The Eóganachta (Modern , ) were an Irish dynasty centred on
Cashel
Cashel (an Anglicised form of the Irish language word ''Caiseal'', meaning "stone fort") may refer to:
Places in Ireland
*Cashel, County Tipperary
**The Rock of Cashel, an ancient, hilltop fortress complex for which Cashel is named
** Archbishop ...
which dominated southern
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 ...
(namely the
Kingdom of Munster
The Kingdom of Munster () was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland which existed in the south-west of the island from at least the 1st century BC until 1118. According to traditional Irish history found in the ''Annals of the Four Masters'', the kingdom ...
) from the 6/7th to the 10th centuries, and following that, in a restricted form, the
Kingdom of Desmond, and its offshoot
Carbery, to the late 16th century. By tradition the dynasty was founded by
Conall Corc but named after his ancestor
Éogan, the firstborn son of the semi-mythological 3rd-century king
Ailill Aulom. This dynastic clan-name, for it was never in any sense a 'surname,' should more accurately be restricted to those branches of the royal house which descended from Conall Corc, who established Cashel as his royal seat in the late 5th century.
High Kingship issue
Although the Eóganachta were powerful in Munster, they never provided Ireland with a
High King. Serious challenges to the
Uí Néill
The Uí Néill (; meaning "descendants of Niall") are Irish dynasties that claim descent from Niall Noígíallach (Niall of the Nine Hostages), a historical King of Tara who is believed to have died around c. 405. They are generally divided ...
were however presented by
Cathal mac Finguine and
Feidlimid mac Cremthanin. They were not widely recognized as High Kings or
Kings of Tara, as they did not belong to the Uí Néill, but they controlled territories as large or larger than those of the other dynasty. The kings of the
Hill of Tara
The Hill of Tara ( or ) is a hill and ancient ceremonial and burial site near Skryne in County Meath, Ireland. Tradition identifies the hill as the inauguration place and seat of the High Kings of Ireland; it also appears in Irish mythology. ...
were sometimes called High Kings but were not recognized as kings of all Ireland in the historical period.
[Byrne 2001] However, this is to put the supposed position of "High King of Ireland" on a platform that it probably never enjoyed. The social structure of Gaelic Ireland was extremely complex, hierarchically oriented and aristocratic in concept. At the summit of society stood the king of a province, variously styled in the law texts as "King of great kings" (), "Chief of kings" () and "The ultimate king of every individual" ().
[''Kelly, Fergus'', A Guide to Early Irish Law, Dublin, 1988, pp. 17-18.] From his justice there was no appeal, nor did the
Brehon Law
Early Irish law, also called Brehon law (from the old Irish word breithim meaning judge), comprised the statutes which governed everyday life in Early Medieval Ireland. They were partially eclipsed by the Norman invasion of 1169, but underwe ...
acknowledge the existence of the High Kingship of Ireland.
The ''ri ruirech'' had no legal superior. In Munster this legal theory was explicitly adhered to by the annalists who styled the provincial kings as "High King" (), thereby stressing his absolute sovereignty. As the concept of the High Kingship of Ireland was developed from the 9th century onwards by the Uí Néill clan, the kings of Munster counterbalanced that historically inaccurate doctrine by stressing their alternative right to that title, or instead the enjoyment of full sovereignty in
Leth Mogha, that part of Ireland south of a line from Dublin to Galway.
The Eóganacht king Fíngen mac Áedo Duib (Fingin son of Hugh Dubh) ruled as King of Munster (died 618) and is the direct male line ancestor of the
O'Sullivans. His son Seachnasagh was too young to assume the throne and was therefore followed by Eóganacht king of Munster
Faílbe Flann mac Áedo Duib, direct male line ancestor of the later MacCarthy kings. In the Roll of "The Kings of Munster", under the heading "Provincial Kings", we find that Fingin, son of Hugh Dubh, is No.14 on the Roll, while his brother Failbhe is No.16. Long, an anglicized version of the name Ó Longaidh, belongs to one of the oldest branches of the Eóghanchta royal dynasty of Ireland's Munster Province. Prince Longaidh, patriarch of the sept living in about 640, was a descendant of Oengus Mac Nad Fróich, the first Christian king of Munster in the 5th century who was said to have been baptized by Ss. Patrick and Ailbe on the Rock of Cashel. Early genealogical heritage survives in a poem attributed to the 7th century entitled Duan Cathain, preserved in An Leabhar Muimhneach. By the time of the Norman invasion in 1066, this Catholic clan was well established in its present territory in the Barony of Muskerry, County Cork, parishes of Canovee, Moviddy, Kilbonane, Kilmurry, and Dunisky straddling the River Lee.
The MacCarthys owed the prominent position they held in Desmond at that period of the English invasion of Ireland, not to primogeniture, but to the disturbed state and chaos of Munster during the Danish wars, in which their immediate ancestors took a prominent and praiseworthy part.
Gentle rulers
The rule of the Eóganachta in Munster is widely regarded as gentle and more sophisticated in comparison with the other provincial dynasties of Ireland. Not only was Munster the wealthiest of the provinces, but the Eóganachta were willing to concede other previously powerful kingdoms whom they had politically marginalized, such as the
Corcu Loígde
The Corcu Loígde (Corcu Lóegde, Corco Luigde, Corca Laoighdhe, Laidhe), meaning Gens of the Calf Goddess, also called the Síl Lugdach meic Itha, were a kingdom centred in West County Cork who descended from the proto-historical rulers of M ...
, considerable status and freedom from tribute, based on their former status as rulers of the province.
Ancient origins

Their origins, possibly
Gaulish
Gaulish is an extinct Celtic languages, Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium, ...
, are very obscure.
[O'Rahilly 1946] According to one of their own origin legends
Laud 610, they were descendants of Heber, eldest son of King Milesius from the north of Spain (modern-day Galicia). The proto-Eóganachta, from the time of
Mug Nuadat to the time of Crimthann mac Fidaig and Conall Corc, are sometimes referred to as the
Deirgtine in early sources.
The earliest evidence for the proto-Eóganachta, the Deirgthine or Deirgtine, is in the form of
ogham
Ogham (also ogam and ogom, , Modern Irish: ; , later ) is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write the early Irish language (in the "orthodox" inscriptions, 4th to 6th centuries AD), and later the Old Irish language ( scholastic ...
inscriptions.
They appear to have initially been subjects of the
Dáirine
The Dáirine (Dárine, Dáirfine, Dáirfhine, Dárfine, Dárinne, Dairinne), later known dynastically as the Corcu Loígde and associated, were the proto-historical rulers of Munster before the rise of the Eóganachta in the 7th century AD. They ...
, a warlike people with frequently mentioned connections to
Ulster
Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
, who were possibly cousins of the
Ulaid
(Old Irish, ) or (Irish language, Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic Provinces of Ireland, over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include , which ...
. The Dáirine were represented in historical times most clearly by the Corcu Loígde, over whom the Deirgtine finally achieved supremacy during the 7th century, following the loss by the former of their centuries-long hold on the
Kingdom of Osraige
Osraige (Old Irish) or Osraighe (Classical Irish), Osraí (Modern Irish), anglicized as Ossory, was a medieval Irish kingdom comprising what is now County Kilkenny and western County Laois, corresponding to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ossory, ...
, apparently with some outside help from the
Uí Néill
The Uí Néill (; meaning "descendants of Niall") are Irish dynasties that claim descent from Niall Noígíallach (Niall of the Nine Hostages), a historical King of Tara who is believed to have died around c. 405. They are generally divided ...
.
The Eóganachta achieved their status primarily through political and economic sophistication and not military conquest. Ireland was dominated by several hostile powers whom they were never in any position to challenge militarily on their own, in the early centuries, but there also existed a number of subject tribes whom the Deirgtine successfully convinced to adopt them as their overlords. The effect was to separate the Dáirine, by now mainly the Corcu Loígde, from their cousin kingdoms and prominent subjects. The Eóganachta progressively surrounded themselves with favoured vassals such as the
Múscraige, who would become the main source of their income as well as defense against the other kingdoms.
The later famous
Déisi Tuisceart, who would produce
Brian Bóruma, were among these vassal peoples. The
Déisi Muman of
County Waterford
County Waterford () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is named after the city of Waterford. ...
may have shared Gaulish origins with the Eóganachta themselves.
Another powerful people of early Munster were the
Mairtine
The Mairtine (Martini, Marthene, Muirtine, Maidirdine, Mhairtine) were an important people of late prehistoric Munster, Ireland who by early historical times appear to have completely vanished from the Irish political landscape. They are notable f ...
, who had their capital at
Emly or Imlech Ibair, first known as Medón Mairtine. It became the head church of the Eóganachta.
Mythology
See
*
Aimend
*
Áine
*
Battle of Mag Mucrama
*
Leath Mogha
*
Lugaid mac Con
*
Mór Muman
*
Mug Ruith
*
Nia Segamain
*
Óengus Bolg
*
Senchas Fagbála Caisil
Royal houses, Septs and surnames
Early figures
A number of the figures below may be listed under the wrong septs. The quality of Eóganachta genealogical and historical writing greatly improves in the 2nd millennium under the MacCarthy overlords but some problems remain. The earliest historical rulers from the Eóganachta, descendants of
Conall Corc, include:
*
Mug Nuadat (
Deirgtine)
*
Ailill Aulomm
*
Éogan Mór
*
Fiachu Muillethan
*
Ailill Flann Bec
*
Luigthech
* Conall Corc (Eóganachta)
**
Nad Froích mac Cuirc (Inner Circle)
***
Óengus mac Nad Froích
Óengus mac Nad Froích (430-489) was an Eoganachta and the first Christian King of Munster
The kings of Munster () ruled the Kingdom of Munster in Ireland from its establishment during the Irish Iron Age until the High Middle Ages. Accordi ...
, d. 489
****
Feidlimid mac Óengusa
****
Eochaid mac Óengusa, d. 522
***
Ailill mac Nad Froích
**
Coirpre Luachra mac Cuirc (Uí Choirpri Lúachra)
**
Mac Cass mac Cuirc (Uí Echach Muman)
The princely houses of the Eóganachta may usefully be divided into the inner circle, the outer circle and extinct septs.
Princely houses: inner circle

:*
Eóganacht Chaisil
Eóganacht Chaisil were a branch of the Eóganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster between the 5th and 10th centuries. They took their name from Cashel (County Tipperary) which was the capital of the early Catholic kingdom of Munster. They were de ...
:*
Eóganacht Áine
:*
Eóganacht Glendamnach
These three princely houses produced nearly all Kings of Cashel from the 5th to the 10th centuries. Some were strong, others were renowned bishops and scholars, and others were weak. The importance of the Cashel kingship was primarily ceremonial, and rulers were with the occasional exception not militarily aggressive, although they continually strove for political dominance as far as they could with the province's wealth. Strong petty kingdoms regarded as subject would receive large payments called ''rath'' in return for their acknowledgment of the political supremacy of Cashel, and they would sometimes give hostages as well.
The most powerful petty kingdoms exchanged hostages with the King of Cashel, and though subject in some sense (by agreement), they were legally free and capable of terminating the contract.
The Eóganacht Chaisil under the MacCarthys would later form the much more militarily capable but undermanned
Kingdom of Desmond. The O'Sullivans, the eldest of the Eóganacht Chaisil, were the most powerful lords under them. The O'Keeffes of Eóganacht Glendamnach would later produce many great soldiers for Irish and Continental armies. The O'Callaghans were a smaller sept who have distinguished themselves in recent times, while the MacAuliffes and MacGillycuddys are, as stated, simply septs of the MacCarthys and O'Sullivans. The O'Kirbys of Eóganacht Áine were ruined by the
Norman Invasion of Ireland
The Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland took place during the late 12th century, when Anglo-Normans gradually conquered and acquired large swathes of land in Ireland over which the monarchs of England then claimed sovereignty. The Anglo-Normans ...
.
*
Eóganacht Chaisil
Eóganacht Chaisil were a branch of the Eóganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster between the 5th and 10th centuries. They took their name from Cashel (County Tipperary) which was the capital of the early Catholic kingdom of Munster. They were de ...
of
Cashel
Cashel (an Anglicised form of the Irish language word ''Caiseal'', meaning "stone fort") may refer to:
Places in Ireland
*Cashel, County Tipperary
**The Rock of Cashel, an ancient, hilltop fortress complex for which Cashel is named
** Archbishop ...
(
O'Callaghan,
MacCarthy,
MacGillycuddy,
MacAuliffe,
O'Sullivan O'Sullivan may refer to:
People
* O'Sullivan family, a gaelic Irish clan
* O'Sullivan (surname), a family name
* Sullivan (surname), a variation of the O'Sullivan family name
Places
* O'Sullivan Dam, Washington, United States
* O'Sullivan Army He ...
)
**
Carthage the Elder
**
Fíngen mac Áedo Duib
Fíngen mac Áedo Duib (Modern Irish: ''Finghin mac Aodha Dhuibh'', ) (died 618) was a King of Munster from the Eóganacht Chaisil branch of the Eoganachta. He was the great-grandson of Feidlimid mac Óengusa, a previous king. He succeeded Amal ...
, d. 618
**
Faílbe Flann mac Áedo Duib, d. 639
**
Máenach mac Fíngin, d. 661
**
Colgú mac Faílbe Flaind, d. 678
**
Cormac mac Ailello, d. 712
**
Tnúthgal mac Donngaile, d. 820
**
Feidlimid mac Cremthanin, d.
847
**
Áilgenán mac Donngaile, d. 853
**
Máel Gualae
Máel mac Donngaile (died 859), known as Máel Gualae, was a King of Munster from the Eóganacht Chaisil branch of the Eoganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster. He was of the Clann Faílbe sept of this branch and a grandson of Tnúthgal mac Donnga ...
, d. 859
**
Cormac mac Cuilennáin, d.
908 (see also
Sanas Cormaic, Cormac's Glossary)
**
Cellachán Caisil, d. 954
**
Donnchad mac Cellacháin
Donnchad mac Cellacháin (fl. 961–963) was a son of Cellachan of Cashel who is alleged to have briefly ruled as King of Cashel and Munster
Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the ...
, d. 963
*
Eóganacht Glendamnach (O'Keeffe)
**
Crimthann Srem mac Echado, d. c. 542
**
Coirpre Cromm mac Crimthainn, d. 577
**
Cathal mac Áedo, d. 627
**
Cathal Cú-cen-máthair, d. 665
**
Finguine mac Cathail, d. 696
**
Ailill mac Cathail, d. 701
**
Cathal mac Finguine, d. 742
**
Artrí mac Cathail, d. 821
*
Eóganacht Áine (O'Kirby, O'Kirwick/Kerwick)
**
Garbán mac Éndai
**
Amalgaid mac Éndai, d. 601
**
Cúán mac Amalgado, d. 641
**
Eterscél mac Máele Umai, d. 721
**
Cathussach mac Eterscélai, d. c. 769
**
Ólchobar mac Duib-Indrecht, d. 805
**
Ólchobar mac Cináeda, d. 851
**
Cenn Fáelad hua Mugthigirn, d. 872
Princely houses: outer circle

:* Eóganacht Locha Léin
:* Eóganacht Raithlind
The two "outer" princely houses of the dynasty dwelt to the west and south of the central dynasties. Though descended from Conall Corc and thus theoretically entitled to hold the kingship, in effect these dynasties were excluded from Cashel politics, a situation which may or may not have been based on geographical realities.
[Charles-Edwards 2000] Powerful kings could become ''de facto'' Kings of Munster, but in general the central dynasties refused to recognize them as such, and this resulted in particular antagonism between Cashel and Eóganacht Locha Léin, the power of which was eventually broken.
Eóganacht Raithlind was not as aggressive and so survived under O'Mahony rule well into the 2nd millennium. The O'Donoghues, originally from Eóganacht Raithlind, would move in to become the new princes of Eóganacht Locha Léin, and are still represented among the Irish nobles today by the Lord of Glenflesk (see below).
Oddly enough, the Eóganacht Raithlind, the Eóganacht Locha Léin, and the Uí Fidgenti-Liatháin (below), are all together referred to as the Three Eóganachta of Munster in early medieval story known as ''
The Expulsion of the Déisi''.
This is strange in part because the first two were supposedly descended from Conall Corc and not Dáire Cerbba, but this grouping may be simply meant to illustrate that these were all free tribes in comparison with the rent-paying
Déisi
The ''Déisi'' were a social class in Ireland between the ancient and early medieval period. The various peoples listed under the heading ''déis'' shared a similar status in Gaelic Ireland, and had little or no actual kinship, though they were ...
. Ongoing DNA analysis of the O'Connells of Kerry would seem to confirm an Eóghanacht origin, most closely related to the O'Donoghues (Eóghanacht Locha Léin), though they are in some sources assigned to the Uí Fidgenti-Liatháin. The Eóganacht Locha Léin were themselves often viewed by the "inner circle" with surprisingly vicious hostility, and this somehow involved a connection to the
Picts
The Picts were a group of peoples in what is now Scotland north of the Firth of Forth, in the Scotland in the early Middle Ages, Early Middle Ages. Where they lived and details of their culture can be gleaned from early medieval texts and Pic ...
of
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
.
The occasional misguided attempts to "rank" these powerful septs "below" those of the inner circle, or even to exclude them from the Eóganachta entirely, can be rejected. See also
Iarmuman.
*
Eóganacht Locha Léin (O'Moriarity, and others, later O'Donoghue)
**
Dauí Iarlaithe mac Maithni
**
Áed Bennán mac Crimthainn, d. 618
**
Máel Dúin mac Áedo Bennán, d. 661
**
Congal mac Máele Dúin, d. 690
**
Máel Dúin mac Áedo, d. 786
*
Eóganacht Raithlind (O'Mahony, O'Donoghue, O'Long, and many others)
**
Feidlimid mac Tigernaig, d. 588
**
Máel Muad mac Brain, d. 978 (see also
Mathgamain mac Cennétig)
Extinct septs
There are several extinct and/or unconfirmed septs:
*
Eóganacht Airthir Cliach (extinct)
**
Ferghus Scannal, d. 582
*
Eóganacht Ninussa
*
Éoganacht Ua Cathbach
Surnames and clan names
Eóganachta dynastic surnames include
O'Callaghan,
MacCarthy,
O'Donoghue
Donoghue or O'Donoghue is an anglicised form of the Irish language surname Ó Donnchadha or Ó Donnchú.
Etymology
The name means "descendant of Donnchadh", a personal name composed of the elements ''donn'' "brown-haired an and ''cath'' "batt ...
,
MacGillycuddy,
O'Keeffe,
O'Moriarity,
O'Sullivan O'Sullivan may refer to:
People
* O'Sullivan family, a gaelic Irish clan
* O'Sullivan (surname), a family name
* Sullivan (surname), a variation of the O'Sullivan family name
Places
* O'Sullivan Dam, Washington, United States
* O'Sullivan Army He ...
, among others, many of them of contested origin.
MacAuliffe is typically a MacCarthy (Cremin) sept.
MacGillycuddy is an O'Sullivan (Mor) sept.
O'Long is classed as Eóganacht (Raithlind).
O'Driscoll
O'Driscoll (and its derivative Driscoll) is an Irish surname. It is derived from the Gaelic ''Ó hEidirsceoil''. The O'Driscolls were rulers of the Dáirine sept of the Corcu Loígde until the early modern period; their ancestors were Kings ...
is Corcu Loígde (Dáirine) but the family are related to the Eóganachta through early and late marriages and so qualify as natural kin.
O'Leary can be either Corcu Loígde or Uí Fidgenti or Eóganacht depending on the sept.
O'Carroll
O'Carroll (), also known as simply Carroll, Carrol or Carrell, is a Gaelic Irish clan which is the most prominent sept of the Ciannachta (also known as Clan Cian). Their genealogies claim that they are kindred with the Eóganachta (themsel ...
of
Éile
Éile (; , ), commonly anglicised as Ely, was a medieval petty kingdom in the southern part of the modern county of Offaly and parts of North Tipperary in Ireland. The historic barony of Eliogarty was once a significant portion of the kingdom.
...
may or may not be distantly related to the Eóganachta.
Scannell was also a sept of some significance and it is recorded that in 1014, Eocha, son of Dunadbach, Chief of Clann Scannail, and Scannail son of Cathal, Lord of
Eóganacht Locha Léin, were killed at the
Battle of Clontarf
The Battle of Clontarf () took place on 23 April 1014 at Clontarf, near Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland. It pitted an army led by Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, against a Norse- Irish alliance comprising the forces of Sigtrygg Silkbea ...
.
Out of the approximately 150 surviving Irish surnames of princely or
comital origins, the Eóganachta and their allies account for approximately 30, or about one fifth. Unfortunately their pedigrees are often hopelessly disorganized and confused and so it is difficult or impossible to tell in many cases which people belong to which septs,
or in fact if they even belong to the Eóganachta at all. There is also great evidence in the pedigrees and regnal lists of repeated modification, outright fabrication, and unceremonious deletion, at least for the early period (all concerned sources), with some criticisms quite severe, although this is also a problem with
Connachta
The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasty, dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King of Ireland, High King Conn of the Hundred Battles, Conn Cétchathach (Conn of the Hundred Battles). The modern western Provinces of ...
and
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 ...
material.
Eóganachta Kings of Munster
Other kingdoms
In Ireland

Sometimes also included are the
Uí Fidgenti (
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, ...
,
O'Collins,
O'Flannery,
Lyons
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
, among others.) and the related
Uí Liatháin
The Uí Liatháin () were an early kingdom of Munster in southern Ireland. They belonged the same kindred as the Uí Fidgenti, and the two are considered together in the earliest sources, for example '' The Expulsion of the Déisi'' (incidental ...
(
Lyons
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
,
Gleeson, others), ancient allies of the Eóganachta who may have originally belonged to the
Dáirine
The Dáirine (Dárine, Dáirfine, Dáirfhine, Dárfine, Dárinne, Dairinne), later known dynastically as the Corcu Loígde and associated, were the proto-historical rulers of Munster before the rise of the Eóganachta in the 7th century AD. They ...
, although it is also possible they were earlier or peripheral branches of the descendants of Ailill Flann Bec, or of Ailill Aulomm, not involved in the innovative Cashel politics of the descendants of Conall Corc, actual founder of the Eóganachta dynasties. In this way, the children of Fidach, the early monarch Crimthand Mór mac Fidaig and his sister
Mongfind, also belong to the peripheral Eóganachta. But only the descendants of Conall Corc, son of Luigdech or Lugaid, son of Ailill Flann Bec, could claim Cashel, whereas all three of these more distantly related aristocracies appear to descend from
Dáire Cerbba
Dáire Cerbba (or Cerba, Cearba, Cearb; meaning "Silver Dáire" or "Dáire the Sharp/Cutting") was a 4th-century Irish dynast who was evidently a king of late prehistoric central northern Munster, called Medón Mairtíne at the time. A frequen ...
and/or Maine Munchaín, so-called brother(s) of Lugaid. In any case, both the Uí Fidgenti and Uí Liatháin were apparently fading, for whatever reasons, while the Eóganachta were in their prime. They paid no obvious tribute but were little involved in the political scene after a period, the terms of the alliance being only that they were expected to support the Eóganachta militarily on "honour related" expeditions outside Munster or in the defence of it.
The Uí Fidgenti did exchange hostages with the King of Cashel, just like the Eóganacht Raithlind and Eóganacht Locha Léin were honoured, and so they appear to have been viewed as kin from an early period, even if they may have been Dáirine to begin with or included very substantial elements.
In the earliest genealogies, mostly found i
Rawlinson B 502 they are in some way kin to the Eóganachta, even if only through marriage at first as suggested by some later interpreters.
According to Rawlinson B 502, Dáire Cerbba was born in
Brega
Brega , also known as ''Mersa Brega'' or ''Marsa al-Brega'' ( , i.e. "Brega Seaport"), is a complex of several smaller towns, industry installations and education establishments situated in Libya on the Gulf of Sidra, the most southerly point of ...
,
County Meath
County Meath ( ; or simply , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, County ...
, but no explanation is given. This might mean his family were even later arrivals to Munster than the Eóganachta and help explain their lack of centralization and well known colonies in
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales
* The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...
. The Uí Fidgenti (NW) and Uí Liatháin (SE) were in opposing corners of Munster with the Eóganacht Áine and Eóganacht Glendamnach more or less in between, as well as the Fir Mag Fene. Brega bordered on the territory of 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 ...
, and was originally a part of it.
Against this is the fact that the Uí Fidgenti had their own capital at Dún Eochair in Munster, constructed by the Dáirine several centuries before the rise of Cashel, as described by
Geoffrey Keating
Geoffrey Keating (; – ) was an Irish historian. He was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, and is buried in Tubrid Graveyard in the parish of Ballylooby-Duhill. He became a Catholic priest and a poet.
Biography
It was generally believed unt ...
.
In Scotland
It has been suggested that the
Kings of the Picts were derived from a sept of the Eóganachta. If so, then the Eóganacht Locha Léin, and thus the ancestors of the O'Moriartys and others, are the most obvious candidates. Not only were they at one point expansive as the powerful
Kingdom of Iarmuman, but they were also frustrated by their exclusion and forced isolation by the inner circle. The inner circle exhibited peculiar attitudes from time to time and so this could have been the real story.
*
Eóganacht Maige Geirginn. The plain of Circinn is thought to be the area of
Angus
Angus may refer to:
*Angus, Scotland, a council area of Scotland, and formerly a province, sheriffdom, county and district of Scotland
* Angus, Canada, a community in Essa, Ontario
Animals
* Angus cattle, various breeds of beef cattle
Media
* ...
and the
Mearns in
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
.
**
Óengus I of the Picts
In Irish mythology, Aengus or Óengus is one of the Tuatha Dé Danann and probably originally a god associated with youth, love,Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí. ''Myth, Legend & Romance: An encyclopedia of the Irish folk tradition''. Prentice-Hall Press, ...
, d. 761
**
Bridei V of the Picts
**
Talorgan II of the Picts
Talorcan son of Uurguist ( Scottish Gaelic: ''Talorgen mac Óengusa'') was a king of the Picts
The list of kings of the Picts is based on the Pictish Chronicle king lists. These are late documents and do not record the dates when the kin ...
, d. 782
**
Drest VIII of the Picts
**
Constantín mac Fergusa, d. 820
**
Óengus II of the Picts, d. 834
**
Drest IX of the Picts, d. 836 or 837
**
Eóganan mac Óengusa, d. 839
History
Competition with the Uí Néill
See Byrne (2001),
Cathal mac Finguine,
Feidlimid mac Cremthanin,
Synod of Birr.
Competition with the Dál gCais
In some later traditions of
Thomond,
Eógan
is an Old Irish, early Irish male given name, which also has the hypocoristic and diminutive forms , , and . The Irish language, Modern Irish form of the name is ().
In Scottish Gaelic, the name is or . All of the above are often anglicisation ...
had a younger brother,
Cas, who is said to have originated the rival
Dál gCais
The Dalcassians ( ) are a Gaels, Gaelic Irish clan, generally accepted by contemporary scholarship as being a branch of the Déisi Muman, that became very powerful in Ireland during the 10th century. Their genealogies claimed descent from Tál ...
dynasty of Ireland. The smaller Dál gCais kingdom proved to have surprising military might, and displaced the increasingly beset Eóganachta, who were suffering also from attacks by the
Vikings
Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...
and the
Uí Néill
The Uí Néill (; meaning "descendants of Niall") are Irish dynasties that claim descent from Niall Noígíallach (Niall of the Nine Hostages), a historical King of Tara who is believed to have died around c. 405. They are generally divided ...
, on the Munster throne during the course of the 10th century. From this the Eóganachta and their allies would never fully recover, but they did continue, largely in the form of the
MacCarthys and
O'Sullivan O'Sullivan may refer to:
People
* O'Sullivan family, a gaelic Irish clan
* O'Sullivan (surname), a family name
* Sullivan (surname), a variation of the O'Sullivan family name
Places
* O'Sullivan Dam, Washington, United States
* O'Sullivan Army He ...
s, to assert their authority and rule large parts of Desmond for the next six centuries. They would badly rout the
FitzGeralds at the
Battle of Callann, halting the advance of the
Normans
The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Franc ...
into Desmond, and win back many territories briefly held by them.
See Byrne (2001), Todd (1867),
Brian Bóruma,
Mathgamain mac Cennétig,
Cennétig mac Lorcáin,
Kings of Munster
The kings of Munster () ruled the Kingdom of Munster in Ireland from its establishment during the Irish Iron Age until the High Middle Ages. According to Gaelic traditional history, laid out in works such as the ''Book of Invasions'', the earli ...
,
Kings of Desmond,
Thomond,
County Clare
County Clare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern part of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council ...
,
Déisi
The ''Déisi'' were a social class in Ireland between the ancient and early medieval period. The various peoples listed under the heading ''déis'' shared a similar status in Gaelic Ireland, and had little or no actual kinship, though they were ...
.
The Cambro-Normans and England
See
FitzGerald,
Battle of Callann,
Earl of Desmond
Earl of Desmond ( meaning Earl of South Munster) is a title of nobility created by the English monarch in the peerage of Ireland. The title has been created four times. It was first awarded in 1329 to Maurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond, Maur ...
,
Desmond Rebellions
The Desmond Rebellions occurred in 1569–1573 and 1579–1583 in the Irish province of Munster. They were rebellions by the Earl of Desmond, the head of the FitzGerald dynasty in Munster, and his followers, the Geraldines and their allies, ...
,
Second Desmond Rebellion
The Second Desmond Rebellion (1579–1583) was the more widespread and bloody of the two Desmond Rebellions in Ireland launched by the FitzGerald Dynasty of County Desmond, Desmond in Munster against English rule. The second rebellion began in ...
,
Florence MacCarthy,
Tudor conquest of Ireland
Ireland was conquered by the Tudor monarchs of England in the 16th century. The Anglo-Normans had Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland, conquered swathes of Ireland in the late 12th century, bringing it under Lordship of Ireland, English rule. In t ...
,
Dónall Cam Ó Súilleabháin Béirre,
Siege of Dunboy,
Plantations of Ireland
Plantation (settlement or colony), Plantations in 16th- and 17th-century Ireland () involved the confiscation of Irish-owned land by the Kingdom of England, English The Crown, Crown and the colonisation of this land with settlers from Great Br ...
,
Irish Confederate Wars
The Irish Confederate Wars, took place from 1641 to 1653. It was the Irish theatre of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, a series of civil wars in Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, all then ...
,
Donagh MacCarthy, Viscount Muskerry,
Earl of Clancarty.
Ecclesiastical relations with Germany
See Byrne (2001).
Marriages and pedigrees
See O'Hart (1892), Cronnelly (1864), Burke (1976), D'Alton (1861), O'Donovan (1856), O'Keeffe (1703), Byrne (2001).
Later figures
*
Charles MacCarthy (Irish soldier)
*
Robert MacCarty, Viscount Muskerry
*
Charles MacCarthy (governor)
Other notable people are:
*
Thaddeus MacCarthy,
*
Nicholas Tuite MacCarthy
*
Eoghan Rua Ó Súilleabháin

For the 20th century, the long hidden Ó Coileáins of Uí Conaill Gabhra, once the most dominant sept of the Uí Fidgenti, produced the famous
Mícheál Ó Coileáin. His sept were driven out of
County Limerick
County Limerick () is a western Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Reg ...
in the 13th century by the FitzGeralds, but still regarded themselves as dispossessed aristocracy. The Ó Coileáins had joined their cousins the O'Donovans in
County Cork
County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...
, who themselves had been assisted by their friends the O'Mahonys. The
MacCarthy Reaghs would soon follow to become the princes of the area, or
Barony of Carbery, and later both they and the O'Mahonys would send septs to be accepted among the aristocracy in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
[O'Hart 1892] See also
Counts of Toulouse
The count of Toulouse (, ) was the ruler of county of Toulouse, Toulouse during the 8th to 13th centuries. Originating as vassals of the kingdom of the Franks, Frankish kings,
the hereditary counts ruled the city of Toulouse and its surrounding ...
. Of the four, only the O'Donovans, keeping a low profile, remained Gaelic lords after a time.
The
MacCarthy of Muskerry dynasty are of great importance and there are several surviving septs.
Daniel "The Liberator" O'Connell has been said to have belonged to a small sept of the Uí Fidgenti who found themselves in County Kerry.
Another lively figure was
Pierce Charles de Lacy O'Mahony.
;Modern Eóganacht
Curley
[Curley 2004] gives profiles of some twenty current Irish lords, several of them Eóganacht or allied, enjoying varying levels of recognition.
*
O'Donoghue of the Glens (Eóganacht Locha Léin, first Eóganacht Raithlind)
*
McGillycuddy of the Reeks (O'Sullivan Mor: Eóganacht Chaisil)
*
O'Callaghan of Duhallow (Eóganacht Chaisil)
*
O'Donovan of Clancahill (Uí Fidgenti)
The scandal created by
Terence Francis MacCarthy has left their futures uncertain. He inserted himself into the pedigree of the
Sliocht Cormaic of Dunguile, the senior surviving sept of the MacCarthy dynasty, who still await recognition from the Irish government following the scandal.
See also

*
Kingdoms of Ireland
*
Kings of Munster
The kings of Munster () ruled the Kingdom of Munster in Ireland from its establishment during the Irish Iron Age until the High Middle Ages. According to Gaelic traditional history, laid out in works such as the ''Book of Invasions'', the earli ...
*
Kings of Desmond
*
Mac Carthaigh's Book
''Mac Carthaigh’s Book'' is a collection of annals of the period AD 1114 in Ireland, 1114–1437 in Ireland, 1437 inclusive. It was compiled from earlier material by Florence MacCarthy, Fínghin Mac Carthaigh Mór (c. 1560–1640) an Irish noble ...
*
Counts of Toulouse
The count of Toulouse (, ) was the ruler of county of Toulouse, Toulouse during the 8th to 13th centuries. Originating as vassals of the kingdom of the Franks, Frankish kings,
the hereditary counts ruled the city of Toulouse and its surrounding ...
*
Earl of Clancarty
*
Irish nobility
*
Family of Barrau
*
Irish royal families
*
Chief of the Name
*
Terence Francis MacCarthy
Notes
References
* Bhreathnach, Edel (ed.), ''The Kingship and Landscape of Tara''. Four Courts Press for
The Discovery Programme
The Discovery Programme: Centre for Archaeology and Innovation Ireland is an all-Ireland centre for archaeology and heritage research. It was established by the Irish Government in 1991. It is a company limited by guarantee, funded mainly through ...
. 2005. Pages 249, 250 & Historical Early Éoganachta, Table 9, pages 356, 357.
* Bugge, Alexander (ed. and tr.)
Caithreim Cellachain Caisil: The Victorious Career of Cellachan of CashelChristiania: J. Chr. Gundersens Bogtrykkeri. 1905.
* Burke, Bernard and Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd, ''Burke's Irish Family Records, or Burke's Landed Gentry of Ireland''. London: Burke's Peerage Ltd. 5th edition, 1976.
* Byrne, Francis J., ''Irish Kings and High-Kings''. Four Courts Press. 2nd edition, 2001.
* Cairney, C. Thomas, ''Clans and Families of Ireland and Scotland: An Ethnography of the Gael, A.D. 500-1750''. Willow Bend Books. 1989. (elementary popular work)
* Charles-Edwards, T.M., ''Early Christian Ireland''. Cambridge University Press. 2000.
* Coogan, Tim Pat, ''Michael Collins: The Man Who Made Ireland''. Palgrave Macmillan. 2002. (pgs. 5–6)
* Cronnelly, Richard F.
Irish Family History''Part II: A History of the Clan Eoghan, or Eoghanachts''. Dublin: 1864.
* Curley, Walter J.P., ''Vanishing Kingdoms: The Irish Chiefs and their Families''. Dublin: Lilliput Press. 2004.
*
D'Alton, JohnIllustrations, Historical and Genealogical, of King James's Irish Army List, 16892 vols. London: J.R. Smith. 2nd edition, 1861.
* Dillon, Myles, ''The Cycles of the Kings''. Oxford. 1946. (Four Courts Press. Revised edition, 1995.)
* Dillon, Myles, "The Story of the Finding of Cashel", in ''Ériu 16'' (1952): 63.
* Duffy, Seán (ed.), ''Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia''. Routledge. 2005.
* Eoghanact Septs DNA Project (http://eoghanachtsepts.com)
* Foster, Roy (ed.), ''The Oxford Illustrated History of Ireland''. Oxford University Press. 2001.
* Hull, Vernan, "Conall Corc and the Corcu Loígde", in ''Proceedings of the Modern Languages Association of America 62'' (1947): 887–909.
* Hull, Vernan, "The Exile of Conall Corc", in ''Proceedings of the Modern Languages Association of America 56'' (1941): 937–50.
* Koch, John T. (ed.), ''Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia''. 5 volumes or single ebook. ABC-CLIO. 2006.
* Lalor, Brian, ''The Encyclopedia of Ireland''. Yale University Press. 2003.
* MacLysaght, Edward, ''Irish Families: Their Names, Arms and Origins''. Irish Academic Press. 4th edition, 1998.
* Mac Niocaill, Gearóid, ''Ireland before the Vikings''. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan. 1972.
* Meyer, Kuno (ed. and tr.), "The Expulsion of the Dessi", in ''Y Cymmrodor 14''. 1901. pgs. 101–35. (availabl
* Meyer, Kuno (ed.)
in ''Zeitschrift für Celtische Philologie 8''. Halle/Saale, Max Niemeyer. 1912. Pages 291–338.
* O'Connell Surname DNA Project (Results table, particularly the core "Irish Type II" results for SNPs A7659 and A7654: https://www.familytreedna.com/public/oconnelldna?iframe=ycolorized)
* Ó Corráin, Donnchadh, "Corcu Loígde: Land and Families", in ''Cork: History and Society. Interdisciplinary Essays on the History of an Irish County'', edited by Patrick O'Flanagan and Cornelius G. Buttimer. Dublin: Geography Publications. 1993.
* Ó Corráin, Donnchadh (ed.)
University College, Cork: Corpus of Electronic Texts. 1997.
* Ó Corráin, Donnchadh, ''Ireland before the Normans''. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan. 1972.
* Ó Corráin, Donnchadh, "Prehistoric and Early Christian Ireland", in Foster, Roy (ed.), ''The Oxford Illustrated History of Ireland''. Oxford University Press. 2001. pgs. 1-52.
* Ó Cróinín, Dáibhí (ed.), ''A New History of Ireland: Prehistoric and Early Ireland, Vol. 1''. Oxford University Press. 2005.
* O'Donovan, John (ed. and tr.),
Annála Ríoghachta Éireann. Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters, from the Earliest Period to the Year 1616. 7 vols. Royal Irish Academy. Dublin. 1848–51. 2nd edition, 1856.
* O'Hart, John
Irish Pedigrees Dublin. 5th edition, 1892.
* Ó hInnse, Séamus (ed. and tr.) and Florence MacCarthy,
Mac Carthaigh's Book
''Mac Carthaigh’s Book'' is a collection of annals of the period AD 1114 in Ireland, 1114–1437 in Ireland, 1437 inclusive. It was compiled from earlier material by Florence MacCarthy, Fínghin Mac Carthaigh Mór (c. 1560–1640) an Irish noble ...
, o
Miscellaneous Irish Annals (A.D. 1114-1437) Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. 1947.
* O'Keeffe, Eugene (ed. and tr.), ''Eoganacht Genealogies from the
Book of Munster''. Cork. 1703. (availabl
here
* O'Rahilly, Thomas F., ''Early Irish History and Mythology''. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. 1946.
* Richter, Michael, ''Medieval Ireland: The Enduring Tradition''. Palgrave Macmillan. 1996.
* Sproule, David, "Origins of the Éoganachta", in ''Ériu 35'' (1984): pp. 31–37.
* Sproule, David, "Politics and pure narrative in the stories about Corc of Cashel", in ''Ériu 36'' (1985): pp. 11–28.
* Todd, James Henthorn (ed. and tr.)
Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh: The War of the Gaedhil with the GaillLongmans. 1867.
* Welch, Robert (ed.) with Bruce Stewart, ''The Oxford Companion to Irish Literature''. Oxford University Press. 1996.
Further reading
*
External links
(Y-DNA related)
Famille MacCarthy Reaghat GeneaWiki (in French)
Famille O'Mahonyat GeneaWiki (in French)
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eoganachta
Kings of Munster
Áine
Gaels