The Múscraighe were an important Érainn people of Munster

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...

, descending from Cairpre Músc, son of Conaire Cóem, a High King of Ireland

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...

. Closely related were the Corcu Duibne

Corcu Duibne

The Corcu Duibne was a notable kingdom in prehistoric and medieval County Kerry, Ireland which included the Dingle Peninsula, the Iveragh Peninsula and connecting lands...

, Corcu Baiscind

Corcu Baiscind

The Corcu Baiscind were an early Érainn people or kingdom of what is now southern County Clare in Munster. They descended from Cairpre Baschaín, son of Conaire Cóem, a High King of Ireland. Closely related were the Múscraige and Corcu Duibne, both of Munster, and also the Dál Riata of Ulster and...

, both of Munster, and also the Dál Riata

Dál Riata

Dál Riata was a Gaelic overkingdom on the western coast of Scotland with some territory on the northeast coast of Ireland...

 of 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 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...

, all being referred to as the Síl Conairi

Síl Conairi

The Síl Conairi or "Seed of Conaire" were those Érainn septs of the legendary Clanna Dedad descended from the monarch Conaire Mór, son of Eterscél Mór, a descendant of Deda mac Sin, namely the Dál Riata, Múscraige, Corcu Duibne, and Corcu Baiscinn.The Dál Riata, presumably settling in far...

 in Irish and Scottish legends. A more distant ancestor was the legendary monarch Conaire Mór

Conaire Mor

Conaire Mór , son of Eterscél, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. His mother was Mess Búachalla, who was either the daughter of Eochu Feidlech and Étaín, or of Eochu Airem and his daughter by Étaín...

, son of Eterscél, son of Íar

IAR

IAR may refer to:*IAR Systems, an embedded system technology company*A former stock market ticker for Idearc Media, a communications company*"Ignore all rules", a self-contradictory rule*Industria Aeronautică Română , an aerospace manufacturer...

, son of Dedu mac Sin.

While the Múscraige petty kingdom

Petty kingdom

A petty kingdom is one of a number of small kingdoms, described as minor or "petty" by contrast to an empire or unified kingdom that either preceded or succeeded it...

s were scattered throughout the province

Provinces of Ireland

Ireland has historically been divided into four provinces: Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connacht. The Irish word for this territorial division, cúige, literally meaning "fifth part", indicates that there were once five; the fifth province, Meath, was incorporated into Leinster, with parts going to...

 of Munster

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...

, the largest were centred around the present baronies of Muskerry (West and East).
The tribes or septs were pre-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...

, that is before the 6th century. At this time, the territory of Múscraige Mittaine did not extend south of the River Lee

River Lee

River Lee may refer to:*The River Lea or Lee in England*The River Lee in Ireland...

 (although the river bisects the current baronies). A pedigree of the chieftains of the tribe may be found in the Book of Leinster

Book of Leinster

The Book of Leinster , is a medieval Irish manuscript compiled ca. 1160 and now kept in Trinity College, Dublin, under the shelfmark MS H 2.18...

.
The main septs were:

Irish name of the túath	Equivalent barony	County
Múscraige Tíre	Ormond Lower Ormond Lower Ormond Lower is one of the baronies of Ireland, an historical geographical unit of land. It is one of 14 baronies in the traditional county of Tipperary between the baronies of Ormond Upper to the south-east and Owney and Arra to the south-west...   and Owney and Arra Owney and Arra Owney and Arra is one of the baronies of Ireland, an historical geographical unit of land. Its chief town is Newport...	North Tipperary North Tipperary North Tipperary is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-West Region and is also located in the province of Munster. It is named after the town of Tipperary and consists of 48% of the land area of the traditional county of Tipperary. The county was established in 1898 and has had a county...
Múscraige Breógain	Clanwilliam Clanwilliam (County Tipperary) Clanwilliam is one of the baronies of Ireland, a historical geographical unit of land. Its chief town is Tipperary. It is one of 14 baronies in the old county of Tipperary between Kilnamanagh Lower to the north , Iffa and Offa West to the south and Middle Third to the east .It is...	South Tipperary South Tipperary South Tipperary is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Munster. It is named after the town of Tipperary and consists of 52% of the land area of the traditional county of Tipperary. The county was established in 1898 and has had a county...
​Múscraige Tri Maighe	Orrery and Kilmore and part of the barony of Duhallow Duhallow Duhallow is a barony located in the north-western part of County Cork, Ireland.- Legal context :Baronies were created after the Norman invasion as subdivisions of counties and were used for administration. Baronies continue to be regarded as officially defined units, but they are no longer used...	County Cork
Múscraige Mittaine	Muskerry East Muskerry East Muskerry East is one of the baronies of Ireland, an historical geographical unit of land. Its chief town is Ballincollig. It is one of 24 baronies in the county of Cork. It may also be viewed as a half barony because some time before the 1821 census data, it was divided from its other half -... , Muskerry West Muskerry West Muskerry West is one of the baronies of Ireland, an historical geographical unit of land. Its chief town is Macroom. It is one of 24 baronies in the county of Cork. It may also be viewed as a half barony because some time before the 1821 census data, it was divided from its other half - Muskerry East...   and Barretts Barony of Barretts Barretts is a barony in County Cork in Ireland.The name is from the Old English Barrett family.Barretts is bordered by the baronies of Muskerry East to the south-west, Duhallow to the north-west, Fermoy to the north, Barrymore to the east and the Barony of Cork to the south-east...	County Cork
Múscraige Aodha (alias Múscraige Luachra)	Various baronies	Counties Cork, Tipperary and Limerick

Importantly, they acted as vassals and facilitators for the rising 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...

.

A King of Munster from the Múscraige was Flaithbertach mac Inmainén

Flaithbertach mac Inmainén

Flaithbertach mac Inmainén was abbot of Inis Cathaig and sometime King of Munster in the south of Ireland. Unrelated to the dominant Eóganachta, Flaithbertach belonged to the Múscraige, an Érainn people.-Cath Belach Mugna:...

.