The Conmhaícne 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

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

. 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 ...

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 mee ...

, giving their name to several Conmaicne territories. T. F. O'Rahilly's assertion the Conmaicne were non-

Goidelic The Goidelic or Gaelic languages ( ga, teangacha Gaelacha; gd, cànanan Goidhealach; gv, çhengaghyn Gaelgagh) form one of the two groups of Insular Celtic languages, the other being the Brittonic languages. Goidelic languages historical ...

is not widely accepted.

Etymology

Their name supposedly originates from a mythical ancestor known as ''Conmac'', descended from

Fergus mac Roich Fergus may refer to: Given name or surname * Fergus (name), including lists of people and fictional and mythological characters Places *Fergus, Ontario, Canada *River Fergus, County Clare, Ireland * Lake Fergus, South Island, New Zealand * L ...

and Queen

Maeve Maeve, Maev or Maiv is a female given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish name ''Méabh'', which was spelt in early modern Irish (), or in Middle Irish, and in Old Irish (). It may derive from a word meaning "she who intoxicates", ...

. However, Walsh stated "Conmac son of Fergus is a genealogical fiction". The word ''Conmacne'' means "progeny of Conmac" (''ne'', a progeny). Conmac itself means "hound-son" (''con'', hound; ''mac'', son).

Branches

Branches of the Conmaicne dispersed to various places.

Conmaicne na Gaillimhe

Conmhaícne Mara The Conmhaícne Mara or Conmaicne Mara (the Conmaicne of the sea), were an early people of Ireland. Their tuath was located in the extreme west of County Galway, Republic of Ireland, giving their name to Connemara, an anglicised form of Conmhaic ...

(Conmaicne of the sea) settled in the west of

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 = ...

, in the territory of Conmhaícne Mara, anglised today as Connemara. *

Conmhaícne Dúna Móir The Conmhaícne Dúna Móir (), or Cenéoil Dubáin (Conmaicne of Dubain race) were an early people of Ireland. Their tuath comprised at least the barony of Dunmore, in County Galway. Origin The Conmhaicne or Conmaicne were a people of early Ire ...

, or Conmaicne Cenel Dubáin, at

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 ...

. * Conmhaícne Mhean or ''Conmaicne Máenmaige'' (Conmaicne of the central plain), Loughrea, County Galway.

Conmaicne Mhaigh Eo

* Conmhaícne Cúile, of

Kilmaine Kilmaine or Kilmain () is a barony and village in County Mayo, Ireland. Village "Kilmaine", derived from the Irish language 'Cill Mheán', means The Middle Church – 'Cill' is the word used in the Irish language for a church, and 'meán' is ...

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the yew trees") is a county in Ireland. In the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Counci ...

* Conmhaícne Ceara, of Carra, County Mayo. * Conmaicne Meic Oirbsen Máir near Lough Corrib,

Conmaicne Ros Comáin

* Conmhaícne Sléibe Formaile, near Ballinlough, in west

County Roscommon "Steadfast Irish heart" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Roscommon.svg , subdivision_type = Sovereign state, Country , subdivision_name = Republic of Ireland, Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Provinces of I ...

Conmaicne Rein

* Conmhaícne Rein, or "lower conmaicne", of south County Leitrim into

County Longford County Longford ( gle, Contae an Longfoirt) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford. Longford County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county was 46,634 ...

. * Conmhaícne Angaile, or "upper Conmaicne", now

county Longford County Longford ( gle, Contae an Longfoirt) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford. Longford County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county was 46,634 ...

. The Diocese of Ardagh was established in 1111 as the see for east

. Fourteen years later, at the

Synod of Kells-Mellifont The Synod of Kells (, ) took place in 1152, under the presidency of Giovanni Cardinal Paparoni, and continued the process begun at the Synod of Ráth Breasail (1111) of reforming the Irish church. The sessions were divided between the abbeys of ...

, its area was reduced to the territory of the Conmaicne Rein and Conmaicne Angalie, south county Leitrim and all county Longford.P Galloway, ''The Cathedrals of Ireland'', Belfast, 1992 The diocese was commonly called "the Diocese of the Conmaicne".

Septs

Known Septs of the Conmhaícne Rein in south County Leitrim were: * Conmhaícne Maigh Rein anglicised today as barony of Mohill. * Cluain Conmhaícne (Conmaicne of the pasture) of Cloone parish, in Carrigallen and Mohill barony. *

Conmhaícne Cenel Luacháin The Conmhaícne or Conmaicne were a people of early Ireland, perhaps related to the Laigin, who dispersed to various parts of Ireland. They settled in Connacht and Longford, giving their name to several Conmaicne territories. T. F. O'Rahilly's a ...

(Conmaicne descended from Luchan), both Oughteragh and Drumreilly parishes at

Carrigallen Carrigallen () is a small village in County Leitrim, Ireland. It is located on the R201 and R203 roads in the east of the county. , the village had a population of 387. Location The village is set between the north and south shores of Town ...

, County Leitrim. * Conmaicne Maigh Nissi along the Shannon, anglicised today as barony of Leitrim.

People

John O'Donovan wrote:

The chief familes of the Conmacians were the O'Fearralls, princes and lords of Annaly, or Longford; the Mac Rannalls, a name anglicised to Reynolds, who were Lords of Conmaincee of Moy-Rein and Muintir-Eolais, in Leitrim; the Mac Keoghes, who were chiefs in Galway, and also in Lenister; the MacShanleys; O'Rodaghans; MacDorchys; O'Mulveys; O'Morans, and O'Mannings, chiefs and clans in various parts of Longford, Leitrim, and Roscommon.

Notables descended from the Conmhaicne include Cruimthear Mac Carthaigh,

St. Jarlath Saint Jarlath, also known as Iarlaithe mac Loga (''fl.'' 6th century), was an Irish priest and scholar from Connacht, remembered as the founder of the monastic School of Tuam and of the Archdiocese of Tuam (Roman Catholic), Archdiocese of Tua ...

of Tuam and some abbots of Clonmacnoise.

References

* ''Some Connacht Population-Groups'', Nollaig Ó Muraíle, in ''Seanchas:Studies in Early and Medieval Archaeology, History and Literature in Honour of

Francis John Byrne Francis John Byrne (1934 – 30 December 2017) was an Irish historian. Born in Shanghai where his father, a Dundalk man, captained a ship on the Yellow River, Byrne was evacuated with his mother to Australia on the outbreak of World War II. ...

'', pp. 176–76, Four Courts Press,

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

, 2000 * ''Medieval Ireland: Territorial, Political and Economic Divisions'', Paul Mac Cotter, Four Courts Press, 2008, pp. 134–135.

Secondary sources

* * * Medieval Irish people Ulaid History of County Galway History of County Mayo History of County Roscommon History of County Leitrim History of County Longford Conmaicne {{europe-ethno-group-stub