MacFirbis ( ga, Mac Fhirbhisigh), also known as

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...

, was the

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

of a family of

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

hereditary Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic inform ...

historians based for much of their known history at Lecan,

Tireragh Tireragh () is a barony in County Sligo. It corresponds to the former Gaelic túath of Tír Fhíacrach Múaidhe. History The barony was formed as part of the shiring of County Sligo by the Lord Deputy Sir Henry Sidney Sir Henry Sidney ...

(now ''Lackan'',

Kilglass Kilglass or Kilglas () is a rural townland in County Sligo, Ireland, in the hinterland of Enniscrone. The area is the location of an Anglican church, built in 1829 with funding provided by the Board of First Fruits, and renovated in 1996. Th ...

parish,

County Sligo County Sligo ( , gle, Contae Shligigh) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the Border Region and is part of the province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in the county. Sligo County Council is the local ...

). They claimed descent from Dathí (d.418?/428?), said to be one of the last pagan

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 ...

, and were thus one of the many families who sprang from the

Uí Fiachrach The Uí Fiachrach () were a royal dynasty who originated in, and whose descendants later ruled, the ''coicead'' or ''fifth'' of Connacht (a western province of Ireland) at different times from the mid-first millennium onwards. They claimed descent ...

dynasty. The progenitors of the MacFirbis family descend from Amhailgadh, whose brothers included Fiachra Ealg (ancestor of

O'Dowd O'Dowd ( ga, Ó Dubhda) is an Irish Gaelic clan based most prominently in what is today County Mayo and County Sligo. The clan name originated in the 9th century as a derivative of its founder Dubda mac Connmhach. They descend in the paternal ...

) and Eocha Breac (ancestor of

O'Shaughnessy Ó Seachnasaigh, O'Shaughnessy, collectively Uí Sheachnasaigh, clan name Cinél nAedha na hEchtghe, is a family surname of Irish origin. The name is found primarily in County Galway and County Limerick. Their name derives from Seachnasach mac ...

History

Based initially at Cong, the family may have been

erenagh The medieval Irish office of erenagh (Old Irish: ''airchinnech'', Modern Irish: ''airchinneach'', Latin: ''princeps'') was responsible for receiving parish revenue from tithes and rents, building and maintaining church property and overseeing the ...

s prior to becoming historians and genealogists to the Ui Fiachrach Muaidhe (branch of the Uí Fiachrach based in north

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 several other patrons. While this was their main function, they also appear to have served as poets and

brehon Brehon ( ga, breitheamh, ) is a term for a historical arbitration, mediative and judicial role in Gaelic culture. Brehons were part of the system of Early Irish law, which was also simply called " Brehon law". Brehons were judges, close in impo ...

s to their patrons, possibly even musicians. Among the earliest known members of the family were

Amhlaoibh Mór mac Fir Bhisigh Amhlaoibh Mór mac Fir Bhisigh, Irish poet, cleric and historian, died 1138. Biography The Annals of Tigernach, ''sub anno'', give his obituary: ''1138. Amlaim Mor mac Firbisigh, ollam O Fiachrach uile re senchus & re filidhecht, & sái cleri ...

(died 1138), Domhnall na Sgoile Mac Fir Bhisigh (fl.c. 1250) and

Gilla Isa Mac Fir Bisigh Gilla may refer to: People Irish masculine given name * ( fl. 1072) * (died 1084) * (died 1143) * (died 1153) * (died 1172) * (died 1204) * (died 1224) * (died 1301) * (died 1405), Irish musician * (died 1442), Lord of Iar Connacht a ...

, who died in 1301. In the late medieval era the most well known was Giolla Íosa Mór Mac Fhirbhisigh fl. 1390–1418. The Mac Fhirbhisigh, long after moving to Lecan (Lacken),

, built Lacken Castle (Castle Forbes, ), now ruined, in

parish in 1560. Here they kept a school of poetry and history. They lost possession of the castle before 1625.O'Donovan (1993:167f). Fear Dorcha MacFhirbhisigh (fl.c. 1600?) was noted as well-travelled in Scotland, showing how far afield members of the clan would venture in practising their art.

Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh 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 ...

(fl.c.1640-January 1671) compiled

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 ...

, a massive compilation of Irish genealogies.

References

Sources

* ''The Celebrated Antiquary'',

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 ...

Maynooth Maynooth (; ga, Maigh Nuad) is a university town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to Maynooth University (part of the National University of Ireland and also known as the National University of Ireland, Maynooth) and St Patrick's ...

, 1996. * ''Irish Leaders and Learning Through the Ages'', Fr.

Paul Walsh Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity * Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

, 2004. (ed. Nollaig Ó Muraíle). *John O'Donovan (ed., trans.), ''The Genealogies, Tribes, and Customs of Hy-Fiachrach, Commonly Called O'Dowda's Country'', Irish archaeological society, 1993
p. 168

External links

Forbes family pedigree
at Library Ireland Irish families Surnames of Irish origin Irish writers

Mac Fhirbhisigh MacFirbis ( ga, Mac Fhirbhisigh), also known as Forbes, was the surname of a family of Irish hereditary historians based for much of their known history at Lecan, Tireragh (now ''Lackan'', Kilglass parish, County Sligo). They claimed descent fro ...

Surnames Irish Brehon families Irish chroniclers

Roman Catholic families Gaels {{Ireland-historian-stub

History

See also

References

Sources

External links