TVestropp — Ancient Clw/rches in Co. Limerick. 333 



Ui Ficlgeinte, and other ancient confederacies) were found over the 

 later Desmonds' lands. The OTarrells (Ui Faircheallagh) were at 

 Grange and Duntrileague/ and the Ui Cathalain lay in Uaithne Cliach ; 

 they were supplanted by the Ui Maolrian (Ryan and Mulryan), of the 

 race of Cathaoir Mor.' Clanwilliam, or Aes tri muige, lay round 

 Caherconlish. The Aradha once lay on the north hank of the Saimer, 

 or Morning Star," River.^ They were a Rudrician race, and were 

 pressed back into the hills by the Eoghanachts. Some writers include 

 the Ui Ciarmhaic among the Aradha; but we find them among the 

 Eoghanachts at Aine, and at one time at Carrigogunnell. 



Besides these tributary tribes, there were three others who were 

 free from all subsidies to the kings of Cashel, save military service — 

 the Ui Fidgeinte, the people of Aine Cliach, and the Dalgcais, or Dal- 

 cassians. The last were, as all know, over-kings of the district, with 

 the alternate right of succession to Cashel. The shadowy line of their 

 great pre-Christian ancestry looms through the mist of our earliest 

 legends. On the very verge of written history two of their most 

 powerful kings, Lughad Meann and Connall Eachluath, won from the 

 kings of Connaught the eastern part of Clare {c. 360, 377), andrendered 

 other tribes, the Corca Baiscnigh, and the Corca Modruad, their tribu- 

 taries. The Dalcassians, however, are identified in later history, and 

 by their greatest actions, with the alien land across the Shannon, to 

 which they transferred their residence, and the name of "Thomond " 

 or jN'orth Munster.* Two tribes of their blood, the MacEnerys, descen- 

 dants of King Mahon, and the O'Briens, of Coonagh, descendants of his 

 younger brother, King Brian, however, still dwelt in Limerick ; and 

 towards the close of the fourteenth century the Clare O'Briens 

 obtained Carrigogunnell Rock, which they strongly fortified, and gave 

 their name to the surrounding district of Pubblebrian. 



Y. The Ei^glish Cantreds. — The early English divisions followed 

 these tribal lines to a large extent. In 1290 the cantreds were Any, 

 Bruree, Cromych (Croom) ; Esclon (Pubblebrian) ; Eontymchil, or 



1 Ballyfrauley (Ballyharylla, 1452), in Grange, manor of Mahoonagh, and Car- 

 rigareely Castle (0. S. 14), commemorated this tribe, which also gave its name 

 to Ballyarrella, or Mount levers, in County Clare. Some beheve it and the 

 Ui Duibhross to be Martini Firbolgs. 



- Book of Rights, p. 45, note. 

 Leabhar na hUidbre, p. 83. 



^ The)' branched into the O'Briens, Macnamaras, MacMahons, O'Gradys, 

 O'Deas, O'Quins, and other families. 



