Muintir Murchada was the name of an Irish territory which derived its name from the ruling dynasty, who were in turn a branch of the

Uí Briúin The Uí Briúin were a royal dynasty of Connacht. Their eponymous apical ancestor was Brión, son of Eochaid Mugmedon and Mongfind, and an elder half brother of Niall of the Nine Hostages. They formed part of the Connachta, along with the U ...

. The name was derived from

Murchadh mac Maenach Murchadh mac Maenach (died 896) was King of Maigh Seóla. Biography Murchadh is one of the earliest-attested kings of his region. He is noteworthy as the person who gave his name to the Muintir Murchada, a dynasty whose leading family later too ...

, King of Uí Briúin Seóla, who died 891.

Overview

The ruling dynasty was first recorded as a lineage in

1061 Year 1061 ( MLXI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – Robert de Grandmesnil, his nephew Berengar, half-sister Judith (future wife ...

and by 1238 the term denoted the territory. It came under the control of the Uí Briúin about the 11th century, its original rulers taking the surname Ó Flaithbheartaigh ( O'Flaherty). They were expelled by the Ua Conchobhair

Kings of Connacht The Kings of Connacht were rulers of the ''cóiced'' (variously translated as portion, fifth, province) of Connacht, which lies west of the River Shannon, Ireland. However, the name only became applied to it in the early medieval era, being named ...

Iar Connacht West Connacht ( ga, Iarthar Chonnachta; Modern Irish: ''Iar Connacht'') was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Galway, particularly the area known more commonly today as Connemara. The kingdom represent ...

where they are still to be found. Muintir Murchada appears to have comprised the following parishes: Killursa, Kilkilvery, Killeany, Kilcoona, Cargin, Killower, Cummer. It also is thought to have included parts of Belclare, Donaghpatrick, Corofin, Tuam, Kilbennan and Killererin.

Crichaireacht cinedach nduchasa Muintiri Murchada Muintir Murchada was the name of an Irish territory which derived its name from the ruling dynasty, who were in turn a branch of the Uí Briúin. The name was derived from Murchadh mac Maenach, King of Uí Briúin Seóla, who died 891. Overview ...

is a tract dating to the reign of its lord,

Flaithbertaigh Ua Flaithbertaigh Flaithbertaigh Ua Flaithbertaigh (died 1098) was King of Iar Connacht. Biography Flaithbertaigh was third or fourth chief of the Muintir Murchada before their expulsion from Uí Briúin Seóla by the Ua Conchobair kings of Connacht. The first ...

(died 1098), who ruled as King of Connacht from 1092 to 1098. It lists the main families and their estates within Muintir Murchada.

Kings of Maigh Seóla

Donn mac Cumasgach Donn mac Cumasgach was a king of Maigh Seóla who died in 752. He may be the earliest recorded ruler of Maigh Seóla, as he is referred to as ''King of the Uí Briúin of the South'' in the annals' obit. In the Leabhar na nGenealach, he is state ...

, died 752 *

Maelan mac Cathmogha Maelan mac Cathmogha (died 848) was King of Maigh Seóla. Origins Maelan appears to be one of the earliest recorded kings of the territory of Maigh Seola, later known as Uí Briúin Seóla. Magh Seola was surrounded to the east by the Sogha ...

, died 848 *

, died 896 *

Cléirchén mac Murchadh Cléirchén mac Murchadh (died 908) was King of Maigh Seóla. Biography Cléirchén appears only in the annals, and is not listed in any extant genealogies, so it is unknown if he had any descendants. He was the first of two sons of Murchadh mac ...

, died 908 *

Urchadh mac Murchadh Urchadh mac Murchadh (also called Archad Dearg) (died 943) was King of Maigh Seóla.A Chorographical Description of West Or H-Iar Connaught: Written A.D. 1684 by Roderic O'Flaherty, page 365, https://archive.org/details/achorographical00oflgoog/ ...

, died 943 *

Donnchadh mac Urchadh Donnchadh mac Urchadh (died 959) was King of Maigh Seóla. Nothing certain seems to be known of Donnchadh, though he would have been an uncle of Brian Boru. He is not listed in the genealogies. References * ''West or H-Iar Connaught'' Rua ...

, died 959 *

Brian mac Maelruanaidh Brian mac Maelruanaidh (died 1003) was King of Maigh Seóla. Biography All that is known for certain of Brian is contained in his obit, dated 1003: ''Brian, son of Maelruanaidh, lord of West Connaught, was slain by his own people'' In that ...

, died 959 *

Muireadhach ua Flaithbheartach Muireadhach ua Flaithbheartach, also known as Murchadh an Chapail Ua Flaithbheartaigh (died 1034-6), was King of Maigh Seóla. Biography The Annals of Inisfallen state ''1027 - Muiredach Ua Flaithbertaig besieged Cathal, son of Ruaidrí, on In ...

, died 1034 *

Murchadh an Chapail Ua Flaithbheartaigh Muireadhach ua Flaithbheartach, also known as Murchadh an Chapail Ua Flaithbheartaigh (died 1034-6), was King of Maigh Seóla. Biography The Annals of Inisfallen state ''1027 - Muiredach Ua Flaithbertaig besieged Cathal, son of Ruaidrí, on In ...

, died 1036 *

Cathal mac Ruaidhri Cathal mac Ruaidhri (died 1043) was King of Maigh Seóla/Iar Connacht. Biography Cathal was the great-grandson of Flaithbheartach mac Eimhin, the eponym of the Ua Flaithbertaig chiefs and fourth great-grandson of Murchadh mac Maenach, the names ...

, died 1043 *

Amhalgaidh mac Cathal Amhalgaidh mac Cathal (died 1075) was King of Maigh Seóla and Iar Connacht. Biography Amhalgaidh was the son of the previous king, Cathal mac Ruaidhri, who appears to have died at Armagh in 1043. He was lord in 1051 when the annals state that: ...

, died 1075

Kings of Iar Connacht

Rúaidhri Ua Flaithbheartaigh Rúaidhri Ua Flaithbheartaigh (died 1061) was King of Iar Connacht. Biography Áed in Gai Bernaig, King of Connacht from 1046 to 1067, had invaded and conquered Maigh Seóla in 1051, blinding its king. Ruaidhri, king since 1059, and the family r ...

, died 1061 *

Aedh Ua Flaithbheartaigh Aedh Ua Flaithbheartaigh (died 1079) was King of Iar Connacht. Biography Aedh was the third bearer of the surname Ua Flaithbheartaigh to rule over the Muintir Murchada, and apparently the second since their forcible expulsion from Maigh Seola b ...

, died 1079 *

Mac meic Aedh Ua Flaithbheartaigh Mac meic Aedh Ua Flaithbheartaigh (died 1091) was King of Iar Connacht. Biography The chief who died in 1091 is given as ''mac meic Aed Ua Flaithbheartaigh/son of the son of Aedh Ua Flaithbheartaigh'', hence his forename is unknown. No further ...

, died 1091 *

, died 1098 *

Ruaidhri Ua Flaithbheartaigh ' Ruaidhri Ua Flaithbheartaigh (died 1145) was King of Iar Connacht. Biography The succession of the chiefs of Muintir Murchada after 1098 is uncertain, unless it is that Ruaidhri reigned from then until his death in 1145. However, as of 1117, ...

, died

1145 Year 1145 ( MCXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Levant * Spring – Seljuk forces led by Imad al-Din Zengi capture Saruj, the second great Cru ...

Áedh Ua Flaithbheartaigh Áedh Ua Flaithbheartaigh (died 1178) was King of Iar Connacht. Biography The annals record that Áedh died at Annaghdown, demonstrating that the Muintir Murchada still held some influence east of Lough Corrib into the late 12th century. In ...

, died 1178 *

Ruadhri Ua Flaithbertaigh Ruadhri Ua Flaithbertaigh () was King of Iar Connacht. Biography Ruaidhri may have succeeded by killing his brother, Conchubhar; the Annals of Ulster, ''sub anno'' 1186, record that ''"Conchubhar Ua Flaithbertaigh was killed by Ruaidhri Ua Fl ...

, alive 1197 *

Murtough Ua Flaithbertaigh Murtough Ua Flaithbertaigh (died 1204) was King of Iar Connacht. See also * Ó Flaithbertaigh References * ''West or H-Iar Connaught'' Ruaidhrí Ó Flaithbheartaigh, 1684 (published 1846, ed. James Hardiman James Hardiman (1782–1855 ...

, died 1204 *

Rudhraighe Ó Flaithbheartaigh Rudhraighe Ó Flaithbheartaigh () was King of Iar Connacht. Annalistic references * ''M1207.6. Cathal Crovderg O'Conor, King of Connaught, expelled Hugh O'Flaherty, and gave his territory to his own son, Hugh O'Conor.'' * ''M1214. Brian, the so ...

, fl. 1214 *

Áedh Mór Ó Flaithbheartaigh Áedh Mór Ó Flaithbheartaigh (died 1236) was King of Iar Connacht. See also * Ó Flaithbertaigh References * ''West or H-Iar Connaught'' Ruaidhrí Ó Flaithbheartaigh, 1684 (published 1846, edited James Hardiman James Hardiman (1782� ...

, died 1236 *

Morogh Ó Flaithbheartaigh Morogh Ó Flaithbheartaigh () was King of Iar Connacht and Chief of the Name. Biography Morogh was the first chief of the clan after their final expulsion from Uí Briúin Seóla. King Áed in Gai Bernaig of Connacht had begun their subjugatio ...

, fl. 1244 *

Ruaidhri Ó Flaithbheartaigh Ruaidhri Ó Flaithbheartaigh () was King of Iar Connacht and Chief of the Name. Biography Ruaidhri was a brother of the preceding chief, Morogh. Ruaidhri and his brother may have accompanied Felim mac Cathal Crobderg Ua Conchobair (reigned 123 ...

, fl. 1256–1273

Taoiseach of Iar Connacht

* Brian Ó Flaithbheartaigh, died 1377. * Áedh Ó Flaithbheartaigh, c. 1377–1407; built the church at

Annaghdown Annaghdown ( ga, Eanach Dhúin, ) is a civil parish in County Galway, Ireland. It takes its name from ''Eanach Dhúin'', Irish for "the marsh of the fort". It lies around Annaghdown Bay, an inlet of Lough Corrib. Villages in the civil parish inc ...

* Domnell mac Áedh Ó Flaithbheartaigh, d. 1410 *

Murchad mac Brian Ó Flaithbheartaigh Murchad mac Brian Ó Flaithbheartaigh (died 1419) was Taoiseach of Iar Connacht and Chief of the Name. Overview In 1846, James Hardiman stated: Before the close of the thirteenth century, the O'Flaherties became masters of the entire territory ...

, d. 1419 *

Gilla Dubh Ó Flaithbheartaigh Gilla Dubh Ó Flaithbheartaigh (died 1442) was Lord of Iar Connacht and Chief of the Name. Overview Gilla Dubh was one of the first of the family to feature in the annals in over a hundred years. Even so, it was not until the middle of the 16t ...

, d. 1442 * unnamed Ó Flaithbheartaigh, fl. 1503 * Áodh Ó Flaithbheartaigh, fl. 1538

Ó Flaithbheartaigh Iarthair (the Western Ó Flaithbheartaigh)

Domnell Crone Ó Flaithbheartaigh Domnell Crone Ó Flaithbheartaigh (died 1560) was a Lord of Iar Connacht, Ireland, and Chief of the Name. References * ''West or H-Iar Connaught'' Ruaidhrí Ó Flaithbheartaigh, 1684 (published 1846, ed. James Hardiman James Hardiman ( ...

, fl. 1559

Ó Flaithbheartaigh Oirthir (the Eastern Ó Flaithbheartaigh)

Murrough na dTuadh Ó Flaithbheartaigh Murrough na dTuadh Ó Flaithbheartaigh, anglicised Sir Murrough O'Flaherty (died 1593) was Chief of Iar Connacht, . Ancestry Great-great-great-grandson of Brian na Noinseach, son of Donall na Comthach Ó Flaithbheartaigh (who was, in turn, a g ...

, fl. 1560–1593.

Crichaireacht cinedach nduchasa Muintiri Murchada

Crichaireacht cinedach nduchasa Muintiri Murchada is a tract concerning the medieval territory called Muintir Murchada, located 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 = ...

, Ireland.

Outline

It lists forty place-names and more than seventy tribal, sept or family names and surnames, many still identifiable in the county. It exists in three recensions preserved in the following three manuscripts: * TCD MS 1319 H.2.17 188RB-va, undated but possibly penned some time in the fifteenth century. * RIA MS 536 23 P 12 90ac-b – the

Book of Ballymote The ''Book of Ballymote'' (, RIA MS 23 P 12, 275 foll.), was written in 1390 or 1391 in or near the town of Ballymote, now in County Sligo, but then in the tuath of Corann. Production and history This book was compiled towards the end of the ...

, compiled about 1390. * UCD Add. MS 14 –

Leabhar na nGenealach ''Leabhar na nGenealach'' ("Book of Genealogies") is a massive genealogical collection written mainly in the years 1649 to 1650, at the college-house of St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church, Galway, by Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh. He continued to add m ...

Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh (), also known as Dubhaltach Óg mac Giolla Íosa Mór mac Dubhaltach Mór Mac Fhirbhisigh, Duald Mac Firbis, Dudly Ferbisie, and Dualdus Firbissius ( fl. 1643 – January 1671) was an Irish scribe, translator, histori ...

Family surnames

Surnames listed include: * Ó hAllmhuráin ( Halloran) * Ó Ceanndubháin (

Canavan Canavan is a surname of Irish origin with two possible translations, both Anglicized: 1. "White Head" from ''O'Ceanndubhain Sept'', who were hereditary physicians to the O'Flahertys of Connemara. Whitehead and Whitelock are sometimes used in Gal ...

) * Ó Dathlaoich (Daly) * Ó Laoí (Lee) * Ó Flaithbhertaigh ( Flaherty) * Mac Giolla Cheallaigh (Kilkelly) * Ó Faghartaigh (Faherty) * Ó Muirghile (Ó Muraíle)

The text

"204.6: The native family-stocks of Muintir Mhurchadha and their territory here. Ó hAllmhuráin was chieftain of the twenty-four townlands of Clann Fhearghaile, and in truth they belong to the family of Aonghus s. Brian; from Fearghal s. Muireadhach s. Eochaidh s. Eórrán s. Aonghaus s. Brian) is Clann Fhearghaile, i.e., the twenty-four townlands of Clann Fhearghaile, and Uí Fhearghusa of Ros Cam." "204.7: Mág an Ghamhain (or Meic an Ghamhna) and Mág Catharnaigh are the two chieftains of Meadhraighe and have their own septs under them. (end pp.448–449)" "240.8: Ó Dathlaoich was the chieftain of Uí Bhruin Ratha (or Ó Duilligh was the chieftain of the fourteen townlands of Uí Bhruin Ratha) and they belonged to the family of Cairbre Airdcheann s. Brian, and hey heldfourteen townlands of all Ui Bhruin Ratha, and belonging to them were Uí Cheinneidigh and Uí Dhuinn and Uí Fhionnog of Cnoc Tuagha and Uí Laideanain (or Laidhghin) of Leacach and Uí Challannain of Ceall Chathghaile (or eallChatail] and Uí Cheannabhain, the physicians of Muintir Mhurchadha and Uí Oilealla, and they belong to Tuath na dToibrineadh. (Another book says 'Ui Fhlaithbheartaigh where this says 'Muintir Mhurchadha.')" "204.9: Ó Laidhigh were princes of Ui Bhriuin Seola together with their septs: Uí Fheichin, Uí Bhalbhain, Uí Dhuibh, Uí Mhadadhain, Meic Giolla Ghannain from Magh Lis Lionn ((a)) a different version: the cavalry chiefs of Ó Flaithbheartaigh) and Uí Cholgan ((b)) from Baile Uí Cholgan: the standard-bearers of Ó Flaithbheartaigh), Meic Fhionnain from Cill Chuanna and Uí Mhaoil Fhabhaill (or Maoil Ampuill) of Domhnach Padraig ((c)) the judges of Ó Flaithbheartaigh) and Uí Chleirchein of Rath Bhuidhbh and Uí Mheallaigh from Ceall na Manach and Ceall na gCaolan." "204.10: Uí Choraighein were chieftains of Boghaid and Uí Chathasaigh from An Bheitheach and Uí Aingle from Doire Uí Aingle." "204.11: Ó Faghartaigh king of Dealbhna of Cuil Fhabhair and Muintir Fhathaigh and Fiodh Luaraigh, Ó Domhnaill from An Ardraith (i.e., from Ath, etc., see ahead of you: from Ath Meic Cinn to Loch Oirbsean) and Uí Aodha: they were of equeal rank – carousal chiefs to Ó Flaithbheartaigh." "204.12: The seed of Aodh of Eanach Duin belonged to the family of Ceallach s. Raghallach s. Uada, i.e., Clann Cheallaigh also. Aodh s. Eochaidh Tiormcharna s. Fearghus first granted Eanach Duin to God and to Breanainn."

Annalistic references

From The

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Deluge, dated as 2,24 ...

: * ''M1417.5. Rory, the son of Murrough O'Flaherty; Rory, the son of Dermot Duv O'Flaherty, and sixteen others of the O'Flahertys, were drowned in the bay of Umallia.'' * ''M1422.5. Donnell Finn O'Flaherty was slain by the sons of Donnell O'Flaherty.'' * ''M1442.7. O'Flaherty, i.e. Gilladuv, the son of Brian, Lord of West Connaught died.'' * ''M1565.5. Murrough, the son of Donnell, son of Rory O'Flaherty, was drowned.''

References

Nollaig Ó Muraíle Nollaig Ó Muraíle is an Irish scholar. He published an acclaimed edition of Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh's ''Leabhar na nGenealach'' in 2004. He was admitted to the Royal Irish Academy in 2009. Life and career A native of Knock, County Mayo, Ó ...

(2008) ''A tract on the Connacht territory of Munitir Mhurchada'' Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, vol. 113. * ''Medieval Ireland: Territorial, Political and Economic Divisions, Paul MacCotter, Four Courts Press, 2008, pp. 140–141. {{DEFAULTSORT:Muintir Murchada History of County Galway People from County Galway Medieval Ireland Connacht Geography of County Galway O'Flaherty dynasty Irish families