Irish Chiefs and Clans in Mayo and Sligo

THE following chiefs and clans and the territories they possessed in the twelfth century, in the present counties of Sligo and Mayo, have been collected from O'Dugan and other authorities:—

1. O'Maolcluiche or Mulclohy (cloch: Irish, a stone), chief of Cairbre, now the barony of Carbery, in the county Sligo. This name has been anglicised "Stone" and "Stoney."

2. MacDiarmada or MacDermott, chief of Tir Oliolla, now the barony of Tirerill, in the county Sligo. The MacDermotts were also princes of Moylurg, in the county Roscommon, in South Connaught. They afterwards became princes of Coolavin, as successors to the O'Garas, lords of Coolavin; and to the present day, as the only family of the Milesian Clans who have preserved their ancient titles, retain the title of "Prince of Coolavin." (See the "MacDermott" pedigree.)

3. MacDonchaidh or MacDonogh, a branch of the MacDermotts, afterwards chiefs of Tirerill and of Corran, now the barony of "Corran" in Sligo. O'Donchathaigh is given by O'Dugan as a chief in Corran; this name has been anglicised O'Donogh.

4. O'Dubhalen or O'Devlin, another chief in Corran.

5. O'Headhra or O'Hara, chief of Luighne, now the barony of "Lieney" in the county Sligo; but Lieney anciently comprised part of the baronies of Costello and Gallen in Mayo. The O'Haras were descended from Olioll Olum, King of Munster in the third century. In the reigns of Queen Anne and George the First, the O'Haras were created "Barons of Tirawley and Kilmain," in the county Mayo.

6. O'Gadhra or O'Gara, given by O'Dugan as chief of Lieney, but in aftertimes Lord of Cuil-O'bh-fionn, now the barony of "Coolavin," was of the same stock as the O'Haras and O'Briens, kings of Thomond.

7. O'Ciernachain or Kernighan and O'Huathmharain (O'Horan or O'Haran), other chiefs in Lieney.

8. O'Muiredhaigh or O'Murray, chief of Ceara, now the barony of "Carra," in the county Mayo; and also chief of the Lagan, a district in the northern part of the barony of Tirawley, in Mayo.

9. O'Tighearnaigh or O'Tierney, a chief in Carra.

10. O'Gormog (modernized O'Gorman), another chief in Carra.

11. O'Maille or O'Malley, chief of Umhall, which O'Dugan states was divided into two territories. This territory, whose name is sometimes mentioned as Umalia and Hy-Malia, comprised the present baronies of Murrisk and "Burrishoole," in the county Mayo. The O'Malleys are of the same descent as the O'Connors, Kings of Connaught; and seem to have been great mariners. Of them O'Dugan says:

"A good man yet there never was

Of the O'Malleys, who was not a mariner;

Of every weather ye are prophets;

A tribute of brotherly affection and of friendship."

Of this family was the celebrated heroine Graine-Ni-Mhaille [Grana Wale] or Grace O'Malley, widow of O'Flaherty, wife of Rickard an Iarain Bourke, and daughter of the chief "O'Malley" (see the "Bourkes," Lords Viscounts Mayo, pedigree); who, in the reign of Elizabeth, commanded her fleet in person, performed many remarkable exploits against the English.

12. O'Talcharain, chief of Conmaicne Cuile, now the barony of Kilmain, co. Mayo. The following chiefs and clans, not given in O'Dugan, have been collected from other sources:—

1. O'Caithniadh (or O'Catney), chief of Iorras, now the barony of "Erris," in Mayo.

2. O'Ceallachain or O'Callaghan, chiefs in Erris; this family was not of the O'Callaghans of Munster.

3. O'Caomhain (see the "Cowan" pedigree), a senior branch of the O'Dowd family, and chiefs of some districts on the borders of Sligo and Mayo, in the baronies of Tireragh, Corran, and Costello.

4. O'Gaibhtheachain or O'Gaughan; and O'Maoilfhiona or O'Molina, chiefs of Calraighe Moy Heleog—a district comprising the parish of "Crossmolina," in the barony of Tyrawley, and county Mayo.

5. O'Gairmiallaigh or O'Garvaly, and O'Dorchaidhe or O'Dorchy, chiefs of Partraigh or Partry; an ancient territory at the Partry Mountains in Mayo, the situation of which the present parish of "Party" determines (see the "Darcy" pedigree).

6. O'Lachtnain or Loughnan (by some of the family anglicised "Loftus"), chiefs of the territory called "The Two Bacs," now the parish of Backs, situated between Lough Conn and the river Moy, in Mayo.

7. O'Maolfoghmair, anglicised "Milford;" and O'Maolbrennain, anglicised "Mulrennin," chiefs of Hy-Eachach Muaidhe, a district extending along the western bank of the river "Moy," between Ballina and Killala.

8. O'Mongan or O'Mangan, chiefs of Breach Magh—a district in the parish of Kilmore Moy, on the eastern bank of the Moy, in the co. Sligo.

9. O'Conniallaln or O'Connellan, chief of Bun-ui-Conniallan, now "Bonnyconnellan"—a district in the barony of Gallen, county Mayo; and also of Cloonconnellan, in the barony of Kilmain.

10. O'Ceirin or O'Kearns, chiefs of Ciarraighe Loch-na-Nairneadh—a territory in the barony of Costello, county Mayo, comprising the parishes of Aghamore, Bekan, and Knock.

The other clans in Mayo and Sligo were: O'Bannen, O'Brogan, Mac Conbain, O'Bean (ban: Irish, white), some of whom have anglicised the name "White" and "Whyte;" O'Beolan or O'Boland; O'Beirne, some of whom have anglicised their name "Barnes;" O'Flatelly, O'Crean, O'Carey, O'Conachtain or O'Conaty of Cabrach or Cabra in Tireragh; O'Flanelly, O'Coolaghan, O'Burns, O'Hughes; O'Huada or Heady, O'Fuada or Fodey (fuadach: Irish, an elopement), and O'Tapa or Tappy (tapadh: Irish, haste)—these three last sirnames have been anglicised "Swift;" O'Loingsy or O'Lynch; O'Maolmoicheirghe (moch: Irish, early), anglicised "Early" and "Eardly;" O'Mulrooney or Rooney, O'Moran, O'Muldoon, O'Meehan, O'Caffrey or Caffrey, O'Finnegan, O'Morrisey, O'Morris or O'Morrison; MacGeraghty, anglicised "Garrett;" O'Spillane, O'Donnell, and MacSweeney.

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