Conmaicne

Their name originates from a mythical ancestor known as Conmac(c) (Old Irish: [ˈkˠʰɔnˠˌβ̃ɑkˠː]), meaning "hound-son" (con, prefix form of n-stem cú hound; mac, son). Conmac(c) descended from Fergus mac Róich and Queen MedbofConnacht. However, Walsh stated "Conmac son of Fergus is a genealogical fiction".^[2] The word Conmaicne means "progeny of Conmac" (-ne, a progeny). The name in Old Irish spelling contains m (without a following h) and c (or more etymologically, cc), thus Old Irish Conmac(c) and Conmaic(c)ne, but in Modern Irish spelling contains mh (with unetymological h as a sign of lenition) and single c, thus Conmhac and Conmhaicne).

Branches of the Conmaicne dispersed to various places.

• Conmhaicne Mara (Conmaicne of the sea) settled in the west of County Galway, in the territory of Conmhaicne Mara, anglicised today as Connemara.
• Conmhaicne Dúna Móir, or Conmaicne Cenel Dubáin, at Dunmore, County Galway.
• Conmhaicne MheanorConmaicne Máenmaige (Conmaicne of the central plain), Loughrea, County Galway.

• Conmhaícne Cúile, of Kilmaine, County Mayo
• Conmhaícne Ceara, of Carra, County Mayo.
• Conmaicne Meic Oirbsen Máir near Lough Corrib, County Mayo

• Conmhaicne Sléibe Formaile, near Ballinlough, in west County Roscommon.

• Conmhaicne Rein, or "lower conmaicne", of south County Leitrim into County Longford.
• Conmhaícne Angaile, or "upper Conmaicne", now county Longford.^[3]

The Diocese of Ardagh was established in 1111 as the see for east Connacht. Fourteen years later, at the Synod of Kells-Mellifont, its area was reduced to the territory of the Conmaicne Rein and Conmaicne Angalie, south county Leitrim and all county Longford.^[4] The diocese was commonly called "the Diocese of the Conmaicne".

Known Septs of the Conmhaicne Rein in south County Leitrim were:

• Conmhaicne Maigh Rein anglicised today as barony of Mohill.
• Cluain Conmhaicne (Conmaicne of the pasture) of Cloone parish, in Carrigallen and Mohill barony.
• Conmaicne Cenél Luacháin (Conmaicne descended from Luchan), both Oughteragh and Drumreilly parishes at Carrigallen, County Leitrim.
• Conmaicne Maigh Nissi along the Shannon, anglicised today as barony of Leitrim.

John O'Donovan wrote:

The chief families of the Conmacians were the O'Fearralls, princes and lords of Annaly, or Longford; the Mac Rannalls, a name anglicised to Reynolds, who were Lords of Conmaincee of Moy-Rein and Muintir-Eolais, in Leitrim; the Mac Keoghes, who were chiefs in Galway, and also in Lenister; the MacShanleys; O'Rodaghans; MacDorchys; O'Mulveys; O'Morans, and O'Mannings, chiefs and clans in various parts of Longford, Leitrim, and Roscommon.^[5]

Notables descended from the Conmhaicne include Cruimthear Mac Carthaigh, St. JarlathofTuam and some abbots of Clonmacnoise.

• Delbhna
• Cíarraige
• Pre-Norman invasion Irish Celtic kinship groups, from whom many of the modern Irish surnames came from

• Some Connacht Population-Groups, Nollaig Ó Muraíle, in Seanchas:Studies in Early and Medieval Archaeology, History and Literature in Honour of Francis John Byrne, pp. 176–76, Four Courts Press, Dublin, 2000
• Medieval Ireland: Territorial, Political and Economic Divisions, Paul Mac Cotter, Four Courts Press, 2008, pp. 134–135. ISBN 978-1-84682-098-4