The High Kings of Ireland – Their Enduring Legacy

Céad Míle Fáilte – and welcome to your Letter from Ireland for this week.

We’re going through a welcome warm spell here in County Cork – the local farmers are delighted with these few dry days and the saving of the hay goes on from early morning till well past dark. How are things in your part of the world today?

I’m having a cup of Barry’s tea as I write, and I do hope you’ll join me now with a cup of whatever you fancy as we start into today’s letter.

We’ve just returned from a short break at Clonalis House in County Roscommon (we don’t advertise—we simply mention places we genuinely enjoy), and I must admit it was one of the most relaxing and beautiful places we’ve stayed in Ireland for many years. If you’re interested, you can learn more at Clonalis House’s website (we stayed in their Green Room, of course). We highly recommend it – just tell them we sent you!

Of course, it wasn’t just rest and relaxation that drew us to Clonalis House. You see, this house is the seat of the descendants of the last High Kings of Ireland. And that is what I’d like us to talk about today.

The Rise of a Royal Irish Dynasty.

In the part of western Ireland that became known as “Connacht”, a place where rolling hills and dramatic cliffs meet the wild Atlantic ocean, a powerful dynasty emerged in the 9th century. This was the clan of O’Connor, a name that came to feature in the annals of Irish history down through the centuries.

Their tale begins with a man called “Conchobhar” (shortened in modern form to “Conor”), a King of Connacht who died about 882 AD. His descendants took the name “Ó Conchobhair”, meaning “descendants of Conchobha”. Over time this was anglicised into the surname we now know as O’Connor. They claimed a lineage stretching back to the legendary Niall of the Nine Hostages, tracing their roots through the “Síol Muireadaigh” and the “Uí Briúin” family groupings.

From their stronghold in what became County Roscommon, the O’Connors rose to become the Kings of Connacht. Their power centered around the ancient royal site called Cruachan, a place steeped in myth and legend. As their influence grew, they also ruled from impressive forts and castles at Ballintober and in Roscommon town, solidifying their control over the region.

The Peak of the O’Connor Power.

The clan reached the peak of their power in the 12th century when two of its members ascended to the High Kingship of Ireland. Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair (pronounced Tur-lock O’Connor) ruled from 1088 to 1156, and his son Ruaidrí (Rory) followed. Rory became the last High King of Ireland before the Norman invasion changed the course of Irish history forever. Both are now buried in Clonmacnoise in County Offaly.

The O’Connor clan, like many other Irish clans, included several related family names or septs. These families were either branches of the original O’Connor line or had placed themselves under the protection of the O’Connors over time. Here are some of the family names associated with the O’Connor clan of Connacht:

• O’Crean/Cryan
• O’Mulready (Ó Maolruaidh)
• O’Higgins (Ó hUiginn)
• O’Flanagan (Ó Flannagáin)
• O’Mannin/Mannion/Manning/Mangan (Ó Mainnín)
• O’Hanly (Ó hAinle)
• O’Beirne/O’Byrne (Ó Beirn)
• MacGeraghty (Mac Oireachtaigh)
• MacDermot (Mac Diarmada) – while a powerful clan in their own right, they were often closely allied with the O’Connor.
• O’Finaghty (Ó Finnachta)
• O’Fallon (Ó Fallamhain)
• O’Flynn (Ó Floinn)
• O’Malley (Ó Máille) – in some regions.

Are any of your Irish family names mentioned above?

Challenges and the Decline of a Great Power.

But the path of power rarely runs smooth. As the O’Connors’ influence expanded, so too did the challenges they faced. As ever, other Gaelic clans vied for supremacy, and internal conflicts within the family itself sometimes threatened to tear the clan apart. The O’Connors split into several branches – the “O’Connor Don” – the main branch, the “O’Connor Roe”, and the “O’Connor Sligo” – each carving out their own legacies.

When the Normans arrived in Ireland in the late 1100s, the O’Connors found themselves facing a new and formidable foe. They fought fiercely to maintain their independence, but the tide of history was running against the old Gaelic order.

As the centuries passed, English influence in Ireland grew stronger. The O’Connors, once kings, found their power slowly eroding. By the early to mid-1600s, they were struggling to hold onto their lands and influence in the face of increasing English control.

Their Enduring Legacy.

Yet, the story of the O’Connors didn’t end there. Though their days of kingship were over, the name remained prestigious. Descendants of this once-mighty clan continue to play roles in Irish society, carrying with them the memory of their ancestors who had once ruled over the lands of Connacht.

The tale of the O’Connor clan is one of rise and fall, of power and loss, mirroring in many ways the broader history of Gaelic Ireland. From kings to subjects, their story remains an integral part of Ireland’s tapestry, a reminder of a time when Gaelic clans held sway over the island of Ireland.

Today, the seat of the O’Connor Don clan can be found at Clonalis House, located just outside the town of Castlerea in County Roscommon. On our final morning at Clonalis House, Pyers O’Conor showed us the inauguration stone of the Kings of Connacht – a stone used by his O’Connor ancestors for many centuries. It was a magical moment to have the history of this place and stone explained to us by this warm, knowledgeable, and friendly man – a man whose ancestors stood upon that very stone as they were inaugurated the Kings of Connacht!

That’s it for this week. As always, feel free to share the Irish surnames and stories in your own family tree by replying to the letter or leaving a comment below if you are a Plus member.

Slán for now,

Mike.