The Conmhaícne or Conmaicne were a people of early Ireland, perhaps related to the

Laigin The Laigin, modern spelling Laighin (), were a Gaelic population group of early Ireland. They gave their name to the Kingdom of Leinster, which in the medieval era was known in Irish as ''Cóiced Laigen'', meaning "Fifth/province of the Leinster ...

, who dispersed to various parts of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. They settled in Connacht and

Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meet ...

, giving their name to several Conmaicne territories. T. F. O'Rahilly's assertion the Conmaicne were non-

Goidelic The Goidelic or Gaelic languages ( ga, teangacha Gaelacha; gd, cànanan Goidhealach; gv, çhengaghyn Gaelgagh) form one of the two groups of Insular Celtic languages, the other being the Brittonic languages. Goidelic languages historically ...

is not widely accepted.

Etymology

Their name supposedly originates from a mythical ancestor known as ''Conmac'', descended from Fergus mac Roich and Queen Maeve of Connacht. However, Walsh stated "Conmac son of Fergus is a genealogical fiction". The word ''Conmacne'' means "progeny of Conmac" (''ne'', a progeny). Conmac itself means "hound-son" (''con'', hound; ''mac'', son).

Branches

Branches of the Conmaicne dispersed to various places.

Conmaicne na Gaillimhe

Conmhaícne Mara The Conmhaícne Mara or Conmaicne Mara (the Conmaicne of the sea), were an early people of Ireland. Their tuath was located in the extreme west of County Galway, Republic of Ireland, giving their name to Connemara, an anglicised form of Conmh ...

(Conmaicne of the sea) settled in the west of

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

, in the territory of Conmhaícne Mara, anglised today as

Connemara Connemara (; )( ga, Conamara ) is a region on the Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains much of the Connacht Irish-speaking Gaeltacht, w ...

. *

Conmhaícne Dúna Móir The Conmhaícne Dúna Móir (), or Cenéoil Dubáin (Conmaicne of Dubain race) were an early people of Ireland. Their tuath comprised at least the barony of Dunmore, in County Galway. Origin The Conmhaicne or Conmaicne were a people of early Ir ...

, or Conmaicne Cenel Dubáin, at Dunmore, County Galway. * Conmhaícne Mhean or ''Conmaicne Máenmaige'' (Conmaicne of the central plain),

Loughrea Loughrea ( ; ) is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The town lies to the north of a range of wooded hills, the Slieve Aughty Mountains, and the lake from which it takes its name. The town's cathedral, St Brendan's, dominates the town's skyline. ...

, County Galway.

Conmaicne Mhaigh Eo

Conmhaícne Cúile The Conmhaícne Cúile or Conmaicne Cuile Tolad () were an early people of Ireland. Their tuath comprised, at minimum, most of the barony of Kilmaine, in County Mayo. Origin The Conmhaicne or Conmaicne were a people of early Ireland, perhaps ...

, of

Kilmaine Kilmaine or Kilmain () is a barony and village in County Mayo, Ireland. Village "Kilmaine", derived from the Irish language 'Cill Mheán', means The Middle Church – 'Cill' is the word used in the Irish language for a church, and 'meán' is ...

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the yew trees") is a county in Ireland. In the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Coun ...

Conmhaícne Ceara The Conmhaícne Ceara or Conmaicne Cúile Ceara () were an early people of Ireland. Their tuath comprised some or all of the barony of Carra, County Mayo. Origin The Conmhaicne or Conmaicne were a people of early Ireland, perhaps related to th ...

, of

Carra, County Mayo Carra () is one of the nine baronies of County Mayo in Ireland, located in the mid-south area of the county. It is sometimes known as Burriscarra. It incorporates the town of Castlebar, the villages of Tourmakeady, Belcarra and Turlough, wher ...

. * Conmaicne Meic Oirbsen Máir near Lough Corrib,

Conmaicne Ros Comáin

* Conmhaícne Sléibe Formaile, near Ballinlough, in west

County Roscommon "Steadfast Irish heart" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Roscommon.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Connacht , subdi ...

Conmaicne Rein

* Conmhaícne Rein, or "lower conmaicne", of south

County Leitrim County Leitrim ( ; gle, Contae Liatroma) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority f ...

into

County Longford County Longford ( gle, Contae an Longfoirt) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford. Longford County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county was ...

. * Conmhaícne Angaile, or "upper Conmaicne", now

county Longford County Longford ( gle, Contae an Longfoirt) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford. Longford County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county was ...

. The Diocese of Ardagh was established in 1111 as the see for east Connacht. Fourteen years later, at the

Synod of Kells-Mellifont The Synod of Kells (, ) took place in 1152, under the presidency of Giovanni Cardinal Paparoni, and continued the process begun at the Synod of Ráth Breasail (1111) of reforming the Irish church. The sessions were divided between the abbeys of ...

, its area was reduced to the territory of the Conmaicne Rein and Conmaicne Angalie, south county Leitrim and all county Longford.P Galloway, ''The Cathedrals of Ireland'', Belfast, 1992 The diocese was commonly called "the Diocese of the Conmaicne".

Septs

Known Septs of the Conmhaícne Rein in south County Leitrim were: * Conmhaícne Maigh Rein anglicised today as barony of Mohill. * Cluain Conmhaícne (Conmaicne of the pasture) of Cloone parish, in Carrigallen and Mohill barony. * Conmhaícne Cenel Luacháin (Conmaicne descended from Luchan), both Oughteragh and Drumreilly parishes at

Carrigallen Carrigallen () is a small village in County Leitrim, Ireland. It is located on the R201 and R203 roads in the east of the county. , the village had a population of 387. Location The village is set between the north and south shores of Town ...

. * Conmaicne Maigh Nissi along the Shannon, anglicised today as barony of Leitrim.

People

John O'Donovan wrote:

The chief familes of the Conmacians were the O'Fearralls, princes and lords of Annaly, or Longford; the Mac Rannalls, a name anglicised to Reynolds, who were Lords of Conmaincee of Moy-Rein and Muintir-Eolais, in Leitrim; the Mac Keoghes, who were chiefs in Galway, and also in Lenister; the MacShanleys; O'Rodaghans; MacDorchys; O'Mulveys; O'Morans, and O'Mannings, chiefs and clans in various parts of Longford, Leitrim, and Roscommon.

Notables descended from the Conmhaicne include

Cruimthear Mac Carthaigh Cruimthear Mac Carthaigh (''the presbyter Mac Carthaigh''), fl. c. 550. In the genealogies, Mac Carthaigh - which is his forename, not his surname - is stated as being a native of Conmaicne Cúl Toland in what is now along the County Galway - C ...

St. Jarlath Saint Jarlath, also known as Iarlaithe mac Loga (''fl.'' 6th century), was an Irish priest and scholar from Connacht, remembered as the founder of the monastic School of Tuam and of the Archdiocese of Tuam, of which he is the patron saint. N ...

Tuam Tuam ( ; ga, Tuaim , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. Humans have lived in the area since the Bronz ...

and some abbots of

Clonmacnoise Clonmacnoise ( Irish: ''Cluain Mhic Nóis'') is a ruined monastery situated in County Offaly in Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone, founded in 544 by Saint Ciarán, a young man from Rathcroghan, County Roscommon. Until the 9th ...

References

* ''Some Connacht Population-Groups'', Nollaig Ó Muraíle, in ''Seanchas:Studies in Early and Medieval Archaeology, History and Literature in Honour of

Francis John Byrne Francis John Byrne (1934 – 30 December 2017) was an Irish historian. Born in Shanghai where his father, a Dundalk man, captained a ship on the Yellow River, Byrne was evacuated with his mother to Australia on the outbreak of World War II. ...

'', pp. 176–76,

Four Courts Press Four Courts Press is an independent Irish academic publishing house, with its office at Malpas Street, Dublin 8, Ireland. Founded in 1970 by Michael Adams, who died in February 2009, its early publications were primarily theological, notably t ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

, 2000 * ''Medieval Ireland: Territorial, Political and Economic Divisions'', Paul Mac Cotter, Four Courts Press, 2008, pp. 134–135.

Secondary sources

* * * Medieval Irish people Ulaid History of County Galway History of County Mayo History of County Roscommon History of County Leitrim History of County Longford Conmaicne {{europe-ethno-group-stub