Irish History Synopsis:The Connors of Connacht

The Connors of Connacht

Rory O Connor Last King of Ireland died in 1206.

At the time the kingdom of Connacht was held by Cahall Carrach
OConnorh his eldest son.

Rory the former and last king of Ireland with opposition had a son
called Cahall Carragh his ligitimate heir.This Carragh was able to
banish Cahall Crobhderg [hand or talon red] O Connor (bh is pronounced
v in irish hence the english write v)]
This prince went north to his relative O Neale where they joined
forces along with Fernmanagh and in 1200 they preyed Roscommon
district.
Carragh with the English of Leinster also preyed the country. He
overthrow O Neall accompied by the English forces under William Power
and the king of Fernmanagh O Heignye.

Crovderg O Conner with De Lacy and De Coursy met Carragh with his
Irish/English forces where they were overthrown by Carragh.
De Courseys forces with his men who were disoriented and lost took
to Loch Ree where many of them were drowned being without help.
Crovederg was captured and taken to theO Brian castle near Kells till
he gave back the prey. He did so and when he was released he went to
McCarthy and William Burke in the south. John de Coursey returned to
Ulster.
The forces of Crovderg along with Burke and mcCarthy returned to
Connacht to Ath da Laragh at the Abby of Boyle built by O Duffy in
1161 for the Cistercian Order.

This force was encountered by Cahall Carragh O Connor king of Connacht
son of Rory O Connor last king of all Ireland at Gortin Coule Luachra
when in the skirmish Carragh was killed in the year 1201.

Crovederg and Burke than went to W Connact to Conge [Counge] where
they kept Easter.
During this period these allies Burke and the sons of Flatherty
conspired to kill Crovederg though this was prevented and Burke
retired to Lymbrick[Limerick] and Crovderg took the kingship of
Connacht to himself.
Later in the following year 1202 Crovederg with Meyler Bremyngham an
English lord banished William Burke out of Limerick from whence he
went to England to the king John for help.These forces ,Burke and
Crobhderg, later made a peace between them.
In 1208 King John came to Ireland and landed with a great army at
Dublin. Cahall Crobhderg O Connor came to Johns house to banish
Walter de Lacy out of Meath.
O Neal came to John and departed from him without giving hostages or
security.

O Connor came a second time to King John and rendered 4 hostages
namely Conor God O Hara prince of Lauiane[ Lwayne], Dermott mac
Connor O Moyleronie[ Mulrony], Finn O Carmaccan chief of Clan Kelly
and Torveara m Gallgoyle.
In 1210 the tanist of Connact died.this was Mortaigh MOYNEIGH M
TERLAGH and ONeale came to Fernmanagh to stop construction of a
castle by the Erne He did this by killing the builders and the
constable.

In this year also 1210 Cobhderg O Connor became deathly ill and could
not stand but he recovered and he spent Christmas with the Deputy of
Ireland in Dublin.

In 1212 ONeale and all his forces of the North assaulted the Clone
Castle built by and English Bishop which he took and killed all the
warders.
At that time Melaghlin M Art was preying Connacht and the
countryside.All the forces of the English of Ulster Munster and Meath
with the Irish forces bound to the King of England gathered together
at the bridge of Timme where the 2 forces fought at Clare ath Monce
[Kildare].these combined forces prevailed against Melaghlin of Meath.

Crobhderg's son Terlagh M Cahall Crobhderg O Connor died under arrest
of the English . Cathal Melaghlin attacked again and returned safely
to his home with his prey from Connacht. In the Year 1217 Crobhderg's
wife the daughter [ingen] of More OBryens died as did King John of
England.the reign of Hnery III began and continued for 65 years till
1282

.Crobhderg gathered his forces once more in 1223 The English who being
afraid of this confrontation made a peace with him at the castle of
Athliag on the Shannon [sionan]Crobhderg than broke down this castle.
In this year shortly ,after Cahall Crovderg O Connor died at Broyeoll
a Cistercian Abby at Knockmoy. He had been very bountiful to the
Church and reverent and died a rich man. His son Hugh m Cahall
Crobhderg
OConnor bcame king of Connacht.This did not end the OConnor stuggle
against the English.

Hugh had to provide hostages, his son and daughter which were taken
by force by the English along with all the principle men of Connacht.
Hugh was charged with criminal activity and was to be convicted but
he had a friend in high places William Mareschall{Morisco} who was
in great favor with the king and by the sword rescued Hugh Crobhderg
and conveyed him safely to Connacht.
Hugh O Connor came to an agreement with Geoffry March-the Earl of
March- who had prosecuted him and was restord his kingdom of
Connacht.He subsequently went to the Deputies house where he was
killed by an English servant of Marches.The cause of this killing of
the king was that the mans wife had washed the kings hair and body
and he, the king, had kissed her in gratitude for her services. this
enraged a jelousy in the man . March had this servant Hung the next
day.

Hughs brother Felym took the kingship of Connact in 1230.


The battle continued between Felym O Connor and the sons of Rory
OConnor for the kingship of Connact

This internicene fued continued up until the time of Brian ONealle
who it was agreed Brian should have the kingship of all Ireland
between O Connor and ONealle at Casle Coile Ushe. O Connor gave him
hsotages.

In 1260 Brian with his forces fought the English at Downe da leath
glasse [down patrick] in county down where he was killed with 10 of
the princes of the north and 15 Ulster chiefs.Connacht lost 13
princes and leaders.

The O Connor tribes continued to battle over the rule of the province
of Connacht for another two centures and it is amasing that any of
them survived at all.

Brian is buried in the Armagh cathederal along with Brian Boroue and
this date represents the last chance of an all Ireland king
acceptable to all without opposition. This ended effectivly the unity
of Ireland under one central leader and government structure. The
province steadily decended into internicene killing of brother
against brother to obtain the rule of the province until the vacumn
was finally filled with the intergection of Henry 8 and his daughter
Elizabeth 2 who moved to take absolute control of the Irish
countryside and her people though subjection and regrant.with the
fall of the Great and last ONealle at Kinsale
James Stuart of Scotland son of Mary Queen of Scots and James
Darnley who became by Elizabeths will King of England as James 1 was
able to establish the plantation system begun by his cousin Mary in
Offaly the plantation of Kings county and Queens county.

Cahall Crobhderg O Connor was the decendant of Eochaid Mugmean[ Muid
meadon}` through his son by Mongfinn{ hair blond} through her son
Brian ,half brother of Nial of the 9 hostages.
Mongfinn was the sister or child of Crimethann whom she poisoned
after she had married him on the death of MugMean who died from a
flux of the belly [dysentry] they were the children of Fidach who was
chief of the Fianna and Duban who reamins unidentified..She is also
listed as the mother of Fearadach Finn who was the grandfather of ST
Molling of the Barrow.The dates of these people is still unclear. as
are all dates as we dont know exactly when the time changed from BC
to AD anni Domino

Judi Donnelly
Copyright August 1 2007






Sat Apr 21, 2007 6:20 pm