Chapter 12 - The O’Briens

President Ronald Raegan could claim descendancy from Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, and so can the Carsons .  Chapter 12 tells how.  It begins with Brian’s grandfather, and ends with Amy O’Brien, who married James FitzMaurice FitzGerald.

The Vikings

In the year 787, the first Norwegians – Norsemen – began to explore the coasts of Ireland.  Then, in 795, the Norsemen attacked and burned the Christian religious settlement on the island of Lindisfarne, off the coast of Northumbria, England.  Next, the Norsemen crossed to Ireland and laid waste to the island of Lambay.  From that time until the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, the Norwegians, and later, Danes, made intermittent raids on the Irish coast, fueled both by a love of adventure and by a desire for a place for colonization.  The Irish were not able to mount an effective defense because of their patchwork of small monarchies.

The Ardri – a Dubious Honor

From at least the fourth century, the Irish did have a high king, or Ardri, who was elected by the other kings and nominally ruled all Ireland from his palace at Tara .  However, election to the kingship was a dubious honor, because the Ardri had to surrender control of his own local kingdom.  In addition, the Ardri lacked any real power, and ruled by consensus.  In some mystical sense, the office was both a religious, priestly office and a political office.  The Ardri was supported by tribute from lesser monarchs.

Lorcan and Cinneide

Lorcan (See Appendix XI) , king of Thomond, became of King of Munster when King Flaithbheartach  was taken prisoner of the Danes during a raid on the monastery at Moin na hInse, near Roscre, about 922 or 944.  It may be that Lorcan was never King of Munster, but in any event his reign there was relatively short, perhaps only eighteen months.  Lorcan had a son, Cinneide .  Thomond was a kingdom in northern Munster , and Munster is a province of southeastern Ireland .

Cinneide married Be Bhionn , daughter of King Murchadh  of west Connacht .  One of their daughters was Orlaith .  About 940, she was selected to be the wife of Ceallachan , King of Desmond.  Cinneide celebrated her selection by marching into Desmond to canvass support for his own election to the throne.  This resulted in a war between Thomond and Desmond, and the war resulted in the execution of Orlaith about 940.  Ceallachan was killed by lightning in 952, and Lachtna , eldest surviving son of Cinneide and Be Behionn, was elected King of Thomond   Mathghamhain , the next-eldest son, succeded him in 954. Be Bhionn was killed in a Viking raid.

The Birth of Brian Boru

Brian Boru  was another son of Cinneide and Be Bhionn and younger brother of Lachtna and Mathghamhain .  The name Boru is associated with Beal Boru (or Beal Boramha), a place to which the royal tribute of cattle was driven by subordinate kings, and which may be the birthplace of Brian Boru .  During Brian’s time, it was a fort with an external pallisade of wooden stakes surrounded by a defensive ditch.  It overlooked the River Shannon and controlled crossing or navigating the river.

Brian Boru  was born about 941.  At his birth, it seemed unlikely that Brian would assume the throne of Thomond, because there were several brothers ahead of him, including Lachtna and Mathghamhain .  Nevertheless, he did receive an extensive education, perhaps in preparation for the priesthood.  Young Brian was more interested in learning the art of war, and he likely dreamed of overthrowing the Danes.

Guerilla Warfare

In 956, when Brian was about seventeen, King Mathghamhain , Brian’s brother, began a period of guerilla warfare against the Danes.  Brian was probably a member of the guerilla forces.  Also, about the same time, Brian took his first wife, Mor , daughter of Eidigean  of Ui Fhiachrach Aidhne.  They had at least three sons.   Mor probably died young, although the date of her death is unknown.  Within a few years, Brian had become the leader of his own band of guerillas.  When Mathghaimhain  attempted to reign him in and make peace with the Danes, Brian convinced a gathering of Irish chieftains to redouble their efforts to oust the Danes from Ireland instead.

Children of Brian Boru and Mor were:

Murchadh

Conchobhar

Flann

Sadhbh

Brian Boru, King of Thomond

King Mathgaimhain  was killed by Maolmhuadh , a rival Irish king, in 976, and Brian Boru , at the age of thirty-five, became King of Thomond. 

As king, Brian’s first attack was against the Danes at Inis Cathaigh, where he annihilated the enemy.  Next, Brian plundered the Danish stronghold of Limerick , but then allowed the Danes to rebuild the city.  He needed the commerce and the tribute which the Danes provided.

Next, Brian turned his attention to Maolmhuadh , who had slain his brother.  Maolmhuadh was killed at the Battle of Bealach Leachta about 977.  Brian immediately proclaimed himself King of Munster, and to cement his hold on this kingdom even further, arranged a marriage between his daughter Sadhbh  and Maolmhuadh’s son, Cian .  Cian became a usefull ally during the remainder of Brian’s life.

Brian Boru, King of Munster

Brian was crowned King of Munster in a ceremony at Cashel in 979.  There is no mention of a queen at Cashel, although Brian may have been married a second time by then.  His second wife was Eachraidh , daughter of Cearbhall , son of Oilill Fionn , ruler of Ui Aodha Odhbha.  Brian and Eachraidh had at least two sons, Tadhg  and Domhnall .  Tadhg succeeded Brian as king.

Shortly after Brian’s coronation, another Domhnall, King of Leinster, made an alliance with the Danes against Brian.  By a series of forced marches, Brian maneuvered his army to the rear of the enemy and routed them.  Then he advanced on the town of Waterford , killed any who could make any resistance, and sacked the fortress.  After that, Brian extracted a heavy tribute from Domhnall of Leinster.

For several years, Brian Boru   resided at his palace of Cora .  About 999, he married his third wife (if, indeed they were ever married), Gerflaith .   Gerflaith (or Gormflaith), daughter of Murrough Mac Fenn  and Princess Eachraidh , daughter of Vearbell .   Gerflaith was a sister of Malmhorda , King of Leinster, and had been married twice before – first to Olaf Cuaran , and second to the Ardri, Maoil-Seachlainn .  Gerflaith may have been repudiated (divorced) by Maoil-Seachlainn.  Gerflaith was capable of all sorts of political intrigue, and both she and Brian probably saw their marriage as good for both their careers.  Gerflaith was about fifteen years younger than Brian, and outlived Brian by sixteen years.

The Ardri, Maoil-Seachlain, felt threatened by Brian’s rise to power.  In 1002, he attempted to rally the support of the other Irish monarchs against Brian, but their support was not forthcoming.  Brian marched on Tara , and Maoil-Seachlainn was forced to abdicate in favor of Brian as soon as Brian reached Tara .  Thus Brian Boru  became Ardri of Ireland , or at least of three-quarters of the island.

Brian Boru, High King of Ireland

In 1004, the northern princes acknowledge Brian’s assumption of the high kingship, and Brian marched into Ulster to receive formal homage.  While there, he confirmed the See of Armagh as the official center of Irish church authority.  Brian also placed twenty ounces of gold upon the high altar.  The money was needed to repair damage from a lightning strike to the cathedral in 996.  Perhaps this was an attempt to pacify any of the Irish clergy who disapproved of his affair with Gerflaith .

For the next ten years, Ireland enjoyed relative peace.  Brian encouraged foreign trade, and roads were improved under his rule.  The most important roads were those leading from Tara to the far corners of Ireland .  Education was also encouraged during his rule.  Day-to-day administration was overseen by Brian’s eldest son, Murchadh . 

Although the official capital of Ireland remained at Tara , Brian’s boyhood home of Beal Boru (otherwise known as Kincora) became the real center of power during Brian’s declining years.  The original buildings became offices and kitchens, and a new banquet hall was built, with two long parallel galleries connecting the new building to the old buildings.  Brian held court here with considerable magnificance.

Brian Boru Makes a Mistake

Apparently without warning, Brian imposed a new tribute – a cattle tax – upon the men of Leinster , which the Leinstermen resented bitterly.  According to one story, Gerflaith  left Brian, and Brian decided to humiliate her family in Leinster .   To enforce Brian’s edict, Murchadh  plundered the province of Leinster , carrying back with him great spoils and innumerable prisoners.  However, Brian soon realized he had made a mistake, and tried to appease King Maol-Mordha  of Leinster , to no avail.  Maol-Mordha and Sitric  Silkbeard, a son of Gerflaith, turned overseas for help against Brian, and even offered Sigurd , Norse ruler of the Orkneys, Gerflaith’s hand in marriage and the throne of Ireland if he would help them overthrow Brian.  They probably never intended to surrender their own thrones, however, for they offered the same incentives to a pair of Scandinavian pirates, one of them being Brodar , a petty mercenary and ruler of the Isle of Man , a menacing fellow who wore his long black hair tucked into his belt.  Both Sigurd and Brodar accepted the offer and agreed to be in Dublin by Palm Sunday, 1014.

It’s interesting to note that Brian, Sitric Silkbeard, Maol-Mordha, and Gerflaith were related to each other in several ways.  Sitric Silkbeard was Gerflaith’s son, so Brian was one of his stepfathers.  Sitric Silkbeard married one of Brian’s daughters, so Brian was also his father-in-law.  Maol-Mordha was Gerflaith’s brother, which made him Brian’s brother-in-law and Sitric Silkbeard’s uncle.  Cozy, isn’t it?

The Battle of Clontarf

At age seventy-three, Brian was again forced to issue the call to arms.  He was able to raise a considerable army.  Although smaller than the army he had at the time of his coronation, it was considerably larger than the armies of Sitric  and Maol-Mordha , who had to depend on their own armies and those of the two foreign mercenaries.  The armies met at Colntarf, a suburb of Dublin .

By Maundy Thursday, 1014, the stage was set for the Battle of Clontarf.  The rebel army numbered about 8000, while Brian’s army numbered about 7,500, but the rebels had superior weapons.  The two sides clashed on Good Friday, and the battle lasted all day. Maol-Mordha  was killed, as was Brian’s son Murchadh .  At day’s end, Brian’s forces had routed those of Sitric and Maol-Mordha, but at great cost.  Estimated losses for Brian’s army were at least 1,600, and perhaps as high as 4,000, while rebel losses are estimated at 6,000. Most of the leaders on both sides were killed. 

The Death of Brian Boru

Too old to participate in the fighting, Brian had spent the day at his headquarters, praying for victory and receiving news of the battle.  Retreating from the battle, the pirate Brodar  came upon Brian, who was lightly guarded.  Brodar rushed upon Brian and his bodyguard, killing first Brian and then the bodyguard with his axe.  Brian’s army subsequently captured Brodar and executed him.

Brian’s army spent the next day visiting the battlefield, burying the dead and giving comfort to the wounded.  Then they carried the bodies of Brian and Murchadh  to Armagh , where they were buried.  Special masses were said for Brian and Murchadh in churches throughout the country for twelve days.  The exact location of Brian’s burial has been forgotten, and the original church was destroyed by fire in the Spring of 1020. Beal Boru was burned by an invading force from Connacht in 1116.   Ireland reverted to being a patchwork of small monarchies after Brian ’s death.

Descendants of Brian Boru

Tadhg (or Tiege) O’Brien (See also Chapter 11) , son of Brian Boru and Mor, was born about 988 and succeeded Brian Boru   as King of Thomond.  He married twice.  His second wife was Morey Mochwoig , daughter of Giolla Brida O’Mullery , and Turlough Mor O’Brien   was among their children. Tadhg (or Tiege) O’Brien was killed in a battle in 1023.

Turlough Mor O’Brien , son of Tadhg O’Brien and Morey Mochwoig, became King of Munster in 1064, King of Thomond in 1072, and, despite opposition, principal King of Ireland.  He married first Mor , the daughter of O’Heyne , and Dermot O’Brien   was among their children.  Turlough Mor O’Brien married again, and he and his second wife had a daughter, More O’Brien , who married Roderick O’Conner , King of Connaught.  Turlough Mor O’Brien died on July 14, 1086 and probably was buried at Killaloe, Clare , Ireland .

Dermot O’Brien , became King of Thomond in 1086, but was soon deposed.  He was the son of Turlough Mor O’Brien and Mor, and he married Sarah (or Sadhbh),  daughter of Teige Mc Carthy , ruler over Eacghnacht Caisil.  Among their children was Turlough O’Briain .  Dermot O’Brien died in 1118 or 1120.

Turlough O’Briain , son of Dermot O’Brien and Sarah, became King of Thomond in 1142 and by right of birth should have been king of all Ireland .  He was deposed about 1153.  He married Raghnait , daughter of Foghart , Lord of Ely Daisceart, Tipperary .  Among their children was Donald Mor O’Briain .  Turlough O’Briain died in 1167.  Kincora was burned twice during Turlough’s reign.

Donald Mor O’Briain , son of Turlough O’Briain and Raghnait, acceded to the throne in 1168, was the last King of Thomond, and by right of birth should have been king of all Ireland .  He married Oslacan (or Urlean, or curled hair),   daughter of Dermond , King of Leinster. 

Among their children were:

• Murtagh Dall
• Conor Roe
• Donough Carbreach O’Briain   

Donald Mor O’Briain Defeats the Normans

In 1173, King Henry II  attempted to give all of Thomond to one of his knights, Philip de Braose . When Philip and other Normans, including Strongbow , tried to enforce this claim by invading Thomond, they were repulsed by Donald Mor’s army at the battle of Thurles in 1174.  In 1175 Raymond le Gros , another leading Norman adventurer, captured Donald Mor’s capital of Limerick by bringing a fleet up the Shannon . A year later, however, Donald Mor O’Briain re-gained the city and burnt it, rather than suffer it to be held by foreigners. From 1176 up to his death in 1194 the Normans made no further inroads into Thomond.  Donald Mor O’Briain died in 1194.

Donough Carbreach O’Briain – Tenant-in-Chief

After the death of Donald Mor O’Briain , his kingdom was weakened by rivalry between his three sons, and the Normans used this to their own advantage. Murtagh Dall , the eldest son, was blinded by the Normans , and then Conor Roe , the second son, was dethroned and murdered in 1198 by his nephew. Donough Carbreach O’Briain , the third son, invited some Normans to help him put down a revolt against his kingship.  In return, he handed the city of Limerick and some other territory over to them. By the year 1200 the kingdom of Thomond was greatly reduced in size.  Although the River Shannon temporarily protected the remaining territory of Thomond from further Norman expansion, Donough Carbreach O’Briain moved his capital to Clonroad (Ennis).  When King John  of England visited Ireland in 1210, Donough Carbreach O’Briain submitted to him and acknowledged his status as tenant-in-chief, and King John gave him cattle and lands. Donough Carbreach O’Briain rented lands from John de Gray , the Norman Chief governor of Ireland , for the nominal sum of 100 pounds per year.

Donough Carbreach O’Briain , Prince of Thomond and son of Donald Mor O’Briain and Oslacan, married Sabina , daughter of Donogh Naffighty O’Kennedie , Lord of Nusery Tire.  Among their children was Connor Na Siddina O’Briain . Donough Carbreach O’Briain was King of Thomond from 1239 until he died in 1242.

Fairs, Markets, and Castles

Connor Na Siddina O’Briain , Prince of  Thomond , and son of Donough Carbreach O’Briain and Sabina, succeeded his father as King of Thomond in 1242, and remained King until 1258.  In 1250 he was able to renew his lease on the rented lands, although at a higher rent.  However, the tenure of Connor Na Siddina O’Briain became insecure.  In 1248 and again in 1252, King Henry III  of England leased some of the lands to others, who agressively set about colonizing their lands and building fairs, weekly markets, and castles. Connor Na Siddina O’Briain opposed settlement of his territory by Normans until his death.  He married More , daughter of Machnara , Lord of Hy-Coillean.  Among their children were Teige Caol Uisage O’Briain   and Brian Rua .  Connor Na Siddina O’Briain was killed in battle on May 22, 1268 ,

Teige Caol Uisage O’Briain , Prince of Thomond and son of Teige Caol Uisage O’Briain and More, married Fynnola , daughter of his cousin Kennedie O’Brien .  Among their children was Turlough Mor O’Brien . Teige Caol Uisage O’Briain died in 1259, before the death of his father, and so Brian Rua  succeeded Connor Na Siddina O’Briain . Teige Caol Uisage O’Briain was King of Thomond in 1258 and 1259.

Drowned at a Party

Turlough Mor O’Brien , Prince of Thomond and son of Teige Caol Uisage O’Briain and Fynnola, deposed Brian Rua  in 1276.  The family feud continued until 1280, when the kingdom of Thomond was divided between Turlough Mor O’Brien and Donogh , a son of Brian Rua .  However, hostilities soon resumed, and they continued until Donogh was drowned during a party in 1284. Turlough Mor O’Brien  then ruled Thomond until he was killed in 1306 or 1309.  He married Aurina , daughter of Daniel Mac McCarthy Mor .  Among their children were Donogh O’Brien  and Murtough O’Brien .  Donogh O’Brien succeeded his father as King of Thomond. After a battle at Bunratty, Donogh fled and was killed by his cousins at Corcomroe in 1311.

Donogh O’Brien, son of Turlough Mor O’Brien and  Aurina, was succeeded by King Dermot O’Briain , who died suddenly in 1313.  He in turn was succeeded by his cousin Donogh O’Brien .  In 1315 Robert de Bruce , King of Scotland, invaded, and King Donogh fled to Connaught , and later he joined the Bruce camp.

The End of Norman Power in Thomond

Murtough O’Brien , Prince of Thomond and son of Turlough Mor O’Brien and Aurina , then became King of Thomond.  He married first Sarah , daughter of Gillakeevgen O’Brien . Murtough O’Brien married second Edina , daughter of Mac Gorman  of Doracken.  By a victory at the Ford of Ballycullen on May 10^th, 1318 , Murtough O’Brien finally ended Norman power in Thomond.  The wealthy English landowners did not wish to pursue their claims in such a troublesome area as Thomond, and so Thomond was ruled by the O’Brien clan continuously from that time until Murrough O’Brien  surrendered his royalty in 1543.  Among the children of Murtough O’Brien  was Maithain O’Brien .  Murtough O’Brien died June 5, 1343 .

Maithain O’Brien , Prince of Thomond and son of Murtough O’Brien, married first Edina , daughter of Darybarch , son of Cahir Mor , King of Leinster. Maithain O’Brien married second Winnefred , daughter of O’Connor Core .  Among the children of Maithain O’Brien was Brian Catha Na Aghaigh O’Brien .  Mathain O’Brien was King of Thomond from 1343 until he died May 1, 1360 .

Brian Catha Na Aghaigh O’Brien , Prince of Thomond and son of Maithain O’Brien, became King of Ireland in 1372 (or 1370).  He married Slone , daughter of Lochlan Macnamara .  Turlough Bog O’Brien   and Mahon Dall  were among their children.   Mahon Dall was King of Thomond for five years and six months, after which he was dispossessed by his older brother, Turlough.  Brian Catha Na Aghaigh O’Brien died in 1399.

Turlough Bog “the Soft” O’Brien , Prince of Thomond and son of Brian Catha Na Aghaigh O’Brien and Slone , married Catherine , daughter of Ulick Fitz Walter Burke , and Teige Au Chomhard O’Brien  was among their children. Turlough Bog O’Brien   was King of Thomond from 1446 until he died in 1459.

Teige Au Chomhard O’Brien , Prince of Thomond and son of Turlough Bog O’Brien and Catherine, married Annabelle , daughter of Urtigan Gina Mac William   (some say she was Annabelle Burke), and Turlough Bomm O’Brien   and Donnell O’Brien were  among their children.  Teige Au Chomhard O’Brien   was King of Thomond from 1461 until he died in 1466.

Donnell O’Brien , son of Teige Au Chomhard O’Brien and Annabelle, became Bishop of Killaloe.

Turlough Bomm O’Brien , Prince of Thomond and son of Teige Au Chomhard O’Brien and Annabelle, married first Joan  , daughter of Thomas , eighth Lord of Kerry, and married second Marait (or Raghnailt) , daughter of John Mac Namara  of Glen Colcain.  In 1506, Turlough Bomm O’Brien built the wooden O’Brien’s Bridge across the Shannon River .  The bridge was burned in 1510, and later replaced with The Great Bridge, which was protected by a stone tower at each end.  The town of O’Brien ’s Bridge grew up around the bridge.  Turlough Bomm O’Brien was King of Thomond from 1499 until his death in 1528.

Children of Turlough Bomm O’Brien and Joan included Murrough O’Brien and Amy O’Brien, who married James FitzMaurice FitzGerald   (See Chapter 11).  

Earl of Thomond and Baron of Inchiquin – but Not King of Thomond

Murrough O’Brien  “the Tannist”, Prince of Thomond and son of Turlough Bomm O’Brien and Joan, surrendered his royalty to King Henry VIII  of England at Greenwich on the Thames River .  King Henry created him Earl of Thomond on July 1, 1543 .  Later, Murrough O’Brien was created Baron of Inchiquin.  Murrough’s nephew, Donough , witnessed the event and later became the second Earl of Thomond.  Murrough O’Brien  married Eleanor , daughter of Thomas Fitzgerald .  Murough O’Brien died in 1551.   Some say that Murrough O’Brien was not the son of Turlough Bomm O’Brien, but was his brother, and usurped the throne.

References: 1, 2, 253, 286, 350

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