Iveagh
Iveagh Uíbh Eachach (Irish) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4th century–1543 | |||||||||
Túatha of Ulster (until 1177) | |||||||||
Common languages | Irish | ||||||||
Government | Elective monarchy | ||||||||
King / Chief | |||||||||
• died 552 | Fothad mac Conaille (first) | ||||||||
• 1543 | Art MacArtáin (last) | ||||||||
History | |||||||||
• Established | 4th century | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 1543 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Today part of | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
Iveagh (/ˈaɪveɪ/ EYE-vay; from Irish Uíbh Eachach, meaning "descendants of Echu"[1]) is the name of several historical territorial divisions in what is now County Down, Northern Ireland. Originally it was a Gaelic Irish territory, ruled by the Uí Echach Cobo and part of the overkingdom of Ulaid. From the 12th century the Magennises (Mac Aonghusa) were chiefs of Iveagh. They were based at Rathfriland and were inaugurated at Knock Iveagh. Following the Nine Years' War, the rulers of Iveagh submitted to the English Crown and the territory was divided between them. Iveagh became a barony, which was later split into Iveagh Lower and Iveagh Upper. The territory of Iveagh was also the basis of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dromore.
Uí Echach Cobo
Iveagh derives its name from the
The name Magh Cobha, meaning "plain of Cobo", appears to have been an older name for Iveagh. The name survived as Moycove, the earliest recorded name in the civil parish of Drumballyroney, where it was the name of an Anglo-Norman castle between 1188–1261.[4] The highest point in the parish is the hills of Knock Iveagh (Cnoc Uí Echach),[4] which may have been the centre of Uí Echach power.
Another form of the name appears to have been Cuib,[3] with the title of "king" of Cuib/Cobo making its first appearance in the Annals of Tigernach under the year 685AD,[5] and in the Annals of Ulster under 735AD.[6] The last mention is in the Annals of Ulster under the year 882AD,[7] after which the term is replaced with chief/lord of Uí Echach.
Uí Echach Cobo is mentioned in the Irish annals from AD551 to AD1136, with the last entry stating that "Echri Ua-h-Aitteidh, Lord of Ui-Eathach, was killed by the Ui-Eathach themselves".[8]
Echach Cobo
The ancestor of the Uí Echach Cobo,
The Annals of Ulster give:
- 553AD, Eochu, ancestor of the "Ui Echach Ulad", is listed as the son of the king of Ulaid, Conlaed.[9]
Rawlinson's Genealogies gives:
- The Genelach Dál Araide section: Echdach, son of Condlae, son of Cóelbad, son of Cruind Ba Druí.[10]
- The Genelach Úa n-Echach and Genelach Úa n-Echach Coba sections give: the Uíbh Eachach Cobha are listed as following from Eocho/Echach Coba, son of Cruind Ba Druí.[10]
- The Genelach Mheg Aenghusu Indso section, which refers to the Mac Aenghusa sept of the Uíbh Eachach Cobo: Echach, son of Condlai, son of Cóelbad Coba, son of Cruind ba Drái, son of Echach Coba (of the Uibh Echach), son of Lugdhach.[11]
The Laud Genealogies and Tribal Histories gives:
- The Síl Fergusa section: Echach, son of Condlai, son of Cóelbad Coba, son of Cruind ba Drái, son of Echach Coba, son of Lugdhach.[12]
- De genelach hÚa nEchach Coba section: Echach, son of Cruind ba drui, is given as the progenitor of the "hÍ Echach", however also mentions an Echach Coba, son of Aililla, son of Fedlimthe.[12]
Kings of Cuib
- Fothad mac Conaille (died 552)
- ...
- Áedán m. Mongáin (died 616)
- Fergus mac Áedáin (d.692) – King of Ulster from 674
- Bressal mac Fergusa (died 685)
- Eochaid mac Bressail (died 733)
- Conchad mac Cúanach (died 735)
- Fergus Glut (died 739)
- Ailill mac Feidlimid (died 761)
- Gormgal mac Conaille (died 776)
- Eochu mac Aililla (died 801)
- Máel Bressail mac Ailillo (died 825) – King of Ulster from 819
- Cernach mac Máele Bressail (died 853)
- Conallán mac Máele Dúin (died 882)
- Aitith mac Laigni (died 898) – King of Ulster from 896
Chiefs and lords of Iveagh
At one point the territory of Iveagh was ruled by the Ua hAitidhe, a name which may have been anglicised as O'Haughey or Haughey.[8][13] The Ua hAitidhe are claimed to have ruled Iveagh for two centuries. The first to be mentioned in the annals is Aodh Ua hAitidhe, king of Uí Echach Cobo, who was killed by his own people in AD965.[8] The last mention is under AD1136 where Echri Ua hAitidhe, lord of Uí Echach Cobo was killed, likewise by his own people.[8] From then on the name and its variant spellings disappear from the records.[8]
One of the septs under the Ui hAitidhe was the Mac Aonghusa (Magennis/MacGuiness), who ruled Clann Aodha (Clan Hugh), and were descended from Sárán, a descendant of Echach Cobo.
During the 14th century the Mac Artáin (MacCartan) chiefs of the name of Kinelarty became chiefs of Iveagh, though in the annals a Muirchertach MacArtain is recorded as tánaiste (heir-elect) of Iveagh in the 11th century.[8] The MacCartan descended from Artáin, a great-grandson of Mongán Mac Aonghusa.[14]
By the 15th century with the collapse of the
In 1575 Hugh Magennis of Rathfriland petitioned successfully for a grant of his estates from
During the Nine Years' War (1594-1603), the clan chief Art Roe remained neutral, while many of his clan sided with Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, one of whose wives was Catherine Magennis. O'Neill inaugurated a new chief in 1595 and the clan divided. Despite this, Charles Blount, the Lord Deputy of Ireland, ravaged Iveagh to the point that its chief Art Roe Magennis submitted to prevent the extermination of his people.[15]
The division of Iveagh
Following the Nine Years' War and just before the process of colonising Ulster with loyal Protestant subjects, the arrangement of dividing mighty Gaelic lordships into smaller, weaker lordships, such as what happened in
Barony of Iveagh
The
Other uses
The name Iveagh has been used as titles in the Peerage of Ireland and Peerage of the United Kingdom, specifically in regards to the Magennis and Guinness family:
- Viscount Magennis of Iveagh (1623–93)
- Baron Iveagh (created 1885)
- Viscount Iveagh (created 1905)
- Earl of Iveagh (created 1919)
In 1929 the
Ecclesiastical counterpart
The medieval tuath was historically the territorial equivalent of the Diocese of Dromore.
See also
- Baronies of Ireland
References
- ^ a b c d e f Placenames NI Archived 16 June 2020 at the Wayback Machine - Iveagh
- ^ a b Ireland's History In Maps - Ulster, Uí Eathach Cobha
- ^ a b c University College Cork - Early Irish Population-Groups: Their Nomenclature, Classification, and Chronology. Section 3, Sept-Names
- ^ a b c Placenames NI Archived 16 June 2020 at the Wayback Machine - Drumballyroney
- ^ a b University College Cork - Annals of Tigernach, 685AD
- ^ a b University College Cork - Annals of Ulster, 735AD
- ^ a b University College Cork - Annals of Ulster, 882AD
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Library Ireland - The barony of Iveagh
- ^ a b University College Cork - Annals of Ulster, 553AD
- ^ a b c University College Cork - Genealogies from Rawlinson B 502, Section 26
- ^ a b Rootsweb - Irish/ Scots clans, Dalriada, R1b etc
- ^ a b c University College Cork - The Laud Genealogies and Tribal Histories
- ^ ISBN 0-85640-602-3.
- ^ ISBN 0-85640-602-3.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7171-4738-0.
- ^ Burke's Peerage
- ^ Brady & Ohlmeyer eds, British Interventions in Early Modern Ireland; Cambridge University Press 2005, pp59-60.
- ^ a b "Database of Irish Historical Statistics - Literacy Notes" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
- ^ a b Public Records Office of Northern Ireland - Baronies