MacDonald | Clan Donald
O'Maoilmiadhaig, Mulvey Chief of Magh Neise or Nisi, a district, which lay along the river Shannon in the west of Leitrim, near Carrick-on-Shannon. The clans in the counties of Cavan and Leitrim, not given by O'Dugan, are collected from other sources. Several other clans in various parts of Cavan, as O'Murray, MacDonnell, O'Conaghy , Conaty, O'Connell , Connell, MacManus, O'Lynch, MacGilligan, O'Fay, MacGafney, MacHugh, O'Dolan, O'Drum, etc Chiefs in Kildare- O'Colgan , MacDonnell, O'Dempsey, and O'Dunn Chief of Clan Celleagh, now the Barony of Clankelly, Fermanagh. The MacMahons succeeded the above Chiefs, as Lords of Corca Baisgin; and possessed the greater part of the baronies of Moyarta and Clonderlaw, in the county Clare. In O'Brien's Dictionary these MacMahons and MacDonnells are given as branches of the O'Briens, the posterity of Brian Boru; and, therefore, of quite a different descent from the MacMahons, princes and Lords of Monaghan, and the MacDonnells, earls of Antrim, and the MacDonnells of Kilkee, county Clare, who were of the race of Clan Colla. Dalcassians Antrim, Clare The Provinces Desmond and Thomond (Munster)
In Desmond, the Suibhnes (MACSWEENEY) were Military commanders under the MacCarthys, who, in the thirteenth century, brought a body of them from Tirconnell or Donegal, where they were celebrated as Chiefs under the O'Donnells; and hence the head of the clan was styled MacSuibhnena-dTuadh or MacSweeney of the Battle Axes. In Munster, the MacSweeneys had the parish of Kilmurry, in the Barony of Muskerry, and had their Chief castle at Clodagh, near Macroom, and had also Castlemore in the parish of Movidy. They are from the race of Cas- the Dalcassians or the Eugenians of Clan Cian. Of the Eugenians, two groups, the Eugenian Eile and the Eugenian Ciannachta were families that are legendary in the Fenian Cycle. Fiachra who was destined to Munster on a mission from Connacht never returned. His son Dathi followed Niall's lead before Niall became the king of Meath at Tara and his sons forefound the Northern Branch of Tyrone and another at Donegal where the kindred of Saint Columba arrive as members of an abbot branch, the Abbots of Iona or Dunkeld. Amongst the king of Scots Duncan I is slain by MacBeth to Alexander III. On the northern side at Tyrone (Fermanagh), the Heremon line is neither Eber nor Ir. Niall is succeeded by Dathi, the son of Fiachra-heroed for succeeding faith. The Eugenians ruled as kings over Desmond or South Munster having both Eberian and Ithian tribes. The Dalcassians: Cormac Cas (The O'Briens) and Eoghan Mor (The MacCarthy) were alternate ancestors and a third and fourth- Ciann and Taig (O'Carolls) from which Eoghanacht (the Eugenians) of Thomond come from Oilill Olum.
The Annals of 1267 record a Murrough MacSweeney who was the grandson of Suibhne O'Neill, a chieftain in Argyle, Scotland. He had been the first of the galloglasses to be brought across to Ireland. His descendants naturalized and three septs were established in Donegal by the 14th century, moving south to Cork after 1500. Although many Scottish MacNeills came to Ireland with the 17th century plantation of Ulster, one sept, originally galloglasses, was established in Antrim 300 years earlier.
Niall Mór McSwyney (Mac Sweeney) was, according to the Four Masters, one of the most eminent members of the Clan McSwyne of Banagh, or indeed Tirconaill. He died at his castle at Rahan, St. John's Point, Dunkineely, on the 14th of December 1524.
Niall Mór was buried within the precincts of the Franciscan Church at Ballysaggart, St. John's Point, which his father, had founded and built for the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order.
Rosguill, a promontory (or Ross) in the barony of Kilmacrenan, co. Donegal, between Sheep Haven and Mulroy bay, i.e. in the parish of Mevagh.
The Clan Donnell of Connaught and Leinster are descended from Somerled, the son of Alastair Og. It is important to genealogical researchers to distinguish the Somerled from his nephew Somerled of Tyrone, son of Black John, son of Alistair Og. We know little about Somerled, son of Alastair Og, but there are distinct traces of his descendants where they became Captains of Galloglach. It is probable that Somerled, son of Alastair Og MacDonnell was Constable of O'Connors Galloglach. The Castle of Tyneklll. south of Dublin, was in the ownership of the MacDonalds of Connaught and Leinster. It was after their progenitor Alasdair Og, had opposed Robert Bruce on his way to the Scottish Throne, that these families went to Ireland. They'd had connections there; in 1202 Alasdair Og and his father Angus Mor had a safe-conduct for purposes of commerce in Ireland. The Historical Manuscript of 1450 identifies Alasdalr Og's grandson there, a Somerled of the mid-14th Century; and his descendants are traced during the 14th, 15th and 16th Centuries, through the Irish 'Annals of Loch Ce' and The Annals of the Four Masters, as Captains of Gallogiachs and Kernes, in Connaught.
The true position of Marcus as the son of Somerled is confirmed by, an entry in tile Books of Ballymote and Lecan which is couched in the following terms, "Marcus MacSomerly Mic Alexander Mic Angus Mor MacDonnell. Marcus assumed tile role of commander of O'Connor's Galloglachs when his brother, Donald Og MacDonnell was slain in 1388. He held this command for nine years. In 1397, hostilities broke out in the province of Connaught between O'Connor Roe and O'Connor Don, both of whose territories were in Roscommon. Marcus MacDonnell was the Commander of the Galloglachs under O'Connor Roe while MacDonouqh from Sligo went to the assistance of O'Connor Don. The forces of O'Connor Don were defeated with great slaughter. Thereupon O'Connor Don and MacDonough raised another army. Dougal, a son of Marcus, along with Felim O'Connor, son of Cathal Og O'Connor, vlsited Donegal to solicit the aid of O'Donnell in the fiqht. The O'Donnell and other chiefs of Tirconnell came to the assistance of O'Connor and MacDonnell helping them to vanquish their foes and waste their country with fire and sword, and compelling them to give hostages in security for their behavior in the future. The sons of Cathal Og, the people of Durnin and Marcus MacDonnell, Captain of Galloglachs marched to Carberry, and halted at Lissadill in the country of the MacDonough.
O'Donnell the Chief of Donegal, came with a small force of cavalry to settle the dispute, to be followed by a number of Irish clans, who assembled in the interests of the defeated O'Connor Don and MacDonough. The cavalry of the sons of Cathal Og O'Connor advanced toward them on the way to Sliqo. An arm of the sea was on their left hand, the stream of Bun Brenoige was on the riqht. A fierce and bloody battle ensued which resulted in disaster to the sons of Cathal Og O'Connor, in which Marcus MacDonnell, Captain of O'Connor's Galloqlach, and his son Dougall MacDonnell were left dead upon the field with a large number of Galloglach. After the death of Marcus MacDonnell, the last surviving son of Somerled, son of Alisdair Og, his position as head of O'Connor's warriors appears to have been taken by Somhairle Buidhe, son of Marcus. This Somerled accompanied Brian O'Connor on a raid into Tlr Oilella in 1398. Having heen left by their own people with only a few companions, they, were unexpectedly attacked by a superior force, and Somerly was slain at Cnoc-in-Crona.
Clan Colgann and Clan Colgann MacTire- was the O'Donnells, that is the kingship of Tirconnell and Donegal. A priesthood was founded somewhere around Iona. After the 1200's, Somerled, an ancestor of the MacDonalds, a Domnall oge O'Donnell married a MacDonald of the Isles and a Mac Suibhne from Kintire. Somerled was opposed by the Stewarts of Renfrew in 1164. A summoning was sent to Somerled Dougal - Somerled's own son by his wife, the daughter of the Manx King - to move so he might be "King over the Isles". They were known by Clan Ross to be two families for centuries, the O Cananains and the O Muldoraighs. Later MacSuibhnes settled in Donegal as Gallowglasses. The families there that settled Donegal whom were a branches of the O'Donnells originated as a separate family in 1303. 'Gaelic Renaissance' under Somerled or a great dichotomy which later formed in Scotland was between the Gaelic Scots (who came over the following centuries to be generally restricted to the Highlands and Hebrides) and the Lowland Anglo-Scots, with the displacement of Scottish Gaelic by Inglis - later renamed Scots - across the lowlands came to dominate the east coast and south of the country.
In or about the year 1420 Charles Tirlough MacDonald, the brother of Sumhairle Buidhe McDonnell migrated with a hand of followers from O'Kelly's Country in South Galway into Leinster and founded the Galloglagh, under the O'Kellys of Maine, a region on the border of Leitrim and Cavan. In 1419 Charles MacDonnell and his son escaped from a battle at the mouth of Ath Lighen with MacWilliam Bourke and his connection with the O'Kellys appears to have come to an end. Soon after this Charles, son of Marcus and his son, John Carrach, migrated to Queens County, in all probability accompanied by a large number of their tribe. These settlers soon acquired a considerable tract of country including Tynekill Castle at the base of the boundary of the mountains of Leix and Wicklow, which forms a part of the boundary of the English Pale, their lands being known for ages as the Clan Donnell Country. The position taken by Charles and his son, John Carrach, thus became defined as the necessities of their English neighbors. They became Constables of the Pale or wardens of the Marshes, and were permitted to appropriate the extensive tract of country with which they were connected for upwards of two hundred years...
Charles Tirlough MacDonald, son of Marcus MacDonnell, the first of the Clan Donald of Leinster, died in 1435 and was succeeded by his son, John Carragh. Charles (Thurlough) Og McDonald, died 1503. He was the son of John Carrogh (Thirlough Oge) McDonald and was the head of the house of Tennekill during the later half of the fifteenth century. The first that is found of him is the early years of the sixteenth century when the Clan Donald of Leinster was at war with the Burkes of Mayo. This contest was disastrous to the Clan Donald for in 1503 they were overtaken by a great and terrible overthrow in which most of their Galloglagh were slain, and Charles Turlough Og, their captain, fell upon the field of battle.
