Fearfeasa Ó Maol Chonaire, sometimes Fearfeasa O'Mulconry and other variations, ( fl. 1630s) was an Irish chronicler who is primarily known as the co-compiler and scribe of the ''

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Flood myt ...

''.

Family background

Ó Maol Chonaire was a member of the

Ó Maolconaire Ó Maolchonaire, more properly Ó Maol Chonaire, sometimes Ó Mhaoilchonaire, Ó Maolconaire, etc., was the surname of a family of professional poets and historians in medieval Ireland. Traditionally it would have been spelled without the 'h', but ...

brehon Brehon ( ga, breitheamh, ) is a term for a historical arbitration, mediative and judicial role in Gaelic culture. Brehons were part of the system of Early Irish law, which was also simply called " Brehon law". Brehons were judges, close in impo ...

family of north County Roscommon in

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 Del ...

. A member of the Sliocht Pháidín, his genealogy was ''Fearfeasa mac Lochlainn mac Séan Ruadh (died 1589) mac Lochlainn mac Paidín Ó Maolconaire (died 1506)''. He was thus closely related to Muirgheas mac Pháidín Ó Maolconaire (died 1543) and his descendants, Fláithrí Ó Maol Chonaire (died 1629) and Muiris mac Torna Ó Maolconaire (died 1645). It has been suggested by Eoin Mac Cárthaigh that Fearfeasa's lands were in the townland of Creta, parish of Kiltrustan, beside that of his father, Lochlainn, who lived in Lisheen townland. Páidín Ruadh Ó Maol Chonaire, who retained two-thirds of his lands in Ballymulconry in the 1650s, may have been Fearfeasa's brother. Peter (fl. 1701), son of Fearfasa, was poet to the O'Róduighe, and lived in Leitrim.

The Four Masters

He was one of the authors of the ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' and, with the three other chief writers, was included by John Colgan in the designation ''Annales Quatuor Magistrorum'' (Preface to ''Acta Sanctorum Hiberniæ'', p. 7), which has become the popular name of the book. As a young man, he participated in the compilation of the

, working with

Mícheál Ó Cléirigh Mícheál Ó Cléirigh (), sometimes known as Michael O'Clery, was an Irish chronicler, scribe and antiquary and chief author of the ''Annals of the Four Masters,'' assisted by Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh, Fearfeasa Ó Maol Chonaire, and Per ...

Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh (fl. 1624–1664) was an Irish historian and genealogist, known in English as Peregrine O'Clery. Life and work Ó Cléirigh was a son of Diarmaid Ó Cléirigh, and thus a third-cousin once removed to Brother Míche ...

Peregrine Ó Duibhgeannain Peregrine, Latin ''Peregrinus'', is a name originally meaning "one from abroad", that is, a foreigner, traveller, or pilgrim. It may refer to: * Peregrine falcon, a bird of prey People Peregrine * Peregrine (martyr) (died 182 AD), Roman Cathol ...

and other assistants. He is identified by Bernadette Cunningham as the scribe of hand E in the

autograph An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word ''autograph'' comes from Ancient Greek (, ''autós'', "self" and , ''gráphō'', "write"), and can mean more specifically: Gove, Philip B. (ed.), 1981. ''Webster's Third New Inter ...

of the

. He participated in the compilation of the years up to 1333 with

Ó Duibhgeannáin The Ó Duibhgeannáin () clan were a family of professional historians in medieval and early modern Ireland. They originated in the kingdom of Annaly (formerly called Tethbae) on the east bank of the Shannon (mostly situated in what is now ...

, the

Ó Cléirigh O'Cleary ( ga, Ó Cléirigh) is the surname of a learned Gaelic Irish family. It is the oldest recorded surname in Europe — dating back to 916 CE — and is cognate with cleric and clerk. The O'Clearys are a sept of the Uí Fiachrach dynasty, w ...

's writing the rest of the book to 1616.

Opposition to Tuileagna Ó Maol Chonaire

Fearfeasa strenuously opposed Tuileagna Ó Maol Chonaire, whose criticisms of the work of the Four Masters prevented its publication in the 1640s.

Poet

Fearfeasa was the author of many poems, one of which was ''Mochean do chuairt a Chalbhaigh'', addressed to An Calbhah Ruadh Ó Domhnaill.

Family tree:An Sliocht Pháidín

Paidín mac Lochlainn meic Maelsechlainn Ó Maolconaire, d. 1506 (a quo Sliocht Pháidín) , , _________________________________________________ , , , , Lochlainn Muirgheas mac Pháidín Ó Maolconaire, d. 1543. , , , , _____________ Séan Ruadh, d. 1589. , , , , , , Eóluis Fíthil and Onóra___________ Lochlainn , , , , , , , , , , ______________________________________ Torna Moileachlain Firbisigh Fláithri,

Archbishop of Tuam The Archbishop of Tuam ( ; ga, Ard-Easpag Thuama) is an archbishop which takes its name after the town of Tuam in County Galway, Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1839, and is still in use by the Catholic Church. Histor ...

, 1560-1629 , , , , Fearfeasa, fl. 1620s-1640s. Páidín Ruadh?, fl. 1654-58

References

Notes

Sources

* ''The Annals of the Four Masters: Irish history, kingship and society in the early seventeenth century,'' p. 85, 142–3, 260, 261, 264, 267, 270, 272, 273, 275, Bernadette Cunningham, Four Courts Press, 2010. . *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:O Maol Chonaire, Fearfeasa People from County Roscommon 17th-century Irish writers 17th-century Irish poets Irish-language poets Irish chroniclers Irish translators 17th-century Irish historians