THE

HE ancient divisions of Connaught, through the neglect of its history and topography, are not so generally known at the present day, as those of the other provinces of Ireland. The late Doctor O'Conor has observed, that "there is no history of the province of Connaught, neither is there of any town or district in that most populous part of Ireland, except this unpublished chronicle (i. e. Annales Connaciæ, Hibernice, fol.) The barren Orkneys, and the wilds of Caithness, Sunderland, and Morey, can boast of their histories; while the rich plains of Roscommon, Maio, Sligo, and Galway, and their towns and capitals, are unrecorded and undescribed.". Cat. Bib. MSS. Stowensis, vol. i. p. 73. This cannot be attributed to want of materials, for there is abundance on record, if properly explored. From these it appears, that the ancient colony of the Belgæ, or Firbolgs, first divided Ireland into five provinces; and to that division Cambrensis, who wrote about A. D. 1180, alludes in the following words: "In quinque enim portiones fere æquales antiquitus hæc insula divisa fuit."-Topogr. dist. i. c. 6. The western portion originally extended from the mouth of the Shannon, along its right bank, to the mouth of the Drobhais (Drowes), a river on the confines of Ulster, which flowing out of Lough Melvin, in a northwesterly direction, falls into the bay of Donegal. Connaught comprehended, beyond its modern limits, the territories of Thomond, or the present County of Clare; and North Breifne, the present County of Cavan. By the latter it acquired "a fearful preponderance over the other provinces of Ireland.”—Cat. MSS. Stow. p. 26. So late as the sixteenth century, Sir Henry Sydney, when about dividing the province into counties, adopted the ancient boundaries, but excluded North Breifne.-See his Dispatch to the Lords of the Council, 27th April, 1576, in "Letters and Memorials of State," published by Arthur Collins, London, 1747.-Fol. vol. i. p. 102. Also the Annals of the Four Masters, at A. D. 1569.

This great western division of Ireland was first known by the name of Olnegmacht, "strangely corrupted," says the venerable Charles O'Conor, "into Nagnato by Ptolomey."-Dissert. sect. xiii.; and it is supposed to have been so called from Olnegmacht, daughter of one of the Firbolg chiefs.—Book of Lecan, fol. 221. Our accurate annalist, Tigernach, at A. D. 33, calls it Coiced n-Olnecmaċt, the fifth, or province, of Olnegmacht. That name it retained until the third century, after which it was called Connact, as is supposed from the Scotish or Milesian tribes, who settled in it about that period; and who were known by the name of Cuinn ioċta, the race of Conn, i. e. the posterity of Eochaidh Muighmhedhoin (Eochy Moyvane) king, first of Connaught, and afterwards of Ireland, who was descended from that hero.-Book of Lecan, loc. cit. The readers of our annals will find this province frequently mentioned by other names, viz.: Coige Srenge, Coige Meadhbha (Meave), Coige Oiliolla, &c.; but these were temporary appellations, generally given by the bards, after distinguished personages who flourished there at different periods.

Connaught, from an early period, has been frequently subdivided. See our author's Ogygia for the ancient ternary division called teora Connace, or the three Connaughts, made by the Belgæ, or rean Chonnacraig, the old Connacians: "Tres precipuæ fuerunt familiæ, viz., Gamanradii, Fir-Craibii, et Tuatha-taidhen, a quibus Connactia in ternas Connactias distincta, et hi Fir Olnegmact etiam sunt appellati."— Ogyg. p. 175, see also c. xliii. p. 269. These old Conacians were succeeded by the three Scotic or Milesian tribes of Connaught, viz., the Hy-Fiachrach, Sil Murry (Siol Muireadhaigh) and the Hy-Briuin of Breifny, i. e. of Oirthir, or Eastern Connaught; and all were descended from Fiachra and Brian, the sons of Eochy Moyvane, King of Connaught, before mentioned. By these the old ternary divisions of the Belge were long preserved. For an account of those three Milesian tribes, and their descents and possessions, see O'Connor's Dissertations, p. 283, et deinceps. Among the most distinguished of the race of Brian were the Muintir Murchadha, or O'Flaherties (descended from the youngest and greatest of his sons, Duach Galach, King of Connaught), whose principal inheritance, from the fifth to the thirteenth century, was the level and fertile plain of Magh Seola, sometimes called Muintir Murchadha, and now the barony of Clare, in the County of Galway. See the Annals of the Four Masters, A. D. 959 and 1034. After this time, the O'Flaherties possessed themselves of Iar or West Connaught, where many of the name still remain. Besides the foregoing great divisions of this province, there were others, viz., 1oċtar, or lower Connaught, which comprised part of Mayo, and the present County of Sligo; and uaċtas, or upper Connaught, the present County of Galway. These distinctions of iochtar and uachtar were afterwards adopted by the Anglo-Norman De Burgos. There were also Tuaisceart and Deisceart, or northern and southern Connaught; and these were again subdivided into several districts,

districts, possessed by the leading tribes. Most of the latter divisions were abolished, and some created baronies, in the sixteenth century, when the province was divided into counties; for which see Appendix I. Of these districts, perhaps one of the best known at the present day, is Iar, or West Connaught, which has been so well described by Roderic O'Flaherty, in the foregoing treatise.

So little has been published respecting the former state and affairs of Connaught, that I am induced to insert in the following pages, a few extracts and documents, not hitherto printed; but which may tend to illustrate some portions of its early history. To many, but particularly those of ancient Irish descent, they may prove novel and interesting; and, moreover, may be found useful by the future topographer or historian of the country. They have been introduced in accordance with one of the primary objects of the Irish Archæological Society, viz., to rescue original historical documents from oblivion.

In a preceding paragraph, p. 126, allusion has been made to Brian, the son and successor of Eochy Moyvane, King of Connaught. That personage is recorded to have had no less than twenty-four sons, who became the progenitors of the principal Scotic, or Milesian families of this province. Mac Firbis, in his account of the Belgæ, or Firbolgs, a treatise before referred to, and preserved in manuscript in the Library of the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, enumerates those sons of Brian, and the tribes which sprung from them, as follows:

'Ceżre mic fićead badar az Brian .1. Ecean, o traid cinel n-ecean 1. Ua Biasda, Ua Ŏlí, Ua Caisleopać, Ua Ruanuidén, Ua Fionnúcáin. Feapgus mac brain, a quo cinel Feargusa nah-Eċtge,.1.Ua Ŏrian, agus Ua Bruaċain, agur Ua Connere, agus Ua Caipioba, taoisig Chineoil Feargusa. Erc Dearg o ffuil Cinel Deirg la Connaċta, agus Durrace, agus Crioṁżann, agus CaelCanna, agus erre (no Erille a quo Tuai esille) agus Aongus, a quo Cinel n-Aongusa o Gailliṁ .1. ui Allṁupáin cona ffinéadaib. Tenead, ó τtá Copco tenead, is Muiċead, a quo Copco Muicead, agus Dealg, agus bior, agus Cana, ó ttáid Ui Canannan in Uaiżnib,

"Brian had twenty-four sons, viz.: Echen, from whom descended the Kineln-Echen, i. e. Ua Biasta, Ua Bli, Ua Caisleorach, Ua Ruanuidhen, and Ua Fionnucain. Fergus, from whom Kinel Fergusa of Echtge, i. e. Ua Brain, Ua Bruachain, Ua Conrethe, and Ua Cairriodha, chiefs of Kinel Fergusa. Erc Derg, from whom Kinel Erc Derg in Connaught. Durthacht. Criomthann. Caol-Carna, Esse (or Esille, from whom Tuath Esille). Aongus, from whom Kinel n-Aongusa, of Galway, i. e. the O'Hallorans, with their branches. Tenedh, from whom CorcoTenedh, and Muichead, from whom Corco-Muichead. Dealg. Bior. Cana, from whom the O'Cananans in Uaithne. Neach

The following list of the "Christian" kings of Connaught, or "Rath Cruachan," was compiled by Peter O'Connell, a learned, but neglected antiquary of the last century, from various ancient authorities, aided by the collections of the venerable Charles O'Conor. It is here printed from the compiler's autograph, which is preserved in the Library of the Royal Irish Academy:

"THE CHRISTIAN KINGS OF CONNAUGHT.

"Siorana.

66 DO RIGHAIBH CRISTAIDHE CONNACTA.

"1. Amhalgaidh Mac Fiachrach, Mic Eochaidh Maighmedhoin, &c. 20 bliadhain do, go ttorchair lais na Deisibh Breagh, no a eug iar san re sin. 9.

2. Olioll Molt Mac Daithi, Mic Fiachrach, Mic Eochaidh Maighmhedhoin, &c. 19 mbliadna, go ttorchair a ccath Ocha la Lughaid Mac Laoghaire, la Muircheartach, Mac Earca, la Feargas Ceirbheoil agas la Fiachraidh (Mac Caolbhaidh) Righ DailAraidhe.

"3. Duach Galachd Mac Briain, Mic Eochaidh Maighmedhoin, &c. 19 mbliadna; go ttorchair a ccath Seaghsa la Muircertach Mc. Earca. Seajar .ι. αόη bona corppleibtib. Duach Tenguma.-Se do thuit a ccath Seagsa, N. B.

d Vel Tengumha, as in Ballymote. Vide Keating in the reign of Lugaid Mac Laoghaire.