty of the Connachta. They were centered in the Moy River valley of Co. Mayo. The Uí Fiachrach Muaide territory at its widest reach included the baronies of Erris and Tirawley in Co. Mayo, and the barony of Tireragh in Co. Sligo...
- O'DowdO'DowdO'Dowd is an uncommon Irish surname. Many modern variants of the O'Dowd surname exist. The prefix has been widely retained, O'Dowd being more usual than Dowd. Other modern variants are Dawdy, Dowdy, O'Dowda and Dowds, with Doody and Duddy, found around Killarney, where a branch of the Connacht...
- O'Dowd
- Uí Fiachrach Aidhne
- Uí Ailello
Pedigree
A possible pedigreePedigree chart
A pedigree chart is a diagram that shows the occurrence and appearance or phenotypes of a particular gene or organism and its ancestors from one generation to the next, most commonly humans, show dogs, and race horses....
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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...
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Ailill Aulomm
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Eógan Mór
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Fiachu Muillethan
Fiachu Muillethan
Fiachu 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...
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Ailill Flann Bec
Ailill Flann Bec
Ailill 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...
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Lugaid
Lugaid
Lugaid is a popular medieval Irish name, thought to be derived from the god Lug. It is borne by a number of figures from Irish history and mythology, including:High Kings of Ireland...
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...
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| Fidach 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...
& 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...
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| Crimthann mac Fidaig
Crimthann mac Fidaig
Crimthann Mór, son of Fidach , also written Crimthand Mór, was a semi-mythological king of Munster and High King of Ireland of the 4th century. He gained territory in Britain and Gaul, but died poisoned by his sister Mongfind. It is possible that he was also recognized as king of Scotland or Alba...
Mongfind = Eochaid Mugmedón
Eochaid Mugmedon
-Biography:According to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, Eochaid was a High King of Ireland, best known as the father of Niall of the Nine Hostages and ancestor of the Uí Néill and Connachta dynasties...
= Cairenn
Cairenn
Cairenn Chasdub; Caireann was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, the daughter of Sachell Balb, king of the Saxons, the second wife of the Irish High King Eochaid Mugmedón, and the mother of Niall of the Nine Hostages.When she was pregnant with Niall, Eochaid's first wife...
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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...
Connachta
Connachta
The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King Conn Cétchathach...
Niall Noígiallach
See also
- 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...
- 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:...
- Macha Mong Ruad
- Clídna
- MorríganMorríganThe Morrígan or Mórrígan , also written as Morrígu or in the plural as Morrígna, and spelt Morríghan or Mór-Ríoghain in Modern Irish, is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have once been a goddess, although she is not explicitly referred to as such in the texts.The Morrigan is a goddess...
- BadbBadbIn Irish mythology, the Badb or Badhbh —meaning "crow" or "vulture"—was a war goddess who took the form of a crow, and was thus sometimes known as Badb Catha . She often caused fear and confusion among soldiers in order to move the tide of battle to her favoured side...
- GormflaithGormflaithGormflaith ingen Murchada was born in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland, around 960. She was the daughter of Murchad mac Finn, King of Leinster, sister of his successor, Mael Mórdha mac Murchada, and widow of Olaf Cuaran, the Viking king of Dublin and York. The main source of her life history is the...