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The Corcu Loígde (Corcu Lóegde, Corco Luigde, Corca Laoighdhe, Laidhe), meaning Gens of the Calf Goddess,[1][2] were a kingdom centered in West County Cork who descended from the proto-historical rulers of Munster, the Dáirine. In the 12th century they had their kingdom erected into the Diocese of Ross, and their O'Driscoll lords played a significant maritime role in the region.[3] O'Leary, Coffey, Hennessy and Flynn were other families of importance,[4][5] as well as Dinneen, O'Hea, and probably Cronin and Dunlea. From Aimend, daughter of Óengus Bolg, the Corcu Loígde are related to the inner circle of the Eóganachta through a legendary marriage, as she became the wife of Conall Corc.[6][7][8] They enjoyed a privileged status in the history of the new dynasty.
A legendary High King of Ireland from the Corcu Loígde was Lugaid mac Con.
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Relations
Under the rule of the Dáirine, the Kingdom of Osraige belonged to Munster, and their relations with the Corcu Loígde continued after the rise of the Eóganachta in the 7th century.
Evidence also exists for long-term exchange between the Corcu Loígde and Uí Fidgenti. This appears to be another relic of the pre-Eóganachta political configuration of Munster, and supports the theory of Uí Fidgenti origins among the Dáirine as cousins of the Corcu Loígde. Likewise, the closely related Uí Liatháin of early British fame are considered a sept of the Dáirine. Like Ossory, the two were apparently strong regional kingdoms under the Corcu Loígde overlordship but assumed a Eóganachta orbit following changes in the political landscape. There is no reason to assume the existence of only one Dáirine dynastic line surviving into the historical period in southern Ireland.
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Loss of Munster
This was probably the result of an Uí Néill-Eóganachta alliance, as vaguely recalled in the Cath Maige Mucrama.[9]
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Final days
By the early 17th century the two most prosperous families remaining were the O'Driscoll princes, still nominally sovereign and with several castles in and around Baltimore, including Dunasead Castle, and the O'Learys, who had built five castles south of Macroom.
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Legend and history
A peculiar fact about the Corcu Loígde is their almost total lack of political activity following the mid Early Middle Ages. Having formerly held sway over a vast territory, they appear to have almost completely disintegrated over the course of the 7th century, never making any serious attempts to recover what was at that time the largest kingdom in Ireland. Thus over the next centuries their former grandeur became more and more the stuff of legend, around which the younger kingdoms built their own origin legends. The central tale in this cycle is the Cath Maige Mucrama.
See also
- Irish nobility
Dáire mac Dedad
Notes
References
- Edel Bhreathnach (ed.), The Kingship and Landscape of Tara. Four Courts Press for The Discovery Programme. 2005.
- Francis John Byrne, Irish Kings and High-Kings. Four Courts Press. 2nd revised edition, 2001.
- Thomas Charles-Edwards, Early Christian Ireland. Cambridge. 2000.
- Myles Dillon, The Cycles of the Kings. Oxford. 1946. Four Courts Press edition, 1995.
- Vernan Hull, "Conall Corc and the Corco Luigde", in Proceedings of the Modern Languages Association of America 62 (1947): 887-909.
- Geoffrey Keating, with David Comyn and Patrick S. Dinneen (trans.), The History of Ireland by Geoffrey Keating. 4 Vols. London: David Nutt for the Irish Texts Society. 1902-14.
- Edward MacLysaght, Irish Families: Their Names, Arms and Origins. Irish Academic Press. 4th edition, 1998.
- Eoin MacNeill, "Early Irish Population Groups: their nomenclature, classification and chronology", in Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (C) 29. 1911. pp. 59–114
- Gearóid Mac Niocaill, Ireland before the Vikings. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan. 1972.
- Kuno Meyer (ed.), "Conall Corc and the Corco Luigde. From Laud 610, fol. 98 a", in O. J. Bergin et al. (ed), Anecdota from Irish manuscripts iii (Halle a.S & Dublin 1910): 57-63.
- Kuno Meyer (ed.), "The Laud Genealogies and Tribal Histories", in Zeitschrift für Celtische Philologie 8. Halle/Saale, Max Niemeyer. 1912. pp. 291-338.
- Donnchadh Ó Corráin, "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.
- Donnchadh Ó Corráin (ed.), Genealogies from Rawlinson B 502. University College, Cork: Corpus of Electronic Texts. 1997.
- Donnchadh Ó Corráin, Ireland before the Normans. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan. 1972. 2nd edition (Four Courts Press), 2009.
- Donnchadh Ó Corráin, "Prehistoric and Early Christian Ireland", in Foster, Roy (ed.), The Oxford Illustrated History of Ireland. Oxford University Press. 2001. pp. 1-52.
- John O'Donovan (ed. and tr.), Annala Rioghachta Eireann. 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.
- John O'Donovan (ed. and tr.), "The Genealogy of Corca Laidhe", in "Miscellany of the Celtic Society". Dublin. 1849. alternative scan
- John O'Hart, Irish Pedigrees. Dublin. 5th edition, 1892.
- T. F. O'Rahilly, Early Irish History and Mythology. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. 1946.
- Pokorny, Julius. "Beiträge zur ältesten Geschichte Irlands (3. Érainn, Dári(n)ne und die Iverni und Darini des Ptolomäus)", in Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie 12 (1918): 323-57.
Sites of interest
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