Cruachan the Connacht region

In ancient lore the kingdom of Connacht was ruled from a ritual center at Cruachain Ai, near Rathcroghan between Belanagare and Elphin, in the County Roscommon. The Erdini, according to some authorities, were the inhabitants of this district Fermanagh in the time of Ptolemy; but Whitaker considers it to have been part of the Nagnatae.

County Tyrone was inhabited by the Scoti, which tribe extended itself over most of the inland regions; though some writers place the Erdini of Oriel here, as well as in the neighboring maritime county of County Donegal.

According to tradition, the Firbolg tribes ruled much of Connacht down to the third century. The ancient chronicles state that at the commencement of the 4th century the whole of Connaught was taken from the Firdomnians, a branch of the Firbolgs, who had held it till that time under the Milesians. Domnon and Domnann are place names in west and northwest Co. Mayo as referenced in a 7th century work by Tírechán.

Fearadhach Finnfeachtnach, son of Crimhthann Niadhnair, an early 1st century king of Ireland, was said to be the progenitor of the-race-of-Conn-Ceadchadhach (Conn of the Hundred Battles). Conn, a legendary king of Ireland in the 2nd century, was progenitor of the later ruling Connachta tribes (of Milesian descent) and the namesake for the kingdom of Connacht. (Connamera ) From Colla Meann descended the Mughdorna and the Dál Mennat. The Collas first went to their kin in Connaught [King Muiredeach] and there gathered a great army for the invasion of Ulster. The next ruler of note in Irish history was Conn of the Hundred Battles, son of Feidlimid, son of Tuathal. Conn had to take his throne from a usurper, Cathair Mor. Connacht is named for Conn. The king after Art was Lugaid until Art's son, Colmac was of age. Colmac's forces, in the yeare 240 AD, successfully invaded and held Alba for Ireland. According to the "Book of Lecan" the Sogain were descended from Sodain (Soghan Sal-bhuidhe), the son of Fiachra Araidh, King of Ulster about 240 AD. It would appear that they came to Galway about the 3rd century as they were well established there by St. Patrick's time. Other tribes in Ireland with genealogical connection to the Dál n-Araidhe included the Loígis of Leinster, and the Sogain of Connacht.

Regions or sub-divisions of Connacht 
-Kings 
Airrthir Connacht (eastern Connacht) 
h-Ua Maíne Connacht (Hy Many in southeast Connacht) 
Tuaisceirt Connacht (North Connacht) 
Luigne Connacht (part of Co. Sligo) 
Desceirt Connacht (South Connacht) 
Uachtar Connacht (Southern Connacht) 
Iarthaír Connacht (West Connacht, largely Connemara) 
Fiachrach Aidne (part of Co. Galway) 
Fiachrach Muaidhe (part of Co. Mayo) 
Ciaraidhe Connacht (relating perhaps to the ancient Ciarraige territory) 
Teora Connacht (the 'Three Connachts', anciently the Fir Domnann, the Fir Craibi and the Tuata Taitenthe. Later the Uí Fiachrach, Uí Ailello and Uí Briuin) 


The physical empire of the Romans separated the unruly Selgovae tribe in the north from the Brigantes in the south and discourage them from uniting. Simultaneously, the Scotti and Attacotti from Hibernia, and Saxons from Germany, landed in waves on the island's mid-western and south-eastern borders, respectively. Franks and Saxons also landed in northern Gaul. In the 2nd century Ptolemy created the first map of Hibernia (Ireland) which included information he had received from other sources and with possible origins back to the 1st century.



Certain Irish texts describe some of the early tribes or territories of Connacht

    • Fir Chraíbe
    • Tuatha Taíden
    • Gamanrad
    • Cattraige
    • Dál nDruithne
    • Gabraige Succa
    • Bolg Tuath Bagna (Badhna)
    • Domnainn
    • Clann Úmóir
In O'Flaherty's Ogygia, the Fir na Craibhe, Gamanraige and Tuatha Taiden were called Fir Olnegmact (fir Ól nÉcmacht), possibly an early name for Connacht(?). 
In early medieval times Connacht (or Connaught) contained within it the modern counties of Cavan (now part of Ulster), Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo.

 

Cavan - According to Ptolemy, this tract, with the districts included in the adjacent counties of Leitrim and Fermanagh, was occupied by the Erdini, designated in the Irish language Ernaigh, traces of which name are yet preserved in that of Lough Erne and the river Erne, upon which and their tributaries these districts border. This district, exclusively of the greater part of the present county of Fermanagh, formed also the ancient principality of Breifne. Both Breffnys in Leitrim and Fermanagh anciently formed part of Connaught, but the new county was incorporated with Ulster. East Breifne was often called Breifne O'Reilly, from its princes of chiefs having from remote ages borne that name: they were tributary to the O'Nial of Tirowen.

The Cenél Conaill -Son of Niall of the Nine Hostages, Conall Gulban, King of Tir Conaill or the Land of Conall (Tyrconnell, later Donegal) as the Southern Uí Neill / Cenél Fhiachaigh (Fiachach) and the ancient sub-kingdom of Brega as well as the royal sites of Tara, Knowth, and Lagore were also within its boundaries.

 

Galway - In the time of Ptolemy, this region was inhabited by the Auteri, who spread themselves also into the adjoining counties of Mayo and Roscommon. At a later, though still very remote date, it was thus parceled out among tribes or families;
 
Leitrim - According to Ptolemy, this tract, together with that comprised in the counties of Fermanagh and Cavan, was occupied by the Erdini, called in Irish "Ernaigh", who possessed the entire county bordering on Lough Erne. Leitrim, together with that of Cavan and part of Fermanagh, afterwards formed the territory of Breffny, or Brenny, which was divided into two principalities, of which the present county of Leitrim formed the western, under the name of Lower or West Breffny, and Hy Briuin Breffny.
 
Mayo - At the period when Ptolemy wrote, the Nagnatae were the inhabitants of the whole of the county, with the exception of a portion of its southern extremity, into which the Auterii, who were settled in the northwest of Galway, had penetrated.
 

Roscommon - According to Ptolemy, this region was inhabited by the Auteri, who occupied also the present county of Galway. Among the native septs by whom it was afterwards occupied, the O'Conors enjoyed the supreme authority in the central districts, the Mac Dermots in the northern, and the O'Ceilys or O'Kellys in the southern.

 
Sligo - This county was included in the territory of the Nagnatae in the time of Ptolemy, the Chief city of which tribe, Nagnata, is supposed by some to have been somewhere near the site of the town of Sligo. It was afterwards possessed by a branch of the O'Conors, called for the sake of distinction O'Conor Sligo. The families were also heads of septs in different districts.
  • O'Hara
  • O'Dowd
  • Mac Donagh
  • Mac Ferbis

 

In the 4th century AD the ancient line of Connacht kings was displaced by the midland rulers, whose centre was at Tara. Two members of this Tara dynasty, Brion and Fiachra, founded septs, or clans, the Uí Briúin and the Uí Fiachrach, to which all the rulers of Connaught from the 5th to the 12th century belonged. Turloch (Toirdelbach) O'Connor (d. 1156) and his son Rory (Ruadri; d. 1198) were strong enough to be recognized as kings of Ireland, but the Anglo-Norman settlement of the mid-12th century disrupted their power. Rory's brother, Cathal Crovderg, was king of Connaught until his death in 1224, but in 1227 the English king Henry III granted Connaught to the Norman baron Richard de Burgh (or de Burgo). His descendants held the Lordship of Connaught with the earldom of Ulster until the titles fell to the crown in 1461. The land of Connaught was thereafter controlled by two junior branches of the de Burghs, who ultimately became the Clanricarde and Mayo Burkes.