14 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



who was certainly a different person from Aedh of Cragliath, both being 

 named by St. Brendan of Birr' as his personal friends. Lorcan was really a 

 son of Culigan, and was not Lorcan of the Cragliath line. The Dal gCais do 

 not appear in the historic Annals before the reign of Cenedig, father of 

 Mathgamhain and Brian Boroimhe. They appear to have split into two 

 lines about 571, one reigning at Bruree and Singland,, the other, at first 

 more obscure, at Cragliath, near Killaloe. The first disappears after a great 

 Norse raid in the ninth century ;' the other, by a strange chance of fortune 

 and their own fine qualities, fought till they overthrew the Danish rule, and 

 became kings, first of Thomond, then of Cashel, then of Ireland. Innumer- 

 able O'Briens, MacMahons, Kennedys, and others represent them all over 

 the world to this day. The Ui Fidgeinte claimed descent from Daire Cearbha, 

 father of Crimthann mac Fidhe (traditional king of Ireland, but probably only 

 of Cashel), on the borderland of history. The group was extensive ; its 

 chiefs were later known as O'Donovan ; the chief branch was the 

 Ui Chonaill of Connello (the Ui Chonaill Gabhra, or Ui Gabhra), and the 

 later families of Ui Coilean (Collins), Ui Cinfhaelaidh (Kinealy), Ui Flan- 

 nabhra (Flannery), and Maclnneirghe (MacEnery), spring from this stem. 

 In the time of St. Ita, the Lady of Killeedy (died a.d. 569), they were under 

 the spiritual rule of St. Senan's Island-Monastery of Iniscatha. Of some 

 other divisions must be noted the Corcoithe or Gortcoyth (Macassa), of 

 Newcastle ; the Fir Tamnaighe of Mahoonagh f the Corca Muicheat of 

 Corcomohide, and the Ui Baithin (O'Meehans), near Ardagh; the Deisi beg 

 lay at Knock Aine, and Cliu Mail mic Ugaine was to the south of it. Aes 

 Greine was called Est Grene by the Normans ; at the time of its greatest 

 extension it was held by the Ui Conaiug, or O'Gunnings, and extended 

 from the Maigue up to at least Castleconnell, which fortress, and that of 

 Carrigogunnell, once bore the tribe name as Cashlan Ui Chonaing in 1174; 

 Castro Coning, 1242 ; and Carraic Ui Conaing, 1209.* The district included 

 Singland, the residence of the Dalcassian King, Carthann, and where 

 St. Patrick is said to have baptized him and his infant son, Eochaidh 

 Bailldearg. The Caenraighe (whose name survives in Kenry, and whose 

 land lay along the Shannon between the rivers Deel and Maigue) were said to 

 be of the kindred of the Ui Fidgeinti, but may have belonged to the group of 



' Poem of St. Brenann of Biirha in 571, "both are my friends." 



2 Oirca 830, before the rally of the Ui Chonaill in 839. 



3 Must I again point out that Mahoonagh is Magh Tamnaige, Motawny, and Tawnagh 

 in all authentic documents, while Magh Gamuach exists only in O'Donovan's imagination ? 

 Medhonach is another " shanachee rendering." See Proc. R. I. Acad., xxvi (c), p. 2.34, 

 and Journal R. S. Antt. Ir., vol. xii (1871), p. 620. 



' Carrig Gunning, 1580: Hardiman's Map, T.C.D., No. 63. 



