__NOTOC__ Eóganacht Locha Léin or Uí Cairpre Luachra were a branch of the ruling Eóganachta of

Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following t ...

. Their territory was in

Iarmuman Iarmhumhain (older spellings: Iarmuman, Iarmumu or Iarluachair) was a Kingdom in the early Christian period of Ireland in west Munster. Its ruling dynasty was related to the main ruling dynasty of Munster known as the Eóganachta. Its ruling branc ...

or West Munster. Luachair (Lúachra) is the old name of a large district on the borders of Co Cork, Kerry and Limerick. Cairbre of Sliobh Luachra was on the Cork-Kerry border; Eóganacht Locha Léin is around the Lakes of Killarney., p. 1. The ancestor of this branch was Cairpre Luachra mac Cuirc, son of Corc mac Luigthig (or Conall Corc mac Lugdach, the founder of Cashel) by Mungfionn daughter of Feredach, King of the

Picts The Picts were a group of peoples who lived in what is now northern and eastern Scotland (north of the Firth of Forth) during Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Where they lived and what their culture was like can be inferred from ea ...

of Scotland. Cairpre Luachra was a sixth generation descendant of

Éogan Mór In Irish traditional history Eógan (or Eoghan Mór—a name also used by his grandfather, Mug Nuadat), eldest son of Ailill Ollamh, was a 2nd or 3rd century AD king of Munster. He is credited with founding or at least giving his name to the ...

, ancestor of the Eoganachta. Cairpre went west over Luachair Deadhaid (Slieveloughra) to found the lands of his dynasty Ruling septs of Eóganacht Locha Léin included Úa Cathail, Úa Flainn, Úa Muircheartaigh or Moriarty, and Úa Cerbaill. By the 12th century the Úa Donnchadha (

O'Donoghue Donoghue or O'Donoghue is an anglicized form of the Irish language surname Ó Donnchadha or Ó Donnchú. Etymology The name means "descendant of Donnchadh", a personal name composed of the elements ''donn'' "brown-haired an and ''cath'' "battle" ...

s, Cenél Laegaire of Eóganacht Raithlind), leaving

Eóganacht Raithlind Eóganacht Raithlind or Uí Echach Muman are a branch of the Eóganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster in southwest Ireland during the 5th-10th centuries. They took their name from Raithlinn or Raithleann described around the area of Bandon, i ...

of Cork, had conquered and settled Éoganacht Locha Léin. The Loch Léin branch had a free client relationship with the kings of Cashel and were often called kings of Íarlúachair or kings of Locha Léin in the annals. The Locha Léin branch rarely provided kings of Cashel and were not part of the 'inner circle' of Eóganachta which was made up of the Eóganachta of Aurmumu. The 'inner circle' consisted of

Eóganacht Glendamnach Eóganacht Glendamnach were a branch of the Eóganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster during the 5th-10th centuries. They took their name from Glendamnach ( Glanworth, County Cork). They were descended from Óengus mac Nad Froích (died 489), the ...

Eóganacht Chaisil Eóganacht Chaisil were a branch of the Eóganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster between the 5th and 10th centuries. They took their name from Cashel (County Tipperary) which was the capital of the early Catholic kingdom of Munster. They were ...

, and

Eóganacht Áine Eóganacht Áine or Eóganacht Áine Cliach was a princely house of the Eóganachta, dynasty of Munster during the 5th–12th centuries. They took their name from the Hill of Áine ( ga, Cnoc Áine) near the present day village of Knockainy, Co ...

. Eóganacht Locha Léin seem to have had a tumultuous relationship with the dynasties to their east. Several kings from Eóganacht Locha Léin are thought to have been kings of Cashel, these included: *

Dauí Iarlaithe mac Maithni Dauí Iarlaithe mac Maithni (flourished circa 500) was a King of Iarmuman (west Munster) from the Eóganacht Locha Léin branch of the Eoganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster. He was the grandson of the founder of this branch of the dynasty, ...

(c.500) *

Áed Bennán mac Crimthainn Áed Bennán mac Crimthainn (died 618) was a possible King of Munster from the Eóganacht Locha Léin branch of the Eoganachta. He was definitely king of West Munster or Iarmuman. He was the great grandson of Dauí Iarlaithe mac Maithni also ...

, died 618 *

Máel Dúin mac Áedo Máel Dúin mac Áedo (died 786) was a possible King of Munster from the Eóganacht Locha Léin branch of the Eóganachta. He was the son of Áed Bennán mac Conaing (died 733), a king of Iarmuman or West Munster and great great grandson of ...

, died 786 * Ólchobar mac Cináeda, died 851 (may have belonged to Áine) Loch Léin were prominent in the second half of the eighth century. Máel Dúin mac Áedo broke the monopolisation of the Cashel kingship by the Aurmumu septs. After this, the sept fell into decline. The West Munster Synod, which was written in the late eighth century, or early ninth, demonstrates attempts by the Ciarraige to check Locha Léin power. The Ciarraige were said to have killed a Locha Léin dynast in 803. In 833, the death of Cobthach son of Máel Dúin is recorded. He is only called 'king of Loch Léin' in the Annals, suggesting that the power of Locha Léin had waned. From this point, the Annals stop recording the obits of their kings., p. 3. This suggests that they had become somewhat unimportant.

Notes

References

* *O'Keeffe, ''Book of Munster'' *

External links

The tribes of Munster
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eoganacht Locha Lein Kings of Munster Eóganachta Gaels

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External links