The Cenel Coelbad of Donegal
| The Inishowen peninsula was divided into
two sub-kingdoms, Carraig Brachaidhe to the west and An
Bredach in the east. The Kings of Carriagh Brachaidh were
the O Mailfabhails (angliced McFall, Mulfall, and
according to McLysaght, Lavelle and Melville). The
surname is now virtually unknown in Donegal. The O Maolfabhail Kings of Carriag Brachaidhe were seated at Carrickabraghey on the Isle of Doagh in the parish of Clonmany. They were a branch of the Cinel Eoghain known both as the Clann Fhearghusa and the Cenel Coelbad. Their original territory as descendants of Owen was in the western part of the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal, but following the generally westward movement of the Kings of Aileach in the 11th century, some of the Cenel Coelbad settled in Tryone, most notably the O Hogans of Telach Oge (Tullahoge), the well-known inaugurators of the O'Neill Kings of Tyrone at Tullahoge. O'Clery gives a long list of surnames associated with the Cenel Coelbad, most of which are no longer recogniseable today. O Mael fahaill (MacFall, Mulfall of Donegal) O Bruadar (O'Broder) O Hagan (O'Hagan of Tullahoge - Tyrone) O Ceallaigh (O'Kelly of Donegal) O Robhartach (O'Roarty of Donegal) O Mail Mocheirghe O Dhoret (O Derry of Donegal) O Conne (O Cuinn of Tyrone) O Cearnaigh (Mac Kearney of Donegal) O Dubhaine (Dwayne, Devanny of Donegal) Of these surnames, O Hogan and O Cuinn are now associated with Co. Tyrone. O Robhartach (O'Roarty) is a well-known Donegal name, co-arbs of St. Columcille on Tory Island. O'Kelly (O Ceallaigh) is a very numerous name in Donegal. O Mail Mocheirghe appears in the Pardon List of 1602 as O Mulchieran. The family were herenaghs of Clonca parish in the Inishowen Peninsula. O Dhoret is probably now O Derry (O Doirighe), an herenagh family in Raphoe Diocese. They appear in the Inquisition at Liffer as herenaghs of Drumhome parish (O 'Dorrianuns). In O'Clery's Book of Genealogies they are named O Dhoret of Domnaigh Mor Magh Ith, a district in Raphoe Parish in Donegal, now the parish of Donoghmore. O Dubhain (MacDwayne) is probably now Devanny in Donegal (According to McLysaght, the names are often confused). The Mac Dubhaines were chiefs of Cinel Enda, a district in Donegal to the south of the Inishowen Peninsula. Topographical Poems O Dugan Over the lasting Carraig Brachai Over the red-armed Clann Feaghasa On each side they extended to the wave, The O Bruadairs, the O Mailfabhails, The O Coinnes, the O hOgains here Elevation of human people. |
Cenel Coelbad
Niall 'of the Nine Hostages'
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Eoghan
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Ferghusa [a quo Clann Fhearghusa]
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Coelbad [a quo Cenel Coelbad]
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Coirpre Cairill
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Feidhimthe Trempan
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Diarmad Faelchon
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Brachaide [a quo Carrig Brachaidhe] Conaill clogigh
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Conaill Mail mocheirghe
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Cuanach Ruarcam
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Donngaile Daithghil
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Cumuscaith Anluain
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| | Furudrain
Loinsigh Oilella |
| | Ruarcan
Mail fabhaill 878 Mail gairh |
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Cathalan Cinaetha Colgusa Mail mhocheirghe
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Con gartan Ogain [ a quo O Hogan Cosgraigh Dubhrodan
| | of Telach occ] | |
Fogartaigh Eogain Crunmail Cernaigh
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Mail fhabhaill Gille epscuip Conaill Diermada
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Flaithbertach O Mail fhabhaill Floind Colaim Aedh O Mail Mocheirghe
1053 | |
Gille aeda Mail brighde
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Raghnall O Hogan Mael muire
of Telach occ |
Dunchada
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Muirchertach
O Cuinn of Tyrone
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| Where Aileach Guards Brian Bonner O Maolfabhail "In the days when the O Neill dynasty ruled supreme in the north one of the important families of Inis Eogain was the O Maolfabail sept. Te name is recorded in two ways, "O Maolfabail" and "O Maolfabail", and has been anglicised in various forms, e.g., "O Mulfall" and "MacFall." This family was of Cineal Fhearghasa, a branch of Cineal Eogain. The territory ruled by the sept was Carraig Bhracai on the western side of the peninsula. The seat of rule was in the townland of Carrickabraghey, situated in the Isle of doagh, parish of Clonmany. The Isle of Doag is a peninsula connected by a narrow strip of land to the mainland. The site was well-chosen as a place of security. Today tere are the ruins of an ancient castle. Whhile the remains probably mark the site of an older fortress, te present pile was built at a much later period tan te days of the O Maolfabail lordship. This ancient family is first noted in Irish records in thhe year 834. It occurs on a number of occasions up to 1215, after wichh it is no longer mentioned. Surprsingly, it occurs very rarely as a family surname in Inis Eogain. In the General Pardon Lists issued by the englis for those natives of Inis Eoghain who engaged in rebellion against te Crown in the early seventeenth century, the name occurs but rarely. It does not occur at all in te Hearth Tax records for 1665. Annal Entries 834 FM Fearghus son of Badhbhchadh, lord of Carraig Brach Aidhe, was slain by the Munstermen. 857 FM Seghonnan, son of Conang, lord of Carraig Brachaidhe, died. 878 FM Maelfabhaill, son of Loingseach, lord of Carraig Brachaighe; 907 FM Ruarc, son of Maelfabhaill, lord of Carraig-Brachaidhe, died. 915 FM Another slaughter was made of the foreigners by the Eoghanachta, and by the Ciarraighi. The army of the Ui-Neill of the South and North was led by Niall, son of Aedh, King of Ireland, to the men of Munster, to wage war with the foreigners. He pitched his camp at Tobar-Glethrach, in Magh-Feimhin, on the 22nd of August. The foreigners went into the territory on the same day. The Irish attacked them the third hour before mid-day, so that one thousand one hundred men were slain between them; but more of the foreigners fell, and they were defeated. There fell here in the heat of the conflict the chief of Carraig-Brachaidhe, and Maelfinnen, son of Donnagan, chief of Ui-Cearnaigh; Fearghal, son of Muirigen, chief of Ui-Creamhthainn; and others besides them. 965 Fm Tighearnach, son of Ruarc, lord of Carraig-Brachaidhe, died. 1014 FM Cudubh, son of Maelfabhaill, chief of Carraig-Brachaidhe, was slain by the race of Tadhg in Breagha. 1053 FM Flaithbheartach Ua Maelfabhaill, lord of Carraig-Brachaidhe, died. 1065 FM Domhnall Ua Loingsigh, lord of Dal-Araidhe, and Muircheartach Ua Maelfabhaill, lord of Carraig-Brachaidhe, were slain by the Ui-Meith. 1082 FM Gillachrist Ua Maelfabhaill, lord of Carraig-Brachaidhe; Finnchadh Mac Amhalghadha, chief of Clann-Breasail; Flaithbheartach Ua Maelduin, lord of Lurg; Uidhrin Ua Maelmuire, chief of Cinel-Fearadhaigh, died. 1102 FM An army was led by the Cinel-Eoghain to Magh-Cobha. The Ulidians entered their camp at night, and killed Sitrick Ua Maelfabhaill, lord of Carraig-Brachaidhe, and Sitric, son of Curoi, son of Eoghan. 1166 FM Aedh Ua Maelfabhaill, lord of Carraig-Brachaidhe, was slain by the son of Niall Ua Lochlainn. 1198 FM Cathalan O'Mulfavil, Lord of Carrick-Braghy, was slain by O'Dearan, who was himself slain immediately afterwards in revenge of him. 1215 FM Trad O'Mulfavill, Chief of Kinel-Fergusa, with his brothers, and a great number of people who were with them, were slain by Murray, the son of the Great Steward of Lennox. |