Dalcassians
| Dalcassians | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Profile | |||
| Country | Ireland | ||
| Region | Thomond | ||
| Ancestry | Déisi Muman | ||
| Ethnicity | Gaelic Irish | ||
| Chief | |||
| Conor Myles John O'Brien, 18th Baron Inchiquin | |||
| Historic seat | Dromoland Castle | ||
| |||
| |||
| |||
The Dál gCais (Irish pronunciation: [d̪ɑːɫ ɡaʃ]), also known as the Dalcassians, refers to a dynastic group of related septs located in north Munster who rose to political prominence in the 10th century AD in Ireland. They claimed descent from Cormac Cas, or Cas mac Conall Echlúath, hence the term "Dál", meaning "portion" or "share" of Cas. In later times, for reasons of political expediency, they claimed Cas was a brother of the largely mythological Éogan Mór, son of Ailill Aulom, from whom the established Eóganachta dynasties had earlier claimed descent. The Eóganachta were in fact properly descendants of the later Conall Corc and so both claims and perhaps both tribal names have their origins in Munster mythology.
In early historic Ireland they were an obscure group, one of many of the subject peoples of the Éoganachta. In the seventh and eighth centuries, when the overkingdom of Uí Fiachrach Aidhne fell into decline, they moved north and annexed Tuadmumu (Thomond) or North Munster. Previously part of Connacht, it became part of Munster.
Thomond was to remain the heartland of the Dál gCais and its septs; it is most especially associated with the O'Brien dynasty (Ua Briain, Ó Briain), family and descendants of the famous Brian Bóruma, High King of Ireland (d. 1014), who reigned as its kings from the 930s to 1543, and from 1543 to the present day as Baron Inchiquin. The current incumbent is Conor Myles John O'Brien, 18th Baron Inchiquin, a thirty-second generation descendant of Brian. He is also known simply as The O'Brien, and is Chief of the Name, Prince of Thomond.
History
Origins and historiography; Déisi Muman vs. Deirgtine
In their own genealogies, the Dál gCais traced their line back to their eponymous ancestor and progenitor Cormac Cas, who is said to have lived in the 2nd to 3rd century. They make him a second son of Ailill Aulom from the Deirgtine, a King of Munster and Leath Moga more generally, associated in a story with the goddess Áine of the Tuatha Dé Danann during the Cycles of the Kings of Irish mythology. Cormac Cas himself was purported to be the younger brother of Eógan, founder of the Eóganachta, who would go on to rule Munster for many centuries. While this was taken on face value for a long time, later Irish scholars came to question its validity, regarding it as a politically motivated fabrication. The Dál gCais were becoming powerful in the 10th century, with Mathgamain and his brother Brian Bóruma taking the throne in Munster from the Eóganachta; claiming ancient kinship with their rivals would have boosted their legitimacy.
It is claimed by current scholarship that the Dál gCais were instead a branch of the Déisi Muman.[2][3] The Déisi Muman held a vassal kingship in Munster under the Eóganachta, significant in scope, based around what is today Waterford. As time went on branches also emerged around the River Shannon, as part of the Déisi Muman moved north-westernly between the 5th and early 8th century; they were called the Déisi Deiscirt and the Déisi Tuisceart. It is from later, more northernly branch, which the Dál gCais are said to ultimately find their true ancestors.[2] The first recorded mention of their adoption of the new name Dál gCais specifically is in the Annals of Inisfallen for the year 934, which records the death of their king Rebachán mac Mothlai.
The Déisi Muman themselves are subject of The Expulsion of the Déisi epic in the Cycles of the Kings, which is set during the time that Cormac mac Airt was High King of Ireland. The story describes the expulsion of the Dal Fiachrach Suighe; kinsmen of the Connachta and descendants of Fedlimid Rechtmar; from Tara, coming to settle in Munster after many battles. Upon becoming the Déisi Muman, one branch then sailed across to Britain in the 4th century, coming to rule Dyfed. Their presence in Britain may have been initially supported by Magnus Maximus, Roman Emperor, as part of a policy of backing Gaelic vassals to be seafaring defenders of the shores of Britain facing the Irish Sea from pirates.[4] Eoin MacNeill has pointed out that they were not the only Irish colony in the area, with the Uí Liatháin also powerful.
High Kingship of Ireland and ending Viking influence
The adoption of the name Dál gCais and the ascent of the group to greater power, began to take place during the 10th century with internal political transition.[3] With the death of king Rebachán mac Mothlai, the leadership of the Déisi Tuisceart shifted from the Uí Óengusso kindred to their junior relatives the Uí Thairdelbaig.[3] It was during the time of Cennétig mac Lorcáin,[3] who styled himself King of Thomond, that the Dál gCais began to challenge the Eóganachta; though Cennétig was defeated at the Battle of Gort Rotacháin by Cellachán Caisil, King of Munster in 944. The actual reason for this sudden surge has been much debated and one frequently discussed thesis is that it was a political scheme of the Uí Néill, intending to use the Dál gCais as proxies to further weaken the power of the Eóganachta.[5]
Cennétig's offspring built on what their father had achieved; during his lifetime his daughter Órlaith had become Queen consort of Ireland, after she married Donnchad Donn, a High King of Ireland from the southern branch of the Uí Néill. Mathgamain mac Cennétig became the first Dál gCais to gain the kingship of Munster, after he seized the Rock of Cashel from Máel Muad mac Brain of the Eóganachta. Leading up to this he had defeated the Norse under the leadership of Ivar of Limerick at the Battle of Sulcoit in 968. After Mathgamain was captured by Donnubán mac Cathail in 976 and murdered by Máel Muad, the Eóganachta returned to the throne at Cashel for two years, but Mathgamain's younger brother Brian Bóruma, skilled in the military arts himself from the early campaigns, would desire vengeance.
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2009) |
Genetic signature
Recent studies suggest the Dál gCais have a genetic signature unique to themselves, referred to as Irish Type III.[6] Belonging to Haplogroup R1b (Y-DNA), this subclade R1b1a2a1a1b4h is defined by the presence of the marker R-L226/S168.
Divisions
Sept names in brackets, under the name of their ancestral namesake. Numerals indicates number of generations between ancestor and descendant.
Conall Echlúath
|
|
Cas
|
|_____________________
| |
| |
Caisséne Blat
(Uí Chaisséne) (Uí Blait)
| |
| |_____________________
Cáirthenn | |
| | |
6 Brénainn Bán Cáirthenn Finn
| | |
Nárgalach (Muinter Bruig) |____________
(Síl Nárgalaíg) (Ua Maol Dhómhnaigh) | |
| | |
|_________________ Óengus Eochu Ballderg
| | (Uí Óengusso) |
| | | |__________________
Corerán Marcín Rónan | |
(Uí Chellaig) (Uí Sída) | | |
(Uí Cholmáin) (Uí Rodáin) | Conall Conall Cáem
(Uí Chiunáin) _________| | |
(Uí Láega) | | | |
| | Fíán Áed
Dímma Máel Cáith | |
| (Uí Fallamain) |
| Aithirne
Róngaile |
(Uí Róngaile) |
| Cathal ?
Dubh dá Leithe |
(Uí Chormacáin) |
(Uí Loingsig) Tairdelbaig
(Uí Uainidi) (Uí Thairdelbaig)
|
_____________________________________________________________|
| | | |
| | | |
Flannán Eochu Ailgel Mathgamain
Sanctus (Uí Echach) (Uí Aingile) |
| | |
__________|__________________ Eochu Anulaun
| | | | |
| | | |______________ |
Conall Animchad Aurthuile | | Corc
(áes Cluana) | | | | |
| 6 3 Fócarta Scandlán |
4 | | Uí Magair) (Uí Scandlán) Lachtna
| (Meic Cétfada) (Uí Chuinn) (Uí Árotháin) | |
Énna (Meic Cormaic) (Uí Aichir) |
(Uí Énna) (Uí Thaidc) Lorcán
|
_______________________________________________________________|
| |
| |
Cennétig, Rí Thuath Mumain, d. 951. Coscrach
| |
| _______________________|_______________________
| | | |
| | | |
| Maine Aingid Aitheir
| | | |
| | | |
| Cathal, abbot Killaloe, Coscrach, abbot Killaloe, Ogan
| died 1013 died 1040 (Ua hOgain)
|
|____________________________________________________________
| | |
| | |
Brian, Rí Éire, d. 1014. Marcán, abbot of Terryglass, Donncuan
(Ua Briain) Inis Cealtra & Killaloe; d. 1010 |
|__________________ ______________________|_____________
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
Tadc, d. 1023 Donnchad, d. 1064. Céilchair Londgargán Cennétig Connaig
| abb.Terryglass | | |
| d.1008 | | |
Toirdhealbhach Ua Briain, High King, Annud Find Dúnadach
died 1086 issue issue issue
List of septs
Below is a comprehensive list of the Dalcassian septs of the Kingdom of Thomond. Some of these names are also used by other tribes in Ireland, thus not every single person with one of the names is necessarily a member of this clan, it is rather a matter of specific genealogy coupled with the location origins.[7]
|
|
|
|
See also
- Irish nobility
- Irish royal families
- List of High Kings of Ireland
- Rock of Cashel
- County Clare
- Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib
- Battle of Sulcoit
References
Footnotes
- ^ "Coat of Arms". The O'Brien Clan. 8 March 2011.
- ^ a b Koch 2006, p. 554.
- ^ a b c d Duffy 2004, p. 121.
- ^ Davies 1994, p. 52.
- ^ Rynne 1967, p. 230.
- ^ Irish Type III Website
- ^ "Dál gCais or The Dalcassians of Thomond". DalcassianSept.com. 12 November 2008.
Bibliography
- Davies, John (1994), A History of Wales, Penguin Books, ISBN 0140145818
- Duffy, Seán (2004), Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia, Routledge, ISBN 0415940524
- Koch, John (2006), Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia, ABC-CLIO, ISBN 1851094407
- Rynne, Etienne (1967), North Munster Studies: Essays in Commemoration of Monsignor Michael Moloney, Thomond Archaeological Society
- Byrne, Francis John, Irish Kings and High-Kings. Four Courts Press. 2nd edition, 2001.
- MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families: Their Names, Arms and Origins. Irish Academic Press. 4th edition, 1998.
- O'Brien, Barry, Munster at War. Cork: Mercier Press. 1971.
- O'Brien, Michael A., ed. (1962). Corpus Genealogiarum Hiberniae. Vol. 1. Kelleher, John V. (intro. in the reprints of 1976 and 2005). Dublin: DIAS. pp. 207–8, 235–45, 250 and 427. ISBN 0901282316. OCLC 56540733. Genealogies for the Dál Cais of Thomond
- Todd, James Henthorn (ed. and tr.), Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh: The War of the Gaedhil with the Gaill Longmans. 1867.
- "Dál gCais - Church and Dynasty", Donncha Ó Corráin,