A Herenagh was the chief elect of a

sept A sept is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used in both Scotland and Ireland, where it may be translated as ''sliocht'', meaning "progeny" or "seed", which may indicate the descendants of a person ...

(family group) in

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

times in

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 ...

, and was a lay official of church lands. The herenagh was elected by the sept and then confirmed by the bishop. If the sept did not agree with the election then the right of appointment then reverted to the bishop, dean and chapter, to be confirmed by the bishop, who still received fees. If the sept ceased to exist, the bishop did not assume power over the land, but had to elect an herenagh from another sept.

References

{{reflist Society of Ireland