Niall mac Áeda (died 846), called Niall Caille (Niall of the Callan ) to distinguish him from his grandson Niall mac Áeda (died 917), was High King of Ireland .
96-441: There are four provinces of Ireland : Connacht , Leinster , Munster and Ulster . The Irish word for this territorial division, cúige , meaning "fifth part", suggests that there were once five, and at times Meath has been considered to be the fifth province. In the medieval period, however, there were often more than five. The number of provinces and their delimitation fluctuated until 1610, when they were permanently set by
192-535: A northern branch of the Uí Néill , a kin group whose rulers dominated large parts of Ireland. He was the son of Áed mac Néill (died 819), called Áed Oirdnide , who had himself been High King. According to the 12th century Banshenchas ( Lore of Women ), his mother was Medb, daughter of Indrechtach mac Muiredaig of the Uí Briúin of Connacht . The High Kingship of Ireland was in practice shared between Cenél nEógain of
288-664: A third of the population by 1655. One of the last battles fought in pre-20th century Ireland occurred in Connacht, the Battle of Aughrim on 12 July 1691. Connacht was mainly at peace between 1691 and 1798. In 1798 Connacht was a major backdrop to the Irish Rebellion of 1798 when French forces under General Jean Humbert of the French Republic landed in Killala, County Mayo to link up with
384-560: A victory over Vikings who had raided Derry . This was followed in 835 by an expedition to Leinster . The Annals of Ulster say "Niall led an army to Laigin and he set up a king over the Laigin". His chosen candidate as king of Leinster was Bran mac Fáeláin of the Uí Dúnlainge . The same year he raided the southern Uí Néill and ravaged the country as far south as modern County Offaly . The following year, 836, Niall came into conflict with
480-555: Is 39.8% (more than 202,000 persons). There are Gaeltacht areas in Counties Galway and Mayo . The province of Connacht has no official function for local government purposes, but it is an officially recognised subdivision of the Irish state. It is listed on ISO-3166-2 as one of the four provinces of Ireland and "IE-C" is attributed to Connacht as its country sub-division code. Along with counties from other provinces, Connacht lies in
576-518: Is believed to have happened in the 1st century. In this period Ireland is said to have been divided into five independent over-kingdoms, or cuigeadh whose rí (kings) were of equal rank, not subject to a central monarchy. Pseudo-historians called this era Aimser na Coicedach , which has been translated as: "Time of the Pentarchs"; "Time of the Five Fifths"; and "Time of the provincial kings". It
672-621: Is demonstrated in the noun moccu in names such as Muirchu moccu Machtheni , which indicated a person was of the Machtheni people. As evidenced by kings such as Mac Cairthinn mac Coelboth (died 446) and Ailill Molt (died c. 482), even by the 5th century the gens was giving way to kinship all over Ireland, as both men were identified as of the Uí Enechglaiss and Uí Fiachrach dynasties, not of tribes. By 700, moccu had been entirely replaced by mac and hua (later Mac and Ó ). During
768-616: Is in County Galway. The Aran Islands , featuring prehistoric forts such as Dún Aonghasa , have been a regular tourist destination since the 19th century. Inland areas such as east Galway, Roscommon and Sligo have enjoyed greater historical population density due to better agricultural land and infrastructure. Rivers and lakes include the River Moy , River Corrib , the Shannon , Lough Mask , Lough Melvin , Lough Allen and Lough Gill . Up to
864-501: Is one of the four provinces of Ireland , in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach , Uí Briúin , Uí Maine , Conmhaícne , and Delbhna ). Between the reigns of Conchobar mac Taidg Mór (died 882) and his descendant, Aedh mac Ruaidri Ó Conchobair (reigned 1228–33), it became a kingdom under the rule of the Uí Briúin Aí dynasty, whose ruling sept adopted
960-413: Is perhaps best known for Cú Chulainn 's single handed defence of Ulster against the champions of Connacht in turn, while his comrades were disabled by a spell. Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( / ˈ k ɒ n ɔː t , ˈ k ɒ n ə ( x ) t / KON -awt, KON -ə(kh)t ; Irish : Connachta [ˈkʊn̪ˠəxt̪ˠə] or Cúige Chonnacht [ˌkuːɟə ˈxʊn̪ˠəxt̪ˠ] ),
1056-477: Is pre-historic and pre-Gaelic, describing the Pentarchy as "the oldest certain fact in the political history of Ireland". The notion of Ireland being divided into five permeated itself throughout Irish literature over the centuries despite what the cuigeadh representing no longer existing by the time of Saint Patrick in the 5th century. By then, Ireland had become divided into seven over-kingdoms. The main body of
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#17328450505881152-499: Is ruggedly inhospitable and not conducive for agriculture. It contains the main mountainous areas in Connacht, including the Twelve Bens , Maumturks , Mweelrea, Croagh Patrick , Nephin Beg , Ox Mountains , and Dartry Mountains . Killary Harbour , one of Ireland's fjords (the others being Carlingford Lough and Lough Swilly ), is located at the foot of Mweelrea. Connemara National Park
1248-738: Is the largest Irish-speaking region in Ireland, taking in Cois Fharraige , parts of Connemara , Conamara Theas , the Aran Islands , Dúithche Sheoigeach (Joyce Country) and the Galway City Gaeltacht . Irish-speaking areas in County Mayo can be found in Iorras , Acaill and Tourmakeady . According to the 2016 census, Irish is spoken outside of the education system on a daily basis by 9,455 people in
1344-420: Is the smallest of the four Irish provinces both in terms of size and population. Galway is the only official city in the province. [REDACTED] Sligo [REDACTED] Ballina The highest point of Connacht is Mweelrea (814 m), in County Mayo. The largest island in Connacht (and Ireland) is Achill . The biggest lake is Lough Corrib . Much of the west coast (e.g. Connemara and Erris )
1440-593: Is today represented by its own unique arms and flag. These are joined to represent various All Ireland sports teams and organisations via the Four Provinces Flag of Ireland and a four province Crest of Ireland, with examples including the Ireland national field hockey team , Ireland national rugby league team , Ireland national rugby union team and Irish Amateur Boxing Association . The dinnseanchas poem named Ard Ruide (Ruide Headland) poetically describes
1536-503: The Táin Bó Cúailnge , which makes mention of Eochaidh as king of all Munster, with Cu Roi simply a "great Munster hero". He also cites that the Táin makes mention of the four fifths of Ireland that waged war on Ulster, which made reference to only one Munster. Another reason given by MacNeill was a problem made by Keating himself. According to Keating, when the province of Míde
1632-628: The Connaught Telegraph (founded 1830) retains the anglicised spelling in its name, whereas the Connacht Tribune (founded 1909) uses the Gaelic. Connacht Rugby who represent the region and are based in Galway , use the Gaelic spelling also. The province is divided into five traditional counties , the fewest of any province. These are: Galway , Leitrim , Mayo , Roscommon and Sligo . Connacht
1728-645: The Annals of Ulster adding that "many other kings of the Airgialla" also died there. The defeat broke the power of the Airgíalla who were thereafter subject to the northern Uí Néill kings. Artrí was deposed from the abbacy of Armagh and Niall may have installed Éogan Mainistrech there as he is called abbot of Armagh by the Annals of Ulster in the notice of his death in 834. After the death of Conchobar mac Donnchada in 833, Niall became High King. His reign began auspiciously with
1824-562: The C to Ch . The usual English spelling in Ireland since the Gaelic revival is Connacht , the spelling of the disused Irish singular. The official English spelling during English and British rule was the anglicisation Connaught , pronounced / ˈ k ɒ n ɔː t / or / ˈ k ɒ n ə t / . This was used for the Connaught Rangers , an Irish regiment in the British Army ; in
1920-643: The Midlands–North-West constituency for elections to the European Parliament . The name comes from the medieval ruling dynasty, the Connacht , later Connachta , whose name means "descendants of Conn", from the mythical king Conn of the Hundred Battles . The name of the province in the Irish language is Connachta . Originally Connacht was a singular collective noun , but it came to be used only in
2016-631: The Turoe stone and the Castlestrange stone , whatever their purpose, denote the ambition and achievement of those societies, and their contact with the La Tène culture of mainland Europe. In the early historic era (c. A.D. 300 – c. A.D. 600), Ol nEchmacht was not a united kingdom but a region. It comprised dozens of major and minor túath ; rulers of larger túatha ( Maigh Seóla , Uí Maine , Aidhne and Máenmaige ) were accorded high-king status, while peoples such as
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#17328450505882112-695: The United Irishmen . Together, the French army and United Irishmen rebels defeated a force of Crown troops at the Races of Castlebar before proclaiming the Irish Republic , which later became better known as the "Republic of Connacht" as its area of effective control never extended beyond the province. The Republic, and the Rebellion itself, was effectively crushed at the Battle of Ballinamuck . A population explosion in
2208-697: The United Rugby Championship and the Rugby Champions Cup . Connacht home games are played in the Galway Sportsgrounds in Galway . During the 2015/2016 Season of the Pro12, Connacht, for the first time, reached the play off stages of the competition and won the final in Edinburgh against rivals Leinster. It was their first ever Pro12 title. Niall Caille Niall belonged to Cenél nEógain ,
2304-557: The county of Clare as part of the presidency of Connaught in 1569. Around 1600 near the end of Elizabeth's reign, Clare was made an entirely distinct presidency of its own under the Earls of Thomond and would not return to being part of Munster until after the Restoration in 1660. The exact boundaries of the provinces of Ireland during the Tudor period changed several times, usually as a result of
2400-483: The usurper Flaithbertaigh Ua Flaithbertaigh gained the kingship in 1092 by the expedient of blinding King Ruaidrí na Saide Buide . After 1102 the Ua Ruairc's and Ua Flaithbertaigh's were suborned and confined to their own kingdoms of Bréifne and Iar Connacht . From then until the death of the last king in 1474, the kingship was held exclusively by the Ó Conchobair's. The single most substantial sub-kingdom in Connacht
2496-626: The 1230s because of civil war within the royal dynasty, which enabled widespread Hiberno-Norman settlement under Richard Mór de Burgh, 1st Baron of Connaught , and his successors. The Norman colony in Connacht shrank from c. 1300 to c. 1360, with events such as the 1307 battle of Ahascragh (see Donnchad Muimnech Ó Cellaigh ), the 1316 Second Battle of Athenry and the murder in June 1333 of William Donn de Burgh, 3rd Earl of Ulster , all leading to Gaelic resurgence and colonial withdrawal to towns such as Ballinrobe , Loughrea , Athenry , and Galway . Well into
2592-412: The 12th century: High-king of Ireland; semi-provincial king, such as Connacht, Ulaid, Desmumu ; regional king, such as Dál Fiatach and Uí Fhiachrach Aidni ; local king or king of a trícha cét , such as Leth Cathail or Cenél Guaire; and taísig túaithe at the bottom. The kingdom of Osraige , which had its genealogy traced back by early Irish genealogists to the Laigin, was part of Mumu from
2688-399: The 12th-century Lebor na Cert . Each over-kingdom was divided into smaller territorial units, the definition of which, whilst not consistent in Irish law tracts, followed a pattern of different grades. In theory in the early medieval period: This pyramid structure, however, by the later medieval period, had little validity. Paul MacCotter proposes the following structure of lordship in
2784-514: The 16th century, kingdoms such as Uí Maine and Tír Fhíacrach Múaidhe remained beyond English control, while many Norman families such as de Burgh, de Bermingham, de Exeter, de Staunton, became entirely Gaelicised . Only in the late 1500s, during the Tudor conquest of Ireland , was Connacht shired into its present counties . Connacht's population was 1,418,859 in 1841. Then came the Great Famine of
2880-431: The 1840s, which began a 120-year decline to under 400,000. The province has a population of just under 590,000 according to the preliminary results of the 2022 census . Anglicisation was less prominent in the west of Ireland, and Connacht today has the highest number of Irish language speakers among the four Irish provinces. Currently, the total percentage of people who consider themselves as Irish speakers in Connacht
2976-528: The 6th to 8th century and ruled by the Corcu Loígde dynasty. By the 7th century Osraige had lost their dependence on the Corcu Loígde, with the restoration of the local Dál Birn dynasty. Osraige remained part of Mumu until 859 when Máel Sechnaill I , king of the Uí Néill , forced Mumu to surrender it to his overlordship. After this situation ended it became an independent kingdom which gradually moved towards
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3072-693: The All-Ireland since Galway in 2001 . Hurling in Connacht mostly played in County Galway. Galway is the only team in the province to compete in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winning the Liam MacCarthy Cup five times. The Galway hurling team compete in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship due to the lack of competition in the province. Connacht is represented by Connacht Rugby in
3168-489: The British withdrew from Northern Ireland , and the creation of a federal state with assemblies for each of its four historic provinces. The song Ireland's Call is used as a national anthem for sports teams representing the entire island (e.g. Ireland national rugby union team and Ireland cricket team ). The first verse says "We have come to answer our country's call from the four proud provinces of Ireland". Each province
3264-534: The Cenél nEógain and Cenél Conaill and marched on Armagh. He was faced by Cummascach and the Airgíalla, who had been joined by Muiredach mac Eochada , the king of Ulster , and his army. According to the Annals of the Four Masters , the battle at Leth Cam, near modern Kilmore, County Armagh , lasted three days. It was a decisive victory for Niall and the northern Uí Néill. Cummascach and his brother Congalach were killed,
3360-758: The Corpus Missal , the High Cross of Tuam and the Cross of Cong were sponsored by him. Tairrdelbach annexed the Kingdom of Mide ; its rulers, the Clann Cholmáin , became his vassals. This brought two of Ireland's five main kingdoms under the direct control of Connacht. He also asserted control over Dublin , which was even then being recognised as a kind of national capital. His son, Ruaidrí, became king of Connacht "without any opposition" in 1156. One of his first acts as king
3456-536: The English administration of James I . The provinces of Ireland no longer serve administrative or political purposes but function as historical and cultural entities. In modern Irish , the word for province is cúige (pl. cúigí ). The modern Irish term derives from the Old Irish cóiced (pl. cóiceda ) which literally meant "a fifth". This term appears in 8th-century law texts such as Miadslechta and in
3552-679: The Gaelic order survived, with the last king of Airgíalla being Hugh Roe McMahon , who reigned from 1589 until his execution in September/October 1590. With the collapse of English control in Ireland following the Bruce campaign in Ireland in 1315, and the subsequent collapse of the Earldom of Ulster , the Gaelic order had a resurgence and the Clandeboye O'Neills of the Northern Uí Néill stepped into
3648-556: The Gaeltacht, in Irish medium education or native Irish speakers who no longer live in Gaeltacht areas but still live in the province. Gaelic football and hurling dominate sport in Connacht with 212 Gaelic Athletic Association affiliated clubs in the province. Gaelic football is played throughout the province with the five counties annually competing in the Connacht Senior Football Championship to determine
3744-614: The Gailenga, Corco Moga and Senchineoil were lesser peoples given the status of Déisi . All were termed kingdoms, but according to a graded status, denoting each according the likes of lord, count, earl, king. Some of the more notable peoples or ethnic groups included the following: By the 5th century, the pre-historic nations such as the Auteini and Nagnatae – recorded by Ptolemy (c. AD 90 – c. 168) in Geography – gave way to dynasties. This
3840-571: The Galway County Gaeltacht areas. There are 202,667 Irish speakers in the province, over 84,000 in Galway and more than 55,000 in Mayo. There is also the 4,265 attending the 18 Gaelscoileanna (Irish language primary schools) and three Gaelcholáiste (Irish language secondary schools) outside the Gaeltacht across the province. Between 7% and 10% of the province are either native Irish speakers from
3936-497: The King of Munster, Feidlimid mac Crimthainn. Feidlimid, who was a churchman as well as a king, abbot of Clonfert and supporter of the austere Céli Dé reformers, attacked Kildare and captured Forindán, the abbot of Armagh. Although this may have been a challenge to Niall, Benjamin Hudson notes that Forindán had replaced Diarmait ua Tigernáin the year before, and that it is not known which of
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4032-462: The Laigin sphere of influence as they sought to claim the Laigin kingship. It was during the 9th century that Osraige, ruled by Cerball mac Dúnlainge , became a major political player. Airgíalla had come under the dominance of the Ulaid; however, Niall Caille , the son of Áed Oirdnide , brought it under the hegemony of the Northern Uí Néill after defeating the combined forces of the Airgíalla and Ulaid at
4128-527: The Ulaid to avenge a slight against their great-grandfather Cormac mac Airt . The Collas with their army along with a host from Connacht marched to Achaidh Leithdeircc in Fernmagh, southern Ulaid, and fought the Ulaid in seven battles over the course of seven days. The host from Connacht fought the first six battles, and the Collas fought the seventh. It is after this last battle that the king of Ulaid, Fergus Foga ,
4224-409: The Uí Briain and Mac Cárthaigh vied for complete control. In 1168, the king of Connacht, Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair , ensured Mumu remained divided. After Henry II , king of England , landed in Ireland in 1171, the Mac Cárthaigh submitted to him to prevent an Uí Briain invasion. The Uí Briain eventually followed suit in submitting to Henry II. The eagerness of these submissions encouraged Henry II to revive
4320-415: The annals as late "King of Connacht and of All Ireland, both the Irish and the English." Connacht was first raided by the Anglo-Normans in 1177 but not until 1237 did encastellation begin under Richard Mor de Burgh (c. 1194–1242). New towns were founded ( Athenry , Headford , Castlebar ) or former settlements expanded ( Sligo , Roscommon , Loughrea , Ballymote ). Both Gael and Gall acknowledged
4416-424: The basis for the counties of Ireland. The Northern Uí Néill remained outside of Norman control, eventually absorbing the greater part of Airgíalla, which had by the end of the 12th century lost its eastern territory (afterwards known as "English Oriel" and later as Louth) to the Normans. Airgíalla would eventually no longer be reckoned an over-kingdom; however, it survived in present-day County Monaghan for as long as
4512-425: The battle of Leth Cam in 827. After a period of dynastic infighting in the early 12th century, Osraige fragmented and after a heavy defeat at the hands of High-King Muirchertach Mac Lochlainn became part of Laigin. In 1169, the king of Osraige, Domnall Mac Gilla Pátraic , hired the Norman knight Maurice de Prendergast to resist the Laigin king, Diarmait Mac Murchada , who had also recruited Norman aid. In 1118,
4608-428: The blackthorns;/ Niall, mighty in combat, took it/ By right of victory in battle with swords." Although Feidlimid ruled for five more years, finally dying in 847, perhaps of disease, he never again campaigned in the north. While Niall was active in opposing Viking raids in his own lands in the north, he appears not to have campaigned against Viking forces elsewhere. During his reign, the focus of Viking activity moved to
4704-419: The conflict between Feidlimid and Niall. In 840 Feidlimid led an army to the Hill of Tara , where High Kings were inaugurated, and camped there, while Niall again raided into Offaly to undermine support for Feidlimid there. The two did not meet in battle until 841, at Mag nÓchtair, near Cloncurry, where Niall was the victor. A poem in the Annals of Ulster reads: "The crozier of devout Feidlimid/ Was abandoned in
4800-445: The creation of new counties: It would not be until the reign of Elizabeth's successor, James I , that Meath by 1610 would cease to be considered a province and that the provincial borders would be permanently set. The earliest recorded mention of the major division of Ireland is in the Ulster Cycle of legends, such as the Táin Bó Cúailnge . The Táin is set during the reign of Conchobar Mac Nessa , king of Ulster , and
4896-468: The demise of the Connacht kingship. Under kings Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair (1088–1156) and his son Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair (c. 1120–1198), Connacht became one of the five dominant kingdoms on the island. Tairrdelbach and Ruaidrí became the first men from west of the Shannon to gain the title Ard-Rí na hÉireann ( High King of Ireland ). In the latter's case, he was recognised all over the island in 1166 as Rí Éireann , or King of Ireland . Tairrdelbach
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#17328450505884992-414: The early 18th century was curbed by the Irish Famine , which led to many deaths and some emigration. Its memory has been overshadowed by the Great Famine (Ireland) one hundred years later. Connacht was the worst hit area in Ireland during the Great Famine , in particular, counties Mayo and Roscommon. In the Census of 1841, the population of Connacht stood at 1,418,859, the highest ever recorded. By 1851,
5088-486: The early historic era, Connacht then included County Clare , and was known as Cóiced Ol nEchmacht . Later myths state the Fir Bolg ruled all Ireland before the Tuatha Dé Danann arrived. When the Fir Bolg were defeated, the Tuatha Dé Danann drove them to Connacht. Sites such as the Céide Fields , Knocknarea , Listoghil , Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery and Rathcroghan , all demonstrate intensive occupation of Connacht far back into prehistory. Enigmatic artefacts such as
5184-419: The east coast and midlands of Ireland, with permanent settlements established at Lough Neagh and near Dublin . Niall defeated Vikings at Mag nÍtha, in modern County Donegal , in 845. The following year he drowned in the Callan River close to Armagh, from which event his epithet derives. He was buried at Armagh. Niall was followed as High King by Máel Sechnaill mac Máele Ruanaid of Clann Cholmáin. Niall
5280-432: The events in the myth of the Three Collas may have occurred in the late 4th to early 5th century; however, as the centuries passed the myth underwent updating and alteration. The most oft quoted version of their story was written by Geoffrey Keating in the 17th century in his work the Foras Feasa ar Éirinn , also known as "The History of Ireland". In it the Three Collas—Colla Menn, Colla Da Crioch, and Colla Uais—were
5376-481: The fiercest warriors of all Ireland, and the queens and goddesses of Ulster are associated with battle and death. Leinster, the eastern kingdom, is the seat of prosperity, hospitality, the importing of rich foreign wares like silk or wine; the men of Leinster are noble in speech and their women are exceptionally beautiful. Munster in the south is the kingdom of music and the arts, of harpers, of skilled ficheall players and of skilled horsemen. The fairs of Munster were
5472-525: The fifth/province) for certain overkings. The origins of the provinces of Ireland can be traced to the medieval cóiceda (literally "fifths") or "over-kingdoms" of Ireland. There were theoretically five such over-kingdoms; however, in reality during the historical period there were always more. At the start of the 9th century the following are listed: Airgíalla , Connachta , Laigin , Northern Uí Néill ( Ailech ), Southern Uí Néill ( Mide ), Mumu , and Ulaid . These seven over-kingdoms are again listed in
5568-404: The five kingdoms of Ireland. Below is a translation from Old Irish : Connacht in the west is the kingdom of learning, the seat of the greatest and wisest druids and magicians; the men of Connacht are famed for their eloquence, their handsomeness and their ability to pronounce true judgement. Ulster in the north is the seat of battle valour, of haughtiness, strife, boasting; the men of Ulster are
5664-411: The greatest in all Ireland. The last kingdom, Meath, is the kingdom of Kingship, of stewardship, of bounty in government; in Meath lies the Hill of Tara , the traditional seat of the High King of Ireland . The ancient earthwork of Tara is called Rath na Ríthe ('Ringfort of the Kings'). The epic poem , An Táin Bó Cúailnge (the Cattle Raid of Cooley) describes a war between Connacht and Ulster, and
5760-443: The heartland of the Uí Briain situated around modern County Clare and make it part of Connacht. This was to force them to accept Cormac Mac Carthaig , king of Desmumu, as the king of Mumu. Despite Ua Conchobair's aid, Mac Carthaig and the Uí Briain would form an alliance to campaign against Connacht's hegemony, and by 1138 ended the threat from that kingdom. The following decades would see Mumu united and repartitioned several times as
5856-407: The king of Connacht, Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair , aided the Mac Cárthaigh of south Munster in a rebellion against the ruling Uí Briain dynasty. This resulted in the division of Mumu into two: Tuadmumu ( Thomond , meaning "north Munster") to the north under the Uí Briain; and Desmumu ( Desmond , meaning "south Munster") to the south under the Mac Cárthaigh. Ua Conchobair would then conquer
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#17328450505885952-470: The late 16th century, when the Tudor conquest of Ireland (1534–1603) brought all under the direct rule of King James I of England . The counties were created from c. 1569 onwards. During the 17th century representatives from Connacht played leading roles in Confederate Ireland and during the Williamite War in Ireland . Its main town, Galway, endured several sieges (see Sieges of Galway ), while warfare, plague , famine and sectarian massacres killed about
6048-446: The legendary tales of the Ulster Cycle where it refers to the five kingdoms of the "Pentarchy". MacNeill enumerates the five earliest fifths mentioned, these comprising the kingdoms of Ulster, Connacht, Munster, Tara (North Leinster) and Dinn Riogh (South Leinster), located on the Barrow. The earliest hero tales name the Boyne as the dividing boundary between Ulster and Leinster, indicating that no province representative of Meath or Brega
6144-451: The mid-8th century, what is now County Clare was absorbed into Thomond by the Déisi Tuisceart . It has remained a part of the province of Munster ever since. The name Connacht arose from the most successful of these early dynasties, The Connachta . By 1050, they had extended their rule from Rathcroghan in north County Roscommon to large areas of what are now County Galway, County Mayo, County Sligo, and County Leitrim. The dynastic term
6240-520: The nine Ulster counties form modern-day Northern Ireland , which is part of the United Kingdom. Many of Northern Ireland's unionist political parties use "Ulster" in their names such as the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and the Ulster Democratic Party (UDP). The ITV regional service is known as Ulster Television but generally abbreviated to UTV, while BBC Radio Ulster is the main BBC radio station from BBC Northern Ireland . In education Munster Technological University and Ulster University both use
6336-460: The north and the southern Clann Cholmáin branch of the Uí Néill, so that when Niall's father died, he was not succeeded by his son, or by a cousin, but by Conchobar mac Donnchada of Clann Cholmáin, whose father Donnchad Midi had been High King before Áed. Nor did Niall immediately succeed to the leadership of Cenél nEógain on his father's death. His second cousin Murchad mac Máele Dúin was chosen to be King of Ailech and chief of Cenél nEógain. It
6432-546: The papal grant, Laudabiliter , for Ireland. Osraige would be amongst the first Irish kingdoms to fall following the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1170, and was soon afterwards split from Leinster and made part of the royal demesne lands of Waterford. In the years following the invasion, the kingdoms of Connacht, Desmumu, Laigin, Mide, Tuadmumu, and Ulaid formed the basis for the Norman liberties of Connacht, Desmond, Leinster, Meath, Thomond and Ulster respectively. These liberties were later subdivided into smaller ones that became
6528-437: The plural Connachta , partly by analogy with plural names of other dynastic territories like Ulaid and Laigin , and partly because the Connachta split into different branches. Before the Connachta dynasty, the province ( cúige , "fifth") was known as Cóiced Ol nEchmacht . In Modern Irish, the province is usually called Cúige Chonnacht , "the Province of Connacht", where Chonnacht is plural genitive case with lenition of
6624-444: The population had fallen to 1,010,031 and would continue to decline until the late 20th century. Connacht–Ulster was one of Ireland's four regional constituencies for elections to the European Parliament until it was superseded in 2004 by the constituency of North-West . The Irish language is spoken in the Gaeltacht areas of Counties Mayo and Galway, the largest area being in the west of County Galway. The Galway Gaeltacht
6720-539: The power of the Síol Muiredhaigh south into Uí Maine , west into Iar Connacht , and north into Uí Fiachrach Muaidhe and Bréifne . By the reign of Áed in Gai Bernaig (1046–1067), Connacht's kings ruled much what is now the province. Yet the Ó Conchobair's contended for control with their cousins, the Ua Ruairc of Uí Briúin Bréifne . Four Ua Ruairc's achieved rule of the kingdom – Fergal Ua Ruairc (956–967), Art Uallach Ua Ruairc (1030–1046), Áed Ua Ruairc (1067–1087), and Domnall Ua Ruairc (1098–1102). In addition,
6816-595: The power vacuum in Ulster bringing it under the sovereignty of the O'Neills of Tyrone. After this they claimed for the first time the title of rí Ulad , "king of Ulster", amalgamating their territory into one united province. This reduced the number of provinces to five—Connact, Leinster, Meath, Munster, and Ulster. During the reign of Mary I (1553–1558), the Lord Deputy of Ireland , Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex , sought to divide Ireland into six parts—Connacht, Leinster, Meath, Nether Munster, Ulster, and Upper Munster. His administrative reign in Ireland, however,
6912-522: The proposal of Éire Nua ("New Ireland"), which was supported by the Provisional IRA and Sinn Féin during the 1970s and early 1980s for a federal United Ireland . The proposal was particularly associated with the Dublin -based leadership group centred on Ruairí Ó Brádaigh and Dáithí Ó Conaill , who were the authors of the policy. Éire Nua envisaged a united Ireland that would be created when
7008-406: The provinces have become associated with groups of counties, although they have no legal status . They are today seen mainly in a sporting context. Ireland's four professional rugby teams in the United Rugby Championship play under the names of the provinces. The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) has separate provincial councils and its county teams contest provincial championships . Six of
7104-578: The provinces in which they are located in their name. Many hotels also use the name of the province in which they are situated. In media many local and regional newspapers use their province in their names such as The Munster Express in Waterford, Leinster Leader in Kildare, Connacht Tribune in Galway and Ulster Herald in Fermanagh. In modern times politically the four provinces were referred to in
7200-505: The provincial champion. Galway are the most successful side in Connacht with 48 Connacht titles and 9 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship . Mayo have been the dominant force in the province in recent years winning a five-in-a-row of Connacht titles from 2011 to 2015, and have regularly reached the semi-finals and finals of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship . No football team from Connacht has won
7296-502: The son of High King Conchobar mac Donnchada, as abbot of Armagh. The Annals of Ulster describe Artrí as bishop of Armagh in 825 when he imposed the Law of Patrick on Connacht together with Feidlimid mac Crimthainn , the King of Munster , suggesting that he was both acting abbot and as such the spiritual heir of Saint Patrick . Whatever the exact cause of the conflict, Niall raised an army among
7392-546: The sons of Eocaidh Doimlén. It is from them that the Airgíalla are said to descend, branching off from the rest of the Connachta. The Northern and Southern Uí Néill dynasties are claimed to descend from Eocaidh's brother, Fiacha Sraibhtine . According to the story the Collas were told by Fiacha's son, Muiredach Tirech , the High King of Ireland, to conquer land of their own to pass on to their descendants, directing them to wage war on
7488-1099: The supreme lordship of the Earl of Ulster ; after the murder of the last earl in 1333, the Anglo-Irish split into different factions, the most powerful emerging as Bourke of Mac William Eighter in north Connacht, and Burke of Clanricarde in the south. They were regularly in and out of alliance with equally powerful Gaelic lords and kings such as Ó Conchobair of Síol Muireadaigh , Ó Cellaigh of Uí Maine and Mac Diarmata of Moylurg , in addition to extraprovincial powers such as Ó Briain of Thomond , FitzGerald of Kildare , Ó Domhnaill of Tír Chonaill . Lesser lords of both ethnicities included Mac Donnchadha , Mac Goisdelbh , Mac Bhaldrin, Mac Siurtain , Ó hEaghra , Ó Flaithbeheraigh , Ó Dubhda , Ó Seachnasaigh , Ó Manacháin , Seoighe , Ó Máille , Ó Ruairc , Ó Madadháin , Bairéad , Ó Máel Ruanaid , Ó hEidhin , Ó Finnaghtaigh , Ó Fallmhain , Breathneach , Mac Airechtaig , Ó Neachtain , Ó hAllmhuráin , Ó Fathaigh . The town of Galway
7584-443: The surname Ua Conchobair. At its greatest extent, it incorporated the often independent Kingdom of Breifne , as well as vassalage from the lordships of western Mide and west Leinster . Two of its greatest kings, Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair (1088–1156) and his son Ruaidri Ua Conchobair (c. 1115–1198) greatly expanded the kingdom's dominance, so much so that both became High King of Ireland . The Kingdom of Connacht collapsed in
7680-732: The title of Queen Victoria's son Arthur, Duke of Connaught ; and the Connaught Hotel , London, named after the Duke in 1917. Usage of the Connaught spelling is now in decline. State bodies use Connacht , for example in Central Statistics Office census reports since 1926, and the name of the Connacht–Ulster European Parliament constituency of 1979–2004, although Connaught occurs in some statutes. Among newspapers,
7776-462: The two rivals Niall supported. In 838 Niall and Feidlimid held a rígdal , a royal conference, either at Cloncurry or at Clonfert. Southern sources such as the Annals of Innisfallen say that Niall acknowledged Feidlimid as High King while northern sources such as the Annals of Ulster simply report the meeting without any further details. Whatever agreements were made at the rígdal , they did not end
7872-492: Was Uí Maine , which at its maximum extent enclosed central and south County Roscommon, central, east-central and south County Galway, along with the territory of Lusmagh in Munster . Their rulers bore the family name Ó Ceallaigh ; its spelling sometimes varying slightly from scribe to scribe. Though the Ó Ceallaigh's were never elevated to the provincial kingship, Uí Maine existed as a semi-independent kingdom both before and after
7968-498: Was also described as "the Pentarchy". The five provinces that made up the Pentarchy where: Historians Geoffrey Keating and T. F. O'Rahilly differ suggesting that it is Munster, not Leinster, that formed two of the fifths. These two fifths were called by Keating: Cuigeadh Eochaidh (eastern Munster) and Cuigeadh Con Raoi (western Munster), both named after their respective king. Eoin MacNeill discounts this suggestion citing
8064-403: Was arresting three of his twenty-two brothers, "Brian Breifneach, Brian Luighneach, and Muircheartach Muimhneach" to prevent them from usurping him. He blinded Brian Breifneach as an extra precaution. Ruaidrí was compelled to recognise Muirchertach Mac Lochlainn as Ard-Rí, though he went to war with him in 1159. Mac Lochlainn's murder in 1166 left Ruaidrí the unopposed ruler of all Ireland. He
8160-407: Was being founded, it was created from portions of each province which all met at the hill of Uisnech. The boundaries given by Keating himself for the five provinces, however, meant that this would have been highly unlikely, with the boundary between his Munster fifths nowhere near this area. Pseudo-historians list 84 kings of Ireland prior to the formation of the Pentarchy. When this mythical kingship
8256-720: Was crowned in 1166 at Dublin , "took the kingship of Ireland ...[and was] inaugurated king as honourably as any king of the Gaeidhil was ever inaugurated;" He was the first and last native ruler who was recognised by the Gaelic-Irish as full King of Ireland . However, his expulsion of Dermot MacMurrough later that year brought about the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169. Ruaidrí's inept response to events led to rebellion by his sons in 1177, and his deposition by Conchobar Maenmaige Ua Conchobair in 1183. Ruaidrí died at Cong in 1198, noted as
8352-469: Was cut short; and even with his reappointment by Elizabeth I (1558–1603) this plan was never implemented. Sir Henry Sidney during his three tenures as Lord Deputy created two presidencies headed by a Lord President to administer Connacht and Munster . In an attempt to reduce the importance of the province of Munster, Sydney, using the River Shannon as a natural boundary took Thomond and made it into
8448-754: Was from then on applied to the overall geographic area containing those counties, and has remained so ever since. The most successful sept of the Connachta were the Ó Conchobair of Síol Muireadaigh . They derived their surname from Conchobar mac Taidg Mór (c. 800 – 882), from whom all subsequent Ó Conchobair Kings of Connacht descended. Conchobar was a nominal vassal of Máel Sechnaill mac Máele Ruanaid , High King of Ireland (died 862). He married Máel Sechnaill's daughter, Ailbe, and had sons Áed mac Conchobair (died 888), Tadg mac Conchobair (died 900) and Cathal mac Conchobair (died 925), all of whom subsequently reigned. Conchobar and his sons' descendants expanded
8544-440: Was highly innovative, building the first stone castles in Ireland, and more controversially, introducing the policy of primogeniture to a hostile Gaelic polity. Castles were built in the 1120s at Galway (where he based his fleet ), Dunmore , Sligo and Ballinasloe , where he dug a new six-mile canal to divert the river Suck around the castle of Dun Ló. Churches, monasteries and dioceses were re-founded or created, works such as
8640-441: Was interrupted is a matter of dispute. The Annals of Tigernach state that Ireland was divided into the five upon the slaying of Conaire Mór ; however, it is suggested alternatively that it happened upon the death of Conaire's father, Eterscél Mór , the 84th king of Ireland. Keating, however, suggests it occurred in the reign of Eochu Feidlech who was the 82nd king of Ireland. MacNeill claims that this division of Ireland into five
8736-541: Was killed and his army routed. The Collas then pursued the Ulaid east of the "Glen Righe" (the valley of the Newry River in eastern County Armagh), before returning to loot and burn the Ulaid capital, Emain Macha, after which it never again had a king. They then took possession of central Ulaid spanning the modern counties of Armagh, Fermanagh, Londonderry, Monaghan and Tyrone founding the over-kingdom of Airgíalla. In modern times
8832-441: Was married to Gormflaith ingen Donncadha , a sister of Conchobar mac Donnchada. She died in 861 and the notice of her death in the Annals of Ulster calls her "a most charming queen of the Irish". Niall's children included Áed Findliath , known as such to distinguish him from his grandfather, who was later High King and is recorded as Gormflaith's son, as well as a daughter whose name is not recorded who married Conaing mac Flainn of
8928-595: Was not until 823, when the Annals of Ulster record that Murchad was deposed, that Niall became king of Ailech. In 827 a conflict within the important church at Armagh led to war. The late Annals of the Four Masters provide a long account of the events. According to this, Cummascach mac Cathail of the Uí Cremthainn, king of the Airgíalla , expelled Niall's confessor Éogan Mainistrech from Armagh, installing his own half-brother, Artrí mac Conchobair, who may have been
9024-519: Was the only significant urban area in the province. Its inhabitants governed themselves under charter of the king of England. Its merchant families, The Tribes of Galway , traded not only with the lordships around them and in Ireland , but with England , France, and Spain. Its mayor enjoyed supreme power but only for the length of his office, rarely more than a year. Galway's inhabitants were of mixed descent, its families bearing surnames of Gaelic, French, English, Welsh, Norman and other origins. Connacht
9120-497: Was the site of two of the bloodiest battles in Irish history, the Second Battle of Athenry (1316) and the Battle of Knockdoe (1504). The casualties of both battles were measured in several thousand, unusually high for Irish warfare. A third battle at Aughrim in 1691 resulted in an estimated 10,000 deaths. All of Connacht's lordships remained in states of full or semi-independence from other Gaelic-Irish and Anglo-Irish rulers until
9216-466: Was yet in existence. The kings of Tara and Dinn Riogh were said to derive from the same lineage, which ruled all the Laigin. In the 12th century Lebor na Cert (Book of Rights), the term means province, seemingly having lost its fractional meaning with seven cúigeadh listed. Similarly this seems to be the case in regards to titles with the Annals of Ulster using the term rex in Chóicid (king of
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