The Cenél
Enda (nEnda, nEnnae, Énna or Eanna) - southern
Co. Donegal and northern Fermanagh. The Cenél n-Enda mic Neill were
noted west of Loch Erne (Book of Lecan).
In the 5th century Enda,
the youngest son of Niall of the Nine Hostages
received territory which extended from the river Errity to Barnesmore, barony
of Tir Hugh, to Sruell in the
barony of Banagh, county of Donegal. The
north-western limit was Farnagh in the parish of Aughnis, barony of Kilmacrenan.
The eastern limit of his lands was the river Finn. From Eanna (Enda), son of Niall
of the Nine Hostages, descended the Cenél Eanna, Kings of Magh
Ith, Tir Eanna and Fanad in present day Co.
Donegal until dispossessed of their territories by the expansion of the Cenél
Chonaill septs in the 12th century. Magh
Ithe was the first recorded battle in Ireland myths (2071 BC).
There was a Cenel Enda sept in the Lough Swilly-Foyle
area, with thirty quarterlands south of Inishowen. Another related? sept settled
near the hill of Uisneach, in Co. Westmeath.
O'Flanagan (Ó Flannagáin), of the same line as O'Connor, is given as chiefs
of Tuath Ratha (Toora) and of the barony
of Magheraboy in Co. Fermanagh.
Throughout
the 11th and 12th centuries the Kings
of Fermanagh - O'hEignigh, O'Maolruanaidh and O'Dubhdara - were drawn from
the Airghialla, its Clann
Lugainn branch, which is stated in the early genealogies to go back to one
of the three Collas, i.e. Colla Fochríth.
The O'Heany or Hegney
(Ó hEignigh) and Mulrooney (Maolruanaidh)
septs were noted as kings of Fermanagh (Fer Manach) until becoming tributary to
the Maguires (Meicc h-Uidir. or Mag Uidhir) around 1202.
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