1251 - 1260 AD
1251 AD Teague / Tadhg O Connor, the son of Toole / Tuathal O Connor from the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Ai Siol Muireadhaigh / Sil Murray Ui Conchobair Sept was killed by the English Galls in the Connacht Province
Hugh de Mapleton who was to be the English Anglo Norman Catholic Bishop of
Ossory
/ Co. Kilkenny
in the south - west of
Southern Leinster until 1260 AD, was to build the Episcopal Palace at
Uppercourt, and also continued to construct
St. Canice's Cathedral there at great cost.
1252 AD The English Galls invaded the Ulster Province with a great English force, and there was now also great infighting occurring between the English themselves in the O Melaghlins / O Loughlins Heremonian Dal Cuinn "southern" Ui Niaill kingdom of Meath / Midhe in the south of Northern Leinster and also in the Munster Province, driven on by their ongoing avarice to gain greater territory individually for themselves personally and because of this many of the English Galls in Munster were killed.
Mac Maurice Fitz Gerald the
Anglo Norman Baron who was now the English Earl of
Kildare in Southern Leinster
constructed a castle near Caeluisce at Belleek and Mag Caba - Dromore? in the
Connacht Province, and also founded
the
Dominican Abbey
at Sligo
in
Co. Sligo in the north - west of
Connacht for the Dominican
religious order and it would be rebuilt in
1404 AD after a fire was to occur
there at that
later date was to
destroy it, and it was then to be rebuilt again in
1641 AD by
Sir
Frederick Hamilton the English Undertaker,
but It too is now only a ruin.
(Maurice
Fitz Gerald was to construct another
castle there also against the
Gaelic Irish Septs
throughout
that region.)
The
Franciscan
friars founded an
Abbey at
Castlebar in
Co. Mayo
in the mid - west of the Connacht
Province,
which was later taken
over by the Dominican religious order who are
still there, but it is now without a roof.
1253 AD Mac Maurice Fitz Gerald the Anglo - Norman Baron who was the English Earl of Kildare besieged the territory of the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern" Ui Niall Cenel nEogain Sept in Tir Eogain / Tyrone in the north of the Ulster Province who were now under the leadership of *116.Brian Catha Duin O Niall and many of the invading English Galls were killed during the conflict, and because of this setback the English were to make no further inroads into the territory there at this time and *116.Brian Catha Duinn O Niall the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern" Ui Niaill Cenel nEogain King then besieged the English Galls who had previously taken up confiscated Estates in Ulster, and he destroyed many of their castles, and burnt their settlements, while devastating the countryside there in the areas where they had previously gained control of the Irish Septs there by force of arms.
Donnell O Reilly and Caech O Reilly from the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Breifne Ui Raghailligh Sept, in Co. Cavan in their kingdom of East Breifne, along with Cathal O Connor from the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Ui Conchobair Sept in the Connacht Province, and Gilla O Farrell from the Gaelic Milesian Irian Clan na Rory Ui Fearghail Sept in Co. Longford in Northern Leinster also combined their Irish forces and besieged the English Galls in the territory held by them in the Irian kingdom of the Muintir Eolais Sept who were situated also in the Connacht Province, and Gilla O Farrell was to then leave them at Annaduff, and Cathal O Connor and the O Reilly / Ui Raghailligh Sept continued on to the other Irian kingdom of Conmaicne at Cluain Conmaicne also situated in Connacht. 117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor, the son of 116.Felim mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Ai "unofficial" 61st King of Connacht, then went after the English Galls as far as Cloone and drove them out of the territory there, but Donough O Reilly and many of the others were to be killed during the attempt.
116.Felim
/ Fedelmid mac Cathail
Crobhdhearg
O Connor,
the Heremonian Dal Cuinn
Ui Briuin Ai
"unofficial" 61st King of Connacht,
founded a
Dominican
friary on the site of
the monastery that had previously
been constructed
there in Co. Roscommon
in the east of the
Connacht
Thomas Fitz Maurice
Le Gros / Grace was to be the first Norman
English Baron in
Co. Kerry
in the south - west of the Munster Province when he
constructed
the Ardfert Abbey there to the east of
Ardfert for the
Franciscan friars, and the ruins
are still there to be seen today.
Allen O Sullivan
the
Heberian Eoghanacht
Chaisil Catholic
Bishop of Cloyne
in
Co. Kerry
in the south - west of the Munster Province,
died this year at
Lismore,
who had been dedicated to
St. Cuddy /
St. Mochuda
who was also
from
Co. Kerry who had founded
Lismore
originally, and his kinsmen eventually incorporated the
Mac Gilli Cuddy
/ Mheic Giolla Mochuda (Descended from a son of the servant
of St. Cuddy) into the
O
Sullivan name thereby forming another Sept
of the
O Sullivan family.
Roger de Pippart
/ Peppard
the
Anglo - Norman English Baron this year
constructed a
castle at
Ardee in
Co. Louth
in the north - east of Northern
Leinster,
against the
Heremonian
Dal Cuinn 3 Colla
Septs
there,
while the
Anglo - Norman de Barri / Barrys also built a castle
for the same purpose and founded a Franciscan
friary
in the town of
Buttevant in
Co. Cork
in Southern Munster.
(It was to receive its name
from the family's War Cry (Boutez en avant
/ push forward).
Kiltinane Castle
was also constructed by the English Galls this year at
Fethard in
Co. Tipperary
in the north - east of the Munster Province, for the same purpose
and it is still
in existence there today.
1254 AD The Gaelic Milesian Irian Muintir Gilgan / Ui Giollagain who had their territory in Co. Leitrim and Co. Sligo in the Connacht Province combined with the English Galls to kill the sons of Mac Carron / Carroon / Mheic Carrghamhna, (who were to be later also known as O Growney / Ua Gramhna), and the Muintir Mael Shinna from the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "southern" Ui Niaill who had their territory in Co. Westmeath in the south - west of Northern Leinster.
Donough O Reilly / Ua Raghailligh from the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Breifne kingdom of East Breifne who had their territory in Co. Cavan in the south of the Ulster Province was killed at Cloone by men from the Connacht Province who were under the leadership of Cathal O Connor, and his demise was to then cause great internal repercussions amongst the Ui Briuin Septs of Connacht, West Breifne and especially nearby East Breifne.
Manus O Gara from the Heberian Cianachta Sept who had their territory in the Connacht Province was killed this year.
The Nenagh Monastery was founded by the Heberian Dal gCais Ui Bloid Ui Turlough O Kennedy Chiefs of Ormond / North - East Munster in Co. Tipperary.
John Fitz Geoffrey the English Justicar in Ireland returned to England, as Henry 111 the English Norman King was now engaged in War with Spain. Henry 111 the fourth Norman English King had granted most of the vast confiscated Estates previously held by Richard Marshall the third Marshall who was an Anglo - Norman Baron who held territory in Ireland, Wales, Scotland, the Channel Islands, and Gascony, to his own son, the future Edward 1st, who would become (The Hammer of the Scots) while he retained the English Lordship of Ireland for himself. An English Parliament was set up in Dublin in Co. Dublin in the north - east of Southern Leinster made up of Anglo - Norman Barons and clergy "only," with another one for the commoners to voice their grievances, which certainly did not prosper, as the English Galls, due to their continual ongoing greed, now continually fought among themselves for position and territory, and the Charter land of Ireland was never separated from the Crown of England, but Henry 111's aggressive son, Prince Edward (Edward 1st) was to still interfere in Ireland never the less.
Meanw
1256 AD Walter de Burgh / Burke, the son of Richard de Burgh, the English Norman Baron, raised a great army to attack 116.Felim mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin "unofficial" 61st King of Connacht, his son 117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor, and also their Irish ally Conor O Rourke, the son of Tiernan O Rourke the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Breifne King of West Breifne and this brought on the Battle of Magh Slecht (The Plain of Genuflexions) at Ath Derg involving 20,000 fighting men. The English Galls andv their forces at first marched into Magh Eo / Co. Mayo in the west of the Connacht Province where the territory there was already still under their control and from there they went on to Balla, and then onto the Heberian Cianacht O Hara kingdom of Leyney / Luigne situated also in Co. Sligo in the north - west of Connacht and although it too was also under their control they still ravaged it. On arriving at Achadh Conaire / Achrony they sent messages to the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Breifne O Reillys / Ui Raghailligh in their kingdom of East Breifne in Co. Cavan calling on them to meet up with them at Cros Doire Chaoine at the south end of the Brat - Shleibhe mountains in Tir Tuathal ( The Land of Toole) in Roscommon in Connacht. The O Reillys arrived at Clachan Murchadha on Sliab - an - Iarainn, but they then turned back as they had not come across any of the the English Galls along the way and they decided to set up at Soltin Gasain. Conor O Rourke, the son of Tiernan O Rourke the King of West Breifne assembled the Gaelic Irish from the 2 kingdoms in Connacht who were under his personal control, the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Breifne of West Breifne from Northern Connacht and the Gaelic Milesian Irian Conmaicne Septs from the kingdom of Conmaicne situated in the centre of Connacht, and also any of the other Irish Septs that he could bring under his command. Among these was to be 117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor who were with some of the best warriors from Connacht and the Chiefs of the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Ai Siol Muireadhaigh / Sil Murray and the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Seola O Flahertys, the Gaelic Milesian Irian O Farrells / Ui Fearghail from the nearby kingdom of Annaly in Co. Longford in the north - west of Northern Leinster, the O Flynns / Ui Flainn, the Mac Geraghtys / Mag Oireachtaig, the O Kellys / Ui Cellaig, the Mac Dermots / Mheic Diarmada, the O Flanagans / Ui Flainnachain, the O Haras / Ui Eaghra, the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Ai O Connors and the O Teagues / Ui Taidhg.
Conor O Rourke, was the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Breifne King of West Breifne in Co. Leitrim in Northern Connacht and also of the Gaelic Milesian Irian Conmaicne Septs, and among his personal supporters were Cathal O Flaherty / Ua Flaithbertaigh and Murrogh Finn O Farrell / Ua Fearghail, Rory O Flynn / Ui Flainn - of the Wood, Flann Mac Geraghty / Mac Oireachtaig and Donn Og - the Younger Mac Geraghty, and many of the O Kellys, Mac Dermott's 3 sons, Dermot O Flanagan, and Cathal O Hara, the son of Duarcan O Hara / Ui h Eaghra, also the 2 sons of Tiernan O Connor, Giolla na Naimh (Devotee of the Saints) O Teague / Ua Taidhg and many of the other aristocratic warriors from the Connacht Province. They overtook the rebellious Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin East Breifne O Reillys at Soiltean na nGasan and persued them to Alt Tighe Mheic Cuirin where they came up against the new recruits who had recently also joined in with the rebellious O Reillys and they turned upon the combined hosts and drove them back 3 times, until the main body then came into the battle, but by then many had been killed, including Dermot O Flanagan, Mac Mooney / Mheic Maonaigh and Coicle O Cokely / Ua Coicle. Both of the forces then went to Alt na hEillti and to Doirin Crannachar between Atha na Beithighe, Bel an Bhealaigh, Coill Easa and Coill Airthir upon Sliab an Iarainn where the O Reillys turned firmly against 117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor, the son of 116.Felim mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor, and all the men of Connacht who were with him, for all their previous wrongs and oppressions, and the O Reillys from the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin kingdom of East Breifne clashed violently with all of the men of Connacht, and this ongoing all out conflict then did not come to a halt until the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Breifne O Reillys from the kingdom of East Breifne were eventually well and truly defeated and scattered by their fellow Irish Septs.
The men of Connacht Province then arose on one side under 117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor, the son of 116.Felim mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor, who by now had within him great fury and valour, and they continued on in what turned out to be a terrible bloody battle, and many were then also killed on both sides and among these were Conor O Rourke, the son of Tiernan O Rourke, the King of West Breifne, and Murrough Finn O Farrell / Ua Fearghail and Aed O Farrell from the kingdom of Annaly / Co.Longford, and Mulrooney / Maolruadh mac Donough, while many more of them were left severely wounded, with some of these also dying later on, including Murrough Finn O Farrell of Annaly, while Flann Mac Geraghty / Mac Oireachtaig had also been killed during the battle along with many of the others. In his fury, 116.Felim mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor was determined he would not give up until the rebellious O Reillys from the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Breifne kingdom of East Breifne were to well and truly give in, and among those that were then killed were Cathal O Reilly himself who was the Muintir Maol Mordha King of East Breifne and Clann Aedha Finn and his 2 sons also, namely Donnell Ruadh - of Red Complexion O Reilly and Niall O Reilly, and also his brother, Cu Chonnacht O Reilly along with Cathal Dubh - of Dark Complexion O Reilly's 3 sons, Geoffrey O Reilly, Fergal O Reilly and Donnell O Reilly. while Annadh O Reilly, the son of Donnell O Reilly had also been previously killed by Conor O Rourke, the son of Tiernan O Rourke, and also Niall Dall O Reilly, Tiernan O Brady, and Gilla Michael Mac Taidhly, Donough O Bibsaigh, and Manus Mac Gilla - Duibh, with over 3 score of their men along with them, and a total of 16 of the aristocratic warriors from the O Reilly's Sept.
The Battle of Magh Slecht had occurred near Ath Dearg (The Red Ford) at Alt na hEillti (The Hill of the Doe) over Bealach na Beithighe (The Road of Birch) in Co. Cavan in Southern Ulster in the O Reilly 's kingdom of East Breifne, (This was the same Plain on which Crom Cruach / Ceann Cruach the Idol of Delphos had been destroyed and buried by St. Patrick in the ground after he struck it down with his staff, the Bachall Iosa - The Staff of Jesus, in the early 5th Century AD). After this tumultuous battle 116.Felim mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor and his son, 117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor and the men from the Connacht Province along with Tiernan O Rourke and his men from his kingdom of West Breifne in Co. Leitrim went to Lorh in Trein and took hostages also from the Fir Breifne / Men of Breifne there, and 116.Felim mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor gave them over to Tiernan O Rourke, and Mac Govern / Mag Samradain and to his son, 117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor. Tiernan O Rourke then sent some of his followers to the Muintir Maol Mordha territory as it was believed that the O Reilly Chief's son from the Muintir Raghailligh was raising further warriors from there, and also from the English Galls to besiege the Mac Fachrach Sept. Tiernan O Rourke and the rebellious O Reilly's son met head on at Farnaght and the O Reillys were scattered once again and another 36 of them were killed, including Auliffe / Amlaib, O Reilly, and Aed O Reilly the son of Cathal O Reilly, then retired defeated to their kingdom of East Breifne. Conor O Rourke, the son of Tiernan O Rourke the King of West Breifne, and many other Kings and Chiefs from the Ui Briuin Breifne Sept went to Fenagh to meet with Donnell O Reilly, and also pursued Kelly O Reilly, his son Annadh O Reilly and Gilla O Reilly and many of the other O Reilly supporters.
The next day they took booty from Cruacha O Cubrain and plundered their territory all the way to Fenagh, and this particular defeat was to be the beginning of the end for the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Breifne O Reillys as an important independent Gaelic Milesian Irish Sept, but not to be deterred and in desperate circumstances the East Breifne O Reillys sent for further support from the English Galls in the Connacht Province who were under Mac William de Burgh the English Norman Baron and his cohort Costello / Mheic Goisdealbh inviting them to destroy Connacht Province altogether along with the O Rourkes' Ui Briuin kingdom of West Breifne.The English Galls with a great force then moved onto Kesh Corran plundering all of the territory around Corran for a week, and the O Reillys from out of their kingdom of East Breifne came to Loch Allen to Port na Cranne, but the English Galls kept clear for fear of 117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor and his Irish Septs who at Cell tSesin Inuachtar Tire had to decide which opposing army, east or west, to take on, and in consultation with Tiernan O Rourke he decided to take on the East Breifne O Reillys first. He crossed over the River Shannon to the east bank on foot to Enga, but on arriving they could see that the O Reillys were by now long gone, and they then decided to send some of their warriors after them, while in the meantime the English Galls had returned to the regions that were still under their control, and in the dusk the East Breifne O Reillys found that the English Galls had left them totally to their own devices and they were soon slaughtered, and the next day 117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor had all their heads cut off and he took them all back to show his father, 116.Felim mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor who was still the "unofficial" 61st King of Connacht at his fort of Dun Ailli west of Slieve Bawn.
Henry 111 the Norman English King sent over the Anglo - Norman Baron, Alan de la Zouche, as his new English Justicar in Ireland, to settle the territorial disputes among his greedy English Norman Barons, who then met also with 117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor at Randoon and made peace once again and Alan de la Zouche then informed the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin AI O Connors that they would not lose any of their territory in the Connacht Province while he remained the English Justicar in Ireland. Fortified by this guaranteed commitment, 117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor then plundered the territory in the Connacht Province now under the control of David Fitz Richard Cuisin / Cussen the English Norman Baron, and seized booty from there, to avenge the previous killing of Rory / Thomas O Gara the Heberian Cianacht Chief of Sliab Lugar in Co. Sligo in the north - west of Connacht who Cussen had previously killed, and he also destroyed all of his Norman castles and seized the territory back in Loch Gara, Meanwhile, Mac William de Burgh the English Norman Baron not to be left out of the equation raided Rory O Flaherty in his kingdom in West Connacht plundering Gno Mor and Gno Bec and also seized the territory there at Loch Corrib. 117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor then met with Eoan de Verdun / de Bheardun the Anglo - Norman Baron, who had come to Ireland this year, at Ballyleague, and the English Galls who had their confiscated Estates at Athlone in Co. Westmeath in nearby Northern Leinster, while Duniry in Co. Galway in Connacht was burnt on the same day, and with Conor O Rourke, the son of Tiernan O Rourke, who had been his ally till now and he went into battle. Unknown to him Conor O Rourke had already made a separate forced peace with the English Galls without 117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor's agreement, but on finding out he besieged Conor O Rourke for doing this, but they too eventually made peace also.
1257 AD Conor O Rourke, the son of Tiernan O Rourke, who had previously submitted to 116.Felim mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor who was now the "unofficial" 61st King of Connacht and they had made peace, and as a meaningful gesture of his sincerity he offered him a portion of his territory in his kingdom of West Breifne in Co. Leitrim in Northern Connacht and a result of this 116.Felim mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor took over his Stone Castle on Cherry Island in Loch Garradice and put in his own garrison there. Conor O Rourke was upset by this extra intrusive action and decided to burn the castle instead, but allowed the O Connor's garrison to leave the castle unharmed, so 117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor then decided to install Sitric O Rourke, the son of Ualgarg O Rourke, as the new Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin King of West Breifne in opposition to Conor O Rourke, the son of Tiernan O Rourke. Sitric O Rourke was then to be killed by 118.Donnell O Connor, the son of 117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor who was against any form of personal King making or installing "puppets." 116.Felim mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor then met with Alan de la Zouche, the English Justicar in Ireland and Mac William de Burgh / Burke, the English Norman Baron, and the main English Galls in the Connacht Province at Athlone in Co. Westmeath in Northern Leinster and they made peace with him once again. To try and stop the ongoing turmoil in Connacht, Henry 111 the Norman King of England then gave 116. Felim mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor a charter confirming his right to the 5 Cantreds in Connacht, and his other son, 117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor then besieged the O Rourkes Ui Briuin Breifne kingdom in West Breifne in Co. Leitrim and this resulted in Conor O Rourke, the son of Tiernan O Rourke, the King of West Breifne being killed at Ath na Failme by one of his own men and the followers of their kinsman Matha O Reilly from the Ui Briuin Breifne Sept of East Breifne in nearby Co. Cavan. 117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor then raided Fenagh / Fiodhnacha (The Wooded Place) once again situated on the shores of Loch Fenagh in Co. Leitrim and ran off 100 head of their cattle, and then with his followers besieged Mac Govern / Gowran / Magauran / Mag Shamhrain. and Gilla Patraic Mag Fiachrach was also blinded by Matha O Reilly from the rebellious Ui Briuin Breifne Sept in East Breifne.
Maurice Fitz Gerald the previous Norman Baron who was the English Justiciar in Ireland, died this year, as did Conn O Reilly, the son of Cathal O Reilly, the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Bruin Breifne Muintir Mael Morda Chief who had his kingdom in East Breifne in his territory in Co. Cavan in the south of the Ulster Province.
Goffraidh O Donnell from the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern" Ui Niaill Cenel Conaill Sept drove off the English Galls in his territory of Tir Conaill / Tyrconnell / Co. Donegal in the north - west of the Ulster Province, and destroyed the Caeluisce Castle there and killed the English Gall's garrison and then carried out further resistance to their constant raids down further into Co. Sligo in the north - west of the Connacht Province, and the English Galls then pursued Goffraidh O Donnell to Credran Coluim Cille in the Rosses of Carbury where he not only defeated them, but killed many of them there and burnt their settlement and took plenty of booty from their confiscated Estates at Carbury, but as he was wounded in the conflict the his followers from the Cenel Conaill Sept had to return to Co. Donegal. *116.Brian Catha Duinn O Niall from the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern" Ui Niaill Cenel nEogain Sept in Ulster, who was also besieging the English Galls there, now demanded the Irish overall Kingship of Ulster so that he could continue his quest to unite the Tuaths / Family regions in Ulster and eventually revive the overall High Kingship of Ireland to drive the English Galls out of Ireland altogether. Unfortunately Goffraidh O Donnell would not defer to him as to who had the greatest authority now in Ulster, and although he was able to eventually defeat *116.Brian Catha Duinn O Niall in battle over this personal submission, he was to later die from the wounds that he received during this particular conflict. His territory of Tir Conaill / Tyrconnell / Co. Donegal / Dun na Gall (The Fort of the Foreigners) was only saved from outright conquest by the return of his Cenel Conaill kinsman, Donnell Oge - the Younger O Donnell from the Scottish Highlands who brought with him galloglasses / galloglach / mercenaries from the Hebrides who were of mixed Irish Gaelic and Norse blood. In the meantime, Mac Dunlevy / Mheic Duinnshleibhe the Heremonian Dal Fiatach King was able to also kill many of the English Galls who were in his territory in the north - east of Ulster.
112.Conor na Suidane O Brian the Heberian Dal gCais Ui mBriain King of Northern Munster / Thomond now tried desperately to also drive the English Galls out of his territory in the Munster Province, and as a result of his continuing resistance there were to be many battles also fought there between the English Galls and the Dal gCais Septs, and many of the English Galls were also to be killed there, and his son, 113.Teague / Tadhg O Brian also carried out many such raids on them, and during these ongoing conflicts the English Galls were to also kill Mahon O Brian, the son of Donnell Conachtach O Brian.
St. Mary's monastery in Roscommon in
Co. Roscommon in the east of the
Connacht Province was consecrated for the Preaching
Friars this year.
John de Cogan the Anglo - Norman Baron constructed a Franciscan friary this year at Clare Galway in Co. Galway in Southern Connacht.
1258 AD
*116.Brian
Catha Duinn
O Niall
the
Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern"
Ui Niaill
Cenel nEogain King
of
Tyrone /
Tir Eogan
in the
Lagan Valley of the Ulster
Province
called a convention to discuss selecting a strong
overall Irish
leader to combine all of the
Irish
Septs to carry
out his plan of driving the English foreigners out of
Ireland once and for
all, and all of the other
Irish Kings, including
117.Aed
mac Cathail
Crobhdhearg O Connor, the son of 116.Felim
mac Cathail
Crobhdhearg O Connor from the
Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui
Briuin Ai
had by now
also come to realise that to bring this about they would have to end their rivalry
over the Gaelic Kingship
of Ireland
and to this end they held
the meeting at
Cael Uisce (The Narrow
Water) near Newry on
Loch Erne at
Belleek and Castle Calwell.
112.Conor
na Suidane
O Brian, the
Heberian Dal gCais
King
of Northern Munster
/
Thomond,
due to the constant threat of the English
Galls along his particular borders in Northern
Munster,
was instead to send his son,
113.Teague
/ Tadhg O
Brian to represent him. 112.Conor
na Suidane
O Brian's and
*116.Brian Catha Duinn O
Niall's
names were put forward to become the
new overall Gaelic
King
of Ireland with
*116.Brian
Catha Duinn O Niall the most
likely prospect, but
113.Teague O Brian
would not yield to
his nomination as the overall leader. To give greater
clarity as to who was the overall leader, they proposed that
117.Aodh mac Cathail
Crobhdhearg O Connor's hostages should be given over
to *116.Brian Catha Duin O Niall, and
O Reillys hostages from Kells to Drumcliff to
117.Aodh mac Cathail
Crobhdhearg O Connor. (Unfortunately this also meant
that there was still to be no Gaelic
Milesian High King of Ireland to combine the
Irish Septs against the English Galls).
The English Galls held a meeting with the Gaelic Milesian Chiefs of Ireland at Mulach Laigide where they once again again concluded another peace, but 116.Felim mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor the acting "unofficial" 61st King of Connacht was not present, and his son, 117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor then pulled down the Bishop's palace at Elphin and also at Cell tSesin so that the English Galls could not occupy them again.
A
church was
constructed this year at Cranfield in
Co. Antrim
in the north - east of the Ulster
Province,
which is now also only a ruin, but there nearby is a
Holy Well
still in existence today on the
northern shore of
Loch Neagh.
1259 AD 113.Teague / Tadhg O Brian became the Prince / Tanaiste of Northern Munster / Thomond / Thuadh Muman who was the son of 112.Conor na Suidane O Brian the Heberian Dal gCais Ui Bloid Ui Turlough Ui mBriain King of Munster, but he was to also die this year.
117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Ai Chieftain in the Connacht Province allotted the previous position of Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Breifne King of West Breifne, previously held by the recently deceased Auliffe / Amlaib O Rourke, the son of Art O Rourke, to Art Bec - the Small O Rourke, who was another of Art O Rourke's sons, and he also took another Art O Rourke, who was the son of Cathal Riabach O Rourke as a hostage and went up to Derry in Co. Derry in the north - east of the Ulster Province to marry the daughter of Dubgall Mac Sorley Mac Donald / Mac Donnell from the Western Isles of Scotland who was from the Clan Mac Donald who were originally from the Heremonian Dal Cuinn 3 Colla Mac Uais Sept descending from *85.Carroll Colla Uais - the Noble who had been the 121st King of Tara / Ireland. Warriors from the Mac Donald / Mac Donnell Sept were to be among the first galloglasses / mercenaries to return to Ireland into Tir Eogain / Tyrone and Co. Antrim in Ulster, and 117.Aed mac Cathail Crobhdhearg O Connor was to receive 160 Scottish galloglass / mercenaries as a dowry, and to ensure there would be no future sovereignty disputes in West Breifne he later blinded Cathal Mac Kinnawe / Forde / Mac Consnave / Mac Conshnamha the Muintir Cinaeth / Kenneth Chief and also the hostages previously taken from Donnell O Rourke, namely Niall O Rourke, the son of Donough O Rourke, and Brian O Rourke, the son of Niall O Rourke. He then met with *116.Brian Catha Duinn O Niall the overall Cenel nEogain King in Ulster who was now "officially" the elected 184th High King of Ireland at Devenish on Loch Erne, and because of this peace was now made between 117.Aed mac Cathal Crobhdhearg O Connor and Donnell O Rourke, who then received the position of Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Breifne Kingship of West Breifne back. He then besieged the territory in the kingdom of the Heberian Cianacht O Garas at Sliabh Luga in Co. Sligo in the north - west of Connacht that was now held by the English Galls there under Costello / Miled Mheic Goisdealbh, the English Norman Baron who died, and he also captured Gillibert Costello who he then released in exchange for 3 of his sons as his hostages for his future good behaviour nd also besieged the Siol Maol Brian and captured Flann Ruadh O Flynn / Ua Flainn the Chief of Muskerylinn / Muiscre Ui Flainn.
Mary Mac Ellycudd / Ellicott of Galey in Co. Kerry, who had territory in Listowel and Tralee, this year provided forces to invade Scotland to the army of Edward 1st the Norman English King.
1260 AD In a combined effort of solidarity, 117.Aed
mac Cathail
Crobhdhearg
O Connor went to join
in with
*116.Brian Catha Duinn O Niall
the Heremonian Dal Cuinn
"northern" Ui Niaill Cenel nEogain
184th King
of Ireland in the
north of the
Ulster Province, taking many of his main warriors from the
Connacht Province with him, and combining their forces they marched into Co. Down to besiege the English Galls
who had set up their confiscated Estates there in the east of Ulster, but unfortunately they were to be defeated by the forces of
John de Courcy
the English Norman Baron there and his English Galls under Stephen the
English Earl of Salisbury in the Battle
of Druim Derg / Drumderg near Downpatrick /
Dundeaglan.
Unfortunately
*116.Brian Catha Duinn
O Niall who was at this time the last real hope of
Ireland was
among those who were killed in this particular conflict, including members of the
Cenel nEogain
Sept
of the
O Canes / Kanes
/ Ui Cathain, Cormac
Mac Dermot / Mac Diarmada,
Cathal O Connor. Cathal Mac Dermot, Aed Finn and
Teague O Gara,
the son of
Cian O Gara.
*116.Brian Catha Duinn O Niall
had been initially the
Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern" Ui Niaill
Cenel nEogain King of
Tir Eogain / Tyrone
since 1238 AD who had been married to
Gill the sister of
Ewan Mac Dougal the
Heremonian Dal Cuinn
"northern"
Ui Niaill
Scottii King
of
Argyll (The
Land of the Gael) in
the
Scottish Highlands.
*116.Brian
Catha Duinn
O Niall had been a son of
115,Niall Ruadh
O Niall who had died in 1223
AD, who was another of the sons of 114.Aedh
- the Lazy Limbed Youth O Niaill
who
had died in 1177 AD after reviving the fortunes of the
O Nialls in the
Ulster Province in opposition to their
Cenel nEogain kinsmen the
Mac Loughlins / Mheic Lochlainns. John
de Courcy cut off
*116.Brian Catha Duinn O Niall's head and sent
it over to
England, and with
De Vesci the Anglo - Norman Baron constructed Lea Castle in Co. Laois in the mid - west of Southern Leinster, against the Gaelic Irish Septs there, which was to be later on taken over by the Anglo - Norman Fitz Geralds.