In the earliest days of civilisation Ireland was divided into five kingdoms: Ulster, Leinster, Munster, Connaught and Meath. The first four corresponding to the four latter day provinces while Meath was the seat of the Ard-Ri (High Kings) of Ireland. The Carroll family are descendants of Mogh Nuadat who was King of Munster in the second century AD.
Munster, the South Western province of Ireland, was in those far off days reigned over alternately by the two races who then inhabited it, the Ithians, who occupied the extreme South West comprising the remote corners of the counties of Cork and Kerry, and the Eberians, who occupied the remainder of the province. There was an amicable arrangement between the two races that they would each rule the province in turn and, when one race supplied the King the other would supply the Ireitheach (Chief Judge) and vice versa.
This arrangement worked until about half a century BC, when a warlike northern tribe, the Earnaan, who had been forced out of their own territory along Loch Erne, were granted a settlement in Kerry by the then King Duach. When Duach died, the aggressive Earnaan imposed themselves upon Munster and declared their leader Daegard King of Munster. They then held the Kingship of the province in their tribe for more than 200 years.
In the second century, at the time that Conn of the Hundred Battles was Ard-Ri of Ireland, Mogh Nuadat, an Eberian, roused his fellow Munstermen to battle for freedom from the tyrannical Earnaan. Conn was jealous of the Munstermen and sympathetic towards his fellow Northerners, the Earnaan, and lent them his support. Despite this the Earnaan were overthrown and Mogh Nuadat was made King of the province.
Mogh, over-confident after his victory over the Earnaan, then went after Conn himself but he was defeated and had to flee the country. He took refuge in Spain and remained there for nine years marrying Beara, the daughter of Heber Mor, King of Castile. His father in law gave him 2,000 troops, under the command of Fraech his son, with which he returned and once more gave Conn battle.
Conn and his allies the Earnaan were defeated in ten battles until at length for the sake of peace, he granted Mogh the whole southern half of Ireland, over which Mogh's successors claimed dominion for the next ten centuries. Unfortunately Mogh soon decided that rather than making peace he should have the whole of Ireland and once more declared war on Conn.
Conn now gathered a great army from Ulster and Connaught, the latter under their great chieftain Goll MacMorna. Conn decided to attack at night and Goll and his men stayed out of the attack as he had vowed never to attack an enemy at night or take him by surprise.
Mogh was such a capable leader and his men were so brave that, despite the surprise, they were not overcome and in fact were starting to wear down the armies of the North when, at daybreak, Goll and his men joined the fray and gave a new spirit to Conn's army. Goll himself killed Mogh Nuadat and Fraech, the son of the Spanish King and seeing this the Southern army wavered and were routed.
When Mogh Nuadat was slain the Northerners took up his body and bore it up and down in triumph until Goll MacMorna stopped them saying "Lay him down. He died as a hero should." The old "Book of Munster" records that the judges ruled that Mogh had been unfairly killed and Conn accepted the arbitration of the judges and had to pay eric (fine) for it.
Conn, in his triumph over Mogh Nuadat, displayed both ability and discretion. He gave his daughter Sabia (who was the widow of MacNaid, the late chief of the Ithians) in marriage to Oilill Olum, the only son and heir of Mogh Nuadat. By this act he drew together the Ithians, the Eberians and his own people the Eremonians.
Oilill Olum then became King of Munster and, as head of both the Eberian and Ithian tribes he became the first true King of the whole province. Thereafter the Kingship of Munster was handed down in Oilill Olum's family. Oilill willed, and his will was observed for many centuries, that the crown of Munster should henceforth alternate between the descendants of his two eldest sons, Eogan Mor and Cormac Cas. The MacCarthys are descended from Eogan Mor and the O'Briens are descended from Cormac Cas. The O'Carrolls are descended from Oilill Olum's youngest son Ciann and his son Taig.
Taig, the son of Ciann and grandson of the great Oilill Olum of Munster, lived in the third century. This was the same time as Cormac MacArt was High King of Ireland.
Cormac was considered the greatest of all the ancient Kings by the fili (poets) and seanachies (historians). Cormac's father Art, was the son of Conn of the Hundred Battles. He was killed fighting the forces of his exiled nephew Lugaid at Moy Mocruim in Galway. Following this, Lugaid, a rude, ill tempered man, established himself as Ard-ri until he was killed by a druid priest. On the death of Lugaid, Cormac returned from exile in Connaught and claimed the throne but, at a feast, Fergus Black-Tooth of Ulster, who coveted the crown himself, managed to singe the hair of Cormac thereby creating a blemish which temporarily debarred the young man from the throne. Cormac again fearing designs on his life had to flee from Tara and Fergus became Ard-ri for a year.
At the end of the year Cormac returned with an army and, supported by Taig completely overthrew the usurper in a great battle at Crionna on the Boyne. Fergus and his two brothers were killed leaving Cormac the undisputed possession of the monarchy. In recognition for the part that he had played, Cormac granted Taig a large territory between Damlaig (Duleek) and the river Liffi, since then called Ciannachta.
Mogh Nuada = Bera (daughter of Heber Mor
| King of Castille)
|
Oiliil Olum = Sabia (daughter of Conn of
| the Hundred Battles)
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Eogan Mor Cormac Cass Ciann
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Taig
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