Co. Cavan

8 baronies, The Uí Briuin Breifne.

Ancient Brefney bore the name of Hy Briuin Breifne, from its being possessed by the race of Brian, King of Connaught, in the fourth century, brother of Niall of the Nine Hostages, and son of Eochy Moyvane, Monarch of Ireland from A.D. 357 to 365, and of the race of Heremon. That Brian had twenty-four sons, whose posterity possessed the greater part of Connaught and were called the "Hy-Briuin race." Of this race were the O'Connors, kings of Connaught; O'Rourke, O'Rielly, MacDermott, MacDonogh, O'Flaherty, O'Malley, MacOiraghty (MacGeraghty, or Geraghty), O'Fallon, O'Flynn (of Connaught), MacGauran, MacTiernan, MacBrady or Brady, etc. Septs of the Uí Neill

The Masraige tribe were the inhabitants of Magh Slécht at the time of St. Patrick. It was this tribe who supplied the ancient Druids and High Priests of the god Crom Cruaich and their successors the Christian priests. Saint Dallan Forgaill, the Chief Ollamh or Poet of Ireland was a member of the tribe. History is vague as to what happened to them. They survived at least until the coming of the Uí Bhriuin in 700 A.D. who then dispossessed them and took control of Tullyhaw. The word Masraige means "Kings of Death", which may be related to their worship of Crom. The High King most connected with the worship of Crom was King Tighernmas. Again his name means "Lord of Death". There is another standing stone also named Crom Crúaich in Drumcoo townland, County Fermanagh. Saint Tirechan's memoir of Saint Patrick, written in 670 A.D. known as the "Breviarium." which is preserved in the "Book of Armagh.

 

Castlerahan

  • A Ciannachta tribe of the Luigne are noted here in the 8th century. The Book of Ballymote mentions the Glasraighe in Luigne of Meath, in the midland region of Ireland.

  • Located in the barony is the parish of Munterconnaght, named from Cu Connaght Ua Raghallaigh (O'Reilly).

  • St. Carthage founded his monastery of Rahan about 590, and soon had hundred of disciples. At length, Blathmaic, a Meathian prince, instigated by the neighbouring monks, ordered St. Carthage to leave Rahan. Journeying by Saigher, Roscrea, Cashel, and Ardfinnan, St. Carthage at length came to the banks of the River Blackwater, where he was given a foundation by the Prince of the Decies, and thus sprang up the episcopal city of Lios-mor, or Lismore, County Waterford. The diocese of Ossory, "Ireland's oldest bishopric", was probably co-terminus with the ancient kingdom of Ossory. Its present boundaries were set at the synod of Rathbreasail. It includes most of the county of Kilkenny

Clankee

  • A tribe of the Gaileanga are noted here in the 8th century. Located in western Co. Cavan and northern Co. Meath. The Mugdorna occupied this territory prior to 800 AD, when they were pushed out of Meath and into Monaghan and replaced by the Gailenga. The Gailenga Mora left their name in the barony of Morgallion (Machaire Gailenga, "the plain of the Gailenga") in County Meath. The O'Lohan or O'Loughan (Ui Leochaín) sept were lords of the Gailenga Mor before being driven across the Shannon after the arrival of the Normans. The Ua hAonghusa (O'Hennessy) sept of Gailenga Becc was located on the Co. Dublin/Meath border. The Gaileanga have an early genealogy tradition back to Ailella Auluimm (Oilill Olum).

  • It is named from the Clan Chaoch, a branch of the Uí Raghallaigh (O'Reilly) family.

Clanmahon

  • The descendants of Thomas O'Reilly, chief of East Breifne, were Lords of Clanmahon (Chloinne Mathghamhna) in the 15th century. Both Breffnys anciently formed part of Connaught, but the new county was incorporated with Ulster. Their territory extended deep into the modern counties of Meath and Westmeath. Cavan is partly in the diocese of Meath, and partly in that of Ardagh, but chiefly in that of Kilmore, and wholly in the ecclesiastical province of Armagh. It is divided into the eight baronies of Castleraghan, Clonmahon, Clonkee, Upper Loughtee, Lower Loughtee, Tullaghvarvey or Tullygarvey, Tullagnonoho, or Tullyhonco, and Tullaghagh or Tullyhaw.

  • The O'Sheridans are cited here serving under the Breffny O'Reillys.

  • Brian Boru, a member of the Dal Cais tribe, he was the brother of Mahon, who became King of Munster. The Eugenians
  • O'Faircheallaigh (O'Farrelly) and Mac Gaghrans were the hereditary Coarbs and Erenachs of Drumlane Abbey and St. Mogue, located near here. In a vigorous campaigning career Muircertach won victories over the invaders at sea on Strangford Lough in 926, took and burned Dublin in 939, ravaged the Norse settlements in the Scottish Isles with an Ulster fleet in 941 and died in combat in 943. Complete Viking towers can still be seen at Devenish and Antrim in Ulster, and Glendalough in Leinster, with others in various states of decay at Drumbo, Nendrum, Clones, Armoy, Drumlane, Tory Island and many other places. Malachy of Armagh, aged 29, would be appointed Bishop of Down and Connor in the North East. The Balckwater through Cavan has its source in a lake at Bailieborough Castle, and flows on by Virginia into Lough Ramor, whence it enters the county of Meath, and becomes a tributary to the Boyne. The origin of his cognomen Brian Boru (Tributes) is believed to relate to a crossing point on the river Shannon.
  • Mac Gilduff is cited as a chief of Teallach Gairbheith (Tullygarvey).

  • The O'Reilly clan held sway here and in much of the county.

  • The MacTullys are given as chiefs in the parish of Drung. The territory of the Uí Tuitre was also said to have included an area west of Lough Neagh (in modern co. Tyrone), as well as northwest of the great Lough in the modern barony of Loughinsholin, co, Derry. Loughinsholin itself is said to derive from the "lough of the island of the O'Lynns", i.e. the O'Flynn, chiefs of Uí Tuirtre. Groups of the Uí Tuitre were apparently driven east across the river Bann by the rise of the O'Cahans about the 12th century, and are later recorded in the central baronies of Co. Antrim, i.e. Toome and Antrim.
  • The Mac Tiernan's were chiefs in the barony of Tullyhunco. The Inishowen Peninsula of Co. Donegal was originally part of the Kingdom of Tirowen (Tyrone) and ruled by Cenél Eoghain septs. A sept in Co. Leitrim closely related to the O'Rourkes, Lords of Breffny, also assumed the suname MacLochlainn from an ancestor named Lochlan. This sept appears in the State Papers of 1591 as one of the chief fighting forces of the O'Rourke chieftains who "shared the lands of Ylaugh and Cleanlough in Co. Leitrim as their inheritance" with the MacMorrices and the MacTiernans of Clann Tiernan. Names of the five baronies in O'Rourke's country, viz., in Mynterolles, two baronies called Leitrim and Moyghell. Some believe all of the MacTiernans were descended from the MacTiernan of Tellach Dunchadha sept in Cavan County. In the Linea Antiqua these families are clearly labeled "MacTiernan." Then the MacTiernans of Leitrim were probably the line labeled MacTiernan Naban in the Linea Antiqua: Mac Tigearnain - (1) a branch of the O'Connors in co. Roscommon, who are descended from Tigearnan, grandson of Turlogh Mor O'Connor, King of Ireland. (2) of a Breifney family, of the same stock as the O'Rourkes, who were formerly chiefs of Tellach Dhunchadha, now the barony of Tullyhunco, in the west of Co. Cavan (3) of a Fermanagh family, of the same stock as the Maguires, who were formerly chiefs of Clann Fearghaile.

  • Drumahaire line

  • In 1470, the Annals speak of Tullyhunco [Teallach Donnchadha] as MacTiernan's country. A section of Connacht and Ulster was known as the Kingdom of Bréifne which covers both Co Leitrim and Co Cavan. West Bréifne covers all of Co Leitrim and the two baronies in Co Cavan, Tullyhunco and Tullyhaw.

  • The Teallach Dhunchadha (Household of Dunchadh) or MacTernans (Mac Tighearain), also known as Tierans or MacKierans (Mac Thighearnain) descend from Dunchadh ( of Waterford, Thomond and Fermanagh), eighth-century ancestor of the O’Rourkes.
  • The Mac Gauran (Mac Govern) were chiefs in the barony of Tullaghagh (Tullyhaw) Armagh. Their territory was known as Teallach Eachdhach and they were chiefs there from the 12th to the 16th century. The Dál nDruithne are described in the Book of Uí Maine as a branch of the Catraighe (an ancient tribal group) who were centered by the river Suca (Suck) in Hy Maine. It is also referred to as Druithnia, a quo Dál nDruithni in Connacht. O'Hart cites O'Docomlain, chiefs of Eidhnigh; and O'Gabhrain or O'Gauran, chiefs of Dal Druithne, districts about Loughrea.

  • According to Ptolemy, this tract, Cavan, with the districts included in the adjacent counties of Leitrim and Fermanagh, was occupied by the Erdini, traces of which name are yet preserved in that of Lough Erne and the river Erne, upon which and their tributaries these districts border. When the county was partitioned into its seven baronies, five went to members of the O'Reilly sept, and the other two, more remotely situated in the mountains and on the border of O'Rorke's country (Leitrim), were possessed by the septs of Mac Kernon and Mac Gauran.

  • The homeland of the O'Droma (Drum) family is cited near here in the parish of Kinawley, a parish which extends into southern Co. Fermanagh. O'Gairbh (Maghnus), chieftain of Feara-Droma.

  • Teallach Eachdhach O'Dugan cites Mag Samhradhain (Magauran) over Teallach Eachdhach, now the barony of Tullyhaw in co. Cavan. Their genealogy is said to derive from Uí Briuin lineage. The Teallach Eachach or MacGoverns (Mag Shamhradhain, also known as Magaurans, descend from Eochaidh, son of Maonach (Maonach was a brother of the Dunchadh). Dunchadha wasn't an ancestor of the Ruarc - a quo O'Rourke - but of the teallach Dunnchadha or Mac Thighearnain line.

 

  • The Mac Bradys were a prominent clan in Breifne. They held jurisdiction over territory to the east of Cavan town.

  • In the 9th to the mid-13th centuries the O Ruairc (O'Rourke) were chief Kings of Breifne which included counties Cavan and Leitrim.

  • The O'Reilly clan were dominant in Cavan beginning in the mid-13th century and their territory was Muinter Maoilmordha, or Breifne O'Reilly.

  • Cavan is partly in the diocese of Meath, and partly in that of Ardagh, but chiefly in that of Kilmore, and wholly in the ecclesiastical province of Armagh. For civil purposes it is divided into the eight baronies of Castleraghan, Clonmahon, Clonkee, Upper Loughtee, Lower Loughtee, Tullaghvarvey or Tullygarvey, Tullagnonoho, or Tullyhonco, and Tullaghagh or Tullyhaw.

  • Cenél Tigernaich, of the Cenél Éoghain. Tigernach, son of Muiredach and grandson of Eoghan was the progenitor of this clan, although the Book of Ballymote cites a Cenél Tigearnaigh as the race of Tigearnach, son of Eoghan, son of Niall.