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Eóganachta

 
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The Rock of Cashel pictured in the Summer of 1986.

The Eóganachta (or Eoghanachta), by tradition founded by Conall Corc but named after his ancestor Eógan, King of Munster, the firstborn son of the semi-mythological third-century king Oilill Ollum, was an Irish dynasty centred around Cashel which dominated southern Ireland from the 5th to the 16th century. See also Emly.

In some later traditions of Thomond, Eógan had a younger brother, Cas, who is said to have originated the rival Dál gCais dynasty of Ireland, although this has been disproven. The smaller Dál gCais kingdom proved to have surprising military might, and displaced the increasingly beset Eóganachta, who were suffering also from attacks by the Vikings and the Uí Néill, on the Munster throne during the course of the 10th century. From this the Eóganachta and their allies would never fully recover, but they did continue, largely in the form of the MacCarthys and O'Sullivans, to assert their authority and rule large parts of Desmond for the next six centuries. They would badly rout the FitzGeralds at the Battle of Callann, halting the advance of the Normans into Desmond, and win back many territories briefly held by them.

It should be noted that, as powerful as the Eóganachta were in Munster, they never provided Ireland with a High King. The closest they came was Crimthann mac Fidaig, who, if historical, belongs to a more distantly related and possibly earlier people associated with other Munster kingdoms (see below). The even earlier Lugaid mac Con, also of Munster origins, belongs to the Érainn.

Despite this, the rule of the Eóganachta in Munster is widely regarded as gentle and more sophisticated in comparison with the other provincial dynasties of Ireland. Not only was Munster the wealthiest of the provinces, but the Eóganachta were willing to allow other tribes and kingdoms whom they had politically marginalized, such as the Corcu Loígde, considerable autonomy and freedom from tribute. It was also characteristic of this peaceful dynasty to not constantly harass its neighbours in Munster and the rest of Ireland militarily, which unfortunately has given some Tara-focused writers the impression it was often weak (e.g. Richter 1996, after Byrne and others), when this was not the case. Until the 10th century Munster was essentially a separate country and was little involved politically with the rest of Ireland. See Byrne (2001) for an extensive if rather negative description of the kingdom.

Their origins, possibly Gaulish, are very obscure (see O'Rahilly 1946; Byrne 2001). According to one of their own origin legends (Laud 610, Summary), they may not have been originally Irish. The proto-Eóganachta, from the time of Mug Nuadat to the time of Crimthann mac Fidaig and Conall Corc, are sometimes referred to as the Deirgtine (Clanna Dergthened) in early sources.

Contents

Ancient origins

The earliest evidence for the proto-Eóganachta, the Deirgthine or Deirgtine, is in the form of ogham inscriptions. See O'Rahilly (1946), Byrne (2001). They appear to have initially been subjects of the Dáirine or Darini, a warlike people with frequently mentioned connections to Ulster and who were possibly cousins of the Ulaid. The Darini were represented in historical times most clearly by the Corcu Loígde, whom the Deirgtine finally achieved supremacy over during the course of the 5th century, best marked by the Founding of Cashel. It would seem the Uí Fidgenti and Uí Liatháin, early considered among the Eóganachta, contained elements of the Dáirine as well (see below).

The Eóganachta achieved their status primarily through political and economic sophistication and not military conquest. Ireland was dominated by several hostile powers whom they were never in any position to challenge militarily on their own, in the initial centuries, but there also existed a number of subject tribes whom the Deirgtine successfully convinced to adopt them as their overlords. The effect was to separate the Dáirine, by now mainly the Corcu Loígde, from their cousin kingdoms and prominent subjects, most importantly the Kingdom of Osraige situated between Munster and Leinster. Ossory had been a part of Munster under the Dáirine but the rise of the Eóganachta caused it to drift toward Leinster and its kings to seek their fortunes there. The Eóganachta progressively surrounded themselves with favoured vassals such as the Muscraige, who would become the main source of their income as well as defense against the other kingdoms (Byrne 2001; Duffy 2005). The later famous Déisi Tuisceart were among these vassal peoples. The Déisi Muman of County Waterford may have shared Gaulish origins with the Eóganachta themselves (Byrne 2001).

Another powerful people of early Munster were the Mairtine, who had their capital at Emly , first known as Medón Mairtine (Ó Cróinín 2005). It became the head church of the Eóganachta.

Mythology

See Battle of Mag Mucrama, Leath Mogha, Senchas Fagbála Caisil, Mór Muman.

This section requires expansion.

Septs and surnames

Eóganachta dynastic surnames include MacCarthy, O'Sullivan, O'Mahony, O'Donoghue, O'Moriarty, O'Keeffe, O'Callaghan, and O'Kirby, among many others, many of them of contested origin. MacAuliffe (or McAuliffe) is typically a MacCarthy sept. MacGillycuddy is an O'Sullivan (Mor) sept. O'Long is classed as Eóganacht (Raithlind). O'Leary can be either Eóganacht or Érainn or neither depending on the sept. O'Driscoll is Érainn (Corcu Loígde) but the family are related to the Eóganachta through early and late marriages and so qualify as natural kin. O'Carroll of Éile may or may not be distantly related to the Eóganachta. Scannell was also a sept of some significance.

Out of the approximately 150 surviving Irish surnames of princely or comital origins, the Eóganachta and their allies account for approximately 30, or about one fifth. Unfortunately their pedigrees are often hopelessly disorganized and confused and so it is difficult or impossible to tell in many cases which people belong to which septs (Byrne 2001), or in fact if they even belong to the Eóganachta at all. There is also great evidence in the pedigrees and regnal lists of repeated modification, outright fabrication, and unceremonious deletion, at least for the early period (all concerned sources), with some criticisms quite severe (Sproule 1984; 1985), although this is also a problem with Connachta and Laigin material (Byrne 2001). A number of the figures below may be listed under the wrong septs. The quality of Eóganachta genealogical and historical writing greatly improves in the 2nd millennium under the MacCarthy overlords but some problems remain.

Early figures

Detail of a Cashel tomb.

The earliest historical rulers from the Eóganachta, descendants of Conall Corc, include:


The five main septs or branches of the Eóganachta and some of their more notable members include:

Inner circle

The Derrynaflan Chalice was found in County Tipperary in 1980.

These three septs produced nearly all Kings of Cashel from the 5th to the 10th centuries. Some were strong, others were renowned bishops and scholars, and others were weak. The importance of the Cashel kingship was primarily ceremonial, and rulers were with the occasionl exception not militarily aggressive... although they continually strove for political dominance as far as they could with the province's wealth. Strong petty kingdoms regarded as "subject" would receive large payments called rath in return for their acknowledgment of the political supremacy of Cashel, and they would sometimes give hostages as well (Byrne 2001). The most powerful petty kingdoms exchanged hostages with the King of Cashel, and though subject in some sense (by agreement), they were legally free and capable of terminating the contract.

The Eóganacht Chaisil under the MacCarthys would later form the much more militarily capable but unfortunately undermanned and therefore brief Kingdom of Desmond. The O'Sullivans were the most powerful lords under them. The O'Keeffes of Eóganacht Glendamnach would later produce many great soldiers for Irish and Continental armies. The O'Callaghans were a smaller sept who have since distinguished themselves in recent times, while the MacAuliffes and MacGillycuddys are as stated simply septs of the MacCarthys and O'Sullivans. The O'Kirbys of Eóganacht Áine were unfortunately ruined by the Norman Invasion of Ireland.

Outer circle

Ross Castle, beautiful fortress of the O'Donoghues, Lakes of Killarney, County Kerry.

The "outer" Eóganachta dwelt to the west and south of the central dynasties. Though descended from Conall Corc and thus theoretically entitled to hold the kingship, in effect these dynasties were excluded from Cashel politics, a situation which may or may not have been based on geographical realities (see Charles-Edwards 2000). Powerful kings could become de facto Kings of Munster, but in general the central dynasties refused to recognize them as such, and this resulted in particular antagonism betwee Cashel and Eóganacht Locha Léin, the power of which was eventually broken (Byrne 2001). Eóganacht Raithlind was not as aggressive and so survived under O'Mahony rule well into the 2nd millennium. The O'Donoghues, originally from Eóganacht Raithlind, would move in to become the new princes of Eóganacht Locha Léin, and are still represented among the Irish nobles today by the Lord of Glenflesk (see below).

Oddly enough, the Eóganacht Raithlind, the Eóganacht Locha Léin, and the Uí Fidgenti-Liatháin (below), are all together referred to as the Three Eóganachta of Munster in the ancient story known as the Expulsion of the Déisi (Meyer 1901; Byrne 2001), which is strange in part because the first two were supposedly descended from Conall Corc and not Dáire Cerbba, but this grouping may be simply meant to illustrate that these were all free tribes in comparison with the rent-paying Déisi. The Eóganacht Locha Léin were themselves often viewed by the "inner circle" with surprisingly vicious hostility, and this somehow involved a connection to the Picts of Scotland (see Byrne 2001).

The occasional misguided attempts to "rank" these powerful septs "below" those of the inner circle, or even to exclude them from the Eóganachta entirely, can be rejected. See also Iarmuman.

Kings of the Picts

Royal figure, dressed like a late antique Roman emperor, on the St Andrews Sarcophagus, probably Óengus I of the Picts.
This section requires expansion.

Extinct septs

There are several extinct and/or unconfirmed septs:

Allied septs

The Ardagh Chalice was discovered in County Limerick, at Reerasta Rath in Uí Fidgenti, 1868.

Sometimes also included are the Uí Fidgenti (O'Donovan, Ó Coileáin, plus Ó Conaill of Kerry, others) and the related Uí Liatháin (Lyons, others), ancient allies of the Eóganachta who may have originally belonged to the Érainn as is sometimes claimed (e.g. Cairney 1989), although it is just as likely they were earlier or peripheral branches of the descendants of Ailill Flann Bec, or of Ailill Aulomm, not involved in the innovative Cashel politics of the descendants of Conall Corc, actual founder of the dynasty. In this way, the children of Fidach, the early monarch Crimthann Mór mac Fidaig and his sister Mongfind, also belong to the peripheral Eóganachta. But only the descendants of Conall Corc, son of Luigdech or Lugaid, son of Ailill Flann Bec, could claim Cashel, whereas all three of these more distantly related aristocracies appear to descend from Dáire Cerbba and/or Maine Munchaín, so-called brother(s) of Lugaid. In any case, both the Uí Fidgenti and Uí Liatháin were apparently fading, for whatever reasons, while the Eóganachta were in their prime. They paid no obvious tribute but were little involved in the political scene after a period, the terms of the alliance being only that they were expected to support the Eóganachta militarily on "honour related" expeditions outside Munster or in the defence of it (Byrne 2001). The Uí Fidgenti did exchange hostages with the King of Cashel, just like the Eóganacht Raithlind and Eóganacht Locha Léin were honoured, and so they appear to have been viewed as kin from an early period, even if they may have been Dáirine to begin with or included substantial elements (see Byrne 2001; O'Rahilly 1946 for discussions). In the earliest genealogies, mostly found in Rawlinson B 502, they are in some way kin to the Eóganachta, even if only through marriage at first as suggested by later interpreters, and so must be included.

According to Rawlinson B 502, Dáire Cerbba was born in Brega, County Meath, but no explanation is given. This might mean his family were even later arrivals to Munster than the Eóganachta and help explain their lack of centralization and well known colonies in Britain. The Uí Fidgenti (NW) and Uí Liatháin (SE) were in opposing corners of Munster with the Eóganacht Áine and Eóganacht Glendamnach more or less in between, as well as the Fir Mag Fene. Brega bordered on the territory of the Laigin, directly to the north of it. Against this is the fact that the Uí Fidgenti had their own capital at Dún Eochair in Munster, constructed by the Dáirine several centuries before the rise of Cashel, as described by Geoffrey Keating.

Notable characteristics of these small septs in the Annals and numerous other sources are their violence and war-making, uncharacteristic of the Eóganachta or for Munster in general (with the exception of the Dál gCais). Many of their kings die violently in territorial disputes. This is very likely the real reason they eventually needed to become included among the Eóganachta. A similarly exotic family might be the House of Guise.

The O'Donovans, the most aggressive sept of the later Middle Ages, were finally brought under control, after almost falling apart, by the powerful MacCarthy Reaghs. They eventually intermarried.

  • Dáire Cerbba and/or Maine Munchaín

Corcu Loígde

After their loss of power the Corcu Loígde became allies of the Eóganachta, with whom they intermarried, and continued to play a respectably prominent role (Byrne 2001; Duffy 2005). Their previous status was not forgotten and they were treated with special honour by their former subjects, although they were isolated politically. The descent of the Corcu Loígde, or the Dáirine proper, is summarized as follows.

  • Dáire Doimtig Sírchréchtach
    • Lugaid mac Con, legendary High King of Ireland, 2nd-3rd centuries AD
      • Corcu Loígde
        • O'Driscoll, Prince of Corcu Loígde
          • Note: represented among the Irish nobles until recently, and possibly still on the Continent
        • O'Leary of Rosscarbery
          • Note: other O'Leary septs exist or existed, some of which may be Eóganacht or Uí Fidgenti
    • Corca Oiche (alternatively a sept of the Uí Fidgenti)

History

Competition with the Uí Néill

See Byrne (2001), Cathal mac Finguine, Feidlimid mac Cremthanin, Synod of Birr.

This section requires expansion.

Competition with the Dál gCais

See Byrne (2001), Todd (1867), Brian Bóruma, Mathgamain mac Cennétig, Cennétig mac Lorcáin, Kings of Munster, Kings of Desmond, Thomond, County Clare, Déisi.

This section requires expansion.

The Cambro-Normans and England

See FitzGerald, Battle of Callann, Earl of Desmond, Desmond Rebellions, Second Desmond Rebellion, Florence MacCarthy, Tudor reconquest of Ireland, Dónall Cam Ó Súilleabháin Béirre, Siege of Dunboy, Plantations of Ireland, Irish Confederate Wars, Donagh MacCarthy, Viscount Muskerry, Earl of Clancarty.

This section requires expansion.

Ecclesiastical relations with Germany

See Byrne (2001).

This section requires expansion.

Marriages and pedigrees

See O'Hart (1892), Cronnelly (1864), Burke (1976), D'Alton (1861), O'Donovan (1856), O'Keeffe (1703), Byrne (2001).

Later figures

Other notable people are:

For the 20th century, the long hidden Ó Coileáins of Uí Conaill Gabhra, once the most dominant sept of the Uí Fidgenti, produced the famous Michael Collins, or Mícheál Ó Coileáin. His sept were driven out of County Limerick in the 13th century by the FitzGeralds, but still regarded themselves as dispossessed aristocracy (Coogan 2002). The Ó Coileáins had joined their cousins the O'Donovans in County Cork, who themselves had been assisted by their friends the O'Mahonys. The MacCarthy Reaghs would soon follow to become the princes of the area, and later both they and the O'Mahonys would send septs to be accepted among the aristocracy in France (see O'Hart 1892, and Counts of Toulouse). Of the four, only the O'Donovans, keeping a low profile, remained Gaelic lords after a time. Of less aristocratic interest is that John O'Mahony was an inspirer of Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa, another source of inspiration for Collins.

Daniel "The Liberator" O'Connell belonged to a small sept of the Uí Fidgenti who found themselves in County Kerry (O'Hart 1892; Cronnelly 1864).

Another lively figure was Pierce Charles de Lacy O'Mahony.

Modern Eóganacht

Curley (2004) gives profiles of some twenty current Irish lords, several of them Eóganachta, enjoying varying levels of recognition.

The scandal created by Terence Francis MacCarthy has left their futures uncertain. See Chief of the Name.

References

  • Bhreathnach, Edel (ed.), The Kingship and Landscape of Tara. Four Courts Press for The Discovery Programme. 2005. Pages 249, 250 & Historical Early Éoganachta, Table 9, pages 356, 357.
  • Bugge, Alexander (ed. and tr.), Caithreim Cellachain Caisil: The Victorious Career of Cellachan of Cashel Christiania: J. Chr. Gundersens Bogtrykkeri. 1905.
  • Burke, Bernard and Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd, Burke's Irish Family Records, or Burke's Landed Gentry of Ireland. London: Burke's Peerage Ltd. 5th edition, 1976.
  • Byrne, Francis J., Irish Kings and High-Kings. Four Courts Press. 2nd edition, 2001.
  • Cairney, C. Thomas, Clans and Families of Ireland and Scotland: An Ethnography of the Gael, A.D. 500-1750. Willow Bend Books. 1989. (elementary popular work)
  • Charles-Edwards, T.M., Early Christian Ireland. Cambridge University Press. 2000.
  • Coogan, Tim Pat, Michael Collins: The Man Who Made Ireland. Palgrave Macmillan. 2002. (pgs. 5-6)
  • Cronnelly, Richard F., Irish Family History Part II: A History of the Clan Eoghan, or Eoghanachts. Dublin: 1864.
  • Curley, Walter J.P., Vanishing Kingdoms: The Irish Chiefs and their Families. Dublin: Lilliput Press. 2004.
  • D'Alton, John, Illustrations, Historical and Genealogical, of King James's Irish Army List, 1689 2 vols. London: J.R. Smith. 2nd edition, 1861.
  • Dillon, Myles, The Cycles of the Kings. Oxford. 1946. (Four Courts Press. Revised edition, 1995.)
  • Dillon, Myles, "The Story of the Finding of Cashel", in Ériu 16 (1952): 63.
  • Duffy, Seán (ed.), Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. 2005.
  • Foster, Roy (ed.), The Oxford Illustrated History of Ireland. Oxford University Press. 2001.
  • Hull, Vernan, "Conall Corc and the Corcu Loígde", in Proceedings of the Modern Languages Association of America 62 (1947): 887-909.
  • Hull, Vernan, "The Exile of Conall Corc", in Proceedings of the Modern Languages Association of America 56 (1941): 937-50.
  • Koch, John T. (ed.), Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. 5 volumes or single ebook. ABC-CLIO. 2006.
  • Lalor, Brian, The Encyclopedia of Ireland. Yale University Press. 2003.
  • MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families: Their Names, Arms and Origins. Irish Academic Press. 4th edition, 1998.
  • Mac Niocaill, Gearóid, Ireland before the Vikings. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan. 1972.
  • Meyer, Kuno (ed. and tr.), "The Expulsion of the Dessi", in Y Cymmrodor 14. 1901. pgs. 101-35. (available here)
  • Meyer, Kuno (ed.), "The Laud Genealogies and Tribal Histories", in Zeitschrift für Celtische Philologie 8. Halle/Saale, Max Niemeyer. 1912. Pages 291-338.
  • Ó Corráin, Donnchadh, "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.
  • Ó Corráin, Donnchadh (ed.), Genealogies from Rawlinson B 502 University College, Cork: Corpus of Electronic Texts. 1997.
  • Ó Corráin, Donnchadh, Ireland before the Normans. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan. 1972.
  • Ó Cróinín, Dáibhí (ed.), A New History of Ireland: Prehistoric and Early Ireland, Vol. 1. Oxford University Press. 2005.
  • O'Donovan, John (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.
  • O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees. Dublin. 5th edition, 1892.
  • Ó hInnse, Séamus (ed. and tr.) and Florence MacCarthy, Mac Carthaigh's Book, or Miscellaneous Irish Annals (A.D. 1114-1437). Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. 1947.
  • O'Keeffe, Eugene (ed. and tr.), Eoganacht Genealogies from the Book of Munster. Cork. 1703. (available here)
  • O'Rahilly, Thomas F., Early Irish History and Mythology. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. 1946.
  • Richter, Michael, Medieval Ireland: The Enduring Tradition. Palgrave Macmillan. 1996.
  • Sproule, David, "Origins of the Éoganachta", in Ériu 35 (1984): pp. 31-37.
  • Sproule, David, "Politics and pure narrative in the stories about Corc of Cashel", in Ériu 36 (1985): pp. 11–28.
  • Todd, James Henthorn (ed. and tr.), Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh: The War of the Gaedhil with the Gaill Longmans. 1867.
  • Welch, Robert (ed.) with Bruce Stewart, The Oxford Companion to Irish Literature. Oxford University Press. 1996.

See also

The Rock of Cashel.

External links


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