The Partraige were a people of early historic Ireland. Several attested branches were found 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 ...

, including the following: * Partraige Cera - located at the northern end of

Lough Mask Lough Mask () is a limestone lake of about in Counties Mayo and Galway, Ireland, north of Lough Corrib. Lough Mask is the middle of the three lakes, which empty into the Corrib River, through Galway, into Galway Bay. Lough Carra flows into ...

(Loch Mask) and the region of Lough Carra (Loch Corrib), County Mayo. * Partraige in Laca - at and around

Cong, County Mayo Cong (, from ''Cúnga Fheichín'' meaning "Saint Feichin's narrows") is a village straddling the borders of County Galway and County Mayo, in Ireland. Geography Cong is situated on an island formed by a number of streams that surround it on all ...

* Partraige in tSlebe - covering the area from Croagh Patrick to Lough Corrib, all of south-west Mayo * Partraige Beca - located at Crossakell, south of Kells,

County Meath County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the ...

.Nollaig, "Some Early Connacht Population-Groups" All appear to have been of fortuatha status, perhaps indicating a more ancient presence in their territories than the more historically prominent groups to whom they were subject in the early mediaeval period.

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. ...

has suggested that the Partraige may have been "a remnant of a pre- Celtic population, akin perhaps to the

Illyrian tribe This is a list of ancient tribes in the ancient territory of Illyria ( grc-gre, Ἰλλυρία; la, Illyria). The name ''Illyrians'' seems to be the name of a single Illyrian tribe that was the first to come into contact with the ancient Greeks ...

commemorated in the Bavarian resort of

Garmish-Partenkirchen Garmisch-Partenkirchen (; Bavarian: ''Garmasch-Partakurch''), nicknamed Ga-Pa, is an Alpine ski town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the seat of government of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (abbreviated ''GAP''), in the O ...

."Byrne, ''Irish kings and high-kings'', p. 236. He also suggests that the Fir Umaill found in Clew Bay (later the

Uí Briúin The Uí Briúin were a royal dynasty of Connacht. Their eponymous apical ancestor was Brión, son of Eochaid Mugmedon and Mongfind, and an elder half brother of Niall of the Nine Hostages. They formed part of the Connachta, along with the U ...

) probably were a later branch. In the later mediaeval period, the Connacht branches of the Patraige all came under the domination of the

Anglo-Norman Anglo-Norman may refer to: *Anglo-Normans, the medieval ruling class in England following the Norman conquest of 1066 * Anglo-Norman language **Anglo-Norman literature * Anglo-Norman England, or Norman England, the period in English history from 10 ...

Joyce family, giving rise to the so-called

Joyce Country Joyce Country ( ga, Dúiche Sheoighe) is a cultural region in counties Galway and Mayo in Ireland. It is sometimes called Partry, after the former tribal territory of the '' Partraige'', which it largely matches. Part of it falls within the Con ...

. They have given their name to the district of

Partry Partry ( ga, Partraí) is a villagePartry
Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved: 2012-04-15. and a

Conmhaícne Cúile Tuireadh The Conmhaícne Cúile or Conmaicne Cuile Tolad () were an early people of Ireland. Their tuath comprised, at minimum, most of the barony of Kilmaine, in County Mayo. Origin The Conmhaicne or Conmaicne were a people of early Ireland, perhaps r ...

and later the Anglo-Norman Joyces. St Brendan's Abbey in Kilbeg Lower, Ross, County Galway was their ecclesiastical centre.

Partraige Locha

Ruled by chiefs of the O'Dorchys, the "Partraige of the Loch" were likewise subject to the Conmaicne Cuile Tolad and the Joyces. St Fechin's Abbey in Cong, Kilmaine, County Mayo was their ecclesiastical centre.

Partraige Ceara

Ruled by chiefs of the O'Garvalys, the "Partraige of (the Barony of) Carra" were pushed back into the district of Odhbha (Ballyovey) by the Fir Ceara of the Uí Fiachrach Muadhe, later to be absorbed into

. An early convent was found on their territory at Rocksboro South, Ballinrobe, Kilmaine, County Mayo, though St Mochua's Abbey of Balla was the most significant ecclesiastical centre for this polity.

Notes

External links

* http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G105016/index.html *http://notesfromtheninthcircle.blogspot.com/2013/12/tribes-of-west-connacht-and-their.html *http://notesfromtheninthcircle.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-early-irish-church-and-iar-connacht_29.html

References

* * Ó Muraile, Nollaig. "Some Early Connacht Population-Groups", in ''Seanchas: Studies in Early and Medieval Irish Archaeology, History and literature in Honour of

''. Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2000. pp. 174–5. {{DEFAULTSORT:Partraige Gaelic-Irish nations and dynasties Ancient peoples History of County Mayo History of County Meath

Partraige Locha

Partraige Ceara

See also

Notes

External links

References