The Cálraighe were a population-group found mostly in northern

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 Del ...

as well as County Westmeath and County Longford. They were purported descendants of Lugaid Cal, son of Daire Sirchrechtaig, who was himself a supposed descendant of Lugaid mac Itha, a first cousin of

Míl Espáine In Irish origin myths, Míl Espáine or Míl Espáne (later Latinized as Milesius; also Miled/Miledh) is the mythical ancestor of the final inhabitants of Ireland, the "sons of Míl" or Milesians, who represent the vast majority of the Irish Ga ...

. Daire is stated as having five sons, all called Lugaid, from who each derived the Corcu Loígde, Corco Oirce, Loigis

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 Leinster ...

, Dal Mesen Corb and the Calraige. Around a dozen branches of the Calraige are listed as inhabitants of northern Connacht. They include: * Cálraighe Tre Maige of Druim Leas – now Drumlease parish,

County Leitrim County Leitrim ( ; gle, Contae Liatroma) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the ...

* Cálraighe Aelmag – Snedriagail, abbot of

Clonmacnoise Clonmacnoise ( Irish: ''Cluain Mhic Nóis'') is a ruined monastery situated in County Offaly in Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone, founded in 544 by Saint Ciarán, a young man from Rathcroghan, County Roscommon. Until the 9th cen ...

(died 781), was of this branch * Cálraighe Locha Gile – possibly an alternative name for the previous * Cálraighe Droma Cliab – an alternative name for the Cálraighe Locha Gile * Cálraighe Laithim – location uncertain, possibly near that of Droma Cliab (

Drumcliff Drumcliff or Drumcliffe () is a village in County Sligo, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is 8 km (5 miles) north of Sligo, Sligo town on the N15 road (Ireland), N15 road on a low gravel ridge between the mountain of Ben Bulben and Drumcl ...

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 A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the an ...

) * Cálraighe Mor – a '' tuath aithech'' located with the

Lúighne Leyney (Luíne) is a barony in central County Sligo, Ireland. It corresponds to the ancient túath ''Túath'' (plural ''túatha'') is the Old Irish term for the basic political and jurisdictional unit of Gaelic Ireland. ''Túath'' can refer ...

in mid-Sligo * Cálraighe in Chorainn – aka Cálraighe Morna, found in

Corann Corann was an ancient Irish túath in northwest Connacht represented now by the present barony of Corran in County Sligo. The name is derived in legend from Corann, the harper of Dian Cecht of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Organisation Ballymote ...

, Sligo * Cálraighe Luirg – located south-east of the previous, in

Moylurg {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022 Magh Luirg or Magh Luirg an Dagda, Anglicised as Moylurg, was the name of a medieval Irish kingdom located in modern-day County Roscommon, Ireland. It was a sub-kingdom of the kingdom of Connacht from c. 956–1585. ...

, County Roscommon * Cálraighe Culi Cernadan – located in

Attymass Attymass () is a village in County Mayo, Ireland. History Evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of ringforts (in the townlands of Carrick and Kilgellia) and several crannóg sites at nearby Ballymore Lough. The Roman Cath ...

and

Kilgarvan Kilgarvan () is a small village in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is situated on the banks of the Roughty River which flows into Kenmare Bay. By car, the village is a ten-minute trip from Kenmare, and thirty minutes from Killarn ...

parishes, County Mayo * Cálraighe Mag nEileag – situated on the north-west corner of

Lough Conn Lough Conn () is a lake in County Mayo, Ireland. With an area of about , it is Ireland's seventh largest lake. With its immediate neighbour to the south, Lough Cullin, it is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the River Moy. Lough Conn is noted ...

, County Mayo * Cálraighe Mag Muirisc – at the mouth of the

river Moy The River Moy () is a river in the northwest of Ireland. Name Ptolemy's ''Geography'' (2nd century AD) described a river called Λιβνιου (''Libniu'', perhaps from *''lei''- "flow") which probably referred to the River Moy. The Moy is fi ...

* Cluain Calraí - located at Clooncolry near Bornacoola, Mohill parish, county Leitrim.Cluain Calraí, Clooncolry
/ref> * Druim Chálraighe - located at Drumhalry nearby Carrigallen, in county Leitrim.Droim Chalraí, Drumhalry
/ref> * Cnoc Droma Calraí at Knock parish, County Mayo."An Cnoc Druim Calraí", "Knock parish"
/ref> * an unattested branch at Glencalry, Doonfeeny, County Mayo Cálraighe found outside Connacht included the following: * Cálraighe Bri Leith – found in County Longford * Cálraighe in Chalaid – in the parish of Ballyloughloe, County Westmeath * Cálraighe Bregmuine –

barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

of Brawny, County Westmeath * Cálraighe Tethba – somewhere in County Longford

References

* ''Lugaid Cal and the Calraige'', Donnchad Ó Corrain, ''Eigse'' 13, 1970 * ''Some Connacht Population Groups'',

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 ...

, in ''Seanchas:Studies in Early and Medieval Irish 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. 162–65.

Four Courts Press Four Courts Press is an independent Irish academic publishing house, with its office at Malpas Street, Dublin 8, Ireland. Founded in 1970 by Michael Adams, who died in February 2009, its early publications were primarily theological, notably t ...

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 c ...

, 2000.

Secondary references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Calraighe Ethnic groups in Ireland Gaelic-Irish nations and dynasties History of County Sligo History of County Mayo History of County Longford History of County Westmeath History of County Roscommon