The Soghain were a people of ancient Ireland. The 17th-century scholar Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh identified them as part of a larger group called the Cruithin. Mac Fhirbhisigh stated that the Cruithin included "the Dál Araidhi [Dál nAraidi], the seven Lóigisi [Loígis] of Leinster, the seven Soghain of Ireland, and every Conaille that is in Ireland."
The Mac an Bháird family was one of the learned families of late medieval Ireland. The name has evolved over many centuries, the anglicised forms coming down as MacAward, McWard, MacEward, MacEvard, Macanward, M'Ward, and its most commonly used variant today: Ward. The name means 'son of the bard' and has no connection with the English name Ward, which originated from the Saxon word weard meaning watchman or guardian. Additionally, considerable numbers of Latin, French, and Spanish variants can be found in Continental records: Vardeo, Bardeo, U Bart, Wardeum, Vyardes, Wardeus, not to mention Verdaeorum familiae: the Ward family.
The parish of Lackagh or Lacagh is located in County Galway, Ireland, approximately halfway between Galway city and Tuam. It is bounded by the parishes of Athenry, Abbeyknockmoy, Corofin, Annaghdown and Claregalway. The River Clare runs through the centre of the parish.
Senchineoil or Seincheinéal was the name of the early rulers, possibly pre-Gaelic, of what is now central and east County Galway and south County Roscommon, Ireland.
Saint Kerrill aka Caireall mac Curnain was a Christian missionary in what is now east County Galway, alive in the mid-to-late 5th century.
Íomar of the Sogain is an obscure fifth- or sixth-century saint associated with Killimorsogan, now the townlands of Killaghaun and Lisheen, north-east of Killamude, County Galway. It was known by this name up to the eighteenth century.
Conainne, also known as Dachonna, was an Irish missionary and saint. The Irish terms of endearment, mo and do, were regularly added to the names of Irish saints and secular people, hence the origin of her diminutive pseudonym, Dachonna.
Connell, aka Saint Connell, was a late 5th-early 6th century missionary among the Soghain of what is now County Galway.
Modiúit was an early successor of Saint Kerrill, Bishop of the kingdom of Soghain in what is now County Galway.
Naomhéid is the name given to the founder of the church of Killascobe, County Galway, Ireland. In the 19th century there was a dried-up holy well thirty metres from the church and graveyard in the townland of Corgerry Oughter. It was called Tobar Naomhéid, possibly a corruption of Tobar Naomh Áed.
Felig was a 5th-6th-century Irish missionary.
Dubhán was a 5th-century Brittonic priest and pilgrim, for whom Hook Head is named.
Maol Chosna was an Irish missionary and founder of the church of Cill Maol Chosna, which gave its name to the vicarage of the east half of Ballymacward, County Galway. The site is located at Kilmelcosing cemetery, Ballymacward.
Cuana of Kilcoonagh was an early Christian missionary active in the northeast of the parish of Ballymacward, County Galway, sometime around or after 500. He was the founder of the church at Kilcoonagh,, of which a children's burial ground, called Shanclogh, appears to be the only extant remains.
Íbar is the name of a very obscure early Irish saint, after whom Killibar Beg - noted in the Episcopal Rental of Clonfert, c. 1351 - in County Galway is named. The original form would have been Cill Íbar. Killibar Beg exists as a placename in the townland of Liscuib, Ballymacward, County Galway. Nothing further is known of Íbar, beyond that he would have been active as an evangelist among the Soghain of Connacht during or after the lifetime of Kerrill.
Laisren of Cloonkerrill may be the St Laisrén or Molaissi of the Soghain, whose pedigree is given as "Laisren mac Colmain mac Luchtai mac Findcha mac Feidlimti mac Sogain mac Fiacha Araide." This would make him a close relative of Kerrill, Molua of Kilmoluagh and Cuana of Kilcoonagh, all of whom were active evangelists in the Soghain kingdom located in what is now central-east County Galway. This would place Laisren as living in the late fifth or early sixth centuries.
Máine Mór mac Eochaidh was the founder of the kingdom of Uí Maine.
Maolán was an early Christian bishop in Connacht, whose feast day is given as 25 December. He is the reputed founder of a church at Tullaghmelan in County Tipperary.
Ó Maoilchiaráin an Fili was an Irish poet.
Cían d'Fhearaibh Bolg, last King of the Senchineoil of Magh Senchineoil, now in County Galway, Ireland.
