The Céili Dé (Servants of God) monastic order, founded in Tallaght by St Mael Rúain (d. 792) certainly approved of celibacy and in the Martyrology of Óengus they believed that a priest could not baptise anyone if they had sexual intercourse. `baptism comes not from him, after visiting his nun (nonna).' The term `nun' derives from the Latin nonnus and nonna originally applied as terms of respect for elderly people. For example, most Italian speakers will easily recognise the modern terms nonno and nanna (grandfather and grandmother respectively). The same idea occurs in Old and Middle Irish when the word caillech was used for a nun. An abbess was a cenn caillech. It also became the word for a `veil' obviously from its religious connection.
The Céile Dé, (Culdees) which movement had lasted into the 14th Century in parts of Gaelic Scotland, were often married. `This movement consisted of both lay people and ordained, many of whom were married, who wanted to recover the lost traditions of their spiritual ancestors, and thus bring new life into their own churches and monasteries.' The marriages among the Céili Dé had been remarked back in the late 15th, early 16th Century by Canon Alexander Myln (1474-1548) of Dunkeld who wrote his Dunkeldensis Ecclesiae Episcoporum, c. 1516. His text has been edited by T. Thomson for the Bannatyne Club 1823-31. A Century before this period, in Ireland, some Kings like Cormac mac Cuileannáin (836-908) were not simply Kings but, in Cormac's case was Bishop of Cashel as well as King of Cashel. He married Gormflaith, daughter of the High King, Flann Sionna mac Maelsechnaill (879-916). Indeed, he was not the first King at Cashel to fulfil a religious role. Fergus Scandal mac Crimthain Airthir Chliach (d. AD 583) was also abbot of Imleach (Emly). Cenn Fáelad gua Mugthigirn (d. 872) not only became King at Cashel but also was another abbot of Imleach, as, indeed, his uncle, Rechtabra (d. 819) had been. Cenn Fáelad's son Eoghan, was not elected to the kingship but succeeded his father as abbot of Imleach. However, Olchobar mac Cináeda (d. 851) succeeded as both King as well as abbot. Certainly, in the annals we find references to the sons of abbots of Imleach, such as Mescell son of Abbot Cumasach. While Emly was important for the Munster ruling house of the Eóghanacht, it is interesting that when the Dál gCais (the Úí Fidgente of the Fidelma stories) had a king on the throne of Cashel in 786 in the person of Olchobar mac Flainn (d. 796/7) he was also abbot of Inis Carthaigh (Scattery Island), baronage of Cork.
Some of the Scottish Culdees were among those who were appointed to be the diocesan bishops in the twelfth century. From County Roscommon, the Sil Mailruain (Saggart Parish) held a large district in the barony of Ballintubber, comprising the parishes of Kilkeeran, Kilkeevin, Kiltullagh, and in County Galway, the parish of Ballynakill. The Síl Mailruanaidh of Breifne, alias Uí Floinn led by the O'Flynns of Desmond (of Slieve Ui Fhloinn or O'Flynns Mountain) hence Clan Teige, Clondermot, Clan Cian, septs of Hy-Many, in the 12th century were in Southwest Derry. (Sieges of Galway) This was within the traditional territory of the Uí Thuirtre and Fir Lí, west of the River Bann. Finn Ros, aka The Rosses, in Tirconnell, the land of the O Forananes and O Carnahanes, according to O'Brien's Irish Dictionary. In Scotland the Iona monks had been expelled by the Pictish king Nechtan son of Derile in 717, and the vacancies thus caused were by no means filled by the Roman monks who thronged into the north from Northumbria.
The Cenél Conaill:Since the early years of the Church, priests were often married, unlike monks who took a vow of chastity. As early as 386 AD, there was a popular movement for celibacy and St. Siricius issued a decree calling for a celibate priesthood. By the tenth or eleventh centuries, Italians had rioted for celibacy. . Pope Gregory VII (1073 - 1085) took up the cause, and Pope Urban II (elevated 1088 AD) took a strong position in favour of celibacy. The period 1029 - 1268 was the period when surnames first appeared in Ireland. There are similar surnames in Ireland, most notably Mac Airchinnaigh, or son-of-the-Herenagh. In one of these, the surname was taken from an ancestor named Donnchadha oirchindigh or Donnogh the herenagh fornamed from Leinster. This would be quite similar to a family basing its surname on a man named Maoil Brigdhe Mac an t-Saoir (as in the pedigree of the O'Brolchains).
The O'Brolchains, or O'Brolchans, a name often changed to Bradley, were a numerous clan near Derry, but originally of the Highland Kinel Feradaigh, in the south of Tyrone, and were a branch of the Kinel Owen- Mailcoluim O Brolchain was the Bishop of Armagh (died in 1122). A Mail brighte O Brolchain was the Bishop of Ardstraw in 1139 (i.e., Derry). Mailcoluim's son Flaithbertach O Brolchain was also Bishop of Armagh. Flaithbertach made the door of the church of Derry in 1155, and is also named as the Bishop of Derry. O Brolchains are Bishops of Ardstraw/Derry: Maol Coluim 1122 and Maol Bride 1139.
The Kingship of Tirconnell was held by two families for centuries, the O Cananains and the O Muldoraighs; then suddenly in around 1180 A.D., the O'Donnells came out of nowhere to claim the kingship of Tirconnell. This was just slightly after the heyday of Somerled, the ancestor of the MacDonalds, in Scotland. Shortly after 1200 A.D., we find Domnall oge O'Donnell marrying a MacDonald of the Isles and a Mac Suibhne from Kintire. And later the Mac Suibhne gallowglasses (Desmond commanders of Munster) were settled in Donegal under the O'Donnells. The O'Donnells of Donegal's arms also feature a hand holding a cross - and this is a clan emblem of ancient usage. The hand faces the other way but I'm not sure that means too much. There is a legend associated with their clan arms, that St. Patrick placed a cross on their ancestor's shield (Conal Gulban) and the image was burned into his shield.
By the time Bernard (St Bernard of Clairvaux (c.1090-1153) was writing, the Irish High Kings and, indeed, the Bishop of Rome had accepted Armagh, as the primacy, or chief ecclesiastical centre in Ireland. This was mainly due to the political intervention of the High King, Brían mac Cennétig (d. 1014) perhaps better known as Brían Bórumha. According to the Annals of Ulster, in 1005, Brían acknowledged Armagh as the primatial jurisdiction of Ireland for the first time. Bernard also knew St. Malachy (Mael Maedoc ua Morgair- AD 1094-1190) of Armagh. By the time Bernard was writing, the Irish High Kings and, indeed, the Bishop of Rome had accepted Armagh, as the primacy, or chief ecclesiastical centre in Ireland. Bernard points out that even `this primatial Holy See' was `held in hereditary succession for they (the Irish) suffered none to be bishops but those who were of their own tribe and family'. He mentions that the abbots and bishops of Armagh were married and fifteen bishops had succeeded by hereditary right at Armagh prior to the election of Archbishop Celsus. Not until 1101 at a Council at Cashel, convened by the High King Muirechertach Ua Bríain (d. 1119), who was not only High King but King of Munster (Muman), that the first serious moves were made to enforced clerical celibacy in Ireland. It was at this Council that Muirchertach handed over the historical royal lands of Cashel to the church `without any claim of layman or cleric upon it, but to the religious of Ireland in general'. Made for St Celsus, otherwise Cellach Mac Aodh (1079-1129) who inherited the bishopric of Armagh in 1105, a vacant celibacy- ordained and commissioned, surely a successor.
As surnames began to emerge in 11th and 12th Century Ireland, we find that Mac an Mhanaigh (MacEvanny) was `son of the monk'; that Mac an tSagairt (MacEntaggart in Fermanagh) was `son of the priest' (the same name as McTaggart in Scotland); that Mac Giolla Easpuig (MacGillespie) was `son of the bishop' and Mac Giolla Iosa (MacAleese) was `the son of the devotee of Jesus' - applied to the son of a religious leader. The rights and education of children of clerical marriages, as given in Brehon Law, has been studied in papers printed in Studies in Early Irish Law, published by the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, 1936. The Brehon laws survive in writing. We have many fragmentary texts from early Christian times and our earliest most complete text of the laws survive in the Lebar na h Uidri which was compiled at Clonmacnoise c. AD 1100. The chief scribe on this work was Mael Muire Mac Ceileachair who died in AD 1106. Yet it is perfectly clear that in many monasteries in Ireland, those habitants were families that were bound by blood.