Iar Connacht

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West Connacht
Iar Connacht
1051–1589
Government
Tanistry
 
• 1051
Amhalgaidh mac Cathal
• 1560–1589
Murchadh na dTuadh Ó Flaithbheartaigh
History 
• Established
1051
• Disestablished
1589
ISO 3166 codeIE
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Maigh Seóla
Delbhna Tír Dhá Locha
Conmhaícne Mara
Connacht
Clanricarde
Kingdom of Ireland
Today part ofIreland

West Connacht (

Ó Conchobhair, Kings of Connacht, pushed the Ó Flaithbheartaigh to the West of Lough Corrib, from their original territory of Maigh Seóla. Iar Connacht remained a subordinate túath
of Connacht, until the 13th century, after which it was more independent.

Burkes, a Norman family, it was captured in 1232. Around this time much of Connacht, in general, fell to the Burkes. Galway's Norman oligarchy later achieved a quasi-independent status to carry out its trade, but there always lingered the threat of it being reconquered by the Gaelic Ó Flaithbheartaigh, particularly during the 14th and 15th centuries. The Normans
placed a sign on the gate of the city saying, "From the Ferocious O'Flahertys, O Lord deliver us".

History

Coastal túath of Connacht

Iar Connacht (West Connacht) came into being during the 1050s, under the kingship of

Ó Conchobhair got the better of the conflict and the subsequent descendants of Amhalgaidh mac Cathal gradually began relocating west of Lough Corrib into Iar Connacht (what is today more commonly known as Connemara
).

Prior to the aforementioned events, the lands to the West of Lough Corrib were under the

Ruaidrí na Saide Buide. Ruaidrí himself was the foster-son of Flaithbertaigh Ua Flaithbertaigh
and in a political coup, Flaithbertaigh became king of Connacht for 1092–1095, having blinded Ruaidrí. Flaithbertaigh was himself overthrown and later killed by members of Ruaidrí's Ó Conchobhair family.

With the rise of political forces in

Cormac Mac Carthaigh. His successor, Ruaidhri Ua Flaithbheartaigh, too, was killed in 1145 after an invasion from Munster. Towards the end of the 12th century, a quarrel in Iar Connacht between two brothers of the Ó Flaithbheartaigh emerged; Conchubhar Ua Flaithbheartaigh (loyal to the Ó Conchobhair) was killed by his brother Ruadhri Ua Flaithbertaigh (who was allied to the Ó Briain). Cathal Crobhdearg arrested this Ruadhrí in 1197
.

Relationships with the Normans

The aftermath of the above-mentioned brotherly dispute would have

unforeseen consequences for the Gaels of Connacht. The Normans up until this point did not have much success in Connacht, but in his dispute with his brother, Cathal Carragh Ua Conchobair, the king of Connacht Cathal Crobhdearg Ua Conchobair sought the assistance of Mac Cárthaigh from Desmond and also William de Burgh, a Norman in Ireland originally from Burgh Castle, Norfolk. This was initially a success as Cathal Carragh was killed on the Curlew Mountains in battle during 1202. However, while staying at Cong, the ambitious Norman wanted a heavy payment for his services and frustrated, entered into a pact of conspiracy with the sons of Ruadhri Ua Flaithbertaigh
to kill Cathal Crobhdearg. This plot was thwarted, however, but it marked the origins of the Burke vs. Connacht conflict in the coming years.

In 1315, the

Legacy

Although technically brought under the aegis of the British Empire's Kingdom of Ireland toward the end of the 16th century, the indigenous Gaelic culture and language of Iar Connacht would continue on for a long time after. As late as 1759, Edward Willes, the Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer, was quoted as saying of the area that it was still, "inhabited by the ancient Irish, who never yet have been made amenable to the laws. No sheriff dares go there to execute any process."[2]

Since the middle of the 19th century, most of Iar Chonnachta has been generally called Connemara largely due to the emerging tourist industry of that time. To this day, Connemara is geographically the biggest Gaeltacht in Ireland, where the Irish language continues to be used as a community language.

Diocese of Annaghdown

The ruins of Annaghdown Abbey, the religious center of Iar Connacht.

The religion which predominated at an official level in Iar Connacht was

Diocese of Annaghdown under the Bishop of Annaghdown, which had been formed in 1179. It was not mentioned at the Synod of Ráth Breasail of almost seventy years earlier, where the short-lived and firmly Ó Conchobhair influenced Diocese of Cong, based on the Augustinian Cong Abbey was mentioned instead (famously associated with the Cross of Cong
).

List of kings

Kings of Maigh Seóla (later Uí Briúin Seóla)

Kings of Iar Connacht

Taoiseach of Iar Connacht

  • Brian Ó Flaithbheartaigh, died 1377.
  • Áedh Ó Flaithbheartaigh, c. 1377–1407; built the church at Annaghdown
  • Domnell mac Áedh Ó Flaithbheartaigh1410. Donnell, the son of Hugh O'Flaherty, Lord of West Connaught, was slain by the sons of Brian O'Flaherty, at a meeting of his own people.
  • 1417. Rory, the son of Murrough O'Flaherty; Rory, the son of Dermot Duv O'Flaherty, and sixteen others of the O'Flahertys, were drowned in the bay of Umallia.
  • Murchad mac Brian Ó Flaithbheartaigh1419. Murchad son of Brian O Flaithbertaig, king of West Connacht, died this year.
  • 1422. Donnell Finn O'Flaherty was slain by the sons of Donnell O'Flaherty.
  • 1439. Owen O'Flaherty was treacherously slain in his own bed at night, by a farmer of his own people.
  • Gilla Dubh Ó Flaithbheartaigh1442. O'Flaherty, i.e. Gilladuv, the son of Brian, Lord of West Connaught died.
  • 1503. Teige Boirneach, Murrough and Mahon, two sons of Mahon O'Brien; Conor, the son of Brian, son of Murtough, son of Brian Roe; the son of O'Loughlin, i.e. Conor. the son of Rory, son of Ana; and Murtough, the son of Turlough, son of Murrough, son of Teige; went with Owen, the son of O'Flaherty, into West Connaught, with numerous forces, the same Owen having drawn them thither against his kinsmen (Rory Oge and Donnell of the Boat, two sons of O'Flaherty), who were encamped at Cael-shaile-ruadh, awaiting them. The O'Briens and Owen attacked the camp, and carried away preys and spoils. The sons of O'Flaherty and the people of the country followed in pursuit of them so that a battle was fought between them, in which the sons of Mahon O'Brien and Owen O'Flaherty were slain by the O'Flahertys.
  • Áodh Ó Flaithbheartaigh, fl. 1538
  • M1542.15. The crew of a longship came from West Connaught to Tirconnell, to plunder and prey. The place which they put in at was Reachrainn-Muintire-Birn, in Tir-Boghaine. When Turlough, the son of Mac Sweeny of Tir-Boghaine, received intelligence of this, he made an attack upon them, so that none of them escaped to tell the tale of what had happened, except their chief and captain, namely, the son of O'Flaherty, to whom Mac Sweeny granted pardon and protection; and he sent him home safe, outside his protection, to Conmaicne-mara.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Joyce Family Timeline". Tribe Joyce Network. 28 November 2015.
  2. ^ Connolly 1992, p. 212.

Bibliography

External links