Clan Muircheartaigh Uí Conchobhair

The 'Clan Muircheartaigh Uí Conchobhair (aka Clan Murtagh O'Connors) were descendants of Irish High-King Toirdelbach Ua Conchobair, via his son, Muircheartach Muimhneach (d.1210). They have been defined by Katherine Simms as:

... the earliest, most aristocratic and best documented example of increasing nomadism in the northern half of Ireland in the late middle ages. ... In spite of the fact that they were a very numerous branch of the O'Conor family, who supplied five kings to the throne of Connacht, they seem to have vanished away in the early fifteenth century, never to be heard of again.

Clan Muircheartaigh Kings of Connacht

Short history

The family held an overlord position in south Mayo, possibly conterminous with the Diocese of Mayo, prior to the Norman occupation of Connacht by Richard Mór de Burgh. Thereafter they attempted with short periods of success to contest for the title of the rump-Kingdom of Connacht in the King's Cantreds with their cousins, the descendants of Cathal Crobhdearg Ua Conchobair. From the 1290s their main base of activity was in West Breifne. After the 1360s their standing was greatly reduced and they returned to County Roscommon as supporters of the O'Conor Roe, gradually fading into obscurity.

Family tree (simplified)

                        Tairrdelbach, King of Connacht & Ard Rí na hÉireann, 1088-1156.
                                  |
    ______________________________|____________________________________________
   |                              |                                           |
   |                              |                                           |
   Ruaidrí			Muirchertach Muimnech			Cathal Crobhdearg, 1153-1224,
 c.1115-1198  	      		Tainiste of Connacht		      Kg. 1202-24. 	
 King of Connacht,                d.1210                       Ancestor of Ó Conchubhair Ruadh & Ó Conchubhair Donn          			
 & Ard Rí na hÉireann    	      |                      	
    				  |
				Conor Ruad, d.1245
    ______________________________|____________________________________________
    |                                                                         |
    |                                                                         |
    Cathal Ruad							  Maghnus
    Kg. Conn. 1280-88; 1293                                              Kg. Conn 1288-1293
    |
    |________________________________________________________
    |                               |                       |
    |                               |                       |
    Conor Ruad  		 Aodh Breifnech   	  Ruaidri
    claimant. 1296	         Kg. Conn. 1309-10	  Kg. Conn. 1315-16                      	
    				    |
        ____________________________|____________________________
        |                               |                       |
 	Aodh	 	          Cathal		    Ruaidri
 	Kg. Conn. 1342-43	      Tainiste 	  	        Tainiste
        d.1350			       d.1366			d.1380

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 8/13/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.