The Conmhaícne Dúna Móir (), or Cenéoil Dubáin (Conmaicne of Dubain race) were an early people of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. Their tuath comprised at least the barony of Dunmore, in

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

Origin

The Conmhaicne or Conmaicne were a people of early Ireland, perhaps related to the

Laigin The Laigin, modern spelling Laighin (), were a Gaelic population group of early Ireland. They gave their name to the Kingdom of Leinster, which in the medieval era was known in Irish as ''Cóiced Laigen'', meaning "Fifth/province of the Leinsterm ...

, who dispersed to various parts of

. They settled in

Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...

and

Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meet ...

, giving their name to several Conmaicne territories. Other branches of Conmaicne were located in County Galway, Roscommon, Mayo, and Leitrim.

Territory

Knox stated the tuath comprised the barony of Dunmore, part of Ballymoe, and at least Belclare parish. However

O'Donovan The O'Donovans are an Irish family. Their patronymic surname derives from Irish ''Ó Donnabháin'', meaning the grandsons or descendants of Donnubán, referring to the 10th century ruler of the Uí Fidgenti, Donnubán mac Cathail. During the ...

says the territory comprised only the barony of Dunmore. Conmaicne Dunmore was centred about the present town of

Dunmore, County Galway Dunmore () is a town in County Galway, Ireland. It is located on the N83 national secondary road at its junction with the R328 and R360 regional roads. The town belongs to an ancient tuath called Conmhaícne Dúna-Móir and Cenél Dubáin, ...

(burnt in 1249, 1284, and 1315, and walled in 1280), which is bounded by rising land in the north, and bogland east and west. Moated sites were situated some distance to the south and west of Dunmore, at Darrary North, Carrow-munniagh, and south-west at Doonbally. A possible deserted village was located south-west at Castletown. Settlement was seemingly concentrated in the south-east part of Cenel Dhubhain.

Septs

From 800 AD the Ui Briuin Ai were the dominant tribe of Connaught, settling clans ('the Silmurray') in various tuaths, including among the Conmaicne Dunmore. The Castle of Dunmore in Conmaicne Cinel Dubhain, was later called Dun Mor Fheorais.

Patrican link

In the original

Vita tripartita Sancti Patricii The ''Vita tripartita Sancti Patricii'' (''The Tripartite Life of Saint Patrick'') is a bilingual Life of Patrick, written partly in Irish and in parts in Latin. It is a hagiography focusing on Patrick. The text is difficult to date. Kathleen Mul ...

Tírechán Tírechán was a 7th-century Irish bishop from north Connacht, specifically the Killala Bay area, in what is now County Mayo. Background Based on a knowledge of Irish customs of the times, historian Terry O’Hagan has concluded that Tírechán ...

said

Saint Patrick Saint Patrick ( la, Patricius; ga, Pádraig ; cy, Padrig) was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the other patron saints be ...

travelled through Conmaicne Dunmore to

Conmaicne Cuile Tolad The Conmhaícne Cúile or Conmaicne Cuile Tolad () were an early people of Ireland. Their tuath comprised, at minimum, most of the barony of Kilmaine, in County Mayo. Origin The Conmhaicne or Conmaicne were a people of early Ireland, perhaps r ...

. Churches of Patrician origin in Conmaicne Dunmore were not identified.

Abbey

The abbey at Dun-more, a friary of the Order of Saint Augustine, was established by Anglo-Normans in 1425.

People

* Saint Benignus, who supposedly founded the church at Kilbannon near Tuam, belonged to the Conmaicne of Dunmore.

References

Secondary sources

* * * * * * * * History of County Mayo Historical ethnic groups of Europe Ethnic groups in Ireland Gaelic-Irish nations and dynasties Conmaicne Dúna Móir {{Ireland-hist-stub