I. Cland Láegairi of Tir Fiachrach
This section is a refinement of previous posts. The main source will be John O’Donovan's work, The Genealogies, Tribes, And Customs Of Hy-Fiachrach, 1844 AD edition. To be clear from the outset, he was a brilliant Irish scholar, but even he had his blindsides; and in both of these 2 instances, it appears he was a victim of his own expectation bias, as will be demonstrated.
The Cland Láegairi of Tir Fiachrach sept is not given in the initial genealogical section; only the other 4 are. But they are described in the prose section preface to Gilla Isú Mór Mac Firbisig's topographical poem of 1417 AD as follows on pp. 166-167:
It should be noted that the families of Coolcarney have been stuck in the middle of the Cland Láegairi of Tir Fiachrach families, which is puzzling. Also, another family is listed that does not appear in the poem: Ó Bressaláin. In the poem itself the Cland Láegairi of Tir Fiachrach are enumerated on pp. 241-249 as follows:THE HEREDITARY PROPRIETORS OF TIR FHIACHRACH{c} DOWN HERE.
The estate of O’Morain, i. e. Ardna riagh, and his chieftainship the district thence to Tuaim da Odhar. O’Brogain of Breachmhagh.
There were four chiefs over Cuil Chearnadha, which extends from Beul Atha na n-idheadh{d} to the road of Breachmhagh, namely, O’Fionain, O’Rothlain, O’h-Iornain (or O’Tuathalain), and O’Cuinn. O’h-Eana of Imleach loisge; O’Gealagain of Cill lochtair, i. e. Grainseach; O’Breslen of Cill Fhaindle, or Cill Ainnle.
{c} Tir Fhiachrach, pronounced Tiriachrach, now the barony of Tireragh, in the county of Sligo.
{d} Beul atha na n-idheadh, i. e. mouth of the ford of the washings. This name is not given in the poem, in which the boundaries of Cuil Cearnadha are differently described. Beal atha na n-idheadh is still well known, and is the name of a ford on the Abhainn bhuidhe, or Yellow river at Moorbrook, about a mile and a half north from the little town of Foxford, in the barony of Gallen, and county of Mayo. Travellers going from Foxford to Ballina cross this ford; and there are four heaps of stones with sticks extended between them, forming a kind of rude bridge across it, which is frequently carried off by the heavy floods to which the Abhainn bhuidhe is subject.
The acquisition of the above referenced territory by the Ó Cáemáin is described in the genealogical section on pp. 108-109:I shall advance after my journey thither,
With a small brave company.
Who are not inexpert at the time of shooting,
Across the Muaidh{n} of speckled salmons.
Throughout the region over which I have passed,
I will name for you,—it is true knowledge,—
Quickly from the fair bright branches,
The genealogy of the discreet tribes.
Tuaim da bodhar{o} which won the wagers.
Is the limit of this country I describe,
Ath Cunga{p} is its other limit;
The inhabitants are supporters of our bards.
There was a chief at another time
In this territory over the race of Laeghaire{q},
O’h-Eignigh{r}, who was head over all,
No power oppressed the hero.
The O’Gealagans{s}, men of banquets.
Dwelt in Grainseach{t} of bright rivers.
Cill Ichtair{u} is their land.
Bright soil in which sermons are sown.
Imleach loisce{v} is the inheritance
Of the O’h-Endas{w} of heavy crowds,
From their forts did burst the shouts;
They were fine septs of brughaidhs.
The O’Mongans{x}, who were not penurious to the clergy,
The O’Brogans{y}, who deserved no reproach,
Swords were befitting their troops,
Two families of brughaidhs of the plain of Breachmhagh{z}.
From Bel atha Cunga{a} the hard,
The lands westwards to the old river Muaidh{b},
Belong to O’Cuinn{c} and O’Moran{d} the swift,
Who deserved the great esteem of the soldiers.
After O’h-Eignigh of the steeds
O’Moran goes triumphantly
To Ard na riagh{e}, hospitable the man.
To tend the learned and the banquets.
For O’Moran, who was accustomed to battles
In the place of the other arch-chieftain,
We have allotted Ard na riagh,
A hero by whom our mind was raised.
Let us leave the race of puissant Laeghaire,
Let us traverse the roads before us,
Over Tuaim da bhodhar; sweetly
Let us boast of the host by praising them.
Into Carllaidhe of Cuil{f} na g-cneadh,
I shall proceed to describe it,
Cuil Cernogha of the knotty hazles,
Not unhappy are those in whom it is hereditary.
Four chieftains are in this upper country,
In Callraidhe of beautiful fruit-trees,
A festive party who have entered into our catalogue,
It is proper to name the noble youths.
Ma Cuinn{g} and O’Rothlainn{h} the ready,
O’h-Iarmain{i} of dreadful arms,
Who injures the choicest of the foreigners,
And O’Finain{j}, a great sheltering tree.
[From Bel easa{k} of the clear cataracts.
The extent of the country which was not oppressed.
To the Brosnach{l} of impetuous current,
Which defends the head of Calraighe{m}].
O’Caomhain{n},—it is cause of gain,—obtained
The tract from Tuaim da bhodhar{o} of flowery hills
(His tribe are best when acting by their own will),
To Gleoir{p}, the head of the tribe{q}.
{n}Across the Muaidh.—The poet having finished his description of Tirawley, here gives notice of his passing out of it by crossing the river Moy, which formed the boundary between it and the territory of Tir Fhiachrach, the name of which is preserved in that of the present barony of Tireragh, though it is quite clear that the barony is not as extensive as the territory whose name it preserves, for the whole of the district of Coolcarney, extending from the Yellow River to the river Brosnach, which is now a part of the barony of Gallen, was originally a portion of Tir Fiachrach, and belonged to families of the race of Fiachra, not to the descendants of Cormac Gaileng, from whom the barony of Gallen derived its name. This shows that at the time of the formation of the baronies the ancient territories were dismembered, and that though the former retain the name of the latter in many instances, they do not always preserve their extent and boundaries.
{o}Tuaim da bhodhar, called Tuaim da Odhar in the prose list, now Toomore, the name of an old church and parish in the barony of Gallen, and county of Mayo. The little town of Foxford, on the Moy, is in the parish. There are two other places of this name in Connaught, one in the north-east of the barony of Costello, in the county of Mayo, and the other in the barony of Corran and county of Sligo.
{p} Ath Cunga, now called Beal Atha Cunga in Irish, and anglicised Ballycong. It is situated near Ballymore Lough, in the parish of Attymas, and barony of Gallen.—See Ordnance Map of the County of Mayo, sheet 40.
{q} Race of Laeghaire.—See p. 43, et sequent.
{r} O’h-Eignigh, now unknown. He appears to have sunk even before the writer's time.
{s} O’Gealagains, now Gilligans.
{t} Grainseach.—This name is anglicised Grange, or Gransha, in every part of Ireland, but there is no place of the name now to be found in the district here described.
{u} Cill Ichtair, i. e. the lower church. It is stated in the prose account that this was an alias name for Grainseach.
{v} Imleach loisce.—This name would be anglicised Emlaghlosky, but it is now unknown, unless it be the place called Emlaghmoran, which lies to the north-east of the townland of Breaghwy, mentioned in Note {z}.
{w} O’h-Enda, now Heany.
{x} O’Mongans.—This family is still in the district, and have all anglicised the name to Mangan, though Mongan, which is the form of the name adopted in other parts of Ireland, would be more analogical. James Mangan of Ballina, merchant, is of this tribe, but James Mangan of Dublin, the poet, is of the southern O’Mongans. Spenser asserts that the name Mungan, and all those which terminate in an, are of English origin; but the Irish annals and authentic genealogical manuscripts are sufficient to disprove this assertion.
{y} Brogans.—h-I Brogán is still the form of the name used in both languages, except that in Irish the genitive case of the name of the progenitor is placed after the O’, or its plural form I or Ui.
{z} Breachmhagh, now anglicised Breaghwy, and sometimes Breaffy. It is the name of a large townland situated in the southern extremity of that part of the parish of Kilmore-Moy, lying east of the river Moy.
{a} Bel atha cunga, is so called at the present day.—See Note {p}, suprà.
{b} Muaidh, now the Moy. For the present names of the places, and the extent of the tract lying between Ballycong and the river Moy, the reader is referred to the Ordnance Map of the county of Mayo, sheets 39 and 40.
{c} O’Cuinn, now Quin, but there are several families of the name of different races even in the country of the Hy-Fiachrach, as already more than once observed.
{d} O’Moran, now Moran, a name still respectable in this district. It is stated in the Annals of the Four Masters, at the year 1208, that Amhlaoibh O’Rothlain, chief of Calruidhe Cuile Cearnadha, was slain by O’Moran. The O’Morans of this race are to be distinguished from the O’Morans of Clann Cathail, near Elphin, in the county of Roscommon.
{e} Ard na riagh, now Ardnarea.—See p. 34, Note {w}, supra.
{f} Callraighe of Cuil, now always called Cuil Cearnadha, and anglicised Coolcarney; it is shown on Balds' Map of the County of Mayo, and also on the Index to the Ordnance Map of the same county, as comprising the parishes of Kilgarvan and Attymas.—See prose list.
{g} Ma Cuinn, now Mac Quin.
{h} O’Rothlain.—That O’Rothlain, who was chief of Calruidhe Cuile Cearnadha, in the year 1208, we have already seen in Note {d}, p. 245. The name is now anglicised, very incorrectly, Rowley, and is still respectable in Mayo. Rollan, or Rollin, would represent it in English much better.
{i} O’h-Iarnain, unknown to the Editor. The name would be anglicised O’Hearnan, or Hernon.
{j} O’Finain, now O’Finan. Dr. O’Finan, formerly Roman Catholic Bishop of Killala, is of this family, and a native of this very district.
{k} From Beal easa.—This quatrain is inserted from Duald Mac Firbis's larger work compiled in 1645. It is probably not correct, for it is stated in the prose account prefixed to this poem, that Cuil Cearnadha extends from Beal atha na n-idheadh to Bealach Breachmhaighe. Beal easa is the present Irish name of the little town of Foxford, on the river Moy, in the barony of Gallen, and county of Mayo; it is not now considered to be in the territory of Coolcarney, and it is more than probable that it never was, and that Coolcarney never extended farther to the south than Beal atha na n-idheadh, on the Yellow River, which lies about a mile north of Foxford. This quatrain is, however, also found in a more modern hand in the Book of Lecan, fol. 85, as if quoted from a poem composed in the year 1302, and it has been, therefore, here inserted in the text; but with this caution to the reader, that it seems to be most probably spurious, not only from the inaccuracies already noticed, but also because it is not to be found in the original text of the Book of Lecan, which was compiled by the author of the poem himself.
{l} The Brosnach of impetuous current.—This river, which is remarkable for its mountain torrents, rises in the townland of Cloonkeelaun, in the parish of Castleconor, on the boundary between the barony of Tireragh, in the county of Sligo, and the barony of Gallen in that of Mayo, and after flowing for a short distance in a northern direction, it turns to the south-west, and takes a circuitous course through the parish of Castleconor and that part of Kilmore-Moy, which lies on the east side of the river Moy, and pays its tribute to the Moy at Bunree, a short distance to the north of the town of Ballina.—See Ordnance Map of Sligo, sheet 29, &c. It may be remarked here, that in the prose account prefixed to this poem the northern limit of Cuil Cearnadha is stated to be Bealach Breachmhaighe; but though there would appear to be a discrepancy here between the two accounts, they are not very different in this particular, as the townland of Breachmhagh, anglicè Breaghwy, or Breaffy, extends very close to the river Brosnach.
{m} Which defends the head of Calraighe.—In an extract from another poem, given in a modern hand in the Book of Lecan, this line reads Do chosain ceann Callraigi, i. e. which forms a (northern) boundary and a natural defence to the territory.
{n} O’Caomhain, now Kavanagh.—See p. 110, Note {f}.
{o] Tuaim da bhodhar, now Toomore, near Foxford.—See p. 242, Note {o}, supra, and Ordnance Map of the County of Mayo, sheet 61.
{p} Gleoir, now the river Leafony, in the barony of Tireragh.—See p. 242, Note {o}.
{q} The head of the tribe.—The language of this quatrain is very much transposed, and it is impossible to translate it into intelligible English without inverting the order of the lines. The natural order is as follows:
"The head of the tribe of O’Caomhain
(Whose sept are best when acting by their own will),
Obtained the tract from Tuaim da bhodhar of flowery hills
To Gleoir. It is a cause of gain."
From all the above descriptions, it is obvious that at some point in time Tuaim da Bhodhar, "tumulus of the two deaf persons", became conflated with Tuaim da Odhar, "tumulus of the two odar". The meaning of odar is difficult to pin down in this context, as a look through eDIL will show. O’Donovan notes but does not pursue this conflation in depth; but it has caused O’Donovan and many others to grossly misinterpret the location of the southern boundary of the Cland Láegairi of Tir Fiachrach, and possibly that of the Ó Cáemáin as well.Caomhan was older than Dubhda, and Caomhan thought that the chieftainship was his own; but God did not permit that kings should be of his posterity; and they came to the following agreement{b} about the chieftainship, namely, that Caomhan's representative{c} should always possess his choice territory in the principality, and the privilege of being at the right side of the king of Hy-Fiachrach; that he should get the king's steed and battle-dress at the time of his inauguration, and should walk round him thrice after his instalment. And the territory he selected was that extending from Tuaim da bhodhar{d} to the River Gleoir{e}. The steed, battle-dress, and raiment of O’Caomhain to be given to Mac Firbis, the day that Mac Firbis shall give the name of lord to O’Dubhda.
{b} Thefollowing agreement.—Similar privileges were ceded by the O’Conors of Connaught to the O’Finaghtys of Dunamon, chiefs of Clann Conway, in acknowledgment of the seniority of the latter. These privileges are described by our author in the Pedigree of O’Finaghty, and his words are here translated for the satisfaction of the reader:
"Connmhach [the ancestor of O’Finaghty] was the eldest son of Muireadhach [the ancestor of the royal family of Connaught], and in consequence of this seniority, the descendants of Connmhach [though inferior in power] are entitled to great privileges from the descendants of the other sons of Muireadhach, viz., to drink the first cup at every royal feast and banquet; and all the descendants of the other sons must rise up before the representative of Connmhach. O’Finaghty was the royal chieftain of Clann Connmhaigh, and had, before the English invasion, forty-eight ballys [i. e. large ancient Irish townlands] lying on both sides of the River Suck; but the Burkes drove him from his patrimonial inheritance, and there lives not at the time of writing this book [1645 AD] any of the family of O’Finaghty more distinguished than the good and pious priest James O’Finaghty, whose brothers are William and Redmond."
{c} Caomhan's representative, i. e. the chief of the O’Caomhain family. This name is still numerous in Lower Connaught, but has been most generally, though corruptly, anglicised Cavanagh, to assimilate it with that of the more celebrated family of Leinster. In some parts of Lower Connaught, however, it is correctly anglicised Keewan and Keevan. This family sunk into comparative insignificance in the fourteenth century, and though they seem to have held their little principality till the beginning of the fifteenth century, the Irish annalists have preserved but few notices of them. Under the year 1294 the Four Masters enter the death of Diarmaid O’Caomhain, and under 1306 that of David O’Caomhain, who was lord of the territory extending from Tuaim da bhodhar to the River Gleoir. But shortly after this period they disappear from history, and they are all at present reduced to obscurity and indigence.
{d} Tuaim da bhodhar, i, e. the tumulus of the two deaf persons. This place is still well known, and the name is anglicised Toomore. It is the name of a townland and parish in the north of the barony of Gallen and county of Mayo, containing the little town of Beal easa, now called in English Foxford.
{e} Gleoir.—According to a local antiquary, who was a very good Irish scholar and a living library of Irish traditions, the late Shane Bane Tympany (Mac An Tiompánaigh), this was the ancient name of a small river, now commonly called the river of Coillin, or Liathmhuine, anglicè Leaffony, which rises to the south of the townland of Townalaghta in the parish of Kilglass, barony of Tireragh and county of Sligo, and flowing nearly in a northern direction, empties itself into the bay of Killala at Poll an chaonaigh, anglicè Pollacheeny, in the townland of Cabrakeel.
Examination of the townlands of the Barony of Gallen reveals there is a Corrower Townland in the northern part of Attymass Parish that abuts Breaghwy Townland in the southern tip of the Barony of Tireragh, which is the "the plain of Breachmhagh" mentioned in the poem. From Logainm.ie, we learn that the Irish name of Carrower is Corr Odhar and that corr means "round hill, pointed hill, hollow; pointed, conspicuous, odd". So túaim and corr can be synonyms for a low mound or hillock. It is possible that over time corr became the preferred word in the area over túaim, with a loss of knowledge that it was a tumulus, so Túaim da Odhar became Corr Odhar.
The location fits the description in the poem perfectly, making the crossing from the southern region of the Cland Láegairi of Tir Fiachrach into the northern region of Coolcarney a simple matter. This also makes the Cland Láegairi of Tir Fiachrach territory effectively contained within the Barony of Tireragh. Further, it easily allows the southern boundary of Coolcarney to extend to Foxford, which description O’Donovan objects to so strenuously because that would cut off the area south of Foxford down to Toomore from the rest of the territory ascribed to the Cland Láegairi of Tir Fiachrach. But now, with the southern boundary of the Cland Láegairi of Tir Fiachrach territory abutting the northern boundary of Coolcarney, it becomes quite possible.
All of which is wonderful, but it now totally destroys the accepted second boundary for the Cland Láegairi of Tir Fiachrach territory: Ath Cunga. The poet himself appears to have conflated Ath Cunga with Bel atha Cunga, or Ballycong, in Attymass Parish. Remember, Coolcarney has been equated to the Parishes of Attymass and Kilgarvan, so that would place the boundary well within Coolcarney, which makes no sense. Further, Ballycong is north of Toomore but south of Carrower, so it makes no sense as a northern boundary point when Ardnaree, the territory of the Ó Móráin, is north of even Carrower.
But the interpretation of the Cland Láegairi of Tir Fiachrach territory being between Toomore and Ballycong caused O’Donovan to be unable to find many of the other named locations because he was looking in the wrong place! He should have been looking farther north in the Barony of Tireragh. There we find all our missing locations quite easily.
- Grainseach can readily be found as Grange Beg and Grange More.
- Cill Ichtair can be found as Kilrusheighter.
- Imleach loisce, with the recognition that the lowercase "L" of loisce is actually a typo for an uppercase "I", becomes Imleach Ioisce which is a close analog of Imlech Iascaigh. From Logainm.ie, we learn that is the Gaelic name for Easky Parish.
This article, The Gathering Place of Tír Fhiachrach? Archaeological and Folkloric Investigations at Aughris, Co. Sligo mentions: "This includes late Lughnasa celebrations, allusions to horses and horse-racing, the use of the headland for political gatherings and feiseanna in the modern period, sympathetic place names, and anecdotes with kingship associations cited as late as the 1930s." The location of Dunmoran Townland along the Ardnaglass River leads to speculation that the Ath Cunga of the border point may have been on the Ardnaglass River. The description "which won the wagers" for Tuaim da bodhar coupled with the possibility of horse-racing on nearby Aughris Point makes one wonder if that description was actually meant for Ath Cunga.
The territory stretching from Carrower to Dunmoran encompasses almost all of the Barony of Tireragh except the eastern tip, traditionally referred to as "The Strand". Perhaps this was the original extent of Tir Fiachrach and "The Strand" was incorporated later. The difficulty, of course, is the overlap of territories between the Cland Láegairi of Tir Fiachrach and the east-of-the-Moy Uí Fiachroí Muada. One possibility is that the descriptions are referring to 2 different time periods.
Perhaps Ó Móráin was dispossessed of a large part of his territory by Ó Cáemáin and left with those areas around Ardnaree and west-of-the-Moy around Moygawnagh Parish. We do have a Moran tester whose MDKA is from Moygawnagh Parish and who is R1b-FGC46310+, which the evidence so far suggests is the Uí Fiachroí Muada clade. Barring an SCE, this calls into question who the progenitor of the Cland Láegairi of Tir Fiachrach actually was; because again, they were not included as descendants of Láegaire in the initial genealogy section. But there is not enough data to make any assumptions yet.
As a final point of curiosity, there does appear to be a remnant of the older Ó hÉicnig toísech left in the name of the Eignagh River, which forms part of the western boundary of Coolerecuill Townland. This is quite a bit southeast of even the Parishes of Attymass and Kilgarvan, but the townland name itself, Coolerecuill, although supposedly not sharing a common etymology with Coolcarney, is nonetheless very suggestive; so it does make one wonder exactly how large a territory the Ó hÉicnig ruled.
II. Uí Echach Muada
The Uí Echach Muada are given in the genealogical section as follows on p. 35:
Then on pp. 51-53THE DESCENDANTS OF EOCHAIDH BREAC, THE SON OF DATHI, DOWN HERE.
Eochaidh Breac, the son of Dathi, had four sons, namely, Laoghaire, Brethe, Ailghile, and Eoghan Aidhne.
It is interesting to note that unlike the other descendant lines from Láegaire detailed prior to the Uí Echach Muada, they have no detailed genealogies given.Of the race of Laoghaire also are the Hy-Eachach of the Moy{b}, with their correlatives, and the family of O’Maoilfaghmhair{c}, comharbas of Cill Ealaidh{d}, in Tir Eachach, or Hy-Eachach of the Moy, of whom were these seven holy bishops, viz.. Mo Cele O’Maoilfaghmhair, from whom are descended the Mac Celes, of Cill Ealaidh{e}; Aongus the Bishop, Muireadhach the Bishop, Aodh the Bishop, Ainmtheach the Bishop, Maolan the Bishop, and Flann the Lecturer, i. e. a pious Bishop of the Clann Cele{f}.
Of the race of Laoghaire, in Hy-Eachach, of the Moy, are the O’Criadhchens{g}, the O’Leanains{h}, and the O’Flaitiles{i}, or O’Laitiles.
The country of Hy-Eachach, of the Moy, extends from Ros Serce{j} to Fionnchaluim, and to Fearsad Tresi. Ros Serce is so called from Searc, the daughter of Cairbre, son of Amhalgaidh, who blessed the village and the wood which is at the mouth of the River Moy. This Searc was a miraculous female saint, and it was for her the church and duirtheach{k}, which are at that Ros (or in that Ros), at Roserc, were erected.
{b} The Hy-Eachach, of the Moy.—The situation of this tribe will be pointed out more distinctly in the Notes to the Topographical Poem of Giolla losa Mor Mac Firbis.
{c} O’Maoilfaghmhair.—This name still exists in the district, but is anglicised Milford, which is calculated to disguise the Irish origin of the family.
{d} Cill Ealaidh, now Killala, in Tirawley.
{e} Mac Celes, of Cill Ealaidh.—This is probably the family now called Mac Hale.
{f} Clann Cele.—These seven bishops of the Clann Cele are not given in Ware's list of the bishops of Killala, nor has the Editor been able to find any notices of them in the Irish Annals. The earliest notice of the see of Killala collected by the Four Masters is at the year 1235. At the year 1257 they record the death of Maelpatrick Mac Cele, archinneach or herenach of Killala, and this is the earliest notice of the name of Mac Cele to be found in their work.
{g} O’Criadhchen.—This is probably the name now anglicised Crean, which is still numerous and respectable in the county of Mayo.
{h} O’Leanain, now Lennon.
{i} O’Flaitile, now anglicised Flatly and Flatilly; and in some parts of Ireland it has assumed the strange form of Flattery!
{j} Ros Serce, now called Rosserk, a townland containing the ruins of a small but very beautiful abbey, in the parish of Ballysokeery, and barony of Tirawley, about four miles due north of Ballina. The abbey is about five centuries old, and there is no portion of the original church of the Virgin Searc now to be seen.
{k} Duirtheach.—This word, which very frequently occurs in the Irish lives of the primitive Irish saints, is generally applied to a small oratory or a hermit's cell.—See Fleadh Duin na n-Gedh, p. 16, Note {n}, for a fuller explanation of it.
Now, a brief aside about the hereditary proprietors of Lagan, who were Uí Amalgada, that will be needed later. Lagan is a territory in the Barony of Tirawley that at least included a significant portion of Doonfeeny Parish. From the prose section before the poem, on pp. 164-165:
Then continuing with the Uí Echach Muada on p. 165:The hereditary proprietors of Dun Fine were the families of O’Cuinn, Mag Odhrain, O’Comhdhain, O’Duibhlearga, O’Bearga, O’Blighe, O’Duanmaighe, O’Radubhain of Baile an ghleanna, Mac Conletreach of Baile Mec Conletreach, O’Conghaile and O’Cathasaigh, airchinnechs of Cill Ardubh. The chief of the Lagan was O’Muireadhaigh; O’Fionnagain of Fionnchalamh{a}.
{a} Fionnchalamh, i. e. the fair callow, strath, or holm. This place is not mentioned in the poem, and the name being lost, it cannot be now satisfactorily identified. It appears from the poem that it was a part of the Lagan, and evidently the south-eastern part of it, adjoining the territory of the Hy-Eathach Muaidhe.—Vide suprà, p. 51.
And now from the poem itself on pp. 218-229:Hy-Eachach Muaidhe extends from Ros Serce to Fearsad Tresi. These are its tribes, viz., O’Maoilfaghmhair, comharbas of Cill Allaidh, O’Leannain, O’Criaidhchen, O’Laitile, O’Mochain, O’Maoilaithghen, O’Broduibh, and O’Maoilbhrenuinn.
All of the above locks down 2 of the boundary points for Uí Echach Muada solidly: Rosserk Townland and Rathfran Townland. But with the "lost" boundary point of Fionnchalamh, just as he did with Túaim da Odhar and Corr Odhar, it appears O’Donovan failed to heed William Shakespeare's sage observation:As bare books{d} relate,
I shall point out the lands
From Dun Fine{e} to the sluggish Muaidh{f};
The race of whom I speak were not penurious.
The first inheritor who shall be mentioned here,
At Dun Fine of apple trees.
Is O’Duibhlearga{g}, who loves not the Galls{h},
An artifex in learning prowess{hh}.
O’Cuinn{i} of the brave tribe,
One of the people who have not been lowered,
And O’Comhgan{j} without a stain,
And Mag Odhrain{k} is on that land.
O’Duanmuidhe{l} of happy success,
And O’Blighe{m} the warlike,
O’Berga{n} for whom the hazles stoop{o}.
Who deserved not the anger of the saints.
O’Radubhain{p},—an assertion without fault,—
Of Baile an ghleanna{q}, his fine seat{r},
A brughaidh{s} of no false fame,
A hundred-attended hero in defending.
Of their own town{t} it is true.
Are the Mac Conleitrechs, the heroes,
A people without poverty as to cattle,
Who have not circumscribed the weal of the churches.
Of Cill Ardubh{u},—godly the tribe,—
Are the O’Cathasaighs{v} of conflicts,
Going beyond every road before them,
And the fair champion O’Conghaile{w}.
But the chieftainship is due to those
High-minded tribes of great hosts,
The O’Muireadhaighs{x} of comely chiefs,
The majestic pillars of the Lagan{y}.
The Mag Fhinnains{z}, who refused not a man.
Is the Hy-Muireadhaigh of banners,
Of the tribe who excelled all,
Of the fair sept without irrationality,
Men who are kindling valour in their sons:
Such is the Lagan{a} I say.
From Rath Branduibh{b} of the sweet bells{c}
To Traigh Ceall{d}, a road which we pass,
Stretches the country of Caeilli of no extinguished fame,
Not fairer was the plain of Cruachan{e}.
From Conall, son of Fergus, the fair,
Sprung the musical Clann Conaill{f};
His race are in the territory of Caeille;
No time is found complaining of them.
O’h-Aodha{g}, who never rejected a man of learning,
A people of constant liberal bestowing,
Of Ard O’n-Aodha{h} of steeds.
Branches of high hospitality.
The place of a chieftain in the northern district
O’h-Aodha of the cold-weapon has obtained;
His children are in the centre of Caeilli,
The fairest plain of those I mention.
The O’Mailchonaires{i} without a blot,
TheO’Flannabhras{j} without oppression,
The O’Seghdhas{k} of rich produce,
Heroes who reject not men of learning.
I have mentioned, it is a reporting of knowledge.
The Clann Conaill and their correlatives,
As it is no shame to all the heroes
To have them set down in the regal list.
Hy-Eathach Muaidhe{l} of the plains
Extends from Ros Seirce{m} of the bright streams
To Fearsad Treisi, north,
A pass of most powerful hosts.
The O’Mailfaghmhair{n} who prepared the banquets,
The O’Leanains{o}, full vigorous heroes,
Not decrepid are the hosts of the soil;
Of the descendants of Laeghaire{p} I speak.
Of the O’Mailfoghmhairs, who violated not bells{q},
Were the seven bishops of Patrick's city{r}.
And seven who were strongly elected
In the choir (chapter) who came around them.
The O’Criaidhcheins{s} of goodly plight,
The lofty-proud O’Flaitilies{t},
The O’Mochains{u} who have not forsaken you, once.
Who were the causeway{v} of the learned of Erin.
The O’Mailaithghins{w} of bright cheeks.
The O’Mailbhrenainns{x} of terrific spears.
Heroes who contended with the youths of Banba{y},
The brave O’Broduibhs{z}, and the O’Creachains{a}.
These are the Hy-Eachach of the steeds,
A people who have spoken only a just sentence.
This fair tribe have a lofty mind,
They are the most expert host I mention.
{d} Bare books.—Leabhair loma. The idea here intended to be conveyed by "loma" the plural form of the adjective "lom", bare, is not very obvious; perhaps the poet may have intended to distinguish the genuine records, containing the simple naked truth only, from those embellished with romance and fiction.
{e} Dun Fine, now Dunfeeny, in the north-west of the barony of Tirawley.—Vide suprà, p. 6, Note {z}.
{f} The sluggish Muaidh, i. e. the sluggish river Moy.—Vide suprà, pp. 2, 3, for the situation of this river. The epithet sluggish is applicable to it in its passage through the plains, but not in the mountains. It is the outlet of the waters of the great Lough Conn, and of all the streams from Slieve Carna and Castlebar lakes northwards to near Killala.
{g} O’Duibhlearga.—This name is now obsolete. For the descent of the family see p. 7 of this volume.
{h} Who loves not the Galls.—The Galls (or foreigners) here alluded to were the English settlers in Tirawley, as the Barretts, Lynotts, Burks, &c.; and O’Duibhlearga's want of love for them doubtlessly contributed in no small degree to bring about the extinction of his own family.
{hh} An artifex in learning prowess, i. e. an adept in learning military exercises and the use of arms.
{i} O’Cuinn, now always anglicised Quin, without the O’. For the descent of this family, which is different from that of O’Quin of Clann Cuain, in Ceara, vide suprà, p. 7.
{j} O’Comhgan, called O’Comhdhan, in the genealogical account of Cinel Aongusa, given in page 7 of this volume, and also in the prose list prefixed to this poem. The name would be anglicised Cowgan, but the Editor could not find the name in Tirawley in 1838.
{k} Mag Odhrain.—For his descent see p. 7. This name would be anglicised Magoran, but it is not to be found under any recognizable form in Tirawley at present. Magauran, or Magowran of Tullyhaw, in the county of Cavan, is of a different race, and called in native language Mag Shamhradhain.
{l} O’Duanmuidhe.—For his descent see p. 7. The name is now obsolete.
{m} O’Blighe.—For his descent see p. 7. This name is not to be found in Tirawley at present. The Editor met persons of the name Blighe in Ulster, but they do not look upon themselves to be of Irish descent.
{n} O’Berga.—For his descent see p. 7 of this volume. This name is also obsolete.
{o} For whom the hazles stoop, i. e. stoop under the weight of their nuts.
{p} O’Radubhain.—This name, which would be analogically anglicised Radavan, is now obsolete.
{q} Baile an ghleanna, i. e. the town, or townland of the glen or valley.—See p. 7, supra, where it will be seen that the real name of the glen in which O’Radubhain resided, was Gleann an chairn. The name is now anglicised Ballinglen, and is that of a townland in the parish of Dunfeeny, in Tirawley, near the little town of Ballycastle.
{r} His fine seat.—"A ghlan-phort". "Port" means a fort or fortified residence, and is evidently cognate with the English word fort. It is used throughout the latter part of the Annals of the Four Masters to denote fort, or fortress, as Port Laoighise, the Irish name of the town of Maryborough, in the Queen's County; Port Mor, a large fort erected in the reign of Elizabeth between Lough Key and Lough Arrow, in Connaught; Port Mor, a fort erected by the English on the Blackwater, in O’Neill's country.—See also the same annals at the year 1595, where O’Farrell's chief castle, in the now county of Longford, is called Port Aireachais Ui Fhearghail, and at the year 1600, where the forts erected, "do thrinsidhibh tálmhan", i.e. of earthen trenches, at Dunnalong, Culmore, and Derry, in Ulster, are called "trí puirt", i. e. three "ports" or forts.
{s} A Brughaidh, i. e. a farmer.
{t} Of their own town, i. e. of Baile Mec Conleitreach, which is the name given in the prose list, and which was called after the family themselves. The place is so called to this day in Irish, and correctly anglicised Ballykinlettragh, which is a townland in the north of the parish of Kilfian, in the barony of Tirawley, not far from Ballinglen, mentioned in Note {q}. But though the land has retained the name, the family have either changed their name or have become extinct. For the descent of this family see p, 7, supra.
{u} Cill Ardubh, is so called at this day in Irish, and anglicised Killarduff. It is the name of an ancient church and townland in the parish of Dunfeeny.—See page 8, Note {b}.
{v} O’Cathasaighs, now anglicised O’Caseys. For their descent see p. 9 of this volume.
{w} O’Conghaile, now anglicised Connolly and Conneely.—See p. 9 for the descent of this family.
{x} O’Muireadhaighs, now Murrays. For their descent see page 7. They are of a different tribe from the O’Muireadhaighs of Ceara. This family were dispossessed by the Barretts, or Lynotts, about the latter end of the thirteenth century. In the year 1267, according to the Annals of the Four Masters, Aodh, or Hugh O’Murray, was chief of the Lagan, and was slain at Killala by O’Maolfoghmhair, comharba of the church; and in 1268 the O’Murrays slew Aongus O’Maolfoghmhair in revenge for the death of their chief. After this period the O’Murrays of the Lagan disappear from history, and were doubtlessly dispossessed soon after.
{y} The Lagan.—The name of this territory is written across sheet 3 of Balds' Map of the County of Mayo, in such a position that one would infer that he considered it to be co-extensive with the parish of Kilbride, in the north of the barony of Tirawley; but nothing is more certain than that the Lagan comprises the parish of Dunfeeny also. The name Lagan signifies a hollow, or hollow district between hills or mountains, and, according to the most intelligent of the natives, the district naturally so called is bounded on the east by the hills of Kilbride, on the south by Athleague hill, in the parish of Lackan, and thence by a range of hills as far as Ballinglen, and from Ballinglen it is bounded by the mountains of Dunfeeny, as far as the sea, which bounds it on the north. But it will appear from this poem that the territory of O’Muireadhaigh called the Lagan originallyxtended eastwards to the strand of Lacken, where it met the territory of Caeille Conaill.
{z} Mag Fhinnain.—This family is called O’Fionnagain in the genealogy of the Cinel Aongusa, given in page 7 of this volume, and in the prose list prefixed to this poem, in both which this family is called of Fionnchalamh, which was the ancient name of a district adjoining the territory of Hy-Eathach Muaidhe on the north-west.
{a} Such is the Lagan.—It is quite clear from the whole context that the poet has been here treating of the tribes and subdivisions of the Lagan since he left Irrus up to this line. After this he goes into Caeille Conaill, the next territory to the south, which was separated from the Lagan by the strand of Traigh Ceall, now generally called Lacken strand.
{b} Rath Branduibh, i. e. the rath or earthen fort of Brandubh, a man's name formerly common in Ireland. The name is now anglicised Rafran, and the place, which is situated near Palmerstown, in the parish of Killala, is well known for its abbey. According to a notice in the genealogy of the Hy Airmeadhaigh, already given in page 9, the southern limit of this territory of Caeille Conaill, was called Fearsad Treisi, for the situation of which see page 9, Note {i}. It is there stated that Fearsad Treisi is now, and has been for centuries, called Fearsad Rath Bhrain, but as no authority is there quoted, it is necessary to add here that it is distinctly stated in the Dinnsennchiis, as given in the Book of Lecan, fol. 247, a, a, that Fearsad Treisi was called Fearsad Ratha Branduibh in the time of the writer. "Fearsad Treisi whence derived? Not difficult: Treisi, daughter of Nadfraech, and wife of Amhalgaidh, son of Fiachra, son of Eochaidh, was drowned in it; so that it was called from her; but it is called Fearsad Ratlia Branduibh at this day."
{c} Of sweet bells.—This shows that the abbey of Eafran was in existence in the time of the writer.
{d} Traigh Ceal.—This name is retained to the present day, and is situated at the village of Rathlacken, near Killala.—Vide suprà, pp. 8, 9, Note {h}, and Ordnance Map of Mayo, sheets 7, 8, 14, 15. This place was anciently called Traigh Murbhaigh, i. e. the strand of the murbhach, or sea-plain.—See p. 8, Note {h}.
{e} The plain of Cruachan, now the plains of Rathcroghan, in the county of Roscommon, one of the most fertile districts in all Ireland.
{f} Clann Conaill.—Vide suprà, p. 9.
{g} O’h-Aodha.—This name is generally anglicised Hughes in the county of Mayo.
{h} Ard O’n-Aodha, would be anglicised Ardonea, but the name does not exist. The place was evidently situated near Mullaghnacross, in the parish of Templemurray, which is about the centre of this beautiful territory, anciently called Caeille.—See Ordnance Map, sheet 15. That part of the parish of Kilcummin lying south and east of the strand of Lacken belonged to this district; and St. Cummin, the patron of that church, was of this race.
{i} O’Mailchonairi, properly anglicised O’Mulconry, but now generally rendered Conry and Connery.
{j} O’Flannahhra, now Flannery, but the name, though common in other parts of Ireland, is not in the district of Caeille at present.
{k} O’Seghdhas.—This name is now anglicised O’Shea, but the respectable families bearing that name are not of this race. For the descent of this race see page 9, where the name is spelled O’Tegha.
{l} Hy-Eathach Muaidhe, i. e. Nepotes Eochodii de Moda, descended from Eochaidh Breac, son of King Dathi. The poet is proceeding southwards with his description. He first describes the Lagan, the most northern district of Tirawley; he next crosses the strand of Traigh Ceall, at Lacken, to go into the territory of Caeille, and now he crosses the bay of Rafran, to go into the territory of the Hy-Eathach of the Moy, extending from Fearsad Treisi, at Rafran, southwards to Ros Seirce, in the parish of Ballysokeery.—See p. 51 for a curious notice of the extent of the territory of the Hy-Eathach Muaidhe.
{m} Ros Seirce.—See p. 51, Note{j}, suprà.
{n} O’Mailfaghmhairs, now anglicised Milford. For their descent see p. 50. The heads of this family were the herenachs or hereditary wardens of the church of Killala, and they supplied several bishops to that see. For some curious notices of this family, and of the church of Killala, the reader is referred to the Annals of the Four Masters at the years 1235, 1253, 1257, 1260, 1267, 1275, 1280, 1306, 1328, 1343, 1350, 1416, 1442.
{o} O’Leanains.—This name is now anglicised Lennon, and by some Leonard.
{p} Clann Laeghaire.—For the descent of the Clann Laeghaire vide suprà, p. 51.
{q} Who violated not bells, because they were a hereditary ecclesiastical family.
{r} Patrick's city, i. e. the ecclesiastical city of Killala, said to have been founded between the years 434 and 441, by St. Patrick, who, during that period, was preaching the gospel and founding churches in the province of Connaught. It is stated that St. Patrick placed one of his disciples as bishop over the church of Killala, where his festival was celebrated on the 12th of August; but it would appear from the pedigree of Muireadhach that he could not have lived in St. Patrick's time, for he was the son of Eochaidh, who was the son of Oilioll, son of Guaire, son of Lughaidh, monarch of Ireland, who died in the year 508, who was the son of Laoghaire, who was monarch of Ireland for thirty years after the arrival of St. Patrick.—See Book of Lecan fol. 306, a. Of the successors of Muireadhach, in the see of Killala, but very little is recorded in the Irish annals, and the incidental mention of these seven bishops here shows that there was once a record of the succession of the Bishops of Killala, which is either lost, or not yet accessible to any of our ecclesiastical writers.
{s} O’Criaidhcheins.—See p. 51, Note {g}.
{t} O’Flaitilies.—See p. 51, Note {i}.
{u} O’Mochains, now Mohans.—See pp. 41, 42, 43.
{v} The causeway.—This looks an extraordinary figure, but it is quite intelligible to an Irish speaker.
{w} O’Mailaithghins, now unknown, at least to the Editor.—See the descent of this family in p. 35, suprà.
{x} O’Mailbhrenainns.—This family have anglicised their name to Mulrenin.
{y} Youths of Banba, i. e. of Ireland.
{z} O’Broduibh.—This name would be anglicised Brodiff, but it does not exist in the district.—See p. 35.
{a} O’Creachains.—The name of this family is variously anglicised Crean, Greaghan, Grehan, and the Editor knows an individual of the name who has rendered it Graham.—See p. 35, suprà.
Searching through the townlands of Doonfeeny Parish, we find Sralagagh East Towland in the eastern portion. From Logainm.ie we learn that the Gaelic name is An Srath Logach Thoir. From eDIL we learn that srath means "strath"; thoir is a variant of tair and means "east"; and in the same vein, it would appear that logach is a variant of lagach, which means "pleasant".A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
So, we have Fionnchalamh, the fair callow, and An Srath Logach, the pleasant strath. It appears that once again the word choice in the local area changed over time but the root meaning stayed consistent. Although Sralagagh East Towland is not located in the southeastern corner of Doonfeeny Parish, it is close enough, and otherwise fits the description of Fionnchalamh to a "T". The line from Rathfran Townland to Sralagagh East Towland runs almost through Aghaleague Hill at the southern tip of Kilbride Parish, which allows for it to be part of Lagan, as O’Donovan indicates it should be. As noted, only the very southeastern tip of modern Doonfeeny Parish is cutoff and included in Uí Echach Muada with this boundary point; and again, as the poem is not a formal land survey, it is consistent in all other respects.
With these 3 boundary points now well-defined, and using the bounded portions of the northern coast and Moy River estuary, we have the territory of Uí Echach Muada solidly located. What is interesting is that within these confines, there is a Cloonavarry Townland. The Gaelic name for this is Cluain Uí Bheara. Now there is no Ó Béra family mentioned in the list of Uí Echach Muada families, but in the R1b-FT359093 clade there are 2 Berry gentlemen along with a Crane gentleman whose MDKA's surname was Crean. We also have 2 more R1b-FGC23742+ Crean gentlemen.
From the above, we know Crean was an Uí Echach Muada surname, whether from Ó Créacháin or Ó Criocháin. The Ó Béra surname is not to be confused with the Ó Berga surname listed among the Uí Amalgada of Lagan families, because as Rev. Woulfe makes abundantly clear, Berry is the Anglicization of Ó Béra, while Barry is the Anglicization of Ó Berga.
Of further interest are the other 2 surnames showing up in the R1b-FT359093 clade, assuming they are not SCEs: Ryder and Hamrick. Ryder probably derives from the Gaelic Ó Marcacháin surname. Although it is traditionally supposed to be an Uí Fiachroí Aidne, Cenél Guaire family, that is not quite so clear. On p. 63 there is a listing of the families of Cenél Guaire:
However, in the O’Mochain pedigree on p. 43, I cannot find any Ianna who could be the progenitor of the Cenél Ianna, so it is a strange connection to the Cenél Guaire. Further, there is an O’Mocháin family listed among the Uí Echach Muada families. Are there 2 different O’Mochain families, or one family with 2 different genealogies? And finally, the Hamrick family research has led to a possible connection with Co. Galway, which would fit with an Uí Fiachroí Aidne family.Nar, the son of Guaire, was the eldest of his sons, a quo Cinel Guaire. The Cinel Guaire are called after him for his nobleness beyond the other sons, Aedh and Artgal. Nar had one son, namely, Cobhthach; Cobhthach had a son Flann, a quo Cinel Guaire. O’Maghna{z} was chief of the Cinel Guaire and of the Caenraighe until Mac Giolla Ceallaigh{a} deprived him of his patrimonial inheritance. O’Duibhghilla is the chief of Cinel Cinngamhna; Mac Gilla Cheallaigh is chief of Cinel Guaire; O’Cathan{b} is chief of Cinel Ianna, and of his followers are O’Mochan{c}, O’h-Oirechtaigh{d}, and the O’Marcachans{e}. So far the Cinel Guaire.
{z} O’Maghna.—This is probably the name now anglicised Mooney, of which there are some respectable families in Westmeath.
{a} Mac Giolla Ceallaigh, now sometimes anglicised Kilkelly, and sometimes Killikelly, and the name is still very respectable in the county of Galway.
{b} O’Cathan, now Kane; but this family is to be distinguished from the O’Cathains or Kanes, of the county of Derry, who are of the race of Eoghan, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages.
{c} O’Mochan, now Mohan.
{d} O’h-Oirechtaigh, now Heraghty, and somehave corrupted the name to Geraghty, which is the name of a family of different descent and more celebrity in Irish history.
{e} O’Marcachain.—This name is still numerous in the county of Clare, where it is anglicised Markham, and sometimes translated Ryder, because the Irish word "marcach" signifies a horseman.
All of this leads me to speculate that perhaps R1b-FT359093 is the true Cland Láegairi clade, so that as a son of Eóchaid Brecc, Láegaire has descendant lines in both Uí Echach Muada and Uí Fiachroí Aidne; but as a brother to Eógan Aidne, his lines are not R1b-A1206+. As always, more data is needed to help us resolve this question.
