Mac Carthy - 9
At this time 102.Cormac mac Cuilennain, due to his piety, was unwilling to be involved in violence of any kind, and this was the beauty of the Irish system of Kingship, as they could always elect the person who they considered the most suitable for the job at that time usually within 4 generations of their original previous outstanding King, and not just settle for the next generation and owing to the great respect in which he was held by all the Heberian Septs at that time 102.Cormac mac Cuilennain was to be the only one ever to be chosen from his particular Heberian Eoghanachta Chaisil male line. He was descended 10 generations from 92.Bressal, who had been one of the sons of 91.Angus / Oengus mac Nad Froich the first Catholic King and Heberian Eoghanacht Chaisil 3rd King of Cashel / Munster who had died in 490 / 2 AD. (Their particular male line had never produced a King of Munster before, nor where they to do so after.) 102.Cormac mac Cuilennain had been of such character and so pious that he had even refused to marry the daughter of *101.Flann Sionna who was by that time was the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Clann Cholmain "southern" Ui Niaill 169th King of Ireland, as he wanted to stay celibate and fully committed to God and his religious convictions. This then led 102.Cormac mac Cuilennain, who was always trying to live up to his religious principles, to advise103.Lorcan the Heberian Dalcassian Chief, of the history and the right of the Dal gCais Sept to share the Kingship of Munster with the Eoghanachta and this was to be all of the impetus that the Heberian Dal gCais Sept needed at this particular time to once again bolster their shares, and it seems the timing was just right, as it was to lead onto *105.Brian Boru becoming the 175th High King of Ireland just when he would be needed.102.Cormac mac Cuilennain informed 103.Lorcan of the decree of their common ancestor, 84.Ailill Oluimm the Gaelic Milesian Heberian 1st King of Munster that the Families from his two oldest sons, 85.Eoghan Mor (Eoghanachta) and 85.Cormac Cass (Dal gCais) should share the Munster Kingship as they did previously. This had occurred early on for a while, but in time the Eoghanachta Septs descended from 85.Eoghan Mor became many numerous and different Septs, while the Dal gCais had crossed over the River Shannon and continued on basically with the same single Dalcassian Family Sept descended from 91.Cas the descendant of 85.Cormac Cass his younger brother. The Eoghanachta had became much stronger in regard to their numbers with their individual Septs, while the Dal gCais also then had their main fortress on the western side of the River Shannon, in reality and geographically in the south - east of the Connacht Province, not in the Munster Province. At that earlier time also 89.Conall Corc, who basically became the main ancestor then of the Eoghanachta, had also set up their fortress on the Rock of Cashel in the south of Co. Tipperary creating the Eoghanachta Kings of Cashel / Munster.
This original sharing arrangement had all been brought about due to 85.Eoghan Mor being killed along with 6 of his younger brothers in battle against their older half - brother, Lewy mac conn, and the second eldest who was to survive was 85.Cormac Cass and there was no knowledge of 85.Eoghan's young son until later on, and even then it was to be quite a while until he reached the right age and as 85.Cormac Cass had been the second eldest surviving son it was only natural then that he received the Heberian 2nd Kingship of Munster from his father, as he was also the maternal grandson of *83.Conn of the Hundred Battles the Dal Cuinn 110th King of Tara / Ireland. Later on 85.Cormac Cass was to share the Kingship of Munster with 85.Eoghan Mor's young son, 86.Fiachu Muillethan - of the Flat Head who then ruled Southern Munster / Des Mumu / Desmond and 85.Cormac Cass Northern Munster / Thomond.
103.Lorcan's son, 104.Kennedy / Cinneide was to be the one to begin the push to gain this decreed right and he was so strong that even the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Niaill "southern" Ui Niaill King of Ireland was to be fearful of his abilities, but he was to be eventually killed, along with two of his sons in two separate battles in the Munster Province. (One of these deceased sons was 105.Duncan / Donncuan who was to become the direct male line ancestor of the O Kennedys of Co. Clare, Ormond and later Co. Wexford in Southern Leinster including Joseph, John F., Robert and Edward. The other brother was 105.Ahern / Echthigern (Lord of Steeds) who is the direct male line ancestor of the O Ahernes. Of 104.Kennedy's other sons 105.Mahon, and especially his younger son, *105.Brian soon became famous all over Ireland for their constant resistance and defeat of the Vikings using guerrilla warfare tactics. Meanwhile the Eoghanacht Kings who came forward after 104.Callahan / Cellachan from the different Eoghanachta Septs where not able to hold up their end like he had done, against the Viking onslaught and over time they became very weakened Gaelic Milesian Heberian leaders in the Munster Province.
Return to Celtic Heritage On to Mac Carthy - 10