The Síol Muireadaigh or Síol Muireadhaigh (Anglicized as Sil Murray or Silmurray), was a leading sept of the

Connachta The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King Conn Cétchathach (Conn of the Hundred Battles). The modern western province of Connacht ( Irish ''Cúige Chonnacht'', province, literally ...

group of

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...

dynasties in medieval Ireland. The name Síol Muireadaigh was also used to refer to the territory occupied by the group which was centered around the ancient royal site of Cruachan on the plains of

Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and ...

(Mag nAí/Machaire Connacht) in

County Roscommon "Steadfast Irish heart" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Roscommon.svg , subdivision_type = Sovereign state, Country , subdivision_name = Republic of Ireland, Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Provinces of I ...

Overview

A branch within the royal

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 the U ...

( Uí Briúin Aí) dynasty, the tribe of Síol Muireadaigh was comprised of all the descendants of

Muiredach Muillethan Muiredach Muillethan mac Fergusso (or Muiredach Mag Aí) (died 702) was a King of Connacht from the Uí Briúin Aí branch of the Uí Briúin. He was the grandson of Rogallach mac Uatach (died 649), a previous king. His sobriquet Muillethan me ...

, a 7th century King of Connacht. The term ''Síol'' denotes the ''seed'', or ''descendants'', of Muiredach. The major division within the tribe was between the descendants of Muireadhach's two sons,

Indrechtach mac Muiredaig Indrechtach mac Muiredaig Muillethan (died 723) was a King of Connacht from the Uí Briúin branch of the Connachta. He was the son of Muiredach Muillethan mac Fergusso (died 702), a previous king. He was of the Síl Muiredaig sept of the Uí Bri ...

and Cathal mac Muiredaig (a quo Clann Cathail), who would both go on to become Kings of Connacht. Síol Muireadagh’s parent dynasty, the Uí Briúin, held the Kingship of Connacht, with one exception, for over 700 years straight (696-1474). The vast majority of Uí Briúin kings were members of the Síol Muireadaigh, whose power reached its peak in the 12th century when Toirdhealbhach Mór Ua Conchobhair was recognized as

High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ga, Ardrí na hÉireann ) 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 later sometimes assigned an ...

. Toirdhealbhach’s son Ruaidri mac Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair, would go on to succeed him, becoming last the

High King of Ireland.

Clann Cathail

The family groupings within Clann Cathail shown below are as listed in McFirbis'

Leabhar na nGenealach ''Leabhar na nGenealach'' ("Book of Genealogies") is a massive genealogical collection written mainly in the years 1649 to 1650, at the college-house of St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church, Galway, by Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh. He continued to add ...

(The Great Book of Irish Genealogies). Clann Cathail was ruled at various times by the O'Morans, O'Mulrenins, and the O'Flanagans, but the line of chiefs became permanent among the O'Flanagans by late medieval times. In addition to the family groupings below McFirbis lists 13 other surnames that he says also belonged to Clann Cathail: O'Mothlachain, O'Dathail, OhUllsa, O'Cloithfhilidh, O'Gusain, O'Fionnagain, O'Laighin, O'Laoghog, O'Tomhrair, O'Caomhoige, O'Breslein, O'Dubhain, and O'Fannain. He lists another sub-tribe in Clann Cathail called Siol Con Bhuidhe (a townland in Kilcorkey Parish called Ballyconboy was the land of that group). Other sources refer to O'Maolmordha (O'Moore) and O'Carthaig (O'Carthy) as being sub-chiefs of O'Flanagain. The O'Flanagans had their main seat in Mantua (previously called Mointeach) which is located along the southern borders of Cloonyeffer and Corry East townlands in Shankill Parish. They also had another seat in the townland of Ballyroddy in Shankill Parish. They lost their territory to the O'Connor Roe in the 1300's.

Septs

Septs of the Síol Muireadaigh includedhttps://freepages.rootsweb.com/~dgarvey/genealogy/Griff_Garvey/Clann_Connor.jpg * Ó Conchubhair/O'Conor * Mac Diarmada/MacDermot * Ó Tighe/Tighe/MacTeige * Ó Flannagain/O'Flanagan * Ó Fithcheallaigh/O'Feely * Ó Mannachan/O'Monahan * Ó Maoilbhreanainn/O'Mulrennan/Brennan * Ó Birn/O'Beirne * Ó Concheanainn/Concannon * Mag Oireachtaigh/MacGeraghty/Geraghty * Mac Maghnusa/MacManus * Ó Conbhuidhe/O’Conboy * Ó Fionnachta/O’Finnerty/Finnerty

Family tree

Muiredach Muillethan of the

, , ____________________________________________________________________________ , , , , Indrechtaig, died 723. Cathal , , , ____________________________________________________________ , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Murgal Medb , , =

Áed Oirdnide Áed mac Néill (; died 819), commonly called Áed Oirdnide ("the anointed"), was King of Ailech. A member of the Cenél nEógain dynasty of the northern Uí Néill, he was the son of Niall Frossach. Like his father, Áed was reckoned High King ...

, , , , , , , , , , , Niall Caille , , , , , , , ,

Áed Findliath Áed mac Néill (died 879), called Áed Findliath ("fair-grey Áed"; Modern Irish: ''Aodh Fionnadhliath'') to distinguish him from his paternal grandfather Áed Oirdnide, was king of Ailech and High King of Ireland. He was also called Áed Olach ...

, , ________________________________, , , Síol Muireadaigh

References

External links