Celtic Scotland : $b A history of ancient Alban. Volume 3 (of 3), Land and peopleSkene, W. F. (William Forbes)
History
Celtic Scotland : $b A history of ancient Alban. Volume 3 (of 3), Land and people
Skene, W. F. (William Forbes)
Celts -- Scotland; Civilization, Celtic; Scotland -- Antiquities, Celtic; Scotland -- History -- To 1603
120 acres;’ and they agree ‘that the Captainshippe and Tanistshippe of
the said country, heretofore used by the said O’Kellys, and all
elections and Irish customary division of lands, shall be utterly
abolished and extinct for ever.’ The O’Kelly is to have four quarters of
land then in his possession, with a chief-rent out of other lands during
his life, and the other two O’Kellys four quarters each.[186]
The third great district or _Mortuath_ of Connaught was that called
‘West, or H-Iar Connaught, the country of the O’Flahertys,’ and in
connection with it we have a tract on the ‘territories of the hereditary
proprietors of Muintir Murchadha of Clanfergail and Meadruidhe and Hy
Briuin Seola and Hy Briuin Ratha and Muintir Fathy; their _Toiseachs_
and high _Mac Oglachs_ and _Ollaves_, that is, O’Halloran is _Toiseach_
of the twenty-four Ballys of Clanfergail (or nearly a _Triocha Ceud_),
and of these are O’Antuile and O’Fergus of Roscam. Mac Cingamain and Mac
Catharnaigh are the two _Toiseachs_ of Meadruidhe, having each their own
people of the tribe subject to them. O’Dathlaoich is the _Toiseach_ of
the fourteen Ballys of the Hy Briuin Ratha (or half a _Triocha Ceud_),
and of these are the O’Kennedies and the O’Duinns and the O’Innogs of
Cnoctuadh and O’Laighin of Lackagh and O’Callanan, Comharba of
Kilcahil,’ the latter being an ecclesiastical sept occupying church
land. ‘O’Canavan was medical Ollamh of O’Flaherty in the _Tuath_ of
Toibrineadh, but others say it was O’Laighidh. The _Flaith_ or chiefs of
Hy Briuin Seola, with their correlatives, are O’Fechin, O’Balbhain,
O’Duff, and O’Madudhain.’ This last tribe does not appear united under
one head but broken up into septs. ‘O’Flaharty is _Toiseach_ of the
fourteen Ballys of Muintir Fathy, with their correlatives under them.’
We have then a list of the hereditary office-bearers of O’Flaherty,
which it may be useful to insert as showing that this designation of
_Toiseach_ was not only applied to the hereditary leaders of tribes, but
when coupled with a qualifying word designated a hereditary officer;
thus Mac Gillagannain of Moyleaslainn is _Toiseach scuir_, or Master of
the Horse to O’Flaherty. The O’Colgam of Bally Colgan are
standard-bearers (_go m-brataigh_) of O’Flaherty. MacGinnain is the
_Comharba_ of Kilcoona. O’Maelampaill of Donaghpatraic is the _Brehon_
or judge of O’Flaherty. O’Cleircin of Rathbuidbh, O’Laibacain, and
O’Maoilin, are the _Erenachs_ of Cillbile. The O’Dubains are the
attendants (_Lucht Comhideachta_) of O’Flaherty at his common house. The
MacKilkellys are the Ollamhs of O’Flaherty in history and poetry, and
for this they have three half Ballys. O’Domnall of Ardratha is the
_Toiseach Comoil_, or Master of the Feast of O’Flaherty, with his own
correlatives under him—viz., O’Daigean of Ardfintain, who was
O’Domhnall’s steward (_Reachtaire_), and O’Chichearan of Lis-chicheran,
and O’Conlachtna of Ballyconlachtna, are the _Beachadoir_, or
beekeepers, of O’Flaherty.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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