I first became aware of the O’Flahertys while searching for
the few scraps of information available about my own family, the MacConroys of
Gnomore and Ballymaconry. Being
historically minded, I was of course fascinated by their story. Their dynasty actually ruled two different
kingdoms at two different epochs. At
first, all I wanted to do with this was to give the details of the 11th century tract regarding the retainers of Muintir Murchada in a manner that made
comprehension easier. Naturally, my
distaste for presenting information out of context left me with little chance
of not being long-winded, so to speak.
What follows here, then, is indeed an account of the
information in that tract, preceded by a brief description of the dynasty’s
history in the centuries leading up to that point and followed by a brief
account of the family’s fortunes afterward.
Ui Briuin Seola & Muintir Murchada to the 12th century
The first notice in the annals of Ireland of chiefs of the
dynasty which ultimately became the O’Flahertys of Iar Connacht was in the
mid-7th century, long before the adoption of surnames and before
they had moved into the territory for which they first became famous. Cenn Faelad mac Colgan, chief of a sept of
the Ui Briuin dynasty, which was then competing for dominance with the Ui
Fiachrach that had displaced the previous Fir Ol nEchmachta rulers of Connacht,
was high king of Connacht 668-682. No
member of his sept held the throne of Connacht again until the latter years of
the 11th century.
The entry in question, dated 653, treats him as the chief retainer
of Maenach mac Baethine of the Ui Briuin Magh nAi in battle against Marcan mac
Toma of the Ui Fiachrach Aidne, the dynasty which at the time ruled
Connacht. The Ui Fiachrach Aidne and the
Ui Briuin had been alternating in dominance since the 6th century;
Loingseach mac Colmain of Ui Fiachrach Aidne was the current high king of
Connacht. The location of the battle, in
which Marcan was killed, is given as “Iarthar Seola”, or “West (Magh) Seola”.
Two things of note here: (1) this is the first mention of
the sept in connection with the territory for which it later became known; and
(2) the presence of the Ui Fiachrach Aidne in that region indicates that sept
may have been overlords of its rulers, the Delbhna Cuile Fabhair, who later became
subordinate kings of Cenn Faelad’s descendants.
Loingseach died in 655 and was succeeded by his brother, the
famous Guaire Aidne, who ruled until 663, when he was succeeded by his son, Murchetach
Nar. Cenn Faelad must have been part of
the derbhine of Ui Briuin Ai since he ascended to the throne of Cruachan in 668
when that sept regained dominance.
The next mention of the sept that ultimately became the
O’Flahertys in the annals is the death of Donn mac Cumasgach, called king of
the “southern Ui Briun”. At this time,
the territory almost certainly included the lands of the Conmaicne Cuile Tolad
and the Conmaicne Dunmore but not the entirety of the southern territory they
later controlled. However, it may have
included the actual geographic feature for which that kingdom became known
because Magh Seola, the “plain of Seola”, lies in the modern townlands of
Caltragh in the parish of Killower and the townlands of Caltragh and Carheeny
in the parish of Belclare, both parishes adjacent to Dunmore.
Maelan mac Cathmogha, who died 848, is the first to be
called “king of Magh Seola”. It is from
his son, Murchadh, that the dynasty acquired its sobriquet Muintir Murchada,
which soon came to be used for their whole territory as well. Although Roderic O’Flaherty indicates this
was the name by which it was known among the sept, and probably its retainers,
it never occurs in the comtemporary annals.
The patronymic “O’Flaithbheartach” (nominative) or
“O’Flaithbheartaigh” (genitive) derives from a scion living in 970, not the
head of the family but certainly of the derbhine. Its first use in the annals came in the death
notice of Muiredach Mor ua Flaithbheartach in 1034.
The title “king of Iarthair Connacht” first appears in the
death notice of Urdach mac Muiredach in 945, but the title was not used
regularly until Ruadhri O’Flaherty, who died in 1061. Urdach, by the way, was grandfather to the
later king of Thomond and of Munster who became High King of Ireland, the first
real King of all Ireland, Brian Borumha.
His daughter Be Binn was wife to Cennetig mac Lorcain, Brian’s father.
Although the name Iar Connacht now applies to the modern
baronies of Moycullen, Ballynahinch, Ross, and Aran, all west of Loch Orbsen
(Loch Corrib), before it was restricted to the lands on the east of that lake,
along with the authority of the O’Flahertys, at least as part of the title
“king of Iar Connacht” used in the annals.
In 1048, during the reign of Amhalgaidh mac Cathal as king
of Magh Seola, the forces of the king of Connacht, Aed in Gai Bernaig of the
Sil Murray (by then the dominant branch of Ui Briuin Ai), ransacked and
destroyed to seat of the Muintir Murchada on Inish Loch Cime (now Lough
Hackett). This was the culmination of a
conquest of Conmaicne Dunmore. The next
year, Aed moved his seat from Cruachan to Tuam, the parish of which straddles
the modern baronies of Dunmore and Clare.
Aed, who later blinded Amhalgaidh to render him unfit for
kingship, took these actions because of the rising power of his sept. At around the same time, a sept of Sil Murray
called Clann Taidg carved out a kingdom from the western territory of the Ui
Maine subkingdom of Tir Soghain and the eastern territory of Muintir
Murchada. The latter involved the
parishes of Monivea, Kilmoyan, Killererin, Athenry, and possibly part of
Cummer, reducing the lands of Muintir Murchada even further.
The O’Flahertys remained a significant force in Connacht,
however, and one of their own, Flaithbheartaigh ua Flaithbheartaig became king
of Connacht in 1092 after blinding his predecessor, Ruadri O’Connor, in revenge
for what had been done to Amhalgaidh, for which he himself was killed in 1098.
To the time of this chief of the O’Flahertys is assigned the
tract known in Irish as “Crichaireacht cinedach nduchasa Muintiri Murchada” (in
English, “A tract on the Connacht
territory of Munitir Mhurchada”). It is
a unique document providing great insight into the workings of a regional Irish
kingdom in the High Medieval period.
Muintir Murchada at the
dawn of the 12th century
The septs and clans
of Muintir Murchada (the territory) and their lands, the retainers of the
O’Flahertys, at this time are listed below.
The references to townland and parish mean the modern ones. The list is more or less north to south. The names have been anglicized, either from
already standard renderings or in versions I worked out myself.
The tract mentioned
just above exists in three manuscripts, each differing slightly from the others,
and I have used the two translations available to me, each of a different
version: the one on Wikipedia, and the other from O’Flaherty’s work .
The O’Flahertys, known as Ui
Flaithbheartaigh or Muintir Murchada and earlier as Ui Briuin Seola, were the kings
of Iar Connacht, which then meant Muintir Murchada. Their seat was at Inish Loch Cime (now Lough
Hackett) in the center of the modern parish of Donaghpatrick. Despite its location at the heart of the
diocese of Donaghpatrick, governed from the abbey in the townland of Abbeytown,
their patron saint was St. Fursey, founder of the abbey at Killursa.
The O’Morrollys
were the chiefs of Muinn-in-radain, a name now obsolete meaning “Wood of the
Good Road”. The O’Morrollys were the
chief stewards of the O’Flahertys.
The O’Donnells
were the chiefs of Ardratha, a name now obsolete. The O’Donnells were masters of the feast for
the O’Flahertys.
The MacGilgannons
were the chiefs of Moylislionn, a name which means “Plain of the
Ale-fort” and now anglicized as Manuslynn, a tonwland in the parish of Kilcoona, Co. Galway (see the note from John MacGilgannon below). The MacGilcannons were the
masters of the horse for the O’Flahertys, meaning commanders of their cavalry.
The O’Mullawills were the erenaghs of
Donaghpatrick (“Church of St. Patrick”), of the abbey in the townland of
Abbeytown or the church in the townland of Donaghpatrick, but more likely of
both. The abbey was founded by St.
Patrick, who left St. Felart as its first abbot. The abbey was better known as Domnach Mor
Seola, or “Great Church of Seola”, an indication of its importance. Before the reforms of the 12th century, the abbey had a diocese attached to it of the amorphous kind that led
to the those very reforms. The
O’Mullawills were also the brehons of Muintir Murchada.
The O’Mealeys were chiefs of Bogogi, a name
now obsolete, as well as the erenaghs of Killamanagh and Kilnacoelan, both in the
parish of Donaghpatrick. Killamanagh
means “Church of the Monks”, indicating a early abbey other than the one at
Abbeytown. Kilnacoelan means “Church of St.
Coelan”. That name is now obsolete, but
was probably in the modern townland of Kildrum (“Church of the Hill”).
St. Coelan was a
contemporary of Enda of Aran who had a monastery on the island of
Ilaumgarraunmore in the territory of the Delbhna Tir Dha Locha. There was later a church there dedicated to
him, and another in Connemara on the island of Croaghnakeela.
The O’Lenaghans were erenaghs of
Kilkilvery. The name Kilkilvery means
“Church of St. Kilvery”, about whom nothing is known, except that he had an
abbey and church named for him that later gave their name to the parish and the
townland.
The O’Mullins were also erenaghs of
Kilkilvery. To have two families as
erenaghs of a single territory was not an unusual occurrence where there were
vast lands belonging to a church or abbey, or in this case, both.
The O’Colgans were the chiefs of Ballycolgan,
still the name of a townland in the parish of Kilkilvery. The O’Colgans were the standard-bearers of
the O’Flahertys.
The MacBeolans were the erenaghs of
Killower (“Church of the Book”), and Keepers of the Black Bell of St.
Patrick. The “Book” in question was a
gospel that Patrick carried with him on his missionary journey through the
area. The Black Bell is one of the most
treasured relics associated with the chief patron saint of Ireland. It later passed to MacGeraghtys of
Ballinrobe, who used to take it to Croagh Patrick in Tir Umhall every Garland
Sunday. It is now at the National Museum
in Dublin.
The O’Duans were the erenaghs of Killursa,
probably of both the church and the abbey.
The name Killursa means “Church of St. Fursey”, the patron saint of the
O’Flahertys. St. Fursey later became the
first Irish missionary among the pagan Saxons of East Anglia before relocating
again to Gaul, where he died. There was also
a church dedicated to Fursey at Ballymacgibbon North in the modern parish of Cong.
The O’Daigens were the chiefs of Ardfintan,
still the name of a townland in the parish of Killursa. They were also stewards to the O’Donnells in
their capacity as masters of the feast for the O’Flahertys.
The O’Codels were
the chiefs of Ballycodil, a
name now obsolete, but their territory was in the area of the parish of
Killursa between Headford and Loch Orbsen.
The O’Mulloons
were the chiefs of
Ballymulloon, a name now obsolete, but their territory was in the area of the
parish of Killursa between Headford and Loch Orbsen.
The MacKilkellys
were the chiefs of Ceann Druim, Athacind, and Cahernacanally. The name of the first is obsolete; the second
is now the town of Headford in the parish of Kilkilvery; the third is still the
name of a townland in the parish of Killursa.
The MacKilkellys were the shanachies (historians, poets, and genealogists)
of the O’Flahertys.
The O’Cargises
(“Leathcargais” in the tract) were the erenaghs of Rathhindile, which means
“Fort of the Cattle”. Probably the lands
of the parish church of Cargin, which had to have been more substantial than
previously thought for there to have been erenaghs in 1100. The O’Cargises were keepers of the tithes for
the O’Flahertys, i.e. treasurers.
The taxation records of church lands for Ireland in 1306, by
which time it was the seat of the Archdeacon of Annaghdown, name the parish church
of Cargin as Rathmyalid (according to Thomas Knox) or Rath-maolid (according to
the British Public Records Office), both of which are probably corruptions for
Rathhindile, which comes from the tract.
The O’Conloughts were the chiefs of
Ballyconlought, still the name of a townland in the parish of Cargin. The O’Conloughts were keepers of the bees for
the O’Flahertys.
The O’Clercins
were the chiefs of Rath
Bhuidhbh, now rendered Rafwee, still the name of a townland in the parish of
Killeany. The patronym implies they were
a clerical family, which is interesting because the Buidhbh in question was a
king of the Daoine Sidhe.
The O’Duans were the chiefs of Clooneen, still the
name of a townland in the parish of Killeany.
These O’Duans, a different sept from those of Killursa, were the house
attendants of the O’Flahertys.
The MacFinnans
were the coarbs of Kilcoona, of the monastery and of the church both in the
townland of that name in the parish of the same name. Kilcoona means “Church of St. Cuana”.
The O’Coragens
were the chiefs of Beagh, still
the name of a townland in the parish of Kilcoona.
The O’Caseys were
the chiefs of Ballycasey, still the name of a townland in the parish of Kilcoona.
The O’Hanlys were
the chiefs of Derry Ui Angli, later renamed Kilroe (“Red Wood”), still a
townland in the parish of Kilcoona.
The O’Kierans
were the chiefs of Lischiaran (“Fort of Ciaran”), a name now obsolete but may
been been in the parish of Annaghdown since the abbey there was actually
founded by St. Ciaran of Clonmacnoise rather than St. Brendan of Clonfert. The O’Kierans were stewards for the
O’Donnells in their capacity as masters of the feast for the O’Flahertys.
The O’Lees were princes
of Ui Briuin Seola, subordinate to Muintir Murchada, which had become its own
dynasty like the O’Connors had done, leaving the MacGeraghtys as kings of Sil
Murray. The O’Lees were also the erenaghs
of Annaghdown and medical ollamhs, or physicians, to the O’Flahertys.
The O’Fechins
were chiefs under the O’Lees in Ui Briuin Seola.
The O’Balwins
were chiefs under the O’Lees in Ui Briuin Seola.
The O’Duffs were
chiefs under the O’Lees in Ui Briuin Seola.
The O’Maddens
were chiefs under the O’Lees in Ui Briuin Seola.
The O’Callanans
were the coarbs of Kilcahill, still a townland in the parish of Annaghdown. The name Kilcahill means “Church of St.
Cathal”.
The O’Dalys were
chiefs of Ui Briuin Ratha, a substantial territory covering fourteen townlands. Clearly another sept branched off of the Ui
Briuin Ai, there is little genealogical information about them in historical
sources.
The O’Kennedys
were chiefs under the O’Dalys in Ui Briuin Ratha.
The O’Duins were
chiefs under the O’Dalys in Ui Briuin Ratha.
The O’Innogs were
the chiefs of Knockdoe, still a townland in the parish of Lackagh.
The O’Lynans were
the chiefs of Lackagh, still the name of a townland as well as the parish.
The O’Canavans
were the chiefs of Tobrined, a name now obsolete that represents the even older
name of Tuath na dToibrineadh. The
O’Canavans were also physicians of Muintir Murchada as well as of Ui Ailella.
The O’Mulleenys
were the erenaghs of Termon Ballycolu, a name now obsolete. There is a townland of Ballyculloo, but it is
in the parish of Kilcolgan in the barony of Dunkellin, well outside the area of
Muintir Murchada, by this time part of the kingdom of Ui Fiachrach Aidne.
The O’Duaghs were
chiefs of the Drums, possibly the area between Drumbaun and Drumgriffin in Annaghdown.
The O’Dagdas were
also chiefs of the Drums, a words meaning “Hills”.
The O’Fahertys
were kings of Delbhna Cuile Fabhair, Muintir Fathairaigh, and Fiodh Luaraigh,
all three of which probably refer to the same tribe, another substantial
territory covering fourteen townlands.
They were distant cousins to the Delbhna Tir Dha Locha west of Loch
Orbsen, whose kings were the MacConroys.
The O’Fahertys are the only chiefs of a tribe or sept referred to as
kings in the tract, other than the O’Flahertys themselves; the tract states explicitly that The O’Faherty and The O’Flaherty were of equal rank. Muintir Faithartaigh covered most of the
parish of Claregalway.
In his great genealogical poem of topographical names,
O’Dugan rendered the tribal name Muintir Fathairtaigh as “Muintir Fathaigh”, a
mistake because that was the territory of the Delbhna Nuadat in Ui Maine, whose
chiefs were the O’Fahys. Of course, he
left out that group entirely.
Unfortunately, MacFirbis and nearly every writer afterward has followed
him.
The O’Hallorans were the chiefs of Clan
Fearghail, which was the largest subordinate division of Muintir Murchada
containing twenty-four townlands, and were the lead retainers of the
O’Flahertys. Their patronymic surname, “Ó
hAllmhuráin” in Irish, means “stranger from far away”, so despite the
contortionistiquely fictious pedigree they are given elsewhere in the grand
Irish tradition of false pedigrees, their most like origin is Viking, probably
Danish. Clan Feargail covered part of
the parish of Claregalway and all of the parish of Oranmore.
The O’Antuiles
were the innkeepers of Clan Fearghail, responsible for providing room and board
for travelers and temporary lodgers. In
ancient and medieval Ireland, this was a key responsibility, especially in such
a crossroads as the territory in which they lay.
The O’Ferguses
were the erenaghs of Roscam, the lands of the abbey and the church founded
there by St. Patrick in the 5th century.
The O’Hugheses
were the chiefs of Clan Cosgraigh, a territory that became the parish of Galway
in which the medieval town arose.
The MacGowans
were chiefs of Meadhraighe, which by this time was reduced to the area of the
parish of Ballynacourty.
The MacCarneys
were also chiefs of Meadhraighe, which had lost the parishes of Stradbally,
Kilcolgan, Killeely, and Drumacoo to encroachment by the Ui Fiachrach Aidne.
The O’Talorans of
Conmaicne Cuile Tolad, are not mentioned in the tract, nor are any of their own
subject septs. That indicates they were
not vassals to Muintir Murchada at the time the tract was composed, either
because they had not yet been conquered or because they were in a temporary
state of independence. There is little
doubt, however, that they were subjects of the O’Flahertys soon after.
The MacConroys
and the O’Heaneys of Delbhna Tir Dha
Locha west of Loch Orbsen are not mentioned in the lists of O’Flahertys’
retainers either. Even though they were
probably already part of the nascent Diocese of Annaghdown, there is simply no
account from any source that they were so subject.
Hereditary officers of the O’Flahertys:
All of these are noted in the entries for the chiefs of
septs and retainers above, but to get a better idea of the staff needed for a
mid-sized kingdom in early medieval Ireland, it might be helpful to see them in
a separate list.
The MacKilkellys of Ceann Druim, Athacind, and
Cahernacanally were the shanachies (historians, poets, and genealogists) of the
O’Flahertys.
The O’Colgans of
Ballycolgan were the standard-bearers of the O’Flahertys.
The O’Morrollys of Muinn-in-radain were the chief stewards
of the O’Flahertys.
The O’Cargises of Rathhindile were the treasurers of the
O’Flahertys.
These O’Duans of Clooneen were the house attendants of the
O’Flahertys.
The O’Donnells of Ardratha were the masters of the feast for
the O’Flahertys. A “master of the feast”
was the master of ceremonies at a banquet, which to an Irish lord was of great
importance. The ancient Greeks had a
word for the office, “architriklinos”.
The O’Daigens of
Ardfintan and the O’Kierans of Lischiaran were stewards for the O’Donnells in their capacity as masters of
the feast.
The O’Conloughts of Ballyconlought were the bee-keepers for
the O’Flahertys.
The MacGilcannons of Moylislionn were the commanders of
cavalry for the O’Flahertys.
The O’Mullawills of
Donaghpatrick were the brehons of Muintir Murchada.
The O’Lees of Annaghdown and the O’Canavans of Tobrined were
physicians of Muintir Murchada; the O’Canavans were also physicians to Ui Ailella.
The O’Fahertys were carousal chiefs to The O’Flaherty.
If you want to see the sources, check out the page on
Wikipedia dealing with the tract and/or Hardiman’s Notes at the end of
O’Flaherty’s A Chorographic Description…,
where it begins at page 368. You can
find the book online by tying in the title and download the entire ebook for
free from Googlebooks.com or archive.com.
The book and Wikipedia article are both listed in the sources at the
end.
Ecclesiastical nobility of Muintir Murchada:
Reading the list above, one can’t help notice the seemingly
extraordinary number of families with status deriving from ecclesiastical
ties. It is a graphic illustration of
the influence, and the power, of the early Irish church, in large part due to
the nature of Irish law. Again, culling
these into a separate list might give a better view of this.
The O’Callanans at Kilcahill were the coarbs of St. Cathal.
The MacFinnans at Kilcoona were the coarbs of St. Cuana.
The O’Lees were the erenaghs of Annaghdown.
The O’Mullawills were the erenaghs of Donaghpatrick.
The MacBeolains were the erenaghs of Killower and Keepers of
the Black Bell of St. Patrick.
The O’Duans were the erenaghs of Killursa.
The O’Ferguses were the erenaghs of Roscam.
The O’Lenaghans
and the O’Mullins were erenaghs of Kilkilvery.
The O’Cargis were the erenaghs of Rathhindile.
The O’Mealleys were the erenaghs of Kilmanagh and
Kilnacoelan.
The O’Mulleenys were the erenaghs of Termon Ballycolu.
Church-related hereditary offices
Coarbs were the
leading heirs of a particular saint. If
the saint founded several institutions, the only abbot designated as coarb
would be the one at his or her chief abbey.
Erenaghs were the
managers of the lands of an abbey and/or church. Like the office of coarb, this too became
hereditary. While the existence of a
coarb definitely implied a present or former abbey, this is not necessarily the case with an erenagh.
Irish territorial divisions
Simplistically put, modern Ireland is divided into
thirty-two counties. Each county is
divided into several baronies. Each
barony is divided into four to seven parishes.
Each parish is divided into an average of thirty townlands. Theoretically, anyway.
In reality, many parishes are split between baronies,
because parishes originated with the ecclesiastical reforms of the 12th
century while baronies were laid out in the Late Middle Age to serve the needs
of English administration. A few of the
baronies have lands in two or more counties.
Some parishes—Claregalway, Athenry, Ballinchalla—have lands in two
baronies; the parish of Ballinrobe has or had lands in three baronies (Ross,
Kilmaine, and Carra) and two counties (Galway and Mayo).
The modern townlands of Ireland were defined in the 16th
century, and since then many have subdivided, others disappeared, some newly created. These were much smaller units than the
townlands mentioned in the Muintir Murchada tract and are roughly equivalent to
the ancient ballyboes (from the Irish “baile bo”, meaning “cow place). Ballyboes were subdivisions of the basic
territorial unit, the ballybetagh, or baile biatagh, meaning “victualler’s
place”. Each ballybetagh represented the
territory of an Irish sept, and was composed of anywhere between eight and
sixteen ballyboes. Where the text of the
Muintir Murchada tract mentions townlands, this is the unit to which it is
referring.
Thomas Larcom, director of the Ordnance Survey in the
1840s, developed this table to describe how land was divided up in Ireland as
it was standardized in the 11th and 12th centuries.
10 acres =
1 gneeve
2 gneeves =
1 sessiagh
3 sessiaghs
= 1 ballyboe
2 ballyboes
= 1 carrow, or seisreagh (i.e., “ploughland”)
4 carrows =
1 ballybetagh (or “townland”)
30
ballybetaghs = 1 triocha cet
These measurements were not hard and fast, and there was
considerable variation in both size and nomenclature across the island, but
this meant the average.
As previously mentioned, parishes were based largely on
tuath, or septs, or tribes. The ideal
was one parish per tuath, but often there were two or more, depending on the
size of the tuath.
The triocha cet mostly served a military function, being the
area of land from which 3000 warriors could be raised. Later, these served most of the basis for the
baronies instituted by the London government.
Later fortunes of the O’Flahertys
For Muintir Murchada, the 12th century was
dominated by war with the O’Briens, with some trouble from their sometimes
allies, sometimes enemies at Tuam, the O’Connor king of Connacht. This futile conflict involved major invasions
and counter-invasions in the years 1117, 1132, 1137, 1145, and 1150, possibly
more, in which the O’Briens and the forces of Thomond thoroughly ravaged
Connacht at least four times.
In another arena, the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1118
recognized the dioceses of Tuam based in the religious center of their O’Connor
rivals as well as the Diocese of Cong to the north, but failed to do so in the
case of the O’Flahertys’ own Diocese of Annaghdown. The spurned diocese did not meekly cease to
function, however.
That same year, Ruadri O’Connor, king of Connacht, died, and
his place was taken by Turlough O’Connor, destined to become the greatest High
King of Ireland of all time other than Brian Borumha. One of his fist steps was to curb the power
of the O’Flahertys, who had apparently been pushing north, casting them out of
Conmaicne Cuile Tolad as well as re-establishing a second regal residence at
Cong.
In 1124, in response to the troubles with the O’Briens, the
O’Flahertys built a castle at the mouth of the River Galway, which in time
acquired its own hamlet, then village.
This settlement was the basis for the medieval town of Galway. It was destroyed twice during the wars. Meanwhile, to the north, the O’Connor built a
castle at Shrule at the border between Muintir Murchada and Conmaicne Cuile
Tolad as a check on the O’Flahertys.
These internecine wars over petty causes continued
throughout the century until the arrival of the Cambro-Normans in 1169,
followed by that of the Anglo-Normans in 1172, gave them bigger things to worry
about. As well as new potential allies
to turn against each other.
Prior to those events, the Synod of Kells in 1152 raised the
see of Tuam to an archdiocese, the seat of the province of Connacht, but again
did not recognize the Diocese of Annaghdown, even though the Diocese of Cong
was converted into the Deanery of Shrule.
When the English first invaded Connacht in 1777, they ended
up fleeing prior the arrival of a united force of Connacht and Munster warriors
who had been called up against them.
Two years later, in 1179, the Diocese of Annaghdown finally
received acceptance as one of the dioceses of the province of Connacht.
In 1225, Henry III ordered the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to
deliver the province of Connacht into the hands of Richard de Burgo, ancestor
of the Clanrickard and MacWilliam Burkes.
With the help of the O’Connors, the English forced the O’Flahertys to
leave several of their castles, including the ones on Loch Orbsen and the one
at Galway. However, the latter remained in
Castle Galway east of the lake for another decade. The O’Flahertys were finally forced to yield,
after which they removed west across Loch Orbsen.
The Burkes and their allies proceeded to cover Muintir
Murchada and nearby territories with castles to prevent their return. Their territory, known as Clanrickard, took
in the later baronies of Clare, Dunkellin, Athenry, Loughrea, Kiltartan, and Leitrim;
in effect, all the lands previously belonging to Muintir Murchada and Ui
Fiachrach Aidne and part of that held by Ui Maine.
To the immediate west of the lake, south of the Party
Mountains between Loch Orbsen and Kilkieran Bay, the MacConroys ruled Delbhna
Tir Da Locha based in Kilcummin (now the townland of Lemonfield) in the north, while
a junior sept of the tribe, the O’Heaneys were the erenaghs of Spiddal, and
possibly also of Cloghmore, in the south.
Another family, the MacAneaves, were (possibly) erenaghs of
Portnacrossan, and may have served as brehons for all Delbhna Tir Da Locha..
O’Dugan’s topographical poem of the mid-14th century assigns the territory of Gno Mor (Gnomore) to the MacConroys and that
of Gno Beag to the O’Heaneys, but this is probably an anachronism well over a
century since the Delbhna Tir Da Locha occupied the country. When
the annals note the death of the chief of the MacConroys in 1142, they call him
“king of Delbhna Tir Da Locha”, not “of Gnomore”. The more likely source of those
territories is below.
In the mountains to their north, a country then known as Ui
Orbsen, lived the Partraige an-t Sliebh, who were previously ruled by a sept of
the Conmaicne Cuile Tolad and may have still been at that time. Their chiefs were the O’Kynes.
West of Kilkieran Bay to the Atlantic Ocean, with their territory
between Tir Umhall and the Partry Mountains in the north and Loch Lurgan in the
south, were the Conmaicne Mara, whose chiefs were the O’Cadhlas, or O’Kealys. Their subordinate septs were the MacConneelys, the O’Devaneys, the O’Clohertys,
and the O’Falons, the last serving as the brehons and dalaighs for Conmaicne
Mara.
When the O’Flahertys
came west, they brought with them the O’Hallorans, the O’Lees, the O’Duans of
Killursa, the O’Canavans, and the O’Donnells, possibly others.
The chief, Hugh Mor,
settled at Ballynahinch in the territory of the Conmaicne Mara, and from him
come the western O’Flahertys. Their
line, the senior branch whose chief held the titles of The O’Flaherty and king
of Iar Connacht, became known as Sliocht Eoghain. The western branch spawned the septs of the
MacDermotts, the O’Connors, the MacHughes, and the MacDonoughs.
Hugh Mor’s brother,
Brian na nOinseach O’Flaherty, took over the territory of the Delbhna Tir Da
Locha. His sons split the territory
between them, Murrough, the eldest, taking Gnomore while the younger,
Gilleduff, took Gnobeg. This was
probably when those names came into existence, and O’Dugan assumed they had
always been there. Their septs were called Sliocht
Murchaidh and Sliocht Giolla Duibh, respectively
As for their
followers, the O’Duans erstwhile of Killursa resettled in Renvyle. The O’Lees at first lived along the western
shores of Loch Orbsen until mid-century, when the Burkes seized the shores
along that side of the lake to stop raids by the O’Flahertys and they were
forced to relocate to Renvyle with the O’Duans.
The O’Hallorans settled both Gno Mor and Gno Beg, and later Renvyle
also. The O’Canavans and the O’Donnells also
made their homes among the eastern O’Flahertys between Loch Orbsen and
Kilkieran Bay.
If the newcomers
offered any resistance to the takeover of their country, no record survives;
the gentry and many of their followers removed elsewhere. Most of the MacConroys headed west with a
sizable contingent to establish themselves in the land between Mannin and
Streamstown Bays, giving the name Ballymaconry to that whole region. A smaller group sailed south across Loch
Lurgan and settled its shores in the parish of Drumcreehy among the Corco Mruad
in Thomond, the territory of the O’Briens, giving their name to Ballyconry there.
The O’Heaneys went
the same direction, at first inhabiting the Cleggan and Renvyle Peninsulas,
later heading east across River Galway to settle next to their distant cousins
in Claregalway, the O’Fahertys of Delbhna Cuile Fabhair, where they became loyal retainers
of the Clanrickard Burkes.
Of the Conmaicne
Mara, only the sept of the chiefs, the O’Kealys, are known to have removed
elsewhere, going east and north to Ui Orbsen.
The MacConneelys definitely stayed, and so did the O’Falons, who
continued to serve as brehons to the western O’Flahertys until ancient Irish
law was abolished in Iar Connacht (as well as in Tir Umhall) in 1625.
After the
O’Flahertys’ seizure of the area for resettlement, the name Iar Connacht became
restricted in meaning to these territories, despite the fact that in the
earliest mentions of the annals it referred to the entire geographic area, also
including not just Muintir Murchada but Tir Umhall (the baronies of Burrishoole
and Murrisk in Co. Mayo) as well.
The village of
Galway around the castle became the Town of Galway, which eventually gained its
dependence from the by-then Gaelicized Burkes of Clanrickard. Its fourteen ruling families, known as the
Tribes of Galway, never played a part in local affairs, keeping to themselves,
speaking English and governing themselves by English law.
Around the year 1283,
Thomas de Joys, a Cambro-Norman knight fleeing from the aftermath of a failed
rebellion in Wales, landed in Iar Connacht after pausing for a while in Thomond
where he married an O’Brien daughter.
The O’Flaherty gave him Ui Orbsen in exchange for an oath of fealty, and
the area became known as Joyce Country from that time. The marriage of his son to an O’Flaherty
daughter added most of what is now the parish of Ballynakill to the territory.
Going native, with
one important exception, the Joyces adopted Irish patronyms, their chiefs
becoming the MacThomases and their cadets the MacTybods. The exception was a branch of the family that
kept the name Joyce and became one of the Tribes of Galway.
The O’Kealys of
Conmaicne Mara, who had relocated to Ui Orbsen to escape the O’Flahertys, found
their new overlords much more agreeable.
In the early 14th century, the western O’Flahertys granted Omey Island just west of Ballymaconry
(Kingstown) Peninsula to a group of O’Tooles fleeing fratricidal warfare in
their native Leinster. Later in the century, some of the Fitzhenrys of Co. Wexford settled in
Gnomore as vassals of Sliocht Murchaidh, where they became known as the MacHenrys
The O’Flahertys did
regain control of the western shores of Loch Orbsen not long after they were
taken, and even became masters of the lake again, though that was often
challenged by the Burkes and the Joyces.
By the mid-14th century, they had even regained some lands
along the eastern side of the lake, at least in Annaghdown, where they built
the castle of that name about this time in addition to its cathedral.
This then was the
kingdom of the O’Flahertys after they were forced to move their seat west of
Loch Orbsen. From here they played
little part in the affairs of the national scene. Much of their times was spent fighting the
Burkes, the Joyces, the O’Malleys of Tir Umhall, or the MacTeige O’Briens of
the Aran Islands. Their favorite foes,
however, were each other, usually the eastern O’Flahertys fighting the western
O’Flahertys, but the O’Flahertys of Gnomore and the O’Flahertys of Gnobeg were
bitter rivals of each other also.
In 1582, they added
the Aran Islands to Iar Connacht after invading the Inishmore and expelling the
MacTeige O’Briens.
In the Indenture of
Composition of 1585 for “O’Flaherty’s Country”, besides the heads of the
various branches of the eastern and western O’Flahertys, only five chiefs of
name are listed: MacThomas, O’Halloran,
MacConroy (the name given as “McEnry”), MacDonough, and MacConnor, the last two
being septs branched off of the western O’Flahertys. There are seven other persons mentioned, but only as individual “gentlemen”,
absentee freeholders of the Tribes of Galway living inside the walls.
The same indenture
created the barony of Moycullen from Gnomore and Gnobeg, the barony of Ballynahinch
from Connemara, the barony of Ross from Joyce Country, and the barony of Aran
from the islands.
An Inquisition in
the barony of Ballynahinch in 1607 listed the leading chiefs of that region as O’Flaherty
of Bunowen, MacEnry (MacConroy again), MacConnor, MacDonough, O’Duan, O’Lee,
and MacConneely, the eldest cadet of the O’Kealys.
The end came after
the failed Irish Confederate Wars of the mid-1600s against Cromwell in which
they had taken an active part along with the MacThomas Joyces, the Burkes, the
O’Malleys, even the Tribes of Galway.
Even though many O’Flahertys managed to retain some smaller holdings,
they were no longer masters of Iar Connacht.
The Tribes, like all the other rebels, were transplanted, some to
holdings they had bought in nearby Gnobeg and Gnomore late in the previous
century.
The Martins, for
example, took up residence on land they had held for decades near Loch Lonan on
what had formerly been the border between Gnomore and Gnobeg, now in the barony of Moycullen. Their home, Ross House (for which the lake
was renamed Lake Ross) near the site of the former Ohery Castle of the
O’Hallorans, which had been seized by the O’Flahertys of Aughnanure (those formerly
called “of Gnomore”) late in the 16th century.
Upon being
transplanted from Westmeath, Art MacGeoghegan (a sept of the southern Ui Neill)
was granted Bunowen on Ballyconneely Peninsula; his descendants later became
Protestant and adopted the surname O’Neill.
The Brownes and the
D’Arcys, like the Martins formerly of the Tribes of Galway, were resettled on
Omey Island, overwhelming the unfortunate O’Tooles.
The Martins of Lake
Ross in Moycullen soon acquired the nearly all the remainder of the barony of
Ballynahinch, becoming the largest landowners in the British Isles, with more than 250,000 acres in all.
Clare County Library website. “Old Territorial Divisions and Land
Measures”.
Crichaireacht cinedach nduchasa Muintiri
Murchada, a tract listing
the territories and chiefs of Muintir Murchada before the expulsion of the O’Flahertys,
c. 12th century. Text in
Hardiman’s Notes to O’Flaherty’s book.
Roderic O’Flaherty. A
Chorographic Description of West or h-Iar Connaught, 1684.
James Hardiman. “A Chorographical Description of West or H-IAR
Connaught Written A. D. 1684, Edited, from a Ms. In the Library of Trinity
College, Dublin, with Notes and Illustrations”, Journal of the Irish Archaeological Society, 1848.
John O’Hart. Irish
Pedigrees, or the Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation, 1892.
