Irish Chiefs and Clans in Limerick and Clare

The Ancient Thomond

THE following were the Irish chiefs and clans of ancient Thomond, or the counties of Limerick and Clare:

1. O'Dea, chief of Dysart-O'Dea, now the parish of Dysart, barony of Inchiquin, county Clare.

2. O'Quinn, chief of Muintir Ifernain, a territory about Corofin in the county Clare. The O'Heffernans were the tribe who possessed this territory; over whom O'Quinn was chief. These O'Quinns had also possessions in Limerick, where they became earls of Dunraven.

3. O'Flattery, and O'Cahil, chiefs of Fianchora.

4. O'Mulmea (or Mulmy), chief of Breintire, now Brentry, near Callan hill, in the county Clare.

5. O'Haichir (or O'Hehir), chief of Hy-Flancha and Hy-Cormac, districts in the barony of Islands; and (according to O'Halloran) of Callan, in the county Clare.

6. O'Duibhgin, O'Dugan, (or O'Deegan), chief of Muintir Conlochta, a district in the parish of Tomgraney, in the barony of Tullagh, county Clare.

7. O'Grady, chief of Cineal Dongally, a large territory comprising the present barony of Lower Tullagh, county Clare. The O'Gradys had also large possessions in the county Limerick; and, in modern times, the Right Hon. Standish O'Grady, Chief Baron of the Exchequer in Ireland, was A.D. 1831, created Viscount Guillamore.

8. MacConmara or MacNamara (literally a warrior of the sea) was chief of the territory of Clan Caisin, now the barony of Tullagh, in the county Clare. The Macnamaras were also sometimes styled chiefs of Clan Cuilean, which was the tribe name of the family; derived from Cuilean, one of their chiefs in the eighth century. This ancient family held the high and honourable office of hereditary marshals of Thomond.

9. O'Connor, chief of the territory of Fear Arda and of Corcomroe, at present a barony in the county Clare.

10. O'Loughlin, chief of Burren, now the barony of Burren, county Clare, which was sometimes called Eastern Corcomroe. The O'Loghlins and O'Connors here mentioned were of the same descent: namely, a branch of the Clan na Rory, descended from the ancient kings of Ulster of the race of Ir.

11. O'Connell, chief of Hy-Cuilean, a territory south-east of Abbeyfeale, in the barony of Upper Connello, on the verge of the county Limerick, towards the river Feale, and the borders of Cork and Kerry. According to O'Halloran, the O'Connells had their chief residence in Castle Connell, in the county Limerick. In the twelfth century the O'Connells settled in Kerry, where they had a large territory on the borders of their ancient possessions. According to O'Halloran, the O'Falvies, admirals of Desmond; the O'Connells, of Kerry; O'Sheas, chiefs of Muskerry, in Cork; and several other chiefs, were descended from the Clan na Deaga, celebrated chiefs of Munster, originally a branch of the Heremonians of Ulster. Of the Clan na Deaga, was Conaire the Second, Monarch of Ireland, who was married to Sarad (daughter of his predecessor, Conn of the Hundred Battles, Monarch of Ireland in the second century), by whom he had a son, named Cairbre Riada, from whom were descended the Dalriedians of Ulster, and of Scotland. A son of Cairbre Riada got large possessions in South Munster, in the present counties of Cork and Kerry.

12. MacEneiry, chiefs of Corca Muiceadha, also called Conaill Uachtarach, now the barony of Upper Conello, in the county Limerick. The MacEneirys were descended from Mahoun, king of Munster, and brother of Brian Boru; and had their chief residence at Castletown MacEneiry.

13. O'Billry, a chief of Hy Conall Guara, now the baronies of Upper and Lower Conello, in the county Limerick.

14. O'Cullen, O'Kenealy, and O'Sheehan, were chiefs in the baronies of Conello, county Limerick.

15. O'Macassa (Macassey, and Maxey), chief of Corca Oiche: and O'Bergin, chief of Hy-Rossa, districts in the county Limerick.

16. O'Mulcallen, a chief of Conriada, now the barony of Kenry, county Limerick.

17. O'Clerkin and O'Flannery, chiefs of Dal Cairbre Eva, in the barony of Kenry, county Limerick.

18. O'Donovan, chief of Cairbre Eva, now the barony of Kenry, which was the ancient territory of O'Donovan, O'Cleircin, and O'Flannery. The O'Donovans had their chief castle at Bruree, county Limerick.

19. O'Ciarmhaie (or O'Kerwick), chief of Eoganacht Aine, now the parish of Knockaney, in the barony of Small County, county Limerick.

20 O'Muldoon, also a chief of Eoganacht Aine, same as O'Kerwick.

21. O'Kenealy, chief of Eoganacht Grian Guara, a district comprising parts of the baronies of Coshma and Small County in Limerick.

22. O'Gunning, chief of Crioch Saingil and Aosgreine: Crioch Saingil, according to O'Halloran, is now "Single Land," and is situated near Limerick; and both the territories here mentioned are, according to O'Brien, comprised in the barony of Small County, in Limerick.

23. O'Caolidh or O'Keely, and O'Malley are given as chiefs of Tua Luimnidh or "the district about Limerick."

24. O'Keeffe, chief of Triocha-Cead-an-Chaliadh, called Cala Luimne, that is the "port or ferry of Limerick."

25. O'Hea, chief of Muscry Luachra, a territory lying between Kilmallock and Ardpatrick, in the barony of Coshlea, in the county Limerick.

26. MacDonnell and O'Baskin, chiefs of the territories of Corca Baisgin or Baiscind, now the barony of Moyarta, in the county Clare. O'Mulcorcra was chief of Hy-Bracain, now the barony of lbracken; and O'Keely—probably the O'Keely above named—was another chief of the same place. One of the Corca Baiscinds here mentioned was the present barony of Clonderlaw.

27. MacMahon. The MacMahons succeeded the above chiefs, as lords of Corca Baisgin; and possessed the greater part of the baronies of Moyarta and Clonderlaw, in the county Clare. In O'Brien's Dictionary these MacMahons and MacDonnells are given as branches of the O'Briens, the posterity of Brian Boru; and, therefore, of quite a different descent from the MacMahons, princes and lords of Monaghan, and the MacDonnells, earls of Antrim, and the MacDonnells of Kilkee, county Clare, who were of the race of Clan Colla.

28. O'Gorman, chief of Tullichrin, a territory comprising parts of the baronies of Moyarta and Ibrackan, in the county Clare.

29. O'Diocholla and O'Mullethy or Multhy, were chiefs in Corcomroe.

30. O'Drennan, chief of Slieve Eise, Finn, and of Cinel-Seudna, a district on the borders of Clare and Galway.

31. O'Neill, chief of Clan Dalvy and of Tradree, a district in the barony of Inchiquinn, county Clare. A branch of this family went in the tenth century to Limerick, to assist in the expulsion of the Danes, over whom they gained several victories; and on one occasion, having worn green boughs in their helmets and on their horses' heads, they, from this circumstance, got the epithet craebhach (i.e. Ramifer), signifying of the branches: a name which has been anglicised "Creagh." Of these Mac Gilla Craeibhe or "Creagh" family there are still many respectable families in the counties of Clare, Cork, and Tipperary. Some of those O'Neills, who were of the Ui-Bloid, of the race of Heber, changed their name to Nihel, and some to Newell; but they were all of the same stock as the O'Briens of Thomond.

32. O'Davoran, chief of Muintir Lidheagha (or O'Liddy), the tribe name of this clan; whose territory was situated in the barony of Corcomroe, and at Ballynalaken, near Lisdoonvarna, county Clare.

33. O'Moloney, were chiefs of Cuiltenan, now the parish of Kiltonanlea, in the barony of Tulla, county Clare.

34. O'Kearney, as chiefs of Avon-Ui-Cearney or O'Kearney's River, a district about Six-Mile-Bridge, in the baronies of Tulla and Bunratty, county Clare.

35. O'Casey, chiefs of Rathconan, in the barony of Pubblebrien, county Limerick.

36. O'Dinan or Downing, chiefs of Uaithne, now the barony of Owneybeg, in Limerick.

37. O'Hallinan and MacSheehy, chiefs of Ballyhallinan, in the barony of Pubblebrien, county Limerick. O'Halloran, chiefs of Fay Ui-Hallurain, a district between Tulla and Clare, in the county Clare.

38. Lysaght, placed in a district about Ennistymon: MacConsidine, in the barony of Ibrackan; O'Daly of Leath Mogha or Munster, in the barony of Burren; MacGillereagh (MacGilroy, MacGilrea, Gilroy, Kilroy) in the barony of Clonderlaw; MacClancy, in the barony of Tulla; and MacBruodin, in the barony of Inchiquin: all in the county Clare, MacArthur and O'Scanlan, in the barony of Pubblebrien; and O'Morny, in the barony of Lower Conello: all in the county Limerick; etc.

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