The Conmhaícne Mheáin Maigh or Conmaicne Mhein or ''Conmaicne Máenmaige'' or ''Conmaicne Críche Meic Erca'' (the Conmaicne of the central plain) were an early people of

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, their tuath comprising the barony of Loughrea, in

County Galway County Galway ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region, taking up the south of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. The county population was 276,451 at the 20 ...

Origin

The

Conmhaícne The Conmaicne (; ) were a people of early Ireland, perhaps related to the Laigin, who dispersed to various parts of Ireland. They settled in Connacht and Longford, giving their name to several Conmaicne territories. T. F. O'Rahilly's assertion ...

or Conmaicne were a people of early Ireland, perhaps related to the

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 Leinste ...

, who dispersed to various parts of

. They settled in

Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...

and

Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It had a population of 10,952 at the 2022 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meeting of ...

, giving their name to several Conmaicne territories.

O'Donovan The O'Donovan family is an ancient Irish nobility, Irish noble family. Their patronymic surname derives from Irish ''Ó Donnabháin'', meaning the grandsons or descendants of Donnubán, referring to the 10th century ruler of the Uí Fidgenti, ...

stated "Meán/Mheáin" or "meádhan" refer to "middle or center". Maigh is Irish for "plain". The tuath is sometimes called "Conmhaícne Máenmaige", "Máenmag", "Machaire Maenmuighe", and " Tricha Máenmaige" in the

Irish Annals A number of Irish annals, of which the earliest was the Chronicle of Ireland, were compiled up to and shortly after the end of the 17th century. Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days. Over ti ...

Territory

An extent dated 1333 lists their territory as including the parishes of Kilconierin, Kiltullagh,

Killimordaly Killimordaly () is a rural village and civil parish in County Galway, Ireland. It was originally located in Trícha Máenmaige. See also * Íomar of the Sogain Íomar of the Sogain is an obscure fifth- or sixth-century saint associated wit ...

, Grange,

Killeenadeema Killeenadeema () is a civil parish in County Galway, Ireland. It contains most of the Derrybrien mountains, which hold the Derrybrien Wind Farm. Name The name in Irish is , where means "little church". Thus, it means "Chapel of Díoma". Locat ...

, Lickerrig and

Loughrea Loughrea ( ; ), is a town in County Galway, Ireland. It lies to the north of a range of wooded hills, the Slieve Aughty Mountains and Lough Rea, the lake from which it takes its name. The town's cathedral, St Brendan's, dominates the urban sk ...

(the later including the parishes of Kilconickny, Kilteskill and Kilcooly). Still more were Killaan,

Bullaun A bullaun (; from a word cognate with "bowl" and French ''bol'') is the term used for the depression in a stone which is often water filled. Natural rounded boulders or pebbles may sit in the bullaun. The size of the bullaun is highly variable ...

, Kilreekil and

Kilmeen Kilmeen GAA are a Junior A Gaelic football club from the south-west division (Carbery GAA) of County Cork, Ireland. The club competes in Carbery and Cork competitions. Their sister club in Hurling, Kilbree competes at Junior A level as of 200 ...

. In Anglo-Norman times it was termed a

cantred A cantred was a subdivision of a county in the Anglo-Norman Lordship of Ireland between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries, analogous to the cantref of Wales or the hundred of England. In County Dublin the equivalent unit was termed a serjeant ...

. The tuath was situated near the former parish of Kilconickny - "church of the Conmaicne".

Taoiseach

It was first under the control of Ui Fhiachrach Fionn, and later by the

Uí Maine U, or u, is the twenty-first letter and the fifth vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet and the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''u'' (pronounced ), ...

. Uí Nechtain (

Naughton Naughton ( or ) is an Irish Gaelic surname derived from the name Ó Neachtain meaning 'descendant of Nechtan'. A Sept of the Dal gCais of the same stock as Quinn and Hartigan where located in Inchiquin Barony, County Clare. Another O'Neachta ...

) and Uí Máelalaid (

Mullally Mullally, Mulally, Mullaly or Mulaly are anglicized variants of the Irish language surname thought to have originated from County Galway where it has since been shortened to the form of Lally. The surname is most numerous in the south east of Ir ...

, Lally) were listed as its ruling families.

Notable natives

In 581, the

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' () or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' () are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Genesis flood narrative, Deluge, dated as 2,242 Anno Mundi, years after crea ...

records the death of ''" Aedh mac Suibhne, toiseach Maonmuighe"''/''"Aedh, son of Suibhne, chief of Maenmagh"''. In 801, the

Annals of Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' () are annals of History of Ireland, medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luin� ...

records the deaths of ''

Cathrannach mac Cathal Cathrannach mac Cathal, possible King of Máenmaige, died 801. In 801 the Annals of Ulster records the deaths of ''Cathrannach mac Cathal of Maenmag, and the anchorite Ninnid.'' Nothing further appears to be known of Cathrannach. His death occur ...

of Maenmag, and the anchorite Ninnid.'' In 803, there was ''A skirmish between the

Soghain The Soghain were a people of ancient Ireland. The 17th-century scholar Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh identified them as part of a larger group called the Cruithin. Mac Fhirbhisigh stated that the Cruithin included "the Dál Araidhi ál nAraidi ...

and the sept of Maenmag, in which many were slain.''

Neide mac Onchu Neide or ''variant'', may refer to: People * Neide Van-Dúnem (aka ''Neide'', born 1986) female Angolan singer * Neide Barbosa (born 1980) female Angolan handball player * Neide Dias (born 1987) female Angolan runner * Neide Sá (born 1940) fem ...

mac Finnlugh was described as ''the

Cú Chulainn Cú Chulainn ( ), is an Irish warrior hero and demigod in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore. He is believed to be an incarnation of the Irish god Lugh, who is also his father. His mother is the ...

of the

Conmaicne The Conmaicne (; ) were a people of early Ireland, perhaps related to the Laigin, who dispersed to various parts of Ireland. They settled in Connacht and Longford, giving their name to several Conmaicne territories. T. F. O'Rahilly's assertion ...

'' in an account of the battle of

Ardrahan Ardrahan () is a village and civil parish in County Galway, Ireland. History Richard de Burgo conquered Galway in 1236, and granted the land to Maurice Fitzgerald who built the castle whose ruins still stand today. The churchyard wall cont ...

, which took place sometime about 800.

Fearghal mac Catharnach Fearghal mac Catharnach (died 821/823) was Lord of Loch Riach. Fearghal was ruler of Loch Riach in what is now County Galway. He appears to have been a son of Cathrannach mac Cathal, described as ''of Maenmag'' in the Annals of Ulster upon his ...

, Lord of Loch Riach, died 821/823. Cétadach, 31st Abbot of Clonmacnoise (died 848), was a native of Máenmaige. Cormac mac Ceithearnach, ruler and

cleric Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

, died 881. Conchobar Maenmaige Ua Cellaigh, King of

(died 1180) and his foster-son,

Conchobar Maenmaige Ua Conchobair Conchobar Maenmaige Ua Conchobair, son of High King of Ireland Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair, was King of Connacht from 1183 to 1189. He was a military commander and opponent of the Norman invasion of Ireland. Early life Conchobar Maenmaige took his ...

, King of

(1186-1189) both spent their childhood in Máenmaige.

Seán Ó Maolalaidh Seán Ó Maolalaidh (fl. 1419–1480) was Chief of the Name. Ó Maolalaidh of Máenmaige The Ó Maolalaidhs ( Lally, Mullally) were, with the Ó Nechtains (Naughton), one of the two leading septs of Máenmaige in western Uí Maine. There is so ...

(fl. 1419–1480) was

Chief of the Name The Chief of the Name, or in older English usage Captain of his Nation, is the recognised head of a family or clan ( Irish and Scottish Gaelic: ''fine'') in Ireland and Scotland. Ireland There are instances where Norman lords of the time like ...

and the last Ó Maolalaidh chief to reside in the area.

Annalistic references

From the

Chronicon Scotorum ''Chronicon Scotorum'', also known as ''Chronicum Scotorum'', is a medieval Irish chronicle. Overview According to Nollaig Ó Muraíle, it is "a collection of annals belonging to the ' Clonmacnoise group', covering the period from prehistoric ...

: * ''1132 A raid by Conchobor ua Briain into Maenmagh and he plundered Cell Biain and brought away many cows.'' * ''1135 A Battle at Maengach initiated by the Síl Muiredaigh on the Uí Maine, in which many fell including Conchobor ua Cellaigh and ua Mainnín, king of Sogain. The Ui Maine were victorious.'' From the

Annals of Loch Ce Annals (, from , "year") are a concise historical record in which events are arranged chronologically, year by year, although the term is also used loosely for any historical record. Scope The nature of the distinction between annals and histor ...

: * ''1180 The battle of the Conchobars, in Connacht, in which Conchobhar Maenmaighe killed Conchobhar O'Ceallaigh, i.e. the king of Uí-Maine, and his son Tadhg, and Diarmaid O'Ceallaigh, and many nobles of Uí-Maine; at Maghsruibhe-gealain, at the head of Daire-na-capall, this battle was fought.'' * ''1531 Tuathal, the son of O Domnallain of Machaire Maenmuighe, died. Gilla Patraic son of Adam Mac an Baird died.''

References

* ''Medieval Ireland: Territorial, Political and Economic Divisions'', Paul MacCotter, Four Courts Press, 2008, pp. 140–141.

Secondary sources

* * * ''A Chorographical Description of West or H-Iar Connaught'' written A.D. 1684 by Roderic O'Flaherty ESQ with notes and Illustrations by,

James Hardiman James Hardiman (February 1782 – 13 November 1855), also known as Séamus Ó hArgadáin, was a librarian at Queen's College, Galway and an important historian. Hardiman is best remembered for his '' History of the Town and County of Galway'' (1 ...

M.R.I.A., Irish Archaeological Society, 1846. {{DEFAULTSORT:Maenmaige History of County Galway Connacht Geography of County Galway Kingdoms of medieval Ireland Conmaicne Mhein Maigh