Murtogh Moynagh O'Conor (

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 ...

: ''Muirchertach Muimhnech Ua Conchobair''),

prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

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 ...

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 ...

, flourished 1156-1210.

Biography

Muirchertach was one of over twenty sons sired by

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

Tairrdelbach of

. His nickname, ''Muimhnech'', indicated that he was fostered in

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 the ...

. He was one of three sons of Tairdelbach arrested in 1156 by their brother,

Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair Ruaidrí mac Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair (Modern Irish: Ruairí Ó Conchúir; anglicized as Rory O'Conor) ( – 2 December 1198) was Kings of Connacht, King of Connacht from 1156 to 1186, and High King of Ireland from 1166 to 1198. He was the l ...

, on the death of their father. Ruaidrí was his father's

Tánaiste The Tánaiste ( , ) is the deputy head of the government of Ireland and thus holder of its second-most senior office. The Tánaiste is appointed by the President of Ireland on the advice of the Taoiseach. The current office holder is former Taoi ...

, but secured Muirchertach, Brian Breifneach and Brian Luighneach to prevent them gaining the kingship. As an extra precaution, Brian Breifneach was blinded. Before his death Muirchertach became

himself and held control of much of present-day

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...

. His sons were subsequently expelled from this area in the conquest of

Richard Mór de Burgh, 1st Baron of Connaught Richard Mór de Burgh, 1st Lord of Connacht (; ; c.1194–1242, or 1243), was a Hiberno-Norman aristocrat who was Seneschal of Munster and Justiciar of Ireland (1228–32). Background Richard Mór de Burgh, was born towards the end of the ...

in 1235. He was the ancestor to the

Clan Muircheartaigh Uí Conchobhair The Clan Murtagh O'Conor (Irish: ''Clan Muircheartaigh Uí Conchobhair'') were descendants of Irish High-King Toirdelbach Ua Conchobair, through his son, Murtogh Moynagh O'Conor (d.1210), tánaiste of Connacht. They have been defined by Katherine ...

and five

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 ...

, who reigned between 1280 and 1343. His wife died in 1231. She is described in the Annála Connacht as: ::"..Feth fo lige, daughter of

Conchobar Mac Diarmata Conchobar mac Diarmata, was the ninth king of Moylurg, reigning 1187 to 1196. Overview Conchobhair is recorded the year before he became king due to a family tragedy: ''"The rock of Lough Key was burned by lightning. Duvesa, daughter of O'Heyn ...

and wife of Muirchertach Muimnech son of Toirrdelbach Mor O Conchobair, died this year. She was the greatest, most beautiful, most generous, purest woman and of the best repute that ever was in Leth Cuinn, and the mother of Magnus mac Muirchertaig Muimnig and Conchobar Ruad and Tuathal and Toirrdelbach the priest, prior of the church of Peter and Paul". The

Mac Diarmata Mac Diarmada (anglicised as MacDermot or McDermott), also spelled Mac Diarmata, is an Irish surname, and the surname of the ruling dynasty of Moylurg, a kingdom that existed in Connacht from the 10th to 16th centuries. The last ruling king was T ...

family also had a recently acquired lordships in central Mayo, north of the Clan Muircheartaigh.

Offspring

*Maghnus mac Muirchertaig Ó Conchobair *Conchobair Ruadh mac Muirchertaig Ó Conchobair (father of

Cathal Ó Conchobair Cathal Ó Conchobair was a 14th century Irish bishop. Also known as Carolus, he was formerly Abbot of Loch Cé, near Boyle, County Roscommon Boyle (; ) is a town in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is located at the foot of the Curlew Mountain ...

and

Maghnus Ó Conchobair Magnus McConnor Roe O'Conor (Irish: ''Maghnus mac Conchobair Ruadh Ua Conchobair'') was king of Connacht in Ireland. He was a member of the Clan Murtagh O'Conor. He ousted his brother. Family Maghnus had a daughter, Fionnghuala (d.1306). Before ...

) *Tuathal mac Muirchertaig Ó Conchobair *Toirrdelbach mac Muirchertaig Ó Conchobair

References

* ''A Lost Tribe - The Clan Murtagh O'Conors'', Katherine Simms, pp. 1-22, Journal of the

Galway Archaeological and Historical Society The Galway Archaeological and Historical Society was founded on 21 March 1900, at the Railway Hotel, Galway. It promotes the study of the archaeology and history of the west of Ireland. Since 1900, the Society has published 70 volumes of the ''J ...

, volume 53, 2001 * http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100005C/index.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Ua Conchobair, Muirchertach Muimhnech Nobility from County Galway Medieval Gaels from Ireland 12th-century Irish people 13th-century Irish people