Appendix XI

Ancestry of Brian Boru

The folowing material is taken from the internet and is based upon the work of John O’Hart in his book, Irish Pedigrees or the Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation, first published in 1876.   O’Hart was trained for the Catholic priesthood, but did not become a priest.  He was a policeman for two years, and then he was employed by the Commisioners of National Education in Ireland.  He became an Associate in Arts at Queen’s University, and thereafter was an active member of several scholarly societies.  He was an avid genealogist and took a keen interest in Irish history.  Politically, he was an Irish nationalist, and religiously he was a committed Catholic. 

However, O’Hart never had formal training as a genealogist or historian.  While he undertook a great deal of research, he had little training in the use of his resources.  He misunderstood a great deal about Gaelic society and culture.   He was also too credulous in using his sources and tended to believe myth as fact.  Using many resources which were not available to O’Hart, more modern genealogists have discovered many errors in O’Hart’s work, especially for events that occurred before 1600 A. D.  The reader is referred to the introductory paragraphs of Appendix I, and warned to draw his own conclusions.

Noah (See Appendix I) the builder of the ark, had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.  After the flood, Noah divided the world among his three sons.  Shem received Asia from the Euphrates to the Indian Ocean.  Ham received Syria, Arabia, and Africa, and Japheth received the rest of Asia, together with Europe to Gadea (or Cadiz).

Japheth was the eldest son of Noah.  He had fifteen sons, and divided Europe and his part of Asia among them.

Magog was a son of Japheth. 

Boath was a son of Magog.  Magog gave Scythia to Boath.

Fenius Farsa (or Phoeniusa Farsidh) was a son of Boath and King of Scythia at the time when Ninus ruled the Assyrian Empire.  Fenius Farsa was a wise man and desired to learn all the languages that had confounded the builders of the Tower of Babel, so he hired men to travel the world and learn all the languages.  Upon their return in the forty-second year of the reign of Ninus, Fenius Farsa built a school in the valley of Senaar near the city of Aeothena.  He lived there with his younger son Niul for twenty years, and then returned to Scythia.  Upon his death, Fenius Farsa left Scythia to his older son Nenuall, and left nothing to Niul except the school.  [Other sources say that Fenius Farsa and his son, Niul, went to Asia to work on the Tower of Nimrod, otherwise known as the Tower of Babel, and were present at the destruction of the tower and dispersal of the races.]

After Fenius Farsa returned to Scythia, Niul remained at Aothena for some time, teaching languages and the sciences.  News of his great learning reached Pharaoh, the King of Egypt, who invited him to come and live in Campus Cyrunt, near the Red Sea .  Pharaoh also gave Niul his daughter Scota in marriage.  Niul employed another learned man, Gaodhal (Gael), son of Ethor, to refine and adorn his language, called Bearia Tobbai.  This language became known as Gaodhilg (or Gaelic), after Gaodhal, and Niul also named his eldest son Gaodhal after Gaodhal the linguist.

In his youth, Gaodhal, son of Niul, was bitten in the neck by a snake.  He was brought to Moses, who laid his rod upon him and cured him instantly.  The snake bite left a green scar, so Gaodhal became Gaodhal Glas, because Glas means green.  Gaodhal Glas also received another blessing, which was that no poisonous snake could live anywhere his posterity lived.  At this time, Gaodhal Glas and his descendants painted beasts, birds, etc., on their shields in imitation of the Israelites.

Asruth was a son of Gaodhal Glas.  He lived in Egypt and governed his colony in peace.

Sruth was a son of Asruth.  Asruth frequently supported the Israelites against the Egyptians, so shortly after Asruth’s death, the Egyptians attacked Sruth and his followers.  After many battles, Sruth and his few remaining followers were forced to leave Egypt.  After a long sea journey, they arrived at the Island of Crete, where Sruth died.  [Other sources say that the Egyptians attacked Sruth after the pharaoh was drowned in the Red Sea in pursuit of the Israelites.]

Heber Scut was a son of Sruth.  He remained on Crete for a year after Sruth’s death.  Then, leaving some of his people on Crete, Heber Scut returned to Scythia.  He was not welcomed by most of his cousins, but with the aid of a few of the natives, he was eventually able to overcome the forces of the king, and obatined sovereignity for himself.  He settled in, but was eventually killed by Noemus, son of the former king.

Baouman was a son of Heber Scut.

Ogaman was a son of Baoman.

Tait was a son of Baoman.  Baouman, Ogaman, and Tait were all Kings of Scythia, but all were constantly at war with the natives.

Agnon was a son of Tait.  Agnon and his followers took to the sea, and wandered up and down the coasts of the Caspian Sea for several (some say seven) years, after which time Agnon died.

Lamhfionn was a son of Agnon.  He and his little fleet remained at sea for some time, resting and refreshing themselves on various islands.  At that time their Druid, Cachear, foretold that they would continue to wander until they reached the Western Island of Europe, now called Ireland.They would not reach Ireland themselves, but their desecndants would after 300 years.  Eventually Lamhfionn and his fleet reached Lybia, at the point where Carthage was later built.  Soon after, Lamhfionn died in Lybia.

Heber Glunfionn, son of Lamhfionn, was born and died in Lybia.  He was the father of Agnan Fionn.  Heber Glunfionn and his posterity were kings and rulers there for 150 years.  Some say it was 300 years.

Agnan Fionn was the father of Febric Glas.

Febric Glas was the father of  Nenuall.

Nenuall was the father of Nuadhad.

Nuadhad was the father of Alladh.

Alladh was the father of Arcadh.

Arcadh was the father of Deag. 

Deag was the father of Brath, who was born in Lybia (called Gothia or Getulia).  Remembering Cachear’s prediction, he departed Lybia with a large fleet to seek the Western Island of Europe.  After some time, Brath landed in Spain, and established a colony in Galicia in northern Spain.

Breoghan (or Brigus) was a son of Deag.  He conquered Galicia, Andalusia, Murcia, Castile, and Portugal.  He built Breoghan’s Tower in Galicia.  He also sent a colony into Britain, and their descendants gave formidable opposition to the Romans as they invaded Britain.

Bile was a son of Breoghan, and he became king of all the countries his father had conquered.  Bile had a brother named Ithe, of whom more later.

Milesius was a son of Breoghan.  In his youth, Milesius went to Scythia.  The King of Scythia gave him the hand of his daughter in marriage and appointed him General of his army.  Milesius defeated the king’s enemies and became very popular with the people – so much so that the King became jealous and resolved to kill Milesius.  Milesius discovered the King’s plot, and killed the King instead.  Then Milesius left Scythia with a fleet of sixty ships, and upon his arrival in Egypt, Pharoah Nectonibus made him General of all his forces against the King of Ethiopia.   Milesius was victorious.  Milesius was a widower by this time, so in  gratitude, Nectonibus gave Milesius the hand of his daughter Scota in marriage.  Milesius remained in Egypt for eight years, during which time he had his most able people instructed in the arts and sciences of Egypt, so that they might teach others when they returned to Spain.

Eventually, Milesius returned to Spain.  There, he found that the country had been overrun by foreigners.  By a series of fifty-four battles, Milesius drove the foreigners from Spain, and then settled down to rule in peace and quiet.  However, a faminine of twenty-six years duration fell upon Spain.  The reasons for the famine were the lack of rainfall and the fact that the people had failed to use enough manure on their fields, but  Milesius believed that his failure to seek the Western Island of Europe was the cause of the famine.  Knowing that the 300 years foretold by Cachear the Druid was about to expire, Milesius sent his uncle Ithe and Ithe’s son Lughaidh and 150 others to bring back an account of the Western Island.

When he landed in the Western Island, or Ireland, Ithe left Lughaidh and 50 men to guard the ship while Ithe and the other 100 men explored. 

Ithe learned that the three rulers of Ireland were at their palace at Aileach Neid.  Ithe travelled overland to Aileach Neid, sending word to Lughaidh to bring the ship around with the rest of the men.  When Ithe arrived at Aileach Neid, he was honorably received and entertained, and then Ithe started back to his ship to return to Spain.  However, the three rulers suspected that Ithe would bring others from Spain to invade Ireland, so they attacked and killed Ithe before he reached the ship.  This happened at Magh Ithe, or the Plain of Ithe.  Lughaidh recovered his father’s body and returned it to Spain, where it was put on public display to excite the people to avenge Ithe’s death.  [Some sources say that Ithe was only wounded ashore, but died during the voyage back to Spain.]

Both in obedience to the gods as signified by Cachear, and to avenge his uncle’s death, Milesius made preparations to invade Ireland.  But he died before the expedition got underway, so he left the invasion of Ireland to his eight sons by his two wives.  Eventually, the eight sons prepared a great fleet and sailed for Ireland, but the citizens of Ireland defended the island by magic.  The island was enchanted so that it appeared in the form of a hog, and they also caused a great storm, so that the fleet was dispersed, and five of the eight brothers were lost.   However, the three remaining brothers, Heber, Heremon, and Amergin landed safely, routed the defenders at Slieve-Mis, and pursued the three rulers to Tailten, where they killed the three rulers.  Heber and Heremon divided the land between them.  They gave sone to Amergin, who was their Druid, and also to their nephew, Heber Donn, and to the rest of their chief commanders.  This happened about 1699 B.C., or the next year after Solomon began construction of the temple in Jereuslem.

[Some sources say that both Milesius and his wife Scota made it to Ireland and were killed during the invasion.  Scota is described as a warrior queen, and is said to be buried at Glenscoheen, or Scota’s Glen  Still other sources say that Scota was the leader of the expedition to Ireland.]      

Heber Fionn was the first Milesian monarch of Ireland, together with his brother Heremon.  Heremon killed Heber in 1698 B.C.at the Battle of Geishill, and Heremon also killed Amergin, who claimed a third share of the government.  [Some say that Heremon killed Heber in a dispute over possession of the hill, Tara.]  During Heremon’s reign, the Picts arrived from Spain and asked to be given a place to live in Ireland.  Heremon refused, but seeing that they had no women among them, he gave them wives from among the widows of the Irish which had been killed during the invasion.  Heremon also gave Scotland to them, and lent them a war party to assist them in their conquest of Scotland.  In return, Heremon  required that they and their posterity should be subject to the Monarchs of Ireland.

Conmaol, son of Heber Fionn, was the twelfth monarch of Ireland.

Eochaidh Faobhar Glas, son of Heber Fionn, was the seventeenth monarch of Ireland.

Eanna Airgthach, son of Eochaidh Faobhar Glas, was the 21^st monarch of ireland.

Glas was the son of Eanna Airglach.

Ros was the son of Glas.

Rotheacta was the son of Ros.

Fearard was the son of Rotheacta.

Cas was the son of Fearard.

Munmoin was the son of Cas.  He was the 25^th monarch of Ireland, and the first to ordain his nobles to wear gold chains about their necks.

Fualdergoid was the son of Munmoin.  He was the 26^th monarch of Ireland, and the first to order his nobility to wear gold rings on their fingers.

Cas Cedchaingnigh was the son of Fualdergoid.  He was a learned man and revitalized the study of laws, poetry, and the sciences, which had been little practiced since Heremon killed Amergin Glunheal, one of the sons of Milesius.

Failbhe Iolcorach was the son of Cas Cedchaingnigh.  He was the first to ordain that stone walls be built as boundaries between neighbors’ lands.

Ronnach was the son of Failbhe Iolcorach.

Rotheachta was the son of Ronnach and was the 35^th monarch of Ireland.

Eiliomh Ollfhionach was the son of Rotheachta, and was the 36^th monarch of Ireland.

Art Imleach was the son of Eiliomh Ollfhionach and was the 38^th monarch of Ireland ..

Breas Rioghacta was the son of Art Imleach and was the 40^th monarch of Ireland.

Seidnae Innaridh was the son of Breas Rioghacta and was the 43^rd monarch of Ireland.  Until his time soldiers in Ireland had no pay except the spoils of war.  Seidnae Innaridh was the first to pay his soldiers and keep them under good discipline.

Duach Fionn was the son of Seidnae Innaridh and died in 893 B.C.

Eanna Dearg was the son of Duach Fionn and the 47^th monarch of Ireland.  In the twelfth year of his reign, in 880 B.C., he and most of his retinue died suddenly while adoring their false gods at Sliabh Mis.

Lughaidh Iardhonn was the son of Eanna Dearg.

Eochaidh was the son of Lughaidh Iardhonn.

Lughaidh was the son of Eochaidh and died in 831 B.C.

Art was the son of Lughaidh and was the 54^th monarch of Ireland.  He was killed by his uncle, who became the next monarch of ireland ..

Olioll Fionn was the son of Art. 

Eochaidh was the son of Olioll Fionn.

Lughaidh Lagha was the son of Eochaidh and died in 730 B.C.

Reacht Righ-dearg was the son of Lughaidh Lagha and the 65^th monarch of Ireland.  He was called the red king for having slain [red-haired] Queen Macha, the only woman to hold the monarchy of Ireland.  He raised an army and went to Scotland to collect yearly tribute from the Scots and enforce the agreement which Heremon had made with the Picts ..  Afterwards, he ruled Ireland for twenty years, and was slain in battle by his successor to the throne in 633 B.C.

Cobthach Caomh was the son of Reacht Righ-dearg.

Moghcorb was the son of Cobthach Caomh.

Fearcorb was the son of Moghcorb.

Adhamhra Foltcain was the son of Fearcorb and died in 412 B.C.

Niadhsedhaman was the son of Adhamhra Foltcain and was the 83^rd monarch of Ireland.  His mother was a witch, and through her sorcery and witchcraft, wild deer allowed themselves to be driven home with the cows and milked.

Ionadmaor was the son of Niadhsedhaman and was the 87^th monarch of Ireland.

Lughaidh Luaighne was the son of Ionadmaor and the 89^th monarch of Ireland.

Cairbre Lusgleathan was the son of Lughaidh Luaighne.

Duach Dalladh Deadha was the son of Cairbre Lusgleathan and was the 91^st monarch of Ireland.  Except for Crimthann, the 125^th monarch, and Brian Boru, Duach Dalladh Deadha was the last of the Heber line to rule Ireland.

Eochaidh Garbh was the son of Duach Dalladh Deadha.

Muireadach Muchna was the son of Eochaidh Garbh.  He married Mofebhis, and Loich Mor was their son.

Loich Mor had a son, Eanna Muncain.

Eanna Muncain had a son, Dearg Theine.

Dearg Theine made an agreement with Darin, a descendant of Ithe, the first Milesian discoverer of Ireland.  The agreement was that their posterity should reign by turns, and when one was King, the other should govern the civil affairs of the kingdom.  This agreement continued alternatively for several generations.

Dearg was the son of Dearg Theine.

Eoghan Mor, or Eugene the Great, was the son of Dearg.  Eoghan Mor was a wise prince and a great warrior.  Beginning in 122 A. D., he made war against the 110^th monarch of Ireland, Conn of the Hundred Battles, and finally forced Conn to divide Ireland into two parts separated by a long ridge of hills extending from Dublin to Galway.  The southern part was called Leath Mogha, or Mogha’s Half, and the northern part was called Leath Cuinn, or Conn’s half.  Eoghan Mor required Conn to give his oldest daughter, Sadhbh, widow of Mac Niadh, in marriage to his eldest son Olioll Olum.

Eoghan Mor married Beara, daughter of Heber, King of Castile, Spain.  Besides their son Olioll Olum, they had two daughters, Caomheall and Scothniamh. Eoghan Mor was eventually killed by Conn .

After the death of Eoghan Mor, Olioll Olum became King of Munster, and Art-Ean-Fhear was King of Ireland.  When Conn’s stepson, Lughaidh (also the stepson of Olioll Olum), became of age, he demanded the kingship of Munster from Olioll Olum, in accordance with the agreement between Dearg Theine and Darin.  Olioll Olum refused, and banished Lughaid to Scotland.  There Lughaid raised an army, and with the help of  Conn , made war against Olioll Olum, who was assisted by Art-Ean-Fhear.  At the battle of Magh Macromha (or Muckrove), Lughaidh’s army killed Art-Ean-Fhear and seven of Olioll Olum’s nine sons, and routed their army.  By this victory, Lughaidh recovered his right to the Kingdom of Munster, but gained the monarchy of Ireland also.  In accordance with the custom of the time, Lughaidh accepted the monarchy of Ireland, and left his aged stepfather Olioll Olum undisturbed in Munster.   

Olioll Olum had two sons who survived the battle of Magh Macromha –  Cormac Cas and Cian.  In addition, Oloill Olum’s eldest son, Owen Mor, had by the daughter of a Druid a son named Feach (or Fiacha Maolleathan).  Feach was born after his father died at the battle of Magh Macromha.  Olioll Olum decreed that, after his death, the throne of Munster should pass first to Cormac Cas.  After the death of Cormac Cas, the throne should pass to Feach, and then to a son of Cormac Cas, and so on by turns.  This arrangement was observed for several generations.

Cormac Cas was one of the most distinguished champions of his time, “remarkable for strength of body, dexterity, and courage.”  He defeated the Lagenians (or Leinstermen) in the battles of Torras Damhsa, Carmen (or Wexford), Liamhan (or Dunlaven), Tara, Teltown, and Samhna Hill, and he defeated the Conacians in the battle of Cruachan.  Cormac Cas died at Dun-Tri-Liag (the Fort of the Stone Slabs, now Duntrileague, in Limerick ) of wounds received at the battle of Samhna Hill from the spear of Eochy of the Red Eyebrows, King of Leinster.  Cormac Cas married Samer, daughter of Fionn MacCumhal and sister of the poet Oisin.  Cormac Cas and Samer had several children, among whom was Mogha Corb.  Some say the wife of Cormac Cas and mother of Mogha Corb was Oriund, daughter of the King of Denmark.

Mogha Corb (Mogha of the Chariots) was born in 167 A. D.  Born a prince, he became King of Munster, which he ruled for twenty years.  He fought against Cairbre Liffechar in 284 at the battle of Gabhra or Garristown, and lived to a very old age.  His son was Fear Corb.

Fear Corb was born in 198 A. D.  He ruled Munster for seven years, and fought against the Leinstermen at the battles of Tlachtga and Teltown, and killed Tinne, a distinguished warrior, at Teltown.  He defeated the Conacians in the battles of Ceara, Corann, and Rathcruaghan, with great slaughter.  He had a son named Aeneas Tireach.

Aeneas Tireach was born in 232.  He was noted for patriotism and courage, particularly at the battle of Cliodhna.  He was remarkable for the strictness of his laws and his impartial judgements.  He was the father of Lughaidh Meann.

Lughaidh Meann was born in 286.  He dispossessed the Firbolgs of the area now known as County Clare and attached it to Munster.  He was the father of Conall Each-luath, or Conall of the Swift Steeds.

Conall Each-luath, or Conall of the Swift Steeds, was born in 312.  He had two sons, Cas and Eana Arighthach.

Cas was born in 347, the elder son of Conall Each-luath.  He had twelve sons, of whom one was Blad.

Blad was born in 388, and had four sons who survived him.  They were Carthann Fionn Oge Mor, Carthann Dubh, Eochaidh, and Brennan Ban.

Carthann Fionn Oge Mor, eldest son of Blad, had two sons.  They were Eochaidh Ball-derag and Aongus.

Eochaidh Ball-derag, eldest son of Carthann Fionn Oge Mor, was Baptised by St. Patrick and died at an advanced age.  He left two sons, Conall and Breacan.

Conall, elder son of Eochaidh Ball-derag , had two sons, Aodh Caomh and Molua Lobhar. 

Conall’s older son was Aodh Caomh, who became King of Cashel.  Later, he was invested with the title and authority of King of Munster.  Witnesses to this investure included St. Breanan of Colnfert and his domestic poet Maclemein who later became the first bishop of Clonfert. Aodh Caomh had two sons, Cathal and Turlogh, of whom more later.

At this time, the Irish economy was based on mixed farming. The main crops were (in order of prevalence) oats, barley, wheat, and rye. Oats were used for porridge and a form of oat-bread popular in Ireland for centuries. Barley was devoted to making a sort of beer and a coarse bread. Wheat bread was a luxury for the royal and the noble-warrior classes. Some vegetables in the form of onions, parsley, kale, and parsnips were grown. The only fruits widely grown were apples. Hazel nuts were an important part of the diet.

Beef was eaten a great deal by the upper classes, and about twenty percent of all meat eaten was pork. Sheep were raised for wool, meat, and milk for the lower classes. Farmer's houses were usually between twenty and thirty feet in diameter, and more than one family often lived in one dwelling.

Conall’s younger son was Molua Lobhar, or St. Molua the Leper, who founded the church at Killaloe in County Clare.

Turlogh, younger son of Aodh Caomh, was born in 641.  He had two sons, Maithan and Ailgeanan.

Maithan, son of Turlogh, was born in 683.  Anluan was his son.

Anluan, son of Turlogh, was the father of Corc.

Corc, son of Anluan, was the father of Lachtna.

Irish Life before the Eighth Century

Before the eighth century, Irish houses were usually round, built of wood or wicker work,  whitewashed with lime on the outside, and thatched with straw, rushes, or sedge.  Stone was seldom used.

Linen sheets and ornamented coverlets were in use. Small low tables for serving meals were supplied with knives, cups, jugs, drinking horns, methers and occasionally napkins. Wheat meal, oat meal, eggs, meat, milk and honey, with some vegetables and few fruits supplied the table. Light was furnished by candles of tallow or of beeswax, rushlights, spails of bog fir, and sometimes oil lamps. All of the better class houses had basins for bathing. After their day’s exertion, and before taking their evening meal, hunters and warriors treated themselves to a bath. And a bath was always a common courtesy to which to treat a newly arrived guest.

The women had mirrors made of highly polished metal. They used cosmetics and had combs. Both sexes devoted the greatest attention to the care of their hair, which was often elaborately curled and plaited. Both women and men (of noble rank) wore beautiful wrought brooches, for fastening their mantle. Other ornaments included bracelets, rings, and diadems of gold and silver.

The chief articles of dress were, in the case of women, one long robe that reached to the ankles, and of the men a short jacket combined with a sort of kilt. Over these both sexes frequently wore a cloak or mantle. Clothing was usually either of linen or wool.

Lachtna, son of Anluan, had his residence at Grinan Lachina, near Killaloe.  He was the father of Lorcan and died at an advanced age.

Lorcan (See Chapter 12) was King of Thomond and died in 942.  His five sons were Cineidi, Cosgrach, Lonargan, Congal, and Bran Fionn.

Cineidi (See Chapter 12) was the father of Brian Boru (See Chapter 12)

References: 87, 411

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