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The following two articles are reprinted from the Offaly Heritage Journal, which is produced annually by the Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society in Tullamore, County Offaly. The two authors are Fox Clan Historian Michael Colm Fox and Fox Clan Convenor Mary-Jane Fox. There articles are from the first two volumes of the journal, and anyone who is interested in purchasing the entire journal should contact the Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society at www.offalyhistory.com .
The Origins and Early History of the Sionnach Foxes:
from founding fathers to the late twelfth century
Dr. M.J. Fox & Michael Colm Fox
It has been more than thirty years since Liam Cox's informative article on this ancient Gaelic family appeared in Riocht na Midhe, and so it does not seem precipitous to offer another one now, though with a narrower historical focus.The Sionnach Foxes have a long and active history within the larger history of Ireland, though it was not until the late nineteenth and into the twentieth century that efforts began to be made to compile and record that history in a coherent or systematic manner. With the resurgence of interest in returning to one's roots as well as pursuing individual geneology, the long story of the Foxes has begun to emerge, though there is yet considerable research to be done. What follows here is some fundamental background on the Foxes, including how they are distinguished from other Fox lines in Ireland, and then a brief history based on some of the research which has been unearthed thus far. We limit our focus to cover the historical period up to the Norman invasion in the late twelfth century, and conclude with a discussion speculating on the origins of the name.
Background
In Ireland today many people can be found with the surname Fox, though not all of them are descendants of the Gaelic Fox line which originated in the present-day Midlands, and began to use "fox" as a surname almost a thousand years ago. There are two primary Fox lines in Ireland. The most widespread and predominant line is known to have hailed from the Midlands, and a portion of that area which was once referred to as Teathbha or Teffia. This family line is Gaelic in origin, often referred to as the Sionnach Foxes, sionnach being the Irish word for fox. The other line, primarily found in the province of Munster, are the de Bosque Foxes, who are of Norman descent and settled in Ireland from the late 1100s. Interestingly, there were two de Bosques who accompanied William the Conqueror in 1066 from the shores of Normandy to attack England.
This Norman line is not the subject of this article, though it is very important to note here that many elderly Foxes in Ireland have been through the childhood experience of having had their teachers designate them as "de Bosque" or "sionnach" in the Irish lanugage form of their surname on school rosters. The problem is that this designation was not based on knowledge of a child's ancestry, but rather was mistakenly used to indicate if the student was a boy or a girl, with de bosque used for boys and sionnach used for girls. The fact is that only a close study of one's genealogy can serve to reliably indicate if one is a Sionnach or de Bosque Fox. This is particularly important since, during the various land confiscations through Irish history, there is some ancedotal evidence that Sionnach or Gaelic Foxes retreated to various parts of Munster - where the de Bosque Foxes were located - and settled in what was then isolated areas. There is also historical evidence of large numbers of Irish being transported from the Midlands to Kerry in the 1400s, though to date no list of names has been found. The point here is that over time, and for various reasons, Sionnach Foxes were known to have resettled in west Munster, though, interestingly, the opposite cannot be claimed in regard to de Bosque Foxes; there is no evidence, anecdotal or otherwise, of de Bosque Foxes in any number settling in Sionnach Fox territory at any time in history. Thus it is a fairly reliable rule of thumb that if one's Fox ancestors can be located within the Midlands, there is a strong likelihood of Sionnach Fox ancestry.
Early Foundations to the Anglo-Norman Invasion
It can be important to be familiar with the history of these people before they even began to use fox as surname, since some of this early history at times has figured into later commentary or events. One example of this is Teathbha (Teffia), a large territory established in pre-Christian times, located east of the Shannon and initially spreading into Counties Longford, Westmeath, and Offaly. The Foxes have been linked to Teathbha for centuries, often referred to in various annals as "princes of Teffia", "kings of Teffia", and other variations. In the fifth century AD this territory is recorded to have been given to Maine, one of Niall of the Nine Hostages many sons, who is recognized as the founder of several family lines in that region, including the Foxes. As King of Teffia, Maine was a contemporary of Saint Patrick, and is mentioned in the well-known Tripartite Life of Saint Patrick as having been baptised by Patrick in Teffia. The saint is reputed to have made a prediction to Maine, that "there shall never be a king from thee, but there shall never be a king in Ireland who shall not maintain thee", indicating that though the high kingship would not be within their reach, they were nevertheless destined to to be within the social classes which required a high king's support.
Maine died in 440, and was subsequently succeeded by his descendants Fiachach, Brian, Crimhthann, and then Brendan in 550. It is at this point in time that these ancestors of the Fox line become linked to another Irish saint, (Colmcille, for it is Brendan (and sometimes his son Aedh (Hugh) who are reported to have given some land to Colmcille for what became Durrow monastery. In doing so, Brendan and his descendants became Durrow's airchinneach, and as such were obliged to provide protection and support to the monastery. Indeed, at Durrow today one can see the grave slabs of two of his descendants: Catalan and Aigidiu, who both probably lived in the eleventh century.
Several generations later, another descendant of Maine's became notable despite the fact that he was not and in fact never became king of Teffia. After Brendan and then Aedh came Blathmac, Congal, Colla (Conla), Becc, Connor, Braite, Maelbeannachta, and finally Tadhgan, who most likely lived around 900 AD. Tadhgan's importance is attached to the fact that he became the one common ancestor of more than twenty kings of Teffia for the next 300 years. From him the Foxes also descend, and were subsequently referred to as Muintir Thadhgan (The People of Tadhgan); however, this name and variations of it were also widely applied to the lands ruled by the Fox family up to the time of Elizabeth I in the late sixteenth century.
From Tadhgan the line of descent is reported to be as follows: Becc, Connor, Breasal, Cernachan, and then Catalan (Cathalan) and his son Catharnach. It is important to stop here and comment about these latter two briefly, since they are only about four generations from the beginning of the use of Fox as a surname, although neither of them were Kings of Teffia. It is this Catalan whose grave slab can be found at Durrow today, enscribed "OR DO CATALAN". Although little of known of him (indeed, between 1030 and 1140, six of his brother Muireagan's descendants served as Kings of Teffia) , he most likely lived in the mid-to-late eleventh century. Due to the probable time period for Tadhgan and number of descendants between him and Catalan, it is possible that some of them died young, including Catalan. His son Catharnach was alive around the year 1000, and is possibly one of the three Teffia chieftains mentioned in the Leabhor Oiris to have fought in the Battle of Clontarf: O'Laodhagain, Giolla Ultain, and O'Catharnain. Since Catharnach was surely a Teffia chieftain at that time, it is quite possible that O'Catharnain is a spelling or transcription error.
Catharnach had two sons, Muireadhach and Fogartach. It is from the Muireadhach line that the O'Catharnaigh (also Ua Catharnaigh, and later anglicized to Kearney) family is derived, and it is him and his son Cu Chacaid who became Kings of Teffia. It is from the other son, Fogartach, that the Fox family descends; Fogartach had at least three sons, one of whom was named Tadhg. This Tadgh not only became King of Teffia, but is among the first two individuals in this lineage to have been referred to in the annals as "Fox". His death, recorded as taking place rather violently in 1086, refers to him as "The Sinnach Finn, that is, Tadhg Ua Catharniagh..." ("the Fairhaired Fox, that is, Tadhg O'Catharnaigh"). His brother Becc was referred to as Becc an Sionnach Odhar (Becc the Palefaced Fox). It should be mentioned here that the use of O'Catharnaigh among what was to become the Fox line only lasted for perhaps two or three generations; as Fox became the primary identifying designation for this branch, O'Catharnaigh was used with less frequency, and eventually only used by future Kearneys, the descendants of Muireadhach, one of Catharnach's two sons. Hereafter we refer to Tadhg Sionnach Finn Ua Catharnaigh as Tadhg Sionnach Finn.
However, the Foxes are mentioned as a family or clan in the Annals of the Four Masters even earlier than 1086, and under somewhat unscrupulous circumstances. It seems that for the year 1050 they are identified as the Sinnacha, (literally Foxes) and, along with the Magawley (Calraighe) clan, are described as having raided and plundered Clonmacnoise twice in three months! It is possible that Tadhg Sionnach Finn and Becc an Sionnach Odhar more or less inherited the name from their father or grandfather (Fogartach or Catharnach respectively), and it is not difficult to imagine it could have been Fogartach, who would have been alive at the time the attack on Clonmacnoise took place.
Tadhg Sionnach Finn became King of Teffia in 1070 after much strife and competition between the various Teffia families for the kingship. The Foxes were originally arch-chiefs of all Teffia and subject only to O'Melaghlin, who was King of Clann Cholmain, King of Meath, and at time King of all Ireland. The Foxes as Kings of Teffia received tributes from the other sub-chiefs in Teffia - such as the Magawleys and the O'Breens, and they also had a distinct tract of land for the support of their clan. Tadhg was thus the prince of a large territory of what had become South Teffia (divided by the River Inny), who also had for his own kin the land known as Munterhagan (from Muintir Thadhgan, above).
It is believed that the Foxes' first chief seat of power was at Cloghatenny, a present-day townland between Ballycumber and Clara; however, this is not strictly the case. Stepping back in time for a moment, from the time of Tadhgan mentioned above (from the late ninth/early tenth centuries), to somewhere around the time of Tadhg Sionnach Finn and his father Fogartach (about 1050), the Foxes were based in an area between present-day Moate and Mount Temple, then called the fort of Tadhgan or dun Thadgain, now anglicised in the name of the townland Dunegan. There are no signs of structure which remain today, and in fact in subsequent centuries later the Magawleys built their own stone castle on the site of dun Thadgain. Tadhgan and his progeny's presence in the area is also reflected in the name of the contiguous townland, Clonyegan, an anglicisation for Cluain Uí Thadgain.
This period of time was one of great strife among the Irish leadership. In the fallout from the death of Brian Boru in 1014, there was an unprecedented clamor for and claims on status as well as territory. Tadhg Sionnach Finn was caught up in this as well, and was no stranger to various raids and attacks which took place after his first reported raid on Clonmacnoise in 1050. In 1053 the Kings of Munster and Meath made a combined raid on Finegall, the Danish territory in North Dublin. The Annals of the Four Masters reports "the men of Teffia, i.e. the Sinnaigh, took many prisoners from the Daimhliag [great stone church] of Lasca [now Lusk]. They carried off hostages from the son of Mael-na-mbo [King of Leinster], together with Mor, daughter of Conghalach O'Connor." The Sinnachs together with the King of Connacht raided Lorrha in north Tipperary, and they were probably among the "men of Teffia"who also plundered Skreen Colmcille (Scrin-Cholum-Chille) in 1058. Many other raids and other events are reported subsequent to this, also not specifying the Foxes, but often using the term "men of Teffia".
The next time the Foxes are mentioned specifically is in 1077, when a feud developed between the Sinnachs and their overlords the O'Melaghlins, who were also, as mentioned above, the Kings of Meath. At this point in time Tadhg Sionnach Finn had been King of Teffia for about seven years now, and seemed to be trying to make his way up the ladder through the murder of the heir to the Meath throne, Murchadh. Indeed, the annals report for the year 1077 that the heir was killed by "men of Teffia and Catharnach Sinach through envy and malice." Tadhg Sionnach Finn might have been more strategic and opportunistic than envious and malicious, however, since although the O'Melaghlins had a strong hereditary claim to their title, they did not have sufficient military or numerical strength to back up this claim.
For purposes of revenging the murder of their heir to the kingship, the O'Melaghlins made several raids into Teffia territory during the next few years, but without gaining satisfaction for the death of Murchadh. One of these raids into Teffia took place in 1080, when Tadhg Sionnach Finn, no doubt galvanised by his success, plundered Clonmacnoise, and thus provided the O'Melaghlins with a good excuse for at least attempting to settle the score. However, it was not to be in this raid or several others that the O'Melaghlins were able to avenge the death of Murchadh, but in 1086, when Tadgh Sionnach Finn, one of his sons (Cinneadh), and others were killed by Murchadh's brother, now King of Meath. This slaughter took place at Loch Maighe Uatha (Ballyloughloe), a small lake near Mount Temple and Moate, and suggests the Sinnachs still had a residence here and property to plunder, most likely what was still the family residence from the era of the Fox ancestor Tadhgan's time. Tadhg Sionnach Finn's death was then also avenged, only a year later, by a cousin, Cathal Ua Muireagain, who eventually also became King of Teffia for only two years during the last decade of the century (1095-97).
Aside from the son who was killed with him in 1086, Tadhg Sionnach Finn also had two other sons who survived him. One of them was also named Tadhg and the other was Muiredhach, and it is the former through whom the family name was to continue. However, it is likely both of them were quite young at the time of their father's death, and the kingship of Teffia, in the Fox line, would next go to a son of Tadhg Sionnach Finn's brother, mentioned above, Becc an Sionnach Odhar. Ascending to the rank of King of Teffia was risky business in these turbulent times, however, and Becc's son, Catharnach Fox, was to serve as King only for a year before he was killed in 1098. Indeed, between 1086 when Tadhg Sionnach Finn, as King of Teffia, was killed, and 1099, there were a total of six Kings of Teffia during these thirteen years, only one of whom died of natural causes. Catharnach was in fact killed by distant relations of the Foxes, the O'Harts (Ua hAirt), and althought he was succeeded by an O'Hart, the new O'Hart king was defeated and killed near Kilbeggan by Catharnach's family only a year later. Another Fox worth mentioning at this time, if not for the irony alone, is a brother of Tadhg Sionnach Finn and Becc an Sionnach Odhar, "Muircheartach the Cleric", who died in 1105 and is identified in the Annals of the Four Masters to have been "a distinguished senior" in, of all places, "the community of Clonmacnoise", more than once a casualty of Fox raiding and plundering!
The killing of Catharnach Fox in 1098 left the Foxes without an adult male to lead the family, and it was to be many years before a Fox became King of Teffia again. The two sons of Tadhg Sionnach Finn mentioned above, Muireadach and Tadhg, each had their chance to be King of Teffia, though not due to the usurpation and killing of a current king.It seemed to be a somewhat less turbulent time than just a few decades earlier, and when Domhnall Ua Muireagan died in holy orders in 1141, Muireadheach Fox assumed the kingship, and when he died seven years later, it was of natural causes. And so it was for the next King of Teffia, Flann Ua Flannagan, at his death in 1153. At this point the kingship went back to the Foxes in 1153, to Tadgh Fox, son of Tadhg Sionnach Finn (and brother of Muireadhach Fox). This Tadhg died only three years later, in 1156, also of natural causes, and was apparently in a monastery on a religious pilgrimage when it happened.
Tadhg was the father of six sons, two of whom became clergy, one of whom died in 1184, and two others of whom we have no information. However, there is one son we do know about, and that was Ruaidhri, also known as Rory mac Tadgh Sionnach, who became King of Teffia in 1170, just as the Normans arrived on Ireland's eastern shores. There were difficult times ahead, with some Irish siding with the overwhelming conquering army and others fighting against them. Hugh de Lacy was quickly made Viceroy of Ireland by Henry II of England, and lost no time and showed no mercy in conquering the territory given to him by the foreign king. The Foxes at this point were among the native Gaels who opposed the Anglo-Norman presence, especially Hugh de Lacy, and as will be described in a future article, were behind his violent murder in 1186.
Origins of the name
There are several interesting possibilities behind the origins of the surname Fox, and here we segue from the historical discussion to present the reader with some food for thought.
One of the most obvious possible origins of the name lies in the Fox line's early link with St. Colmkille, who was granted the land for Durrow monastery in 550 or 551 AD by a Fox ancestor mentioned earlier, Brendan, or possibly his son Aedh. Aa a distant relation of the Fox ancestors, who were considered to be southern Ui Niall, and Colmkille northern Ui Niall, Columkile's birthname was in fact Crimhthann, which is an early Irish word for fox. We do not know why he was named so, though one could speculate that it reflected his hair color; it was not uncommon for people to be named according to their appearence. In giving the land to Colmkille, these Fox ancestors then became, as stated earlier, airchinneach, or protectors of Colmkille's Durrow, and perhaps thereafter were associated with the word fox, whether they had the coloring or not. During the time of Brian Boru's reign and his call for people to begin to take surnames, the choice of fox might have been quite natural, and so it would make sense they begin to appear in the various annals as the Sinnacha (Foxes) in less than forty years after's Boru's death. If they were particularly crafty in warfare or acquiring wealth, which they seem to have been, then the name would seem even more apt.
However, there are other compelling complications. Most of the Irish annals report that in 1024 the chief poet of Ireland, Cuan O'Lochain, was killed, and the "men of Teffia" were to blame. Those who killed him were reported to have become "putrid in one hour" after the killing, and so remained, publicly disgraced and permanently identifiable! Thus, for those who are familiar with the scent of a fox, it is easy to understand the name Fox ascribed to the killers, and thus being a name of disgrace. Two arguments against this anecdote are that the Annals of Inisfallen actually identify the killer by name, who is not a Fox, and that the name Fox continued to be used, which would not be the case if it was a source of disgrace.
This is complicated by the claim that, at about this time, the Foxes were likely to have moved their chief seat of residence to an area between what is now Clara and Ballycumber. This is reflected in the name of the present-day townland of Cloghatenny; just as in the cases of Dunegan and Clonyegan, the word Cloghatenny clearly appears to be a poor anglicisation of the words Cloch an tSionnaigh, or Rock of The Fox. Reputedly used in the inauguration ceremony of new chiefs and other important events, the rock itself does still exist, in a field behind a nineteenth century house on a road between Clara and Ballycumber. Interestingly, this house stands on the grounds of an even earlier small house owned by one Michael Fox in the early 1800s.
The rock, seeming to consist of two or more large stones together, as well as being generally oval, and about two meters high and with widths of two to three meters, the inaugural rock lies within short walking distance to a small tulachan, or mound. This mound is locally understood to have in it an influential Fox buried in or a Fox or Foxes who commited a terrible crime. Interestingly, on old maps one can see the earlier name for Cloghatenny: Tolghannebrennye, which curiously looks much like an anglicisation of the Irish words tulchan na breine or, in English, mound of the stench. From here, we leave the reader to decide what the truth might be.
Some concluding thoughts
It appears the Foxes and their ancestors were at their height of strength and territorial size from approximately 900 AD, the time of Tadhgan, until the Anglo-Norman invasion of 1170. At times relentless in raiding and ruthless in taking revenge or taking advantage, perhaps these behaviours and practices steeled them for the more troublesome times that were yet to come. They remained primarily opposed to the Anglo-Norman presence, and indeed continued to fight against it over the next several hundred years. Their lack of adult males in the late eleventh century, upon the death of Catharnach Fox, would not be the only time they experienced this problem, and in the future it would eventually contribute to theirloss of land and loss of power. They nevertheless survived well enough into the twenty-first century, and so have lived to begin to tell their tale.
The Sionnach Foxes During the Middle Ages: 1170-1550
by Dr. MJ Fox & Michael Colm Fox
In this article, which picks up approximately where the previous article left off (just prior to the Anglo-Norman invasions from around 1170) it will be shown how the Sionnach Foxes were often found to be strongly opposed to the conquering armies from across the Irish Sea. In this very turbulent period, alliances between the Anglo-Normans and the Irish, as well as among the Irish themselves, changed almost as quickly as the weather. A close reading of this era reveals almost constant conflict, where losses were often great, reprisals were swift, and much of the land and the people were left devastated.
The twelfth century. Overall, from the beginning of the twelfth century until 1186 and the Fox Clan's involvement in Hugh de Lacy's murder, the O'Catharnaigh Foxes do not have much mentioned of them in the various Irish annals. They do not appear to have been participating in the chronic and bloody raiding and revenge which was taking place during this time, and where lists of those clans or individuals who participated or died in battles appear, there is scant mention of the Foxes. But they did not disappear all together, and can be found to have developed more peaceful pursuits, as well as some relationship or closeness to the Church, particularly the religious centre at Clonmacnoise. Related to this, and to mention some additional information on the Foxes which was not included in the previous article, is the report of a Fox-related location in the year 1133, in which a one-year peace agreement was made between two kings at an ancient site, the Hill of Uisneach, which is mentioned in Irish myth and legend. Consisting of several archealogical sites and rumored to have medicinal and other powers, this small hill just west of Mullingar, is located in what was then Teathbha, traditional Fox territory. The place where this agreement took place is reported to be "near Uisneach" and is called, in Irish Abhall-Chethearnaigh, or Catharnaigh's Orchard.
There is also, in 1127, a somewhat confusing account of "the taking of the house of Flann Mac Sinaigh", followed by the year 1135, which reports the death of Flann Ua Sinaigh , "keeper of the Bachall-Isa" ( or Staff of Jesus, a holy relic passed down from Saint Patrick's time, reportedly the golden crozier which was used by the saint). The "Muintir-Ceithearnaigh" (Clan Catharnaigh ) was cited as the responsible party for the killing of the lord of Breaghmhaine in 1150 at a field in Clonmacnoise, and in 1155 were sited again as having been defeated along with two other family groups. Suddenly, the following year, in 1156, the family name surfaces again, with the report that "Tadhg Ua Catharnaigh, lord of Teathbha, died in religion". He is likely to be the son of the Pale Fox and seemingly named after his grandfather, which would have been traditional.
Before going further, however, it may be important to diverge from the Foxes for a moment and offer wider background on the events which led up to 1186, and why it is an important year in regard to the Foxes. In October 1171, Ireland experienced an event which would for centuries determine the course of its culture, language, people, and history. Henry II of England arrived on the shores of Ireland with 240 ships and brought with him, among others, Hugh de Lacy and the man who had come to be known as "Strongbow". English accounts report 400 ships, 500 knights, and 4000 armed soldiers. Henry II set his sights on Ireland because, ten months earlier, some of Henry's knights had murdered Thomas a´ Beckett, England's Archbishop at Canterbury, and reportedly at Henry's request. Henry, in hearing the pope was sending a delegation to meet and possibly publicly reprimand him, avoided them by setting off for the subjugation of Ireland. After all, the independent-minded Irish clergy had long been a thorn in the side of Rome and the Pope had been anxious for Henry to subjugate them. Moreoever, Henry's three sons were also young men now and in need of some land for themselves. With the Pope's representatives soon to arrive in England, Henry thought it best to sail to Ireland, and with his large and impressive contingent, manage to easily subordinate the decentralized and relatively weak Irish chiefs, and therefore gain some favor with Rome. Soon after Henry II arrived, the Dublin area, Munster, and Leinster succumbed to Henry, though it should be mentioned that it was the Leinster king who had allied himself with Strongbow a year earlier. Six months later, in April 1172, Henry left Ireland, subsequently alerting the Pope that Ireland had been secured; more than coincidentally, in that same year Henry was officially pardoned by the Pope for Becket's death. He was made to publicly atone for Becket's death four years later.
Hugh de Lacy (who subsequently became Viceroy of Ireland), Strongbow, and and John de Courcy remained behind, and promptly set about subduing principal Irish chiefs, plundering, burning crops, churches, castles and homes, taking land and building their own castles. This is a period of Irish history which is filled with enormous amount of bloodshed, with many Irish chiefs and kings struggling desparately to stem the seemingly endless flow of the English invasion and the Irish who allied themselves with the English. The various annals of this period (after 1171) amount to not much more than a lengthy series of great and small battles. In 1177 the Pope sent one of his cardinals to Ireland, who pronounced, among other things, the King of England's formal right to Ireland, and excommunication for all those who opposed it.
In the midst of this, a Fox emerges in the year 1178. He is referred to as Muireadhac, son of "the Sinagh" (who at that time was Ruaidri), slain in a battle against the English. In 1180, a long list of churches and religious centers were reported burned, among them 105 houses in Clonmacnoise, a place to which the O'Catharnaigh Foxes seem to have been attached. And then in 1183, Muireadhac's brothers appear in the annals, being cited as having killed six people of a nearby clan, including the chief. No explanation for this is offered. A year later, one of the brothers, Niall (referred to as "son of the Sinnagh O'Caharny") is reported to have died.
It is in the year 1186 the O'Catharnaigh Foxes attempted to put an end to Hugh de Lacy's domination of Ireland, which at this time was beginning to appear well-established. The reader can grasp a glimpse of de Lacy's power and success from a passage in the Annals of Loch Cé, where he is stated to have gone...
"...to Durmhagh-Choluim-Cille, to build a castle in it, having a countless number of Foreigners along with him; for he was king of Midhe and Breifne, and Airghiall, and it was to him the tribute of Connacht was paid; and he it was that won all Erinn for the Foreigners. Midhe, from the Sinainn to the sea, was full of his castles and of Foreigners."*
No doubt de Lacy was a force to be reckoned with. He had built at least a dozen castles in the few years he had been in Ireland. However, building a castle at Durrow, on holy ground, was tantamount to, at least at that time, a sacrilege. As mentioned in the previous article in this series, Saint Columcille had been granted the land for the monastery by a Fox ancestor, Brendan or Brannan, then considered Chief of Teffia. This then made Brendan and his descendants airchinneach, or protectors and supporters, of the monastery. What happened to de Lacy at Durrow is recorded in several annals and chronicles, both Irish and English, though there is some variation in detail.
The fundamental claim is that The Sinnagh O'Catharnaigh, which most likely would have been Ruaidri, along with the chief of the O'Breen clan, was outraged by de Lacy choosing to build a castle on holy ground at Durrow, and sent his daltae (foster son), Gillaganathair O’Madhaigh, disguised as a laborer, to speak with de Lacy on the pretext of a problem with the measurement of the motte, but with the real purpose of killing him. This is reported to have taken place at the end of the work day, when most or all of the other workers had gone home. When de Lacy turned his back on the young man and bent down to re-measure, the stepson took out his axe and literally beheaded de Lacy. In reporting this event, the Annals of Loch Cé refer to de Lacy as "destroyer and dissolver of the churches and sanctuaries of Ireland". History records that he was killed on 25 July 1186, and his head and body were initially buried in different locations until 1195, when the archbishops at Dublin and Cashel had head and body re-interred together in Dublin, at St. Thomas' Church.
The last mention of the O'Catharnaigh Foxes in this century appears in 1196. The first few letters of the individual's Christian name are missing in the original text, but the last few letters strongly suggest that this could have been a reference to The Sinnagh himself: "____aigh O'Catharnaigh, great priest of Clonmacnoise" died in the monastery of Cill-Becain (Killbegan), in the novitiate of a monk.
The thirteenth century. The early thirteenth century begins with the death in 1201 of the Sinnagh O'Catharnaigh's grandson, Muireadac. Muireadac's father, Niall, had died in 1184, though Muireadac seems to have been survived by a brother named Malachy and perhaps a younger brother named Connor. Only a few years later, in 1207, The Sinnagh lost another son, Cathal.
Just who The Sinnagh was from the late 1180s until this time is not clear: there are no explicit reports of the death of Ruaidri, who seems to have become Sinnagh around 1170, and in fact reference is made to him in the early thirteenth century as if he is still alive; for example, both the death of Muireadac in 1201 and the death of Cathal (a son of Ruaidri) in 1207 offer somewhat unclear or indirect suggestions. Muireadac's death is reported as "Muireadac, son of Niall, who was the son of the Sinnagh O'Caharny, died." This is fairly straightforward, as the Niall who died in 1184 was indeed the son of Ruaidri, who was indeed Sinnagh at that time. The death of Cathal, who was certainly one of Ruaidri's sons, is a bit confusing, however: "Cathal, son of Ruaidri, who was son the Sinnagh O'Caharny, Lord of Teffia, died." This wording suggests that the Ruaidri just referred to was not referred to as chief or Sinnagh, though this does not exclude him from the possibility either. Upon Cathal's death in 1207, the title of Chief of Teffia was passed on to Malachy, the surviving son and brother of Niall and Muireadac respectively; this suggests that the chiefship was in the hands of Cathal until his death. Malachy himself died in 1224, and the chiefship went to his brother Connor Fox.
We do have a bit of information about Connor, who was described as a “haughty and hardy man of valour” when he was killed in 1227 by a group of Normans from Leinster employed by the King of Connacht, Cathal Crovderg. It is likely that Connor Fox was attacking a place in Galway called Clonburren, on the west bank of the Shannon and close to Clonmacnoise, when he was killed. The family was carried on by Malachy’s son Congalach Sinnach, a nephew of Connor Fox. Connor appears to have had no children. Congalach in turn was succeeded by his son Niall, who as Chief of Teffia, on a raid in Breffni with William de Lacy and the Connacht O’Connors in 1233 was wounded at a skirmish which took place at Moin-Crann-Chaoin, which was a battle between the son of Hugh de Lacy and Cathal O'Reilly, the latter of whom was the victor. Niall Fox was injured at Moin-Crann-Chaoin and taken home, but died from his wounds.
The first third of this century was one which is a bit complicated in terms of genealogy, but was also tragic for those belonging to the Fox Clan at that time, especially those within the immediate families of the chiefs. There was a relatively enormous amount of loss between 1205 and 1235, when there were six different Fox chieftains of Teffia. There werer also the deaths of would-be chiefs. Upon Niall's death in 1233, it is unclear who the next Fox Chief was, though there must not have been too long a gap before one was found, since there is a report in 1254 that Domhnall Fox, "son of The Fox", was killed by the O'Melaghlins. It is possible that the Congalach referred to above had three sons: Niall, who died in 1233; Domhnall, killed by the O'Melaghlins in 1254; and Ruairdri, who did not die until 10 March 1287, and was head of Muintir Tadghain until his death. It is worth mentioning that Ruaidri managed to avenge his brother Domhnall's death by killing Muirheartach O'Melaghlin himself.
Ruaidri was succeeded by his son Niall Roe Fox, also referred to as Niall Sinnagh. As Lord of Muintir Tadhgan he was one of the Irish leaders who, along with Cairbre O’Melaghlin and The Mageoghegan, opposed John Santford, archbishop of Dublin and the King’s Lord Deputy. Santford led a large army against the Westmeath Irish. Santford mustered his forces at Athlone and they included the O’Connors and O’Kellys of Connacht as well as the English. From Athlone the army marched to Ballyloughloe, now Mount Temple near Moate in County Westmeath, where the Norman Tuites were in occupation. Sir Richard Tuite joined the Deputy’s army and the whole body proceeded into Muintir Tadhgan or Kilcoursey barony through which they marched as far as Lismoyny (two miles from Clara on the Kilbeggan road) on the banks of the River Brosna where they were halted and forced to turn back by the Midland Irish. They next attempted to cross the River Brosna and move southward at a place then called Moyne ne Bynne (now Kilnabinnia) between Kilmucklin and Erry, two townlands close to Clara on the southern side. Here the forces of O’Melaghlin, Mageoghegan and Fox fell upon Santford’s army and completely broke it up. Many of the chief officers, both Irish and English, were killed, including Sir Richard Tuite. The Annals of the Four Masters states that Richard Tuite was killed in a battle with the Midland Irish at Cross Sliabh in County Westmeath in 1289.
The fourteenth century. The trend towards the weakening of the Fox Clan which began to develop in the beginning of this thirteenth century continued into the fourteenth century. However, the clan did not dissipate altogether, and continued to take part in efforts to drive the English out of Ireland. This included the Battle of Athenry, which took place in August 1316, where the new King of Connaught, twenty-three year old Felim O'Connor, faced the superior military forces of William Burke. Among the 10,000 Irish killed on that battlefield was "Niall Sinnagh (Fox), Lord of the men of Teffia, and his people". Upon Niall's death, and no doubt the death of many eligible successors to his chiefship, the tide was irreversibly turned for the Fox Clan, and they were now on their way to becoming a secondary power in the Midlands, never again to rise to their former might. This was a process that had been taking place slowly over time, and was due to several causes:
1) The arrival of the Normans to the Midlands in 1172 - large tracts of Westmeath, Longford and Offaly were taken over by Normans such as the Tuites, Dillons, Nugents, Birminghams, Fitzhenry, Daltons and descendants of de Lacy.
2) The Kings of Meath, the O’Melaghlins, were driven out of their territory in north eastern Westmeath and they settled in the western half of Westmeath between Moate and Athlone, specifically in the parish of Ballyloughloe, territory once owned by Teffia families. Although there were instances where the two families had fought on the same side, enmity between the Foxes and the O’Melaghlins continued over the next four centuries.
3) The rise of three other clan families in neighboring territories in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. These were the O'Connors in east Offaly, the O'Molloys around Tullamore in central Offaly, and the Mageoghegans in a neighboring territory in present-day Westmeath. The latter family began to rise as a force to be reckoned with. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries there were many incursions by the Mageoghegans into Fox Country, and this eventually culminated into an agreement between the two families in 1526.
4) A serious epidemic , which swept through the Midlands of Ireland in 1393 and carried off all male adults of the senior line of the Fox clan.
When Niall Roe Fox was killed at Athenry in 1316, it appears he was eventually succeeded by a son named Muircheartach or Murray, who was likely to have been too young to have taken part in battle in 1316. This is somewhat supported by the fact that he is reported to have died in 1370, though his age for that year is not provided; if he was, for example, ten years old at the time of the Battle of Athenry, he would have been 64 when he died in 1370. His name does surface in The Red Book of Kildare for the year 1350, when it is mentioned that the Earl of Kildare made an agreement with "Maurice Schynnach, King of Fertewac and Monthyrcagan, and Fergal MacGeoghegan, duke of Keneraliagh, by which they became his men for their lives, undertaking to give him counsel and aid against all except the king and Mortimer, and to follow Kildare's banner, voyages and wars throughout Ireland at his expense." Maurice seems to be a Norman-French variation of Muircheartach/Murray, and Fertewac and Monthyrcagan are obvious variant spellings of Fartullagh in County Westmeath and Muintir Thadhgain respectively. This sort of agreement was typical of a system of indentured retainers or tenurial relationships that was being built up during this period by such Anglo-Norman lords as Ormond and Kildare after the Battle of Athenry. It is not unlikely that some of these agreements were made under duress, the lords' military superiority making such agreements not much more than offers which could not be refused. This is borne out by a complaint Kildare made to the king in February 1360, that "since the previous Easter O'Connor, O'More, O'Doyne, MacGeoghegan, O'Melaghlin, and O'Shinnagh, 'captains of the Irish in the parts of Leinster and Meath' had been at war, and he had fought them almost continuously at his own expense."
Despite incursions on Fox lands during this period, there was some notable contact between the Foxes and their close neighbors, the MacGeoghegans. Muircheartach Fox, for example, married Bevin MacGeoghegan, the daughter of the MacGeoghegan chief. Although the records at this point are somewhat confusing, it appears Muircheartach and Bevin had at least two sons, Niall, and yes, Muircheartach. Although the various Irish annals rarely mention women, the death of this particular woman in 1363 did merit mention, though it is not clear why. Her husband Muircheartach died on 19 February 1370. Perhaps with Muircheartach's death any good relations between the Foxes and MacGeoghegans died also, since only four years later we find that the MacGeoghegan chief, Cucogry Oge MacGeoghegan was slain "with one thrust of a lance" on 27 August 1374 by The Sinnach mac Merain (The Fox son of Murray), and this was done while the MacGeoghegan chief was in the company of the Bishop of Meath. The Sinnach was then "afterwards torn asunder, and his body was cut into small pieces for this crime" on 6 September of that same year. Apparently The Sinnach was allied with the Norman William Dalton, who was Sheriff of Meath and had been killed by the MacGeoghegan clan in the previous year. It is possible that this Sinnach was Niall, one of the two sons of Muircheartach and Bevin, since we hear nothing of Niall after this.
The other son Muircheartach seems to have survived and married twice. It is likely that it was he who represented the Foxes when Edmond Mortimer arrived in Ireland in 1380, "with great powers, as Lord Justice". Upon his arrival "the Irish nobility repaired (paid their respect) to him", and among those listed as the "Roydamna of Ireland" were "Niall O'Neill, O'Hanlon, O'Farrell, O'Reilly, O'Molly, Mageoghegan, and The Sinnach (Fox) with many other nobles." Mortimer immediately set about destroying towns and castles and killing large numbers of people in much the same way Hugh de Lacy did two hundred years earlier. Under such circumstances, how strong the above-mentioned alliance with William Dalton and paying of respect to Mortimer really was is difficult to say, as Muircheartach's eldest son and tanist Owen was in fact killed by the Daltons in 1381. Niall Fox along with many other members of the Fox family died of an epidemic, which swept the Midlands in 1393. There was no adult male heir to succeed and his two remaining sons were minors. Muintir Tahgan had no chief for a full year and Kilcoursey was attacked by many of the neighbouring chiefs, both Norman and Irish; specifically, the O’Molloys of Firceall raided Kilcoursey in 1393, and the O’Melaghlins established themselves in a castle in Moyelly in the western part of Kilcoursey, a Fox castle which was never recovered.
Muircheartach himself died in 1393 of an epidemic that was raging throughout the countryside. He was described as "a man renowned for prosperity, wealth, almsgiving and eloquence". He was succeeded by another son, Donough, a year after his death. Donough was soon to suffer additional loss himself, and in 1398 we find the reported death of his wife, her name not given, but identifed as the daughter of Brian O'Ferghail.
The fifteenth century
During this century constant conflict seemed to have been the normal state of affairs throughout Ireland. The fighting which took place not only between the Irish and English, but among the Irish themselves, fighting for land and position and favours, further weakened any unity against the English. It is during this century that a long-time neighbor of the Foxes, the MacGeoghegans, were rapidly increasing in strength and power, and developing into a force to be reckoned with. The opposite can be said of the Foxes, however, as they fell to the ravages of the plague, conflict, and territorial usurpation.
Thus the century begins with the deaths of three Foxes in 1400: Donough Sionnach (Fox), who is referred to as "king de jure" of Muintir Tadhgain and Chief of Teffia, possibly from the plague which hit Ireland in that year; and two senior members of the clan, Diarmaid and Brian Sinnach, who were the sons of Catharnach Mac an tSionnaigh, perhaps an uncle of Donough's father. It is possible that Donough Fox was succeeded by his nephew, Maine Fox, son of Niall Fox. Three years later (1403) Diarmaid's grandson, Maolmordha, was killed by the Daltons and the O'Melaghlins; Donough Fox's only remaining brother was also killed in this skirmish, though his name is not given.
As head of the family, Maine Fox was involved in a war with the Mageoghegans in 1415 when Conor, grandson of William Mageoghegan, was killed in a Fox castle near Clara in the Barony of Kilcoursey. In 1422 a "great war" took place between the Gaels of Meath and O Conchobair Failgi (O'Conor Faly). Opposing O'Conor Faly are listed O'Mailmuaid, Mag Cochlain, and the Fox, though no first name for the Fox is given; assumedly it is Maine. Although it is reported that eventually peace was made, the Daltons were able to take the Fox's Kilcoursey Castle. It is almost certain that at this stage the headquarters of the Foxes was at Cloghatenny near Ballycumber. They were also involved in 1425 on the losing side of a dispute between the O’Connors of Offaly and the Mageoghegans and MacCoghlans of west Offaly. In 1430 Owen O’Neill arrived with an Ulster army in Westmeath, and both the Irish and Anglo-Irish of the area surrendered to him. Although all who surrendered are listed, there is no mention of The Fox, indicating they were by this time of minor importance or did not agree to surrender. It is not known exactly when Maine died, but he was succeeded by his son, Peregrine (Cucogry) Fox, who in turn soon died as Lord of Muintir Tadhgan in 1446.
It is worth mentioning here a commonly heard account of St. Columkille's Pattern (9 June) that went wildly wrong in either 1461 or 1463. Reported by the now-deceased Brother Holmes from Clara, County Offaly, the story is told of an archery contest at the event where arguments arose between the Mageoghegans and the O'Catharnaigh Foxes, leaving five Foxes and two Mageoghegans dead. No details are offered in terms of names, though it is interesting that a similar event is reported in 1463 in the Annals of Connacht, where nine men of the Cenel Fiachach are reported to have been killed on "St. Columba's Day" in a "riot about the wood of a bow". The killers are identified as the Fir Cell and Clann Colman.
Peregrine had at least two sons, Maine and Niall. Maine succeeded him but was killed in 1472, and was in turn succeeded by his son Tadhg. The O'Conor Faly is involved again with the Foxes in 1471, when his sons are reported as having slayed the sons of Niall Mac-an-t-Sionnaigh and Owney Mageoghegan. Only three years after assuming the role of chief, Tadhg himself was killed by Murrow, son of Art O'Melaghlin. He was succeeded by his brother Cairbre Fox, who was also killed by an O'Melaghlin, Conn, also a son of Art O'Melaghlin. in 1500.
The early sixteenth century
The next head of Muintir Tadhgan was Eoghan (Owen) Fox, son of Cairbre who was killed in 1500. The events of the previous century seemed to have been devastating to the Foxes. None of the annals make much mention the Foxes at all, and other sources must be turned to for information. Severely weakened by the deaths and murders of so many males in the line, as well as the confiscation of their property by other Irish clans, they were no longer the force they once were.
On 27 August 1526, The Fox appeared to have no choice but to sign a covenant with their neighboring clan, the Mageohegans, in which they agreed to live under Mageoghegan protection in exchange for accepting the Mageoghegans as their overlords. It was signed by Breasal Fox, who is identified as the The Fox in the document as well as being a son of Eoghan, and by two sons of "Edmond" Fox, though "Edmond" is likely a poorly anglicized form of the name Owen or Eoghan. These two other sons (brothers of Breasal) were named Muirchertach (Murray) and Felim (Felix). It was also signed by two sons of Brian (Bernard) Fox, one of them also called Breasal (Basil) and Cucogry (Peregrine) Fox. On the Mageoghegan side it was signed by their chief Connla Mageoghegan, lord of Kineleagh. It is worth noting here that Connla Mageoghegan married Amailin Fox, probably the daughter of Eoghan Fox, in Kilbride Abbey near Clara. The fact that the wedding took place in the Abbey in Clara points to a movement of the Fox senior family from Cloghatenny to Clara by this time. The covenant was witnessed by Thomas Buidhe O’Breen (Brien), chief of Breaghmhaine (Brawney) and by Murtagh M’Kegan, who was a brehon to the Fox clan (it is probable that an older form of this name was McEgan) and who owned land at Erry, a townland on the outskirts of Clara. The document was signed in the Mageoghegan residence at Syonan near Streamstown, a large tower house which is still standing today. As part of this document the genealogy of the Fox family is given from Niall of the Nine Hostages to the Breasal Fox, who signed the agreement. This article closes with the text of that document, the original of which has been reported to be in Trinity College Library:
"This is the covenant and contract of Mageoghegan, that is, Connala, son of Laighnech, and of the Fox of Muintir Tadhgain, that is, Breasal, son of Eoghan, son of Cairbri, to wit: Mageoghegan to be lord over the Fox and his country; and this is all the sign of lordship which Mageoghegan has over the Fox and over his country, which is: a gniomh of land free from every impost and a hog out of every other gniomh which chiefry to the Fox; and the hog to be in the condition of a muc clasach; and the gniomh on which there is not a hog, to give a sheep in its place. And whenever land is mortgaged from the Foxes to persons (living) outside the territory, and the Foxes not able to redeem it, Mageoghegan is at liberty to redeem it.
Wherever cess on cutting comes from the King's Deputy on Mageoghegan, the due proportion of it to be paid by the Fox for his own territory. And every place that is deserted and rent unpaid in Fox's country, Mageoghegan is obliged to distrain upon it, without making the person settled there liable to him. And if cess on cutting be levied by the King's Deputy upon the Fox, Mageoghegan is to pay the proportion of his territory of it as well as the Fox. Every Allhallows or May meeting that shall take place in Mageoghegan's country shall be convened at the town of Ath-an-urchair or Corruasgean, and the Fox and the chieftains of his country shall come with him thither. They are to be under the same custom and the same tribute within and without. Every privilege and ascendancy here ceded to Mageoghegan shall be enjoyed by his representative after him, provided he does his utmost endeavor for the benefit and protection of the Fox and his country.
Whenever a war or disturbance comes upon Mageoghegan or upon the Fox, on account of which one of them may bring his forces with him out of the territory, that other shall bear the proportion of his territory of the bonaghmen, and the Mageoghegan is to distrain in case of non-payment.
And these are the liabilities of Mageoghegan for all the privileges which we have mentioned above, which are: that he do his utmost for the protection and shelter of the Fox and every person in his country, both small and great. And wherever another, an Englishman or Irishman, shall sue the Fox, or any person in his territory, that the decision of Muirchertach Mac Egan, or of the Brehon who shall be by them appointed, be submitted to; and when this will not be accepted from them, then that Mageoghegan shall be bound to spend his country and Fox's country for obtaining justice for the Fox and his country, as well as to compel them and him to render justice. And whenever any part of their territory is unjustly or with default of rent detained, Mageoghegan is bound to do his utmost endeavors to recover such part of the territory. Whenever the Earl of Kildare declines to recover it, Mageoghegan is bound to lend his utmost endeavors to recover it. And if he shall recover the land, then one-half of it shall be his own, and the other half be left to the man in possession. Not this alone, but whenever he (Mageoghegan) shall not endeavor to shelter and distrain for the Fox and Muintir Tadhgain as he would for his own mansion, he shall not have rent, lordship, or privilege over them, but every man shall be for himself.
These are the witnesses for this covenant, that is: Mageoghegan and God before him; and Marcella, the daughter of Christopher; and O'Breen, that is Thomas Buide, the son of Eoghan O'Breen, of Craebh; and the person O'Senchain, that is Cucricho; and Eoghan O'Cionga, the son of Diarmaid Dubh; and James Ruadh, the son of Aedh, son of Ferghal; and Muirchertach O'Cionga, the chief poet of both territories. These are all we had present of the Cinal-Fhiahach. Here are all of Fox's country that were with us, that is: the Fox himself; and the two sons of Edmond, that is Muirchertach and Felim; and the two sons of Brian Fox, that is, Breasal and Cucrichi; and Muirchertach, the son of Eoghan, son of Tadhg Onoire, that is, the chief poet of the Fox.
And I am James O'Cionga, the son of Cairbri O'Cionga, who was present at the making of this covenant, and who wrote it; and it was at Suidhe Adhamnrain this covenant was made, precisely on Wednesday, and on Friday it was written; and this is the age of the Lord, at this time, six years and twenty, five hundred and one thousand years, and the twenty-second day of the month of August.
THIS IS IN IRELAND (mark) I AM MAGEOGHEGAN
WE ARE THE SONS OF EDMOND FOX (mark)
I AM THE FOX"
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