Conneely

Last updated • 3 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Conneely from ( Mac Conghaile ) or ( Ó Conghaile ), is an Irish family name. Frequent examples of the name can be found in the West of Ireland, particularly in the Connemara area of County Galway. A coastal village in County Galway is named Ballyconneely.

Overview

The original Irish language Gaelic version of the surname is Mac Conghaile, though sometimes rendered Ó Conghaile (due to an 18–19th century shift from Mac to O'). According to an entry in Irish Septs (David Austin Larkin): Mac Conghaile -a Conmaicne Mara sept of Ballyconneely Townland, Parish and Bay, Roundstone, Connemara, Galway; Marshall of Uí Maine. The name Connemara comes from the tribe of Conmac, or Conmaicne, a warrior tribe which was sent to the area by the ancient Gaelic Kings of Connacht to ensure their hegemony. The branch of the tribe which went to the coastal area became known as Conmaicnemara, or 'the tribe of Cormac by the sea'. [1] In medieval times Connemara was ruled by the O'Cadhlas and later by the 'ferocious' O'Flaherty's who built a series of castles along the coast. [2] Conmaicne Mara is bordered on the west by Lough Corrib (Loch Oirbsen). The ancient territories along the Loch were Iar-Chonnacht, comprising Gnó Mor and Gnó Beag—with Conmaicne-Mara, now Conamara, on the west, and Uí Briúin Seóla on the east border, and towards the north-west, Dútha Seóigheach, the Joyce Country, between it and Loch Measca; and more to the north-east, Conmaicne Cúile Tola, the barony of Kilmaine, where the first great battle of Moytura was fought.

Two distinct Gaelic surnames Mac an Fhilidh and Mac Conghaile are sometimes translated as “Conneely” – in their earliest anglicised forms were almost indistinguishable. In the sixteenth century Fiants the former is found as MacAnellye and the latter as MacEnelly as well as MacNely and MacNeela. The modern form of Mac Conghaile is Conneely, which is essentially a Connacht name, every one of the 92 births registered in 1890 took place in Connacht, and 89 of these were in Co. Galway; and the birth indices for 1864 to 1866 show an almost identical preponderance of Co. Galway registrations. A century earlier it was numerous in south Mayo. Conneely represents an ancient west-Galway sept. Mac an Fhilidh is the name of an Ulster sept, numerically inferior to Mac Conghaile. The Four Masters describe Giollachriost Mac an Fhilidh, who died in 1509, as a learned poet. In A chorographical description of West or H-Iar Connaught (1684), Roderic O'Flaherty noted the name's connection to seals:

"Seales.—The coasts of lar-Connaught and its islands abound with seals. The curious account given of these animals by Martin in his description of the western islands of Scotland...would, in most respects, answer for our western islands and coast; the only difference, perhaps, being, that with us seals are seldom slaughtered or used as food. See the affecting story of the domesticated seal, told by the ingenious author of 'Wild Sports of the West'. Many traditions, connecting these harmless animals with the marvellous, are related along our western shores. Among these there is one of a curious nature, viz., that at some distant period of time, several of the Clan Coneelys (Mac Conghaile), an old family of lar-Connaught, were, by 'Art magick,' metamorphosed into seals! In some places the story has its believers, who would no more kill a seal, or eat of a slaughtered one, than they would have a human Coneely. It is related as a fact, that this ridiculous story has caused several of the clan to change their name to Conolly." [3] [4]

The principal location of both the O Cadhla and Mac Conneely families was the barony of Ballynahinch, Co. Galway, [5] but the area comes under the control of the O'Flaherties. The Mac Conneely clan held the Errismore peninsula in Connemara running out to Slyne Head. [6]

Ó Conaola (Ó Conghaola and sometimes also spelt ó Confhaola), are an entirely unrelated family from south Co. Galway -a toponymic, Hound of Gowla, of the Uí bhFhiachrach Aidne.

Often confused with:

Ó Conghaola - Conneally or Connelly - Uí bhFhiachrach Aidne
Ó Conghailaigh – (O) Connelly or Connolly – SE Co Galway – Síl nAmnchadha Uí Máine
Ó Conghalaigh – (O) Connolly – Co Fermanagh and Monaghan
Ó Coingheallaigh – Connolly – West Cork
Ó Congalaig – (O) Connolly – Co Dublin/Meath One of the Four Tribes of Tara. Southern Uí Néill Sil Aeda Slaine.
Mac Conghaile or 'Ac Crollaigh – Crilly – (Sligo)

Possible early bearers of the surname include Muriertagh McInylley of Galway, "Inquisittio of the duties and rights of St. Nicholas his churche", A.D. 1609., [7] a glower mentioned in the "Nomina Juratorum".

Related Research Articles

Connemara Region in County Galway, Ireland

Connemara (Irish: Conamara[ˌkʊnˠəˈmˠaɾˠə]) is a region on the Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains much of the Connacht Irish-speaking Gaeltacht, which is a key part of the identity of the region and is the largest Gaeltacht in the country. Historically, Connemara was part of the territory of Iar Connacht. Geographically, it has many mountains, peninsulas, coves, islands and small lakes. Connemara National Park is in the northwest. It is mostly rural and its largest settlement is Clifden.

The Conmhaícne Mara or Conmaicne Mara, were an early people of Ireland. Their tuath was located in the extreme west of County Galway, Republic of Ireland, giving their name to Connemara, an anglicised form of Conmhaicne Mara.

Roderick O'Flaherty was an Irish historian.

Iar Connacht

West Connacht was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Galway, particularly the area known more commonly today as Connemara. The kingdom represented the core homeland of the Connachta's Uí Briúin Seóla kindred and although they ruled, there were smaller groups of other Gaels in the area, such as the Delbhna Tir Dha Locha and the Conmhaícne Mara. It existed from 1051 onwards, after the Ó Conchobhair, Kings of Connacht, pushed the Ó Flaithbheartaigh to the West of Lough Corrib, from their original territory of Maigh Seóla. Iar Connacht remained a subordinate túath of Connacht, until the 13th century, after which it was more independent.

Maigh Seóla Ancient territory in County Galway, Ireland

Maigh Seóla, also known as Hy Briuin Seola, was the territory that included land along the east shore of Lough Corrib in County Galway, Ireland. It was bounded to the east by the Uí Maine vassal kingdom of Soghain and extended roughly from what is now Clarinbridge in the south to Knockmaa Hill in the north. Its rulers belonged to the Uí Briúin Seóla and are sometimes found in the annals under the title "King of Uí Briúin" and "King of South Connacht". The earliest identifiable kings belonged to the line that became the Clann Cosgraigh. However in later times the line which would become the Muintir Murchada, under the O'Flaherty chiefs, monopolized the kingship.

Ó Flaithbheartaigh Family name

O'Flaherty, is an Irish Gaelic clan based most prominently in what is today County Galway. The clan name originated in the 10th century as a derivative of its founder Flaithbheartach mac Eimhin. They descend in the paternal line from the Connachta's Uí Briúin Seóla. They were originally kings of Maigh Seóla and Muintir Murchada and as members of the Uí Briúin were kinsmen of the Ó Conchubhair and Mac Diarmada amongst others. After their king Cathal mac Tigernán lost out to Áed in Gai Bernaig in the 11th century, the family were pushed further west to Iar Connacht, a territory associated with Connemara today. They continued to rule this land until the 16th century. The name has been alternatively rendered into English in various forms, such as Flaherty, Faherty, Laverty, Flaverty, Lahiff, and Flahive.

Ballyconneely Village in County Galway, Ireland

Ballyconneely is a village and small ribbon development in west Connemara, County Galway Ireland.

Uí Briúin Royal dynasty of Connacht, Ireland

The Uí Briúin were a royal dynasty of Connacht. Their eponymous apical ancestor was Brión, son of Eochaid Mugmedon and Mongfind, and an elder half brother of Niall of the Nine Hostages. They formed part of the Connachta, along with the Uí Fiachrach and Uí Ailello, putative descendants of Eochaid Mugmedon's sons Fiachra and Ailill. The Uí Ailello were later replaced as the third of the Three Connachta, through genealogical sleight of hand, by the Uí Maine.

Castle Hackett

Castle Hackett is a 13th-century tower house at the base of Knockma hill, 10 kilometres (6 mi) south-west of Tuam, County Galway, Ireland.

The Conmhaícne Mheáin Maigh or Conmaicne Mhein or Conmaicne Máenmaige or Conmaicne Críche Meic Erca, were an early people of Ireland, their tuath comprising the barony of Loughrea, in County Galway.

Urchadh mac Murchadh was King of Maigh Seóla.

Ruaidhri Ó Flaithbheartaigh was King of Iar Connacht and Chief of the Name.

Morogh Ó Flaithbheartaigh was King of Iar Connacht and Chief of the Name.

Clann Cosgraigh or Clann Coscraig was a branch of the Uí Briúin Seóla dynasty and also the name of the district on the eastern side of Lough Corrib, County Galway which they inhabited and ruled prior to the Norman invasion.

Ó Conghalaigh Surname list

Ó Conghalaigh is a Gaelic-Irish surname. It derives from the forename Conghal, meaning "fierce as a wolf". It is often anglicised as Conly, Conley, Conneely, Conneeley, Connolley, Connelley, Connalley, Connally, Connolly, Connelly, Connely or Ó Conghaile.

Coolcarney, also called Callraighe of Cuill, was an Irish district located in Connacht, within the Barony of Gallen stretching across both County Mayo, and County Sligo. It was unique in that it was a separate principality of the Uí Fiachrach from the rest of the Barony of Gallen.

The Conmhaícne Luacháin or Cenel Luchain, were an early people of Ireland, whose tuath comprised the parishes of Oughteragh and Drumreilly, barony of Carrigallen, in southern County Leitrim.

The Cluain Conmhaícne, or Cluain Conmaicne, were an early people of Ireland. Their tuath comprised the entire parish of Cloone, located in the baronies of Maigh Rein (Mohill) and Carrigallen, in south County Leitrim.

The Conmhaícne Angaile were an early people of Ireland. Their tuath comprised the territory of Annaly, now County Longford.

The Conmhaícne Cúile or Conmaicne Cuile Tolad were an early people of Ireland. Their tuath comprised, at minimum, most of the barony of Kilmaine, in County Mayo.

References

  1. ↑ "The History of Connemara". Archived from the original on 5 November 1999. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  2. ↑ http://mike.rtc-galway.ie/ireland/connemar.html%5B%5D
  3. ↑ A chorographical description of West or H-Iar Connaught / written A.D. 1684, by Roderic O'Flaherty
  4. ↑ O'Flaherty, Roderic (1846). A Chorographical Description of West or H-Iar Connaught: Written A.D. 1684. For the Irish Archaeological Society. A chorographical description of West or H-Iar Connaught / written A.D. 1684, by Roderic O'Flaherty.
  5. ↑ Lord Killanin, Notes On Some Of The Antiquities Of The Barony Of Ballynahinch, CO. Galway. Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society Vol. 25, No. 3/4, 1953/1954
  6. ↑ The O'Flaherty Country E. W. Lynam Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review Vol. 3, No. 10 (Jun. 1914), pp. 13–40 Published by: Irish Province of the Society of Jesus
  7. ↑ A chorographical description of West or H-Iar Connaught / written A.D. 1684, by Roderic O'Flaherty , Page 237
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.