Ollamh Síol Muireadaigh was a hereditary post, held almost exclusively by members of the

Ó Maolconaire Ó Maolchonaire, sometimes Ó Maoil Chonaire, sometimes Ó Mhaoil Chonaire, Ó Maolconaire, Uí Mhaoil Chonaire etc., was the surname of a family of professional poets and historians in medieval Ireland. Traditionally it would have been spelled wi ...

family, from at least the 13th century until the 17th century. The

Síol Muireadaigh The Síol Muireadaigh or Síol Muireadhaigh (; Anglicized ''Sil Murray'' or ''Silmurray''), was a leading sept of the Connachta group of Gaelic dynasties in medieval Ireland. The name Síol Muireadaigh was also used to refer to the territory occu ...

were a dynasty of regional clans, named after King

Muiredach Muillethan Muiredach Muillethan mac Fergusso (or Muiredach Mag Aí) (died 702) was a King of Connacht from the Uí Briúin Aí branch of the Uí Briúin. He was the grandson of Rogallach mac Uatach (died 649), a previous king. His sobriquet Muillethan me ...

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 ...

(died 702), all of whom lived in north-central

. While many of the ruling chieftains such as the

Ó Conchubhair Donn The O'Conor dynasty (Middle Irish: ''Ó Conchobhair''; Modern ) are an Irish noble dynasty and formerly one of the most influential and distinguished royal dynasties in Ireland. The O'Conor family held the throne of the Kingdom of Connacht up ...

, Ó Conchubhair Ruadh, Mac Diarmata, and Ó Flannagain were descendants of this

, the

s are of Laiginian, or mythically of Tuatha Dé Dannan stock, although their Milesian pedigrees claim differently. The Laiginians arrived in Connacht in the 3rd century AD from Leinster, conquering the ruling Fir Bolg and Fomorians, and ruling until conquered by the Gael under the Connachta in the 5th century. An

ollamh An or ollamh (; anglicised as ollave or ollav), plural ollomain, in early Irish literature, was a master in a particular trade or skill. Bard Generally, ''ollam'' referred to a professional poet or bard of literature and history, and a membe ...

was the highest rank in the learned orders of law, poetry, or history. These educated professionals, today grouped together in the popular consciousness as "

bard In Celtic cultures, a bard is an oral repository and professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's a ...

s", maintained an

oral tradition Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication in which knowledge, art, ideas and culture are received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another.Jan Vansina, Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (19 ...

that pre-dated

Christianization Christianization (or Christianisation) is a term for the specific type of change that occurs when someone or something has been or is being converted to Christianity. Christianization has, for the most part, spread through missions by individu ...

of Ireland. The post had likely existed for at least as long as the Síl Muireadaigh dynasty themselves, but earlier

s are unknown. The first of the family so listed was

Dúinnín Ó Maolconaire Dúinnín Ó Maolconaire was a member of the Ó Maolconaire family of Connacht, who served as historians and poets to the Síl Muireadaigh, and their rulers, the Ó Conchubhair Kings of Connacht. He is the first of the family listed as the Ollamh ...

List of Ollamhs

, died 1213 *

Máeleoin Bódur Ó Maolconaire Máeleoin Bódur Ó Maolconaire was a member of the Ó Maolconaire family of Connacht, who served as historians and poets to the Síol Muireadaigh, and their rulers, the Ó Conchubhair Kings of Connacht. He is the second of the family listed as t ...

, died

1266 Year 1266 ( MCCLXVI) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * January 2 – Siege of Murcia: King James I of Aragon ("the Conqueror") marches with his army from Orihuela and lays sieg ...

Dubsúilech Ó Maolconaire Dubsúilech Ó Maolconaire was a member of the Ó Maolconaire family of Connacht, who served as historians and poets to the Síol Muireadaigh and their rulers, the Ó Conchubhair Kings of Connacht. He appears to have been chief ''ollamh'' of Conn ...

Tanaide Mor mac Dúinnín Ó Maolconaire Tanaide Mor mac Dúinnín Ó Maolconaire was a member of the Ó Maolconaire family of Connacht, who served as historians and poets to the Síol Muireadaigh, and their rulers, the Ó Conchubhair Kings of Connacht. He became Ollamh in 1270, succeed ...

1270 Year 1270 ( MCCLXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar, the 1270th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 270th year of the 2nd millennium, the 70th year of the 13th century, and the 1st ...

–

1310 Year 1310 ( MCCCX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events January – March * January 19 – General Malik Kafur of the Delhi Sultanate begins the siege of Warangal, capital of the Kakatiya kingdom in ...

Mael Sechlainn Ó Domhnalláin Mael Sechlainn Ó Domhnalláin (died 1375) was an irish people, Irish poet. Ó Domhnalláin was a member of the Donnellan, Ó Domhnalláin bardic family of Ui Maine (now south-west It is unknown if any examples of his work survive. Referenc ...

, ''Ollav of Sil-Murray in particular in poetry, and the most learned man in all Ireland in the same art, died of Fiolun'' in

1375 Year 1375 ( MCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * April 14 – The Mamluks from Egypt complete their conquest of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. Levon V Lusignan of Ar ...

. *

Tanaide Ó Maolconaire Tanaide Ó Maolconaire was the Ollamh Síol Muireadaigh for an unknown number of years prior to his death in 1385. Tanaide Mor mac Dúinnín Ó Maolconaire, who died in 1310, was the only such ''Ollamh'' recorded in the annals for the 14th centur ...

, died

1385 Year 1385 ( MCCCLXXXV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * July 17 – Charles VI of France marries Isabeau of Bavaria; the wedding is celebrated with France's first court ball ...

Donnchad Baccach Ó Maolconaire Donnchad Baccach Ó Maolconaire, Ollamh Síl Muireadaigh from 1385 to 1404. Very little is known about Donnchad Baccach. The ''Annals of Connacht'' merely relate that he was ''Ollam of the Síol Muireadaigh in history.'' Given that all known past ...

, died

1404 Year 1404 ( MCDIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March *January 14 – The fourth Parliament of King Henry IV of England opens for a session of two months. *February 10 – Thoma ...

Flann Óc mac Séoan Ó Domhnalláin Flann Óc mac Séoan Ó Domhnalláin was ''Ollamh Síol Muireadaigh'' for an unknown time in 1404. The annals record an unusual number of bardic deaths in 1404. Donnchad Baccach Ó Maolconaire died, leaving the office of vacant. His death was f ...

, died 1404 * Dauid mac Tanaide Ó Maolconaire, died

1419 Year 1419 ( MCDXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 19 – Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England, which brings Normandy under the control of England ...

Cormac Ó Domhnalláin Cormac Ó Domhnalláin, Ollamh Síol Muireadaigh, died 1436. The Annals of Connacht state: ''1436:Cormac O Domnallain, ollav of the Sil Murray in Poetry, died.'' Sources *''The Encyclopaedia of Ireland'' 2003; . * ''Mac Dermot of Moylurg: The ...

, died

1436 Year 1436 ( MCDXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 11 – Eric of Pomerania is deposed from the Swedish throne for the second time, only three months after having been ...

Mailin mac Tanaide Ó Maolconaire Mailin mac Tanaide Ó Maolconaire, Ollamh Síol Muireadaigh, c. 1360–1441. The Annals of Connacht, ''sub anno'' 1441, say of him: Mailin son of Tanaide O Mailchonaire, ollav of the Sil Murray, principal author of the learning of Ireland and S ...

, died

1441 Events January–March * January 20 – The siege of Tartas in France is temporarily halted when Charles II of Albret, against whom residents of Gascony are campaigning, and the commander of the English forces, Sir Thomas Rempston, ...

. *

Sadhbh Ó Mailchonaire In Irish mythology, Sadhbh or Sive ( ) was the mother of Oisín by Fionn mac Cumhail. She is either a daughter of Bodb Derg, king of the Síd of Munster, or may derive in part from Sadb ingen Chuinn, daughter of Conn of the Hundred Battles. ...

, died

1447 Year 1447 (Roman numerals, MCDXLVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 4 – Barnaba Adorno becomes the new Doge of Genoa, Doge of the Republic of Genoa when his cousin :i ...

. *

Torna Ó Maolconaire Torna Ó Maolconaire was Ollamh Síol Muireadaigh from 1447- 1468. The Annals of Connacht, ''sub anno'' 1468, say of him: ''Torna O Mailchonaire, ollav of Sil Murray in History and Poetry, died after a victory of repentance in his own house ...

, died

1468 Year 1468 ( MCDLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * June 30 – Catherine Cornaro is married by proxy to James II of Cyprus, beginning the Venetian conquest of Cyprus. * ...

Urard Ó Maolconaire Urard Ó Maolconaire, Ollamh Síol Muireadaigh, died 1482. The Annals of Connacht The ''Annals of Connacht'' (), covering the years 1224 to 1544, are drawn from a manuscript compiled in the 15th and 16th centuries by at least three scribes, al ...

, died

1482 Year 1482 ( MCDLXXXII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 19 – A Portuguese fleet, commanded by Diogo de Azambuja, arrives at the mouth of the River Benya on the Go ...

Sigraid Ó Maolconaire Sigraid Ó Maolconaire was the Ollamh Síol Muireadaigh, died 1487. The Annals of Connacht, ''sub anno'' 1487, state: * ''O Mailchonaire, that is Sigraid son of Sean Ruad, died.'' The later compilation known as the Annals of the Four Masters pr ...

, died

1487 Year 1487 ( MCDLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 29 – Richard Foxe becomes Bishop of Exeter. * March – Sigismund, Archduke of Austria, largely on the ...

*Mailin mac Torna Ó Maolconaire, died

1519 __NOTOC__ Year 1519 ( MDXIX) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar, the 1519th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 519th year of the 2nd millennium, the 19th year of the 16th century, ...

*Torna mac Torna Ó Maolconaire, died

1532 Year 1532 ( MDXXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 22 – São Vicente is established as the first permanent Portuguese settlement in Brazil. Rachel Lawrence: 2010, ...

*Conchobar mac Domnall Ruad Ó Maolconaire 1532 - 15?? *Muirges mac Paidin Ó Maolconaire?, d.

1543 Year 1543 ( MDXLIII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. It is one of the years sometimes referred to as an " Annus mirabilis" because of its significant publications in science, considered the start of the Scientific ...

*Lochlainn mac Paidin Ó Maolconaire, died

1551 Year 1551 ( MDLI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 4 – Luca Spinola is elected to a two-year term as the new Doge of the Republic of Genoa, succeeding Gaspare Gri ...

Sources

*''The Encyclopaedia of Ireland'' 2003; . * ''Mac Dermot of Moylurg: The Story of a Connacht Family'' Dermot Mac Dermot, 1996. *''A New History of Ireland VIII: A Chronology of Irish History to 1976 - A Companion to Irish History Part I'' edited by T.W. Moody, F.X. Martin and F.J. Byrne, 1982. *''The Celebrated Antiquary'' Nollaig O Muralie, Maynooth, 1996. *''Irish Leaders and Learning Through the Ages'' Fr. Paul Walsh, 2004. (ed. Nollaig O Muralie).

External links

List of Published Texts at CELT
—

University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) () is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork (city), Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one of three Queen's Universit ...

's ''Corpus of Electronic Texts'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Ollamh Siol Muireadaigh Irish chroniclers Medieval Irish poets Medieval Irish historians Irish male poets

List of Ollamhs

See also

Sources

External links