The Soghain were a people of ancient Ireland. The 17th-century scholar

Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh 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 ...

identified them as part of a larger group called the Cruithin. Mac Fhirbhisigh stated that the Cruithin included "the Dál Araidhi ál nAraidi the seven Lóigisi oígisof Leinster, the seven Soghain of Ireland, and every Conaille that is in Ireland."

Locations

The locations of four of the seven Soghain are as follows: * A branch in the territory of Fernmag (barony of Farney,

County Monaghan County Monaghan ( ; ga, Contae Mhuineacháin) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Ulster and is part of Border strategic planning area of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County C ...

). * In Delvin (

County Westmeath "Noble above nobility" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = , subdivis ...

) where a Soghain tribe lived with a branch of the

Delbhna The Delbna or Delbhna were a Gaelic Irish tribe in Ireland, claiming kinship with the Dál gCais, through descent from Dealbhna son of Cas. Originally one large population, they had a number of branches in Connacht, Meath, and Munster in Irela ...

in an area called ''

Trícha cét The tríocha céad, also known as trícha cét, meaning "thirty hundreds", was a unit of land-holding in eleventh and twelfth century Ireland.Eoghanacht. An Ogham inscription discovered near Aglish in the barony of East Muskerry, some twelve miles west of the city of

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

, displays the words ''MUCOI SOGINI'', which probably means "of the Corcu Sogain". * The Soghain of Connacht were located in central east

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

, in a kingdom called Soghan.

Soghan

The Soghain of Connacht were located in the ancient kingdom of Soghan, an area in central east

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

bounded by the river Suck on the east, the

river Clare The River Clare ( ga, Abhainn an Chláir) is a river in counties Mayo and Galway in Ireland. The long river rises north of Ballyhaunis in Mayo and descends past Dunmore, where it flows west, then turns south past Milltown continuing down th ...

on the west, the Grange and Shiven rivers to the north, and the Raford and Ballinure rivers to the south. A poem recorded in ''The Book of Uí Maine'', ''Cruas Connacht clanna Sogain'', lists the kingdom's boundaries, which can be found to tie in with the above locations:

From Áth an Ibar west To Glais Uair Arnaigh Was the extent of Soghan That sword-guarded land. From Béal na Róbe in Máenmagh To the clear, soft-reeded Simin Was the breath of the plain Which bore no ignominy.

The previous, pre-

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...

people of the area were called the Senchineoil. Very little information survives on them. The Soghain of

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 ...

were described by

Seán Mór Ó Dubhagáin Seán Mór Ó Dubhagáin (died 1372) was an Irish Gaelic poet. Background Ó Dubhagáinn was among the first notable members of the bardic family Baile Uí Dhubhagáin (Ballyduggan), near Loughrea, County Galway. He was accorded the rank ol ...

in his poem ''Triallam timcheall na Fodla'' as follows: "The six Sogain let us not shun / Their kings are without oblivion / Good the host of plundering excursions / To whom the spear-armed Sogain is hereditary." The Book of Lecan lists their six branches as ''Cenél Rechta'', ''Cenél Trena'', ''Cenél Luchta'', ''Cenél Fergna'', ''Cenél Domaingen'' and ''Cenél Déigill''. The genealogy of

Saint Kerrill In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Ortho ...

of Clonkeenkerrill is given as ''Caireall mac Curnáin mac Treana mac Fionnchada mac Náir mac Earca mac Tiobraide mac Soghain Salbhuidhe mac Fiacha Araidhe''. His grandfather, Treana mac Fionnchada, was the eponym of the Cinel Trena, who were apparently located close to Knockma, as evinced by the placename Tír Mhic Trena (the land of the sons of Trena). This area was the western limit of the kingdom of the Connacht Soghain. Early

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

evangelists among the Soghain included Conainne, St Connell and Kerrill. Their successors include Naomhéid,

Cuana of Kilcoonagh Cuana of Kilcoonagh was an early Christian missionary active in the northeast of the parish of Ballymacward, County Galway, sometime around or after 500. He was the founder of the church at Kilcoonagh (now the townland of Garrafine), of which a ...

, Dubhán,

Felig Felig was a 5th-6th-century Irish missionary. Biography Felig is the name of a person believed to be the founder of ''Cill Fheilige'' ('the church of Felig'), which according to local tradition was the first church founded among the Soghain pe ...

, Íbar, Íomar of the Sogain, Laisren of Clonkeenkerrill,

Maol Chosna Maol Chosna () was an Irish missionary and founder of the church of ''Cill Maol Chosna'' ("the church of Maol Chosna"), which gave its name to the vicarage of the east half of Ballymacward, County Galway. The site is located at Kilmelcosing cemet ...

, Modiúit, Menott,

Molua of Kilmoluagh Molua of Kilmoluagh was an early Christian missionary among the Soghain people of County Galway. Molua may have been a native of the kingdom, as a St Moluoc (another form of Molua) is listed as ''"Moluoc mac Luchta mac Finchada mac Feidlimithe ...

. Parishes known to be included in Soghan were: *

Abbeyknockmoy Abbeyknockmoy () is a village and parish in County Galway, Ireland. It is known for the nearby ruins of the 12th century Cistercian abbey, established with the Kings of Connacht as its benefactors. The abbey was the burial site of King Cathal ...

* Abbert / Monivea * Ahascragh * Athenry * Ballymacward * Clonkeenkerrill * Fohenagh * Kilcloony *

Kilconnell Kilconnell () is a small rural village in County Galway, Ireland. The village gives its name to the barony of Kilconnell, formerly held by the Lords de Freyne. In 2006 David Tye purchased the original feudal Barony of Kilconnell created in 1170 ...

* Kilgerrill * Killascobe * Killosolan * Kilmoylan (part) *

Lackagh (part) The parish of Lackagh or Lacagh is located in County Galway, Ireland, approximately halfway between Galway city and Tuam (east of a line between these two towns). It is bounded by the parishes of Athenry, Abbeyknockmoy, Corofin, Annaghdown and ...

* Moylough Soghan became subject to the Uí Maine sometime during the first millennium.

Descendants

Descendants of the Soghain are still found in great numbers in County Galway, bearing names such as Ó Mainnín, Mannion, Manning, Ward / Mac an Bhaird, Gill / Gillane, Scarry, Dugan / Duggan, Megan / McGann, Martin, and Cassain.

Annalistic references

* ''811. Irghalach, son of Maelumha, lord of Corca Soghain''

References

* ''The Book of Uí Maine, otherwise called 'The book of the O'Kellys, R.A.S. Mac Alister (ed.),

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 ...

, 1942. * ''Punann arsa'' part i,

Martin Finnerty Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...

, Galway, 1951. * ''The parish of Ballinasloe'', Rev. Patrick K. Egan, Dublin and London, 1960. Facsimile reproduction, Galway, 1994. * ''Ballymacward: The story of an east Galway parish'', John S. Flynn, 1991. * ''The Life, Legends and Legacy of Saint Kerrill: A Fifth-Century East Galway Evangelist'', Joseph Mannion, 2004. 0 954798 1 3 * ''The true identity of Saint Kerrill of Clonkeenkerrill'', Joseph Mannion, in ''Making shapes with slates and marla:A Gurteen anthology'', John and Margaret Corbett (compilers), Galway, 2004. * ''The Senchineoil and the Sogain: Differentiating between the pre-Celtic and early Celtic Tribes of Central East Galway,'' Joseph Mannion, ''Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society'', Volume 58, pp. 165–170, 2006. {{DEFAULTSORT:Soghain Connacht Historical Celtic peoples Geography of County Galway History of County Galway Tribes of ancient Ireland Ulaid

Locations

Soghan

Descendants

Annalistic references

See also

References