Cathal Mág Samhradháin, the First, (anglicised Charles McGovern) was chief of the
McGovern Clan and
Baron
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...
or
Lord of
Tullyhaw barony,
County Cavan
County Cavan ( ; gle, Contae an Chabháin) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of the Border Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is base ...
from 1460 until his death in 1478.
Ancestry
His ancestry was Cathal son of Donnchadh 'Ballach' (the Freckled) (d. 1445) son of Fearghal (d. 1393) son of Tomás (d. 1343) son of
Brian ‘Breaghach’ Mág Samhradháin (d. 1298).
[M.V. Duignan (1934), "The Ui Briúin Bréifni genealogies", pp. 90–137, in JRSAI Vol. LXIV] His mother was the daughter of Ualter Ó'Imaire. His full brothers were Tadhg, Feidhlimidh, Tomás, Toirdealbhach, Maghnus Garbh, Brian, Uilliam and Aedh. His half-brothers were Uaithne and Niall.
Career
Cathal was involved in fighting with the Maguire clan in 1428
The
Annals of the Four Masters for 1428 state-
''Hugh Oge, the son of Hugh Maguire, was slain by Mac Gillafinnen and the sons of Donough Ballagh Magauran.''
The Annals of Loch Cé for 1428 state-
''Aedh Og Mag Uidhir was slain by the sons of Donnchadh Ballach Magamhrain.''
The
Annals of Ulster
The ''Annals of Ulster'' ( ga, Annála Uladh) are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, ...
for 1428 state-
''Aedh Mag Uidhir junior was slain by the sons of Donchadh Mag Samradhain the Freckled in the house of Mac Gilla-Finnein this year.''
In 1440 he captured one of the O'Rourke clan
The
Annals of the Four Masters for 1440 state-
''O'Rourke, i.e. Loughlin, the son of Teige, was taken prisoner by the sons of Art O'Rourke, who gave him up to Donough Ballagh Magauran and his sons, who gave him up to the sons of Tiernan O'Rourke. A war afterwards broke out between the sons of Tiernan O'Rourke and the sons of Teige O'Rourke, so that they disturbed the territory by the contests between them.''
In 1441 he was attacked by his uncle Cormac in an internecine feud.
The
Annals of the Four Masters for 1441 state-
''Cormac Magauran took a great prey from the sons of Donough Ballagh Magauran.''
Chieftainship
On the death of the McGovern chief in 1460, his first cousin
Eóghan Mág Samhradháin, Cathal took the chieftainship and moved to the McGovern castle in
Ballymagauran
Ballymcgovern (, historically Ballymagowran) is a village and townland in County Cavan, Ireland. It lies on the border with County Leitrim, within the parish of Templeport and barony of Tullyhaw on the Ballinamore to Ballyconnell road, the ...
.
Death
Cathal died in 1478.
The
Annals of the Four Masters for 1478 state-
''Magauran, i.e. Cathal, the son of Donough Ballagh, died.''
The
Annals of Connacht for 1478 state-
''Mag Samradain, that is Cathal son of Donnchad Ballach, and Bishop Mag Samradain died.'' (The Bishop Mag Samradain referred to was
Cormac Mác Shamhradháin
Cormac Mác Shamhradháin O.S.A., (Anglicised as Cormack Magauran or McGovern) b. c.1410-d.1476, was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Ardagh diocese in Ireland from 1444 to 1476.
Genealogy and Birth
Cormac Mác Shamhradháin was a member of the McG ...
, the
Bishop of Ardagh
The Bishop of Ardagh was a separate episcopal title which took its name after the village of Ardagh, County Longford in the Republic of Ireland. It was used by the Roman Catholic Church until 1756, and intermittently by the Church of Ireland u ...
, Cathal's fifth cousin.)
Family
Cathal's wife was the daughter of Tighearnán Óg and his sons were Maoleachlann, Seán, Ruadhrí and Toirdealbhach.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mág Samhradháin, Cathal
1478 deaths
Irish lords
People from County Cavan
15th-century Irish people