The Uí Fiachrach () were a royal dynasty who originated in, and whose descendants later ruled, the ''coicead'' or ''fifth'' of

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 ...

(a western

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

of Ireland) at different times from the mid-first millennium onwards. They claimed descent from

Fiachrae Fiachrae was an Irish prince, the son of the high king Eochaid Mugmedón (d.362) by his wife Mongfind, sister of Crimthann mac Fidaig (d.367).Francis J.Byrne, ''Irish Kings and High-Kings'', Table 1 He was ancestor of the Uí Fiachrach dynasti ...

, an older half-brother of

Niall Noigiallach Niall Noígíallach (; Old Irish "having nine hostages"), or Niall of the Nine Hostages, was a legendary, semi-historical Irish king who was the ancestor of the Uí Néill dynasties that dominated Ireland from the 6th to the 10th centuries. H ...

Niall of the Nine Hostages Niall Noígíallach (; Old Irish "having nine hostages"), or Niall of the Nine Hostages, was a legendary, semi-historical Irish king who was the ancestor of the Uí Néill dynasties that dominated Ireland from the 6th to the 10th centuries. ...

. Fiachrae and his two full brothers, Brion and Ailill, were the collective ancestors of the

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 ...

dynasty that eventually became the new name of the province. Their mother was

Mongfind Mongfind (, literally "fair/white hair") is a figure from Irish legend. She is said to have been the wife, of apparent Munster origins, of the legendary High King Eochaid Mugmedón and mother of his eldest three sons, Brión, Ailill and Fiachr ...

History

The other two dynasties within the Connachta were 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 th ...

– descendants of Brion – and the Uí nAilello – descendants of Ailill. The latter sank into obscurity at an early stage but both the Uí Fiachrach and Ui Briuin and their many sub-septs featured prominently in the history of Connacht for one thousand years. In the 12th century, an Ui Briuin descendant, Toirdhealbhach Mór Ua Conchobhair became

High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and was later sometimes assigned anachronously or to leg ...

. Toirdhealbhach's son Ruaidri mac Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair, would succeed him to become last the Gaelic High King of Ireland. The Uí Fiachrach separated into two distinct branches, situated widely apart from each other. The Ui Fiachrach Aidhne settled in the kingdom of Aidhne and established themselves as its new ruling dynasty. The Uí Fiachrach Muaidhe were based along the

River Moy The River Moy () is a river in the west of Ireland. Name Ptolemy's ''Geography'' (2nd century AD) described a river called Λιβνιου (''Libniu'', perhaps from *''lei''- "flow"), which probably referred to the River Moy. The Moy is first ...

in what is now part of

County Mayo County Mayo (; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, County Mayo, Mayo, now ge ...

and

County Sligo County Sligo ( , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region and is part of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in ...

. It appears that they once constituted a single overkingdom, and ruled or took tribute from the older tribes and nations situated between Aidhne and Muaide, but lost their grip on power by the early 8th century leaving them confined to their own strict territory. Uí Fiachrach Aidhne was bounded on the north and east by the powerful independent kingdom of Hy-Many or Ui Maine; to the west by Lough Lurgan ( Galway Bay) and the Corco Mo Druad (Corcomroe); and to the south by Déisi Tuisceart (later the

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 ...

, later still the O'Brian's of Thomond). The territorial gains made by the Uí Fiachrach were lost and the kingdom seems to have reverted to something of its original size for its subsequent history. For eight hundred years up to the mid-12th century its kings were from the enel Guirethe Clan O'Cleary. Their kinsmen Clan O'Shaughnessy and Clan O'Hynes remained rulers of the territory until the land confiscations of the late 1690s and early 18th century. Uí Fiachrach Muaidhe covered all of what is now county Sligo and much of north and central

. In

982 Year 982 ( CMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Emperor Otto II (the Red) assembles an imperial expeditionary force at Taranto, and proceeds along the gulf coas ...

Aedh ua Dubhda (Aedh grandson of Dubhda), King of Uí Fiachrach Muaidhe, died ''"an untroubled death"''. He was the first of his dynasty to use the surname O Dubhda (anglicised to O'Dowd, Dowd). Brian, Melaghlin Carragh, Connor Oge, and Murtogh mac Connor O Dubhda fought at the

Second Battle of Athenry The Second Battle of Athenry ( ) took place at Athenry () in Ireland on 10 August 1316 during the Bruce campaign in Ireland. Overview The collective number of both armies are unknown, and can only be estimated. Martyn believes the royal arm ...

in 1316, only Brian surviving. However, by the 14th century their power was much reduced, as was their territory which now almost entirely consisted of the

barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

of Tireragh. For this reason they were no longer referred to as Kings, but as

Taoiseach The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...

(Chieftain) of Uí Fiachrach Muaidhe. Here the family became sponsors of the Clan Mac Fhir Bhisigh, a family of hereditary historians and judges. Because of this, the O Dubhda is singular in having his inauguration ceremony preserved in an old book, the

Great Book of Lecan The ''Great Book of Lecan'' or simply ''Book of Lecan'' () ( RIA, 23 P 2) is a late-medieval Irish manuscript written between 1397 and 1418 in Castle Forbes, Lecan (Lackan, Leckan; Irish ), in the territory of Tír Fhíacrach, near moder ...

. Written between 1397 and 1418 at Enniscrone in Tireagh, it was commissioned by Tadhg Riabhach O Dubhda. A later Tadhg O Dubhda, Tadhg Buí, became Taoiseach in 1595. In 1601 he led the men of Uí Fiachrach south to Kinsale, never to return. A tradition states that ''"he survived the battle and settled in Co. Kerry, where his family later became known as Doody"''. The last true O Dubhda of Uí Fiachrach was Dathi Og, patron and lord of Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh. Bearers of the name are still found scattered through Sligo, Mayo and Galway.

Genealogy of the early Uí Fiachrach

Bold print indicates Kings of Connacht Eochaid Mugmedon =Mongfind + Cairenn , , _________, _________ , , , , , , , , , Brion Fiachrae Ailill Niall, died c.450. , (Ui Néill) _________, ________________________ , , , , , , Amalgaid Nath Í Macc Ercae , ___________________, _____________________ , , , , , , Fiachnae Ailill Molt, d.482. Echu , , , , (Uí Fiachrach Muaidhe) (Uí Fiachrach Aidhne)

Uí Fiachrach Muaidhe

Fiachnae , , Elgach , , Maeldubh , , Tipraite , , Dunchad Muirisci , , _______________________________________________ , , , , , , Indrechtach, d.707. mac Dunchad Ailill , , , , , , Ailill Medraige, d.764. Tipraite, d.719 Cathal , , , , Cathal, d.816. Donn Cothaid mac Cathail, d.787.

Uí Fiachrach Aidhne

Echu , , Eogan , , Conall , , ____________ , , , , Gabran Goibnenn, fl. 538. , , Cobthach , , Colman, d. 622. , , _____________________________________ , , , , Laidgnen/Loingsech, d. 655. Guaire Aidne, d. 663. , ____________________________________, , , , , Muirchertach Nar, d.668. Artgal , , Fergal Aidne, d. 696.

Sources

* Byrne, Francis John (1973). ''Irish Kings and High Kings''. Dublin. * MacFhirbhisigh, Dubhaltach; O Muraile, Nollaig, editor (2004). ''Leabhar Genealach. The Great Book of Irish Genealogies''. Dublin: DeBurca. (Alternate names by which it may be referenced include ''Leabhar Mor nGenealach'', and ''Leabhar Mor na nGenealach'') * http://www.fatherdowd.net/dowdstuff/dowdclan.htm * https://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060117/sc_nm/science_ireland_dc {{DEFAULTSORT:Ui Fiachrach * Gaelic-Irish nations and dynasties Connachta Gaels