137-607: Maínis or Mweenish is an island off the Connemara coast in the heart of the Conamara Gaeltacht . The island is close to Carna and linked to the mainland by a bridge. It is noted for its isolation and rugged beauty. This article related to the geography of County Galway , Ireland is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Connemara Connemara ( / ˌ k ɒ n ɪ ˈ m ɑːr ə / KON -ih- MAR -ə ; Irish : Conamara [ˌkʊnˠəˈmˠaɾˠə] )
274-526: A beard and mustache , and it was often seen as dishonourable for a Gaelic man to have no facial hair. Beard styles varied – the long forked beard and the rectangular Mesopotamian-style beard were fashionable at times. Warfare was common in Gaelic Ireland, as territories , kingdoms and clans fought for supremacy against each other and later against the Vikings and Anglo-Normans . Champion warfare
411-446: A dealg ( brooch ), with men usually wearing the dealg at their shoulders and women at their chests. The ionar (a short, tight-fitting jacket) became popular later on. In Topographia Hibernica , written during the 1180s, Gerald de Barri wrote that the Irish commonly wore hoods at that time (perhaps forming part of the brat ), while Edmund Spenser wrote in the 1580s that the brat
548-462: A fine (plural: finte ). This was a large group of related people supposedly descended from one progenitor through male forebears. It was headed by a man whose office was known in Old Irish as a cenn fine or toísech (plural: toísig ). Nicholls suggests that they would be better thought of as akin to the modern-day corporation. Within each fine , the family descended from a common great-grandparent
685-621: A thatch -covered long house at Renvyle and acted as both clan leaders and "middlemen" for the Anglo-Irish Blake family of Galway City , who were granted much of the region under the Acts of Settlement in 1677. This arrangement continued until 1811, when Henry Blake ended a 130-year-long tradition of his family acting as absentee landlords and evicted 86-year-old Anthony O'Flaherty, his relatives, and his retainers. Henry Blake then demolished Anthony O'Flaherty's longhouse and built Renvyle House on
822-773: A Chronological account of Irish Events (collected from Very Ancient Documents faithfully compared with each other & supported by the Genealogical & Chronological Aid of the Sacred and Profane Writings of the Globe) . Ogygia , the island of Calypso in Homer 's The Odyssey , was used by Ó Flaithbheartaigh as a poetic allegory for Ireland. Drawing from numerous ancient documents, Ogygia traces Irish history back before Saint Patrick and into Pre-Christian Irish mythology . Simultaneously, however, Máirtín Mór Ó Máille , who claimed descent from
959-684: A boggy area near Clifden in 1919. At the beginning of the Irish War of Independence , the IRA in Connemara had active service companies in Shanafaraghaun, Maam , Kilmilkin, Cornamona , Clonbur , Carraroe , Lettermore , Gorumna , Rosmuc , Letterfrack , and Renvyle . The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC), on the other hand, was based at fortified barracks at Clifden, Letterfrack, Leenane , Clonbur, Rosmuc, and Maam. IRA veteran Jack Feehan later recalled of
1096-743: A certain number of their father's cattle as their marriage-portion. It seems that, throughout the Middle Ages, the Gaelic Irish kept many of their marriage laws and traditions separate from those of the Church. Under Gaelic law, married women could hold property independent of their husbands, a link was maintained between married women and their own families, couples could easily divorce or separate, and men could have concubines (which could be lawfully bought). These laws differed from most of contemporary Europe and from Church law. The lawful age of marriage
1233-401: A clergyman could never regain his standing. Some laws were pre-Christian in origin. These secular laws existed in parallel, and sometimes in conflict, with Church law . Although brehons usually dealt with legal cases, kings would have been able to deliver judgments also, but it is unclear how much they would have had to rely on brehons. Kings had their own brehons to deal with cases involving
1370-405: A dive for his gun as I passed and we wheeled and opened up. They were shot." As both officers lay dying, the IRA men were seen to bend over them and remove their weapons and ammunition, before withdrawing from the scene with other RIC Constables in pursuit. Peter Joseph McDonnell later recalled, "They had a rifle and a revolver, fifty rounds of ammo, and belts and pouches." Canon Joseph MacAlpine
1507-435: A half feet high. Chariots were generally drawn by horses or oxen, with horse-drawn chariots being more common among chiefs and military men. War chariots furnished with scythes and spikes, like those of the ancient Gauls and Britons , are mentioned in literature. Boats used in Gaelic Ireland include canoes , currachs , sailboats and Irish galleys . Ferryboats were used to cross wide rivers and are often mentioned in
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#17330943763861644-459: A helmet, but they sometimes wore simple helmets made from animal hides. Artwork from Ireland's Gaelic period is found on pottery , jewellery , weapons , drinkware , tableware , stone carvings and illuminated manuscripts . Irish art from about 300 BC incorporates patterns and styles which developed in west central Europe. By about AD 600, after the Christianization of Ireland had begun,
1781-414: A hierarchy of kings and chiefs. The smallest territory was the túath (plural: túatha ), which was typically the territory of a single kin-group. It was ruled by a rí túaithe (king of a túath ) or toísech túaithe (leader of a túath ). Several túatha formed a mór túath (overkingdom), which was ruled by a rí mór túath or ruirí (overking). Several mór túatha formed a cóiced (province), which
1918-598: A kind of fosterage was common, whereby (for a certain length of time) children would be left in the care of others to strengthen family ties or political bonds. Foster parents were beholden to teach their foster children or to have them taught. Foster parents who had properly done their duties were entitled to be supported by their foster children in old age (if they were in need and had no children of their own). As with divorce, Gaelic law again differed from most of Europe and from Church law in giving legal standing to both "legitimate" and "illegitimate" children. For most of
2055-469: A market of foreign traders. In the Middle Ages the main exports were textiles such as wool and linen while the main imports were luxury items. Money was seldom used in Gaelic society; instead, goods and services were usually exchanged for other goods and services ( barter ). The economy was mainly a pastoral one, based on livestock ( cows , sheep , pigs , goats , etc.) and their products . Cattle
2192-418: A payment based on their closeness to the victim, their status, and so forth. There were separate payments for the kin-group of the victim's mother, and for the victim's foster-kin. Execution seems to have been rare and carried out only as a last resort. If a murderer was unable or unwilling to pay éraic and was handed to his victim's family, they might kill him if they wished should nobody intervene by paying
2329-745: A permanent and very dangerous enemy out of his mother's former ally; Grace O'Malley. The latter was swift to retaliate by launching an English-backed regime change war, in which she fought against Hugh Roe in order to wrest the White Wand of the Chiefdom away from Tiobóid Mac Walter Ciotach and give it to her son. She was joined in this by the Clan O'Flaherty and the Irish clans of Connemara who followed their mantle. Irish clan chief, historian, and refugee in Habsburg Spain Philip O'Sullivan Beare later went on
2466-525: A remedy for all these evils, had it not been that they were destroyed from within by another and greater internal disease. For most of the families, clans, and towns of the Catholic chiefs, who took up arms in defense of the Catholic Faith, were divided into different factions, each having different leaders and following lords who were fighting for their estates and chieftaincies. The less powerful of them joined
2603-459: A ship filled with MacConroy and MacAnally clansmen, than a ship filled with gold"). Even though she has traditionally been viewed as a icon of Irish nationalism , Grace O'Malley, in reality, sided with Queen Elizabeth I against Red Hugh O'Donnell and Aodh Mór Ó Néill during the Nine Years War . Even though O'Donnell and O'Neill were seeking primarily to end the religious persecution of
2740-586: A style melding Irish, Mediterranean and Germanic Anglo-Saxon elements emerged, and was spread to Britain and mainland Europe by the Hiberno-Scottish mission . This is known as Insular art or Hiberno-Saxon art, which continued in some form in Ireland until the 12th century, although the Viking invasions ended its "Golden Age". Most surviving works of Insular art were either made by monks or made for monasteries, with
2877-432: A valuable resource but had a lesser role in Irish pastoralism. Horticulture was practised; the main crops being oats , wheat and barley , although flax was also grown for making linen. Transhumance was also practised, whereby people moved with their livestock to higher pastures in summer and back to lower pastures in the cooler months. The summer pasture was called the buaile (anglicized as booley ) and it
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#17330943763863014-601: Is a common theme in Early Irish mythology , literature and culture. In the Middle Ages all able-bodied men, apart from the learned and the clergy, were eligible for military service on behalf of the king or chief . Throughout the Middle Ages and for some time after, outsiders often wrote that the Irish style of warfare differed greatly from what they deemed to be the norm in Western Europe. The Gaelic Irish preferred hit-and-run raids (the crech ), which involved catching
3151-551: Is a region on the Atlantic coast of western County Galway , in the west of Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains much of the Connacht Irish -speaking Gaeltacht , which is a key part of the identity of the region and is the largest Gaeltacht in the country. Historically, Connemara was part of the territory of Iar Connacht (West Connacht). Geographically, it has many mountains (notably
3288-409: Is a stone ringfort. The ringfort would typically have enclosed the family home, small farm buildings or workshops, and animal pens. Most date to the period 500–1000 CE and there is evidence of large-scale ringfort desertion at the end of the first millennium. The remains of between 30,000 and 40,000 lasted into the 19th century to be mapped by Ordnance Survey Ireland . Another kind of native dwelling
3425-472: Is available in large dimensional slabs suitable for buildings as well as for smaller pieces of jewellery. Before the Tudor and Cromwellian conquests , Connemara, like the rest of Gaelic Ireland , was ruled by Irish clans whose Chiefs and their derbhfine were expected to follow the same code of honour also expected of Scottish clan chiefs . In his biography of Rob Roy MacGregor , W.H. Murray described
3562-400: Is definitely not in Connemara – some argue for Barna , on the outskirts of Galway City , some for a line from Oughterard to Maam Cross , and then diagonally down to the coast, all within rural lands. The wider area of what is today known as Connemara was previously a sovereign kingdom known as Iar Connacht , under the kingship of the Ó Flaithbertaigh , until it became part of
3699-502: Is noteworthy that the Irish word for boy ( buachaill ) originally meant a herdsman. Many moorland areas were "shared as a common summer pasturage by the people of a whole parish or barony". Gaelic Ireland was well furnished with roads and bridges. Bridges were typically wooden and in some places the roads were laid with wood and stone. There were five main roads leading from Tara : Slíghe Asail, Slíghe Chualann , Slíghe Dála, Slíghe Mór and Slíghe Midluachra . Horses were one of
3836-570: Is one located along the boreen named Baile Eamoinn near Spiddal . Two others are located at Barr na Daoire and at Caorán Beag in Carraroe . A fourth, Cluain Duibh , is located near Moycullen at Clooniff. Tim Robinson has written of a fifth Mass rock, located in the Townland of "An Tulaigh", which also includes two holy wells and, formerly, a Christian pilgrimage chapel dedicated to St. Columkille , who
3973-517: Is said in the oral tradition to have visited the region. The Mass rock was built from several of the many boulders scattered by glaciers around Lough Clurra and is named in Irish "Cloch an tSagairt" ("Stone of the Priest"), but which was formerly marked as " Druid 's altar" and dolmen on the old Ordnance Survey maps. After taking the island in 1653, the New Model Army of Oliver Cromwell turned
4110-596: The Conmacne lived by the sea, they became known as the Conmacne Mara (sea in Irish is muir , genitive mara , hence "of the sea"). One common definition of the area is that it consists of most of west Galway, that is to say the part of the county west of Lough Corrib and Galway city, contained by Killary Harbour , Galway Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Some more restrictive definitions of Connemara define it as
4247-607: The seanchaidhthe . Writing, in the form of inscription in the ogham alphabet , began in the protohistoric period , perhaps as early as the 1st century. The conversion to Christianity , beginning in the 5th century, accompanied the introduction of literature . In the Middle Ages, Irish mythology and Brehon law were recorded by Irish monks, albeit partly Christianized . Gaelic Irish monasteries were important centres of learning. Irish missionaries and scholars were influential in western Europe and helped to spread Christianity to much of Britain and parts of mainland Europe. In
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4384-531: The Anglo-Irish Martin family being greatly affected and the bankrupted landlord being forced to auction off the estate in 1849: As that year of 1847 had been the worst of several consecutive years of famine, it was to be understood that those missing tenants had abandoned their holdings to crowd into the workhouses or the emigrant ships to the New World, or they were dead; in any case they no longer infested
4521-462: The Black and Tans . Crown security forces often requested rides from Conneely, who covertly used the opportunity to ask questions about secret military operations during the drive. On one occasion, two Special Constables accepted a ride to Leenane from Conneely without realizing that they were sitting the whole time next to crates filled with guns and ammunition. After dropping both men off, Conneely delivered
4658-489: The Brehon Laws as subject to strict regulations. Sometimes they were owned by individuals and sometimes they were the common property of those living round the ferry. Large boats were used for trade with mainland Europe. Throughout the Middle Ages, the common clothing amongst the Gaelic Irish consisted of a brat (a woollen semi circular cloak) worn over a léine (a loose-fitting, long-sleeved tunic made of linen). For men
4795-617: The Catholic Church in Ireland by the English Queen her officials, O'Malley almost certainly considered herself completely justified under the code of conduct in siding with the Crown of England against them. The feud began in 1595, when O'Donnell re-instated the Chiefdom of Clan MacWilliam Íochdar of the completely Gaelicised House of Burgh in County Mayo , which had been abolished under
4932-613: The Irish round towers were built. In the fifty years before the Norman invasion , the term "castle" ( Old Irish : caistél/caislén ) appears in Gaelic writings, although there are few intact surviving examples of pre-Norman castles. After the invasion, the Normans built motte-and-bailey castles in the areas they occupied, some of which were converted from ringforts. By 1300 "some mottes, especially in frontier areas, had almost certainly been built by
5069-518: The Land War in Connemara." During the famous battle, Mr. Fenton, the landlord's process server, arrived to serve evictions with the protection and support of an estimated 260 officers of the Royal Irish Constabulary . They were met by the violent resistance of an estimated 2000 members of the local population. Tim Robinson writes, "Local Seanchas has it that there were many unfamiliar faces in
5206-577: The Lordship of Ireland – and the island as a whole. However, the Gaelic system continued in areas outside Anglo-Norman control. The territory under English control gradually shrank to an area known as the Pale and, outside this, many Hiberno-Norman lords adopted Gaelic culture. In 1542, the Lordship of Ireland became the Kingdom of Ireland when Henry VIII of England was given the title of King of Ireland by
5343-533: The Parliament of Ireland . The English then began to extend their control over the island . By 1607, Ireland was fully under English control, bringing the old Gaelic political and social order to an end. Gaelic culture and society was centred around the fine (explained below). Gaelic Ireland had a rich oral culture and appreciation of deeper and intellectual pursuits. Filí and draoithe (druids) were held in high regard during Pagan times and orally passed down
5480-547: The Scoti or Irish "believing in Christ". Early medieval traditions credit Saint Patrick as being the first Primate of Ireland . Christianity would eventually supplant the existing pagan traditions, with the prologue of the 9th century Martyrology of Tallaght (attributed to author Óengus of Tallaght ) speaking of the last vestiges of paganism in Ireland. In Gaelic Ireland each person belonged to an agnatic kin-group known as
5617-521: The Twelve Pins ), peninsulas, coves, islands and small lakes. Connemara National Park is in the northwest. It is mostly rural and its largest settlement is Clifden . "Connemara" derives from the tribal name Conmhaícne Mara , which designated a branch of the Conmacne , an early tribal grouping that had a number of branches located in different parts of Connacht . Since this particular branch of
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5754-453: The anti-Catholic activities of the local Irish Church Missions , which, "caused much unrest and bitterness". Local Irish folklore accordingly glorifies a local rapparee known as Scorach Ghlionnáin , who was allegedly born illegitimately in a seaside cave in the Townland of An Tulaigh. He is said to often and successfully have stolen from the Blake family and their land agents and given to
5891-531: The derbhfine of the last Chief of the Name of the Clan O'Malley and Lord of Umhaill as well as kinship with the famous pirate queen Grace O'Malley , ran much of Anglo-Irish landlord Richard "Humanity Dick" Martin 's estates from his residence at "Keeraun House" and the surrounding region, which are still known locally as "the demesne " ( Irish : An Diméin ), as a "middleman" ( Irish : ceithearnach ). From
6028-412: The léine reached to their ankles but was hitched up by means of a crios (pronounced 'kriss') which was a type of woven belt. The léine was hitched up to knee level. Women wore the léine at full length. Men sometimes wore tight-fitting trews (Gaelic triúbhas) but otherwise went bare-legged. The brat was simply thrown over both shoulders or sometimes over only one. Occasionally the brat was fastened with
6165-478: The pantheons of other European nations. Two groups of supernatural beings who appear throughout Irish mythology—the Tuatha Dé Danann and Fomorians —are believed to represent the Gaelic pantheon. They were also animists , believing that all aspects of the natural world contained spirits, and that these spirits could be communicated with. Burial practices—which included burying food, weapons, and ornaments with
6302-417: The timpan (a small string instrument played with a bow or plectrum ), the feadan (a fife ), the buinne (an oboe or flute ), the guthbuinne (a bassoon -type horn ), the bennbuabhal and corn ( hornpipes ), the cuislenna ( bagpipes – see Great Irish Warpipes ), the stoc and sturgan ( clarions or trumpets), and the cnamha ( castanets ). He also mentions the fiddle as being used in
6439-486: The éraic . Habitual or particularly serious offenders might be expelled from the kin-group and its territory. Such people became outlaws (with no protection from the law) and anyone who sheltered him became liable for his crimes. If he still haunted the territory and continued his crimes there, he was proclaimed in a public assembly and after this anyone might lawfully kill him. Each person had an honour-price, which varied depending on their rank in society. This honour-price
6576-482: The 12th century), they did not wear armour , as they deemed it burdensome to wear and "brave and honourable" to fight without it. Instead, most ordinary soldiers fought semi-naked and carried only their weapons and a small round shield — Spenser wrote that these shields were covered with leather and painted in bright colours. Kings and chiefs sometimes went into battle wearing helmets adorned with eagle feathers. For ordinary soldiers, their thick hair often served as
6713-440: The 8th century as compliment to Irish music. As mentioned before, Gaelic Ireland was split into many clann territories and kingdoms called túath (plural: túatha ). Although there was no central government or parliament , a number of local, regional and national gatherings were held. These combined features of assemblies and fairs . In Ireland, the highest of these was the feis at Teamhair na Rí (Tara), which
6850-558: The 9th century, Vikings began raiding and founding settlements along Ireland's coasts and waterways, which became its first large towns. Over time, these settlers were assimilated and became the Norse-Gaels . After the Anglo-Norman invasion of 1169–71, large swathes of Ireland came under the control of Norman lords, leading to centuries of conflict with the native Irish. The King of England claimed sovereignty over this territory –
6987-748: The Chiefs of Clan Mac Conghaile (Conneely) also claimed descent from the Conmhaícne Mara . During the early 13th century, but all four clans were displaced and subjugated by the Chiefs of Clan Ó Flaithbertaigh , who had been driven west from Maigh Seola into Iar Connacht by the Mac William Uachtar branch of the House of Burgh , during the Hiberno-Norman invasion of Connacht . According to Irish–American historian Bridget Connelly, "By
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#17330943763867124-528: The Clan's territory. The Chiefs of Clan Mac Conraoi were accordingly numbered, along with the Chiefs of Clans O'Malley , O'Dowd , and O'Flaherty , among "the Sea Kings of Connacht". The nearby kingdom of Gnó Beag was ruled by the Chief of the Name of Clan Ó hÉanaí (usually anglicised as Heaney or Heeney). The Ó Cadhla (Kealy) clan were the rulers of West Connemara. Like the Chiefs of Clan Ó Cadhla clan,
7261-475: The English party in the hope of gaining the chieftainship of their clans, if the existing chieftains were removed from their position and property, and the English craftily held out that hope to them. Thus, short-sighted men, putting their private affairs before the public defence of their Holy Faith, turned their allies, followers, and towns from the Catholic chiefs and transferred to the English great resources, but in
7398-471: The English-administered Kingdom of Ireland in the 16th century. The main town of Connemara is Clifden , which is surrounded by an area rich with megalithic tombs. The famous " Connemara Green marble " is found outcropping along a line between Streamstown and Lissoughter . It was a trade treasure used by the inhabitants in prehistoric times. It continues to be of great value today. It
7535-577: The Gaelic Irish in imitation". The Normans gradually replaced wooden motte-and-baileys with stone castles and tower houses . Tower houses are free-standing multi-storey stone towers usually surrounded by a wall (see bawn ) and ancillary buildings. Gaelic families had begun to build their own tower houses by the 15th century. As many as 7000 may have been built, but they were rare in areas with little Norman settlement or contact. They are concentrated in counties Limerick and Clare but are lacking in Ulster, except
7672-522: The Gaelic period, dwellings and farm buildings were circular with conical thatched roofs (see roundhouse ). Square and rectangle-shaped buildings gradually became more common, and by the 14th or 15th century they had replaced round buildings completely. In some areas, buildings were made mostly of stone. In others, they were built of timber, wattle and daub , or a mix of materials. Most ancient and early medieval stone buildings were of dry stone construction. Some buildings would have had glass windows. Among
7809-629: The IRA's most valuable intelligence officers during the ensuing conflict was Letterfrack native Jack Conneely, who had served as a Sergeant in the Royal Engineers during the First World War . Following the Armistice, Conneely had returned to Connemara and accepted a position as the driver for the Leenane Hotel. Due to his war record, Conneely was trusted completely by oblivious Special Constables of
7946-646: The Irish Chiefs, by promising their honours and revenues to such of their own kinsmen as would seduce their followers and allies from them, but when the war was over the English did not keep their promises." Before the Suppression of the Monasteries was spread to Connemara, the Dominican Order had a monastery about 2 miles (3.2 km) to the north of what is now Roundstone ( Irish : Cloch na Rón ). During
8083-490: The Norman invasion, it was common for priests and monks to have wives. This remained mostly unchanged after the Norman invasion, despite protests from bishops and archbishops. The authorities classed such women as priests' concubines and there is evidence that a formal contract of concubinage existed between priests and their women. However, unlike other concubines, they seem to have been treated just as wives were. In Gaelic Ireland
8220-548: The Sinn Fein political party in Connemara, the militantly anti-monarchist Irish Republican Brotherhood had a number of active units throughout the region. Furthermore, many County Galway veterans of the subsequent Irish War of Independence traced their belief in Irish republicanism to a father or grandfather who had been in the IRB. The first transatlantic flight, piloted by British aviators John Alcock and Arthur Brown , landed in
8357-524: The West Connemara Brigade decided to follow the IRA's "Two for One" policy by assassinating two Royal Irish Constabulary officers in Whelan's birthplace of Clifden , which until then had been, according to Rosmuc IRA commander Colm Ó Gaora, "gach uile lá riamh dílis do dhlí Shasana" , ("ever single day that ever was, loyal to England's law"). According to Peter McDonnell, the night of 15 March 1921
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#17330943763868494-532: The area around Strangford Lough . In Gaelic law, a 'sanctuary' called a maighin digona surrounded each person's dwelling. The maighin digona's size varied according to the owner's rank. In the case of a bóaire it stretched as far as he, while sitting at his house, could cast a cnairsech (variously described as a spear or sledgehammer). The owner of a maighin digona could offer its protection to someone fleeing from pursuers, who would then have to bring that person to justice by lawful means. Gaelic Ireland
8631-572: The arms shipment to a safe house along Killary Harbour , where the arms were picked up and carried by sea to the IRA in County Mayo . But the national leadership of the Irish Volunteers was so dissatisfied by the inefficiency and internal squabbling of the IRA in Connemara that, in September 1920, Brigade Commandant Peter McDonnell was summoned to a secret meeting at Kilmilkin with IRA Chief of Staff Richard Mulcahy , who promoted MacDonnell on
8768-464: The army was made up of light infantry called ceithern (anglicized 'kern'). The ceithern wandered Ireland offering their services for hire and usually wielded swords, skenes (a kind of long knife), short spears, bows and shields. The cavalry was usually made up of a king or chieftain and his close relatives. They usually rode without saddles but wore armour and iron helmets and wielded swords, skenes and long spears or lances . One kind of Irish cavalry
8905-573: The centuries of religious persecution of the Catholic Church in Ireland that began under Henry VIII and ended only with Catholic Emancipation in 1829, the Irish people , according to Marcus Tanner, clung to the Mass , " crossed themselves when they passed Protestant ministers on the road, had to be dragged into Protestant churches and put cotton wool in their ears rather than listen to Protestant sermons." According to historian and folklorist Seumas MacManus , "Throughout these dreadful centuries, too,
9042-829: The coastal areas it was the price they got for their kelp that paid the rent." In response, Father Patrick Grealy, the Roman Catholic priest assigned to Carna, selected ten, "very destitute but industrious and virtuous families", from his parish to emigrate to America and be settled upon frontier homesteads in Moonshine Township , near Graceville, Minnesota , by Bishop John Ireland of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Paul . In 1880 efforts by landlord Martin S. Kirwan to evict his starving tenants resulted in "The Battle of Carraroe" ( Irish : Cath na Ceathrú Rua ), which Tim Robinson has dubbed, "the most dramatic event of
9179-400: The code of honour as follows, "The abiding principle is cast up from the records of detail: that right must be seen to be done, no man left destitute, the given word honoured, the strictest honour observed to all who have given implicit trust, and that a guest's confidence in his safety must never be betrayed by his host, or vice versa . There was more of like kind, and each held as its kernel
9316-429: The country not under foreign dominion at a given time (i.e. the part beyond The Pale ). For most of its history, Gaelic Ireland was a "patchwork" hierarchy of territories ruled by a hierarchy of kings or chiefs, who were chosen or elected through tanistry . Warfare between these territories was common. Traditionally, a powerful ruler was acknowledged as High King of Ireland . Society was made up of clans and, like
9453-416: The crowd – the dead, come up from the Old graveyard at Barr an Doire to protect the homes of their descendants, it was said." ( Irish : "Tá sé sa seanchas áitiúil go raibh éadain strainséartha le feiceáil sa slua – na mairbh a bhí tagtha aníos as an tseanreilig i mBarr an Doire le seantithe a muintire a shábháil, ceaptar." ) After escalating violence forced him to retreat to the RIC barracks before completing
9590-411: The dead—suggest a belief in life after death . Some have equated this afterlife with the Otherworld realms known as Magh Meall and Tír na nÓg in Irish mythology. There were four main religious festivals each year, marking the traditional four divisions of the year – Samhain , Imbolc , Bealtaine and Lughnasadh . The mythology of Ireland was originally passed down orally , but much of it
9727-416: The early 700s describe a hierarchy of kings: kings of túath subject to kings of several túatha who again were subject to the regional overkings. Already before the 8th century these overkingdoms had begun to replace the túatha as the basic sociopolitical unit. Before Christianization , the Gaelic Irish were polytheistic or pagan . They had many gods and goddesses , which generally have parallels in
9864-609: The efforts of the Archbishop of Dublin and of Monsignor Joseph MacAlpine, the parish priest of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Clifden and Irish Parliamentary Party political boss of the surrounding region, to save his life out of a firm believe that he had not been involved in Captain Baggelly's assassination, Whelan was found guilty and subjected to execution by hanging on 14 March 1921. In retaliation, Peter J. McDonnell and
10001-463: The end did not obtain what they wished for, but accomplished what they did not desire. For it was not they, but the English who got the properties of and rich patrimonies of the Catholic nobles and their kinsmen; and the Holy Faith of Christ Jesus, bereft of its defenders, lay open to the barbarous violence and lust of the heretics. There was one device by which the English were able to crush the forces of
10138-515: The enemy unaware. If this worked they would then seize any valuables (mainly livestock) and potentially valuable hostages, burn the crops, and escape. The cattle raid was a social institution and was called a Táin Bó in Gaelic literature. Although hit-and-run raiding was the preferred tactic in medieval times, there were also pitched battles . From at least the 11th century, kings maintained small permanent fighting forces known as lucht tighe "troops of
10275-799: The exception of brooches , which were likely made and used by both clergy and laity. Examples of Insular art from Ireland include the Book of Kells , Muiredach's High Cross , the Tara Brooch , the Ardagh Hoard the Derrynaflan Chalice , and the late Cross of Cong , which also uses Viking styles. Although Gerald de Barri had an overtly negative view of the Irish, in Topographia Hibernica (1188) he conceded that they were more skilled at playing music than any other nation he had seen. He claimed that
10412-570: The exploits of Fionn mac Cumhaill and the Fianna . There are also a number of tales that do not fit into these cycles – this includes the immrama and echtrai , which are tales of voyages to the ' Otherworld '. The introduction of Christianity to Ireland dates to sometime before the 5th century, with Palladius (later bishop of Ireland) sent by Pope Celestine I in the mid-5th century to preach " ad Scotti in Christum " or in other words to minister to
10549-515: The fulfilment of social and ritual responsibilities were highly important. Like Britain , Gaelic Ireland consisted not of one single unified kingdom, but several. The main kingdoms were Ulaid (Ulster), Mide (Meath), Laigin (Leinster), Muma (Munster, consisting of Iarmuman , Tuadmumain and Desmumain ), Connacht , Bréifne (Breffny), In Tuaiscert (The North), and Airgíalla (Oriel). Each of these overkingdoms were built upon lordships known as túatha (singular: túath ). Law tracts from
10686-515: The ground, which was left as a blank canvas on which Capital could paint a fair and profitable landscape. The Sean nós song Johnny Seoighe is one of the few Irish songs from the era of the Great Famine that still survives. The events of the Great Irish Famine in Connemara have since inspired the recent Irish-language films Black '47 , directed by Lance Daly , and Arracht , which
10823-428: The group. For the briugu to fulfill these duties, he was allowed more land and privileges, but this could be lost if he ever refused guests. A freeman could further himself by becoming the client of one or more lords. The lord made his client a grant of property (i.e. livestock or land) and, in return, the client owed his lord yearly payments of food and fixed amounts of work. The clientship agreement could last until
10960-484: The historical territory of Conmhaícne Mara , i.e. just the far northwest of County Galway, bordering County Mayo . The name is also used to describe the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking areas) of western County Galway, though it is argued that this too is inaccurate as some of these areas lie outside of the traditional boundary of Connemara. There are arguments about where Connemara ends as it approaches Galway city, which
11097-419: The history and traditions of their people. Later, many of their spiritual and intellectual tasks were passed on to Christian monks, after said religion prevailed from the 5th century onwards. However, the filí continued to hold a high position. Poetry, music, storytelling, literature and other art forms were highly prized and cultivated in both pagan and Christian Gaelic Ireland. Hospitality, bonds of kinship and
11234-437: The household", who were often given houses and land on the king's mensal land. These were well-trained and equipped professional soldiers made up of infantry and cavalry . By the reign of Brian Boru , Irish kings were taking large armies on campaign over long distances and using naval forces in tandem with land forces . A typical medieval Irish army included light infantry , heavy infantry and cavalry . The bulk of
11371-452: The hunted priest -- who in his youth had been smuggled to the Continent of Europe to receive his training -- tended the flame of faith. He lurked like a thief among the hills. On Sundays and Feast Days he celebrated Mass at a rock, on a remote mountainside, while the congregation knelt on the heather of the hillside, under the open heavens. While he said Mass, faithful sentries watched from all
11508-449: The king's own rights and to give him legal advice. Unlike other kingdoms in Europe, Gaelic kings—by their own authority—could not enact new laws as they wished and could not be "above the law". They could, however, enact temporary emergency laws. It was mainly through these emergency powers that the Church attempted to change Gaelic law. The law texts take great care to define social status,
11645-496: The list of chieftains whose names appeared on the document. The Articles deprived all the original Irish clan chieftains not only of their title but also all of the rents, dues, and tribal rights they had possessed under Irish law ." During the 16th century, but legendary local pirate queen Grace O'Malley is on record as having said, with regard to her followers, ( Irish : "Go mb'fhearr léi lán loinge de chlann Chonraoi agus de chlann Mhic an Fhailí ná lán loinge d'ór" ) ("Better
11782-481: The lord's death. If the client died, his heirs would carry on the agreement. This system of clientship enabled social mobility as a client could increase his wealth until he could afford clients of his own, thus becoming a lord. Clientship was also practised between nobles, which established hierarchies of homage and political support. Gaelic law was originally passed down orally, but was written down in Old Irish during
11919-660: The main means of long-distance transport. Although horseshoes and reins were used, the Gaelic Irish did not use saddles , stirrups or spurs . Every man was trained to spring from the ground on to the back of his horse (an ech-léim or "steed-leap") and they urged-on and guided their horses with a rod having a hooked goad at the end. Two-wheeled and four-wheeled chariots (singular carbad ) were used in Ireland from ancient times, both in private life and in war. They were big enough for two people, made of wickerwork and wood, and often had decorated hoods. The wheels were spoked, shod all round with iron, and were from three to four and
12056-519: The nearby hilltops, to give timely warning of the approaching priest-hunter and his guard of British soldiers. But sometimes the troops came on them unawares, and the Mass Rock was bespattered with his blood, -- and men, women, and children caught in the crime of worshipping God among the rocks, were frequently slaughtered on the mountainside." According to historian and folklorist Tony Nugent, several Mass rocks survive in Connemara from this era. There
12193-509: The nearby island of Inishbofin, County Galway , into a prison camp for Roman Catholic priests arrested while exercising their religious ministry covertly in other parts of Ireland. Inishmore , in the nearby Aran Islands , was used for exactly the same purpose. The last priests held on both islands were finally released following the Stuart Restoration in 1662. One of the last Chiefs of Clan O'Flaherty and Lord of Iar Connacht
12330-453: The offender paying compensation to the victims. Although any such offence required compensation, the law made a distinction between intentional and unintentional harm, and between murder and manslaughter . If an offender did not pay outright, his property was seized until he did so. Should the offender be unable to pay, his family would be responsible for doing so. Should the family be unable or unwilling to pay, responsibility would broaden to
12467-542: The ordinary course of the law so that, in general, every woman had to have a male guardian. However, women had some legal capacity. By the 8th century, the preferred form of marriage was one between social equals, under which a woman was technically legally dependent on her husband and had half his honor price, but could exercise considerable authority in regard to the transfer of property. Such women were called "women of joint dominion". Thus historian Patrick Weston Joyce could write that, relative to other European countries of
12604-603: The period 600–900 AD. This collection of oral and written laws is known as the Fénechas or, in English, as the Brehon Law(s). The brehons (Old Irish: brithem , plural brithemain ) were the jurists in Gaelic Ireland. Becoming a brehon took many years of training and the office was, or became, largely hereditary. Most legal cases were contested privately between opposing parties, with the brehons acting as arbitrators. Offences against people and property were primarily settled by
12741-424: The policy of surrender and regrant . Instead, however, of allowing Clan a Burc to summon a gathering at which the nobles and commons would debate and then choose one of the derbhfine of the last chief to lead them, O'Donnell instead chose to appoint his ally Tiobóid mac Walter Ciotach Búrca as Chief of the Name. By passing over the claim of her son Tiobóid na Long Búrca to the Chiefdom, O'Donnell made himself
12878-584: The poor, until enlisting in the British Army and losing his life in the Crimean War . The Blake family are also said in the local oral tradition to have been permanently banished from the region by a curse put on them by a local Roman Catholic priest who dabbled in Pre-Christian sorcery. Elsewhere in Connemara, Anglo-Irish landlord John D'Arcy (1785-1839), who bankrupted both himself and his heirs to found
13015-433: The property she had brought her husband during their marriage. Trial marriages seem to have been popular among the rich and powerful, and thus it has been argued that cohabitation before marriage must have been acceptable. It also seems that the wife of a chieftain was entitled to some share of the chief's authority over his territory. This led to some Gaelic Irish wives wielding a great deal of political power. Before
13152-513: The record as a very harsh critic of Niall Garbh O'Donnell , Tiobóid na Long Búrca , Grace O'Malley , and other members of the Gaelic nobility of Ireland who similarly launched regime change wars within their clans with English backing. Having the benefit of hindsight regarding the long-term fallout from Tiobóid na Long Búrca's uprising against his Chief and many others like it nationwide, O'Sullivan Beare wrote, "The Catholics might have been able to find
13289-638: The region at the outbreak of the conflict, "In South Connemara from Spiddal to Lettermullen the brewing (of poitín ) was very strong and it went out as far as Carna . The people there were against the RIC more or less because they used to search for poitín, save in the Leenane area where the tourists came and Clifden were there were tourists and people who wanted to be friendly to law and good money." According to both historian Kathleen Villiers-Tuthill and former West Connemara Brigade IRA O/C Peter J. McDonnell, one of
13426-459: The rest of Europe , was structured hierarchically according to class . Throughout this period, the economy was mainly pastoral and money was generally not used . A Gaelic Irish style of dress , music , dance , sport and art can be identified, with Irish art later merging with Anglo-Saxon styles to create Insular art . Gaelic Ireland was initially pagan and had an oral culture maintained by traditional Gaelic storytellers/historians,
13563-500: The retreating plunderers with a "moving line of defence from which the horsemen could make short, sharp charges, and behind which they could retreat when pursued". As their armor made them less nimble, they were sometimes planted at strategic spots along the line of retreat. The kern , horsemen and gallóglaigh had lightly armed servants to carry their weapons into battle. Warriors were sometimes rallied into battle by blowing horns and warpipes . According to Gerald de Barri (in
13700-412: The rights and duties that went with that status, and the relationships between people. For example, ceann finte had to take responsibility for members of their fine , acting as a surety for some of their deeds and making sure debts were paid. He would also be responsible for unmarried women after the death of their fathers. Ancient Irish culture was patriarchal . The Brehon law excepted women from
13837-491: The rock known as "O'Malley's Seat ( Irish : Suístín Uí Mháille ) at the mouth of the creek known as An Dólain near the village of An Caorán Beag in Carraroe , Ó Máille also ran, with the enthusiastic collusion of his employer, one of the busiest smuggling operations in South Connemara and regularly unloaded cargoes smuggled in from Guernsey . Like many other members of the Gaelic nobility of Ireland before him, Ó Máille
13974-430: The same derbfine and he was elected by other members of the derbfine . Tanistry meant that the kingship usually went to whichever relative was deemed to be the most fitting. Sometimes there would be more than one tanist at a time and they would succeed each other in order of seniority. Some Anglo-Norman lordships later adopted tanistry from the Irish. Gaelic Ireland was divided into a hierarchy of territories ruled by
14111-475: The seed-potatoes on which the next seasons crop depended. In January 1880 after another tour of Connemara, he reported that the Poor Law Unions of the coastal areas were providing no outdoor relief (i.e. road-building schemes, etc.), and that the people faced starvation in the months before the summer. Not only was potato-blight prevalent, but it seems the kelp market had failed, and for most small tenants of
14248-527: The simple ideal of trust honoured... Breaches of it were abhorred and damned... The ideal was applied 'with discretion'. Its interpretation went deeply into domestic life, but stayed shallow for war and politics." The east of what is now Connemara was once called Delbhna Tír Dhá Locha , and was ruled by Kings who claimed descent from the Delbhna and Dál gCais of Thomond and kinship with King Brian Boru . The Kings of Delbhna Tír Dhá Locha eventually took
14385-640: The site. Even though Henry Blake later termed the eviction of Anthony O'Flaherty in Letters from the Irish Highlands , as "the dawn of law in Cunnemara" ( sic ), the Anglo-Irish Blake family, who remained in the region until the 1920s, are recalled in Connemara, as, "famously bad landlords" with an alleged sense of sexual entitlement regarding the female tenants on their estates and as enthusiastic supporters of
14522-577: The spot to Officer Commanding of the West Connemara Brigade. The assassination of 14 British Intelligence officers from the Cairo Gang in Dublin on Bloody Sunday , was followed by the arrest and court-martial of Connemara-native Thomas Whelan for high treason and the first degree murder of Captain B.T. Baggelly at 119 Lower Baggot Street . Whelan, however, was a Volunteer in the IRA's Dublin Brigade but
14659-512: The third eviction, Mr. Fenton wrote a letter to the land agent at Roundstone ( Irish : Cloch na Rón ); announcing his refusal to serve more evictions. According to historian Cormac Ó Comhraí, between the Land War and the First World War , politics in Connemara was largely dominated by the pro- Home Rule Irish Parliamentary Party and its ally, the United Irish League . At the same time, though, despite an almost complete absence of
14796-688: The thirteenth century, the original inhabitants, the clans Conneely, Ó Cadhain, Ó Folan, and MacConroy, had been steadily driven westward from the Moycullen area to the seacoast between Moyrus and the Killaries . And by 1586, with the signing of the Articles of the Composition of Connacht that made Morrough O'Flaherty landlord over all in the name of Queen Elizabeth I , the MacConneelys and Ó Folans had sunk beneath
14933-528: The time, free women in Gaelic Ireland "held a good position" and their social and property rights were "in most respects, quite on a level with men". Gaelic Irish society was also patrilineal , with land being primarily owned by men and inherited by the sons. Only when a man had no sons would his land pass to his daughters, and then only for their lifetimes. Upon their deaths, the land was redistributed among their father's male relations. Under Brehon law, rather than inheriting land, daughters had assigned to them
15070-529: The title and surname Mac Con Raoi (since anglicised as Conroy or King). The Chief of the Name of Clan Mac Con Raoi directly ruled as Lord of Gnó Mhór, which was later divided into the civil parishes of Kilcummin and Killannin. As was common practice at the time, due to the power they wielded through their war galleys , the Chiefs of Clan Mac Conraoi also fulfilled their duty to be providers for their clan members by demanding and receiving black rent on pain of piracy against ships who fished or traded within
15207-503: The town of Clifden , is recalled much more fondly. In 1843, Daniel O'Connell , the mastermind of the successful campaign for Catholic Emancipation , held a 'Monster Meeting' at Clifden , attended by a crowd reportedly numbering 100,000, before whom he spoke on repeal of the Act of Union . Connemara was drastically depopulated during the Great Famine in the late 1840s, with the lands of
15344-419: The two main instruments were the " harp " and " tabor " (see also bodhrán ), that their music was fast and lively, and that their songs always began and ended with B-flat . In A History of Irish Music (1905), W. H. Grattan Flood wrote that there were at least ten instruments in general use by the Gaelic Irish. These were the cruit (a small harp) and clairseach (a bigger harp with typically 30 strings),
15481-414: The wealthy, it was common for women to have their own 'apartment' called a grianan (anglicized "greenan") in the sunniest part of the homestead. The dwellings of freemen and their families were often surrounded by a circular rampart called a " ringfort ". There are two main kinds of ringfort. The ráth is an earthen ringfort, averaging 30m diameter, with a dry outside ditch. The cathair or caiseal
15618-533: The wider kin-group. Hence, it has been argued that "the people were their own police". Acts of violence were generally settled by payment of compensation known as an éraic fine; the Gaelic equivalent of the Welsh galanas and the Germanic weregild . If a free person was murdered, the éraic was equal to 21 cows, regardless of the victim's rank in society. Each member of the murder victim's agnatic kin-group received
15755-417: Was "the main element in the Irish pastoral economy" and the main form of wealth , providing milk , butter , cheese , meat , fat , hides , and so forth. They were a "highly mobile form of wealth and economic resource which could be quickly and easily moved to a safer locality in time of war or trouble". The nobility owned great herds of cattle that had herdsmen and guards. Sheep, goats and pigs were also
15892-455: Was (in general) their main item of clothing. Gaelic clothing does not appear to have been influenced by outside styles. Women invariably grew their hair long and, as in other European cultures, this custom was also common among the men. It is said that the Gaelic Irish took great pride in their long hair —for example, a person could be forced to pay the heavy fine of two cows for shaving a man's head against his will. For women, very long hair
16029-556: Was a legendary figure even in his own lifetime, entertaining all guests with several barrels of wine and feasts of roasted sheep and cattle, which were always fully eaten before having to be salted. This arrangement continued until around 1800. While hosting Rt.-Rev. Edmund Ffrench , the Dominican Warden of Galway and future Roman Catholic Bishop of Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora , however, Máirtín Mór Ó Máille presided over an accidental breach of hospitality. As Warden Ffrench's visit
16166-417: Was called a derbfine (modern form dearbhfhine ), lit. "close clan". The cland (modern form clann ) referred to the children of the nuclear family. Succession to the kingship was through tanistry . When a man became king, a relative was elected to be his deputy or 'tanist' (Irish: tánaiste , plural tanaistí ). When the king died, his tanist would automatically succeed him. The tanist had to share
16303-468: Was directed by Tomás Ó Súilleabháin . The Irish Famine of 1879 similarly caused mass starvation, evictions, and violence in Connemara against the abuses of power by local Anglo-Irish landlords, bailiffs, and the Royal Irish Constabulary . According to Tim Robinson, " Michael Davitt , founder of the Land League ... visited An Cheathrú Rua [in 1879] and... found that the tenantry was reduced to eating
16440-667: Was eventually written down by Irish monks , who Christianized and modified it to an extent. This large body of work is often split into three overlapping cycles: the Mythological Cycle , the Ulster Cycle , and the Fenian Cycle . The first cycle is a pseudo-history that describes how Ireland, its people and its society came to be. The second cycle tells of the lives and deaths of Ulaidh heroes and villains such as Cúchulainn , Queen Medb and Conall Cernach . The third cycle tells of
16577-401: Was fifteen for girls and eighteen for boys, the respective ages at which fosterage ended. Upon marriage, the families of the bride and bridegroom were expected to contribute to the match. It was custom for the bridegroom and his family to pay a coibche (modern spelling: coibhche ) and the bride was allowed a share of it. If the marriage ended owing to a fault of the husband then the coibche
16714-416: Was held every third Samhain . This was a gathering of the leading men of the whole island – kings , lords , chieftains , druids , judges etc. Below this was the óenach (modern spelling: aonach ). These were regional or provincial gatherings open to everyone. Examples include that held at Tailtin each Lughnasadh , and that held at Uisneach each Bealtaine . The main purpose of these gatherings
16851-543: Was immediately summoned and gave both Constables the Last Rites before their deaths. Gaelic Ireland Gaelic Ireland ( Irish : Éire Ghaelach ) was the Gaelic political and social order, and associated culture, that existed in Ireland from the late prehistoric era until the 17th century. It comprised the whole island before Anglo-Normans conquered parts of Ireland in the 1170s. Thereafter, it comprised that part of
16988-503: Was involved in trade with Britain and mainland Europe from ancient times , and this trade increased over the centuries. Tacitus , for example, wrote in the 1st century that most of Ireland's harbours were known to the Romans through commerce. There are many passages in early Irish literature that mention luxury goods imported from foreign lands, and the fair of Carman in Leinster included
17125-503: Was kept by the wife and her family, but if the fault lay with the wife then the coibche was to be returned. It was custom for the bride to receive a spréid (modern spelling: spréidh ) from her family (or foster family) upon marriage. This was to be returned if the marriage ended through divorce or the death of the husband. Later, the spréid seems to have been converted into a dowry . Women could seek divorce/separation as easily as men could and, when obtained on her behalf, she kept all
17262-426: Was mortally wounded. Sir Richard Martin, who had not been in Connemara at the time, was shocked and angry to hear of his middleman's death, saying, "Ó Máille preferred a hole in his guts to one in his honour, but there wouldn't have been a hole in either if I'd been told of it!" Meanwhile another branch of the Gaelic nobility, who claimed descent from the derbhfine of the last O'Flaherty Chiefs, similarly lived in
17399-538: Was not involved with Michael Collins ' Squad , which had carried out the assassinations that morning. Therefore, in a break from typical IRA practice in such trials, Whelan recognized the court, pled not guilty, and accepted the services of a defense attorney, who introduced the sworn testimony of multiple alibi witnesses who stated that Whelan had attended a late morning Mass and had been seen to receive Holy Communion in Ringsend on Bloody Sunday. Despite this testimony and
17536-460: Was often a thin and flexible band of burnished gold, silver or findruine. When the Anglo-Normans and the English colonized Ireland, hair length came to signify one's allegiance. Irishmen who cut their hair short were deemed to be forsaking their Irish heritage. Likewise, English colonists who grew their hair long at the back were deemed to be giving in to the Irish life. Gaelic men typically wore
17673-453: Was on a Friday, the Friar's was only eating fish and seafood. When one of the household servants of Máirtín Mór accidentally poured a meat gravy upon his plate, the future Bishop understood that it was unintentional and graciously waved the plate away. The future Bishop's cousin, Thomas Ffrench , however, was less forgiving and demanded satisfaction. This resulted in a duel during which Máirtín Mór
17810-464: Was possible to rise or sink from one rank to another. Rising upward could be achieved a number of ways, such as by gaining wealth, by gaining skill in some department, by qualifying for a learned profession, by showing conspicuous valour, or by performing some service to the community. An example of the latter is a person choosing to become a briugu (hospitaller). A briugu had to have his house open to any guests, which included feeding no matter how big
17947-498: Was ruled by a rí cóicid or rí ruirech (provincial king). In the early Middle Ages the túatha was the main political unit, but over time they were subsumed into bigger conglomerate territories and became much less important politically. Gaelic society was structured hierarchically, with those further up the hierarchy generally having more privileges, wealth and power than those further down. Although distinct, these ranks were not utterly exclusive castes like those of India. It
18084-412: Was seen as a mark of beauty. Sometimes, wealthy men and women would braid their hair and fasten hollow golden balls to the braids. Another style that was popular among some medieval Gaelic men was the glib (short all over except for a long, thick lock of hair towards the front of the head). A band or ribbon around the forehead was the typical way of holding one's hair in place. For the wealthy, this band
18221-612: Was selected, "to go into Clifden, get grub, and have a crack at the patrol." At the time, between 18 and 20 policemen were always stationed in the town. After finding the police had returned to barracks, the IRA withdrew temporarily, spent the night at, "the little lodge of Jim King near Kilcock" ( sic ), and, on the evening of 16 March 1921, the patrol reentered Clifden from the south. A party of six IRA men then approached RIC Constables Charles Reynolds and Thomas Sweeney near "Eddie King's Pub". McDonnell later recalled, "I saw two RIC against Eddie King's window and they noticed us. One of them made
18358-460: Was the crannóg , which were roundhouses built on artificial islands in lakes. There were very few nucleated settlements, but after the 5th century some monasteries became the heart of small "monastic towns". By the 10th century the Norse-Gaelic ports of Dublin , Wexford , Cork and Limerick had grown into substantial settlements, all ruled by Gaelic kings by 1052. In this era many of
18495-541: Was the hobelar . After the Norman invasion there emerged a kind of heavy infantry called gallóglaigh (anglicized 'gallo[w]glass'). They were originally Scottish mercenaries who appeared in the 13th century, but by the 15th century most large túatha had their own hereditary force of Irish gallóglaigh . Some Anglo-Norman lordships also began using gallóglaigh in imitation of the Irish. They usually wore mail and iron helmets and wielded sparth axes , claymores , and sometimes spears or lances. The gallóglaigh furnished
18632-565: Was the 17th-century historian Ruaidhrí Ó Flaithbheartaigh , who lost the greater part of his ancestral lands during the Cromwellian confiscations of the 1650s. After being dispossessed, Ó Flaithbheartaigh settled near Spiddal wrote a book of Irish history in Neo-Latin titled Ogygia , which was published in 1685 as Ogygia: seu Rerum Hibernicarum Chronologia & etc. , in 1793 it was translated into English by Rev. James Hely, as Ogygia, or
18769-436: Was to be paid to them if their honour was violated by certain offences. Those of higher rank had a higher honour-price. However, an offence against the property of a poor man (who could ill afford it), was punished more harshly than a similar offence upon a wealthy man. The clergy were more harshly punished than the laity . When a layman had paid his fine he would go through a probationary period and then regain his standing, but
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