General History
The
Irish Family Structure
Early Ireland was colonised by successive
waves of tribes - races of people with similar physical or
social traits inherited from common ancestry - and gradually
developed a highly structured society based on progressively
extended family units. Each tribe occupied a geographical
region known as a tuatha, and occasionally conducted
cattle raids on neighbouring tribes in an effort to extend
their territorial boundaries.
The individual tribe comprised a number of clans
which each descended from different but related ancestors. As
time went by, it was common for clans to further subdivide
into new clans – typically as the result of sibling
rivalry.
Early Brehon law described the complex
methods of defining kinship within the male-dominated clan in
terms of levels of family relationship. The primary unit was
the immediate family of the same generation – i.e.
brothers. The secondary unit was the extended family
including two generations – i.e. brothers, sons and
nephews. The tertiary unit was the tenuously extended family
including three generations - brothers, sons, nephews,
grandsons and grandnephews; and so on.
Administration effectively started at clan
level, where the senior heads of the primary family units
would jointly elect a clan chieftain from the pool of
eligible males. In cases where leadership was closely
contended, it was common for a deputy or tanaiste to
be elected to assist and succeed the chosen leader or taoiseach.
These terms of office are still used in Irish government to
this day. In the early days, eligibility was relatively
unrestricted and all adult males of sound mind and limb would
be considered. As the centuries passed, it was observed that
physical traits desirable in a leader – wisdom,
strength, good character, etc. – were frequently passed
on to direct descendants. Gradually, the rules for
eligibility were modified so that the candidates needed to
belong to the quaternary family unit of the previous
chieftain (down to great grandsons and great grandnephews).
The office of chieftain was usually a lifetime post, but
often prematurely terminated by neighbouring warring tribes.
Above the level of clan, the tuatha was
generally governed by a minor king who was also the chieftain
of the most dominant clan in the area. At any given time in
the middle ages, there were up to 250 tuatha or petty
kingdoms, and it is for this reason that most Irish families
can rightly claim to be descended from an old Irish king.
Above the level of tribe, the land was
divided into larger provinces governed by a major king who
was also the leader of the most dominant tribe in the area.
These kings were frequently at war with each other, vying for
greater power and the glorious title of undisputed high-king
or ard-rí. This title was often claimed but
seldom effectively attained, so the ambitious king was
usually obliged to settle for the lesser title of high-king
with opposition.
The
O’Flannery Surname
Since land was commonly owned by related
families and normally inherited through the male line, the
details of genealogical descent were always carefully noted
and memorised by the family members. As dominant families
emerged, families of hereditary bards developed to record key
genealogies (not without embellishment) in the form of
elaborate poems passed down from father to son by word of
mouth. In later years, the hereditary bards used parchment to
serve the same purpose of safe-guarding family territorial
rights.
Formal surnames evolved in Irish society
around the tenth and eleventh centuries, and therefore rank
among the oldest surnames in Europe. The majority of these
surnames are patronymic and signify direct descent through
the male line from a distinguished personage well known in
the locality. The prefix Mac (= son) signifies first
generation descent, whilst the prefix Ó (= grandson)
denotes second generation (or later) descent.
The surname O’Flannery (or more
commonly Flannery, since the prefix O was
generally dropped in the nineteenth century) is usually an
Anglicisation of the Gaelic surname Ó Flannabhra, and
signifies descent from a person named Flannabhra.
However, it is equally important to note that both Flannery
and Flannelly were used as an Anglicisation of the
Gaelic surname Ó Flannghaile, a name which signifies
descent from a person named Flannghaile.
It is interesting to note that the accent
or fada over the prefix Ó, which serves to
lengthen the sound of the vowel, was gradually modified to an
apostraphe O’ by the early scribes in order to
render the closely spaced lines of manuscript more
aesthetically attractive.
Flannabhra was a Gaelic personal
name, not uncommon in the early and middle ages. The name is
a compound of flann (= ruddy) and abhra (=
eyebrow or brow), thus the literal meaning is "red
eyebrow". This descriptive name possibly referred to a
person with prominent red hair.
Flannghaile was another Gaelic
personal name. The name is a compound of flann (=
ruddy) and ghaile (from gal = fury), thus the
literal meaning is "red valour". This descriptive
name possibly originated with a person who displayed valour
in combat or sport.
Whilst it is difficult to pinpoint the
exact individuals named Flannabhra and Flannghaile
from whom the three septs of the Flannery Clan are descended,
the annals make reference to a number of individuals named Flannabhra
who achieved contemporary fame as either secular or religious
leaders. These include the following :-
The annals have so far refused to yield up
any reference to the eponymous individual named Flannghaile,
but the research is still ongoing and we remain
optimistically hopeful.
In general terms, there are two distinct
septs of Ó Flannabhra which developed independently
in two different regions, namely Connaught and Munster. The
Connaught sept of Ó Flannabhra was of Uí
Fiachrach Muaidhe. The Munster sept of Ó Flannabhra
was of Uí Fidhghente. Contentiously, there arises the
issue of the sept of Ó Flannghaile, which was also of
Uí Fiachrach Muaidhe in Connaught, and thereby hangs
an interesting tale . . .
Theoretically, Ó Flannghaile is a
different family to either of the septs of Ó Flannabhra,
and this is a point well recorded by the foremost
genealogists Woulfe and MacLysaght. However, the two septs of
Ó Flannabhra in Connaught and Munster are equally
distinct and unrelated; and it is now virtually impossible to
effectively distinguish between the Connaught sept of Ó
Flannabhra and Ó Flannghaile. For all practical
purposes, the sept of Ó Flannghaile must be included
with the two septs of Ó Flannabhra – not because
this is the path of least resistance, but because its
exclusion would doubtless exclude many Flannerys whose
surnames have been corrupted by translation and transcription
over the generations. It is worth noting that there are still
individuals in Ireland who use the surname Flannery in
English and Ó Flannghaile in Irish. Thus, academic
purism should give way to reality, and all three septs ought
to be included in the Flannery Clan.
Uí
Fidhghente in Munster
The River Maigue rises near Ardpatrick in
south county Limerick and flows northwards to join the River
Shannon, effectively bisecting the county into two halves.
Historically, Uí Fidhghente was the half of County
Limerick to the west of the Maigue.
The annals state that the tribes of Uí
Fidhghente descend from Oilioll Olum (Oilioll of
the bare ear – because "his ear was bitten off
by the Dé Dánann maiden Áine as he was ravishing her";
king of Munster, who died in 234). He was a son of Eoghan
Mór (otherwise known as Mogh Nuadhat, king of Munster, who
died in 166) from whom the Eoghanacht tribes of Munster were
named.
Oilioll married Sadhbh, a daughter
of Conn Cetcathach (Conn of the hundred battles; king
of Connaught, who died in 157) after whom the province of
Connaught was named. There was great rivalry between Conn and
Mogh, who effectively ruled the northern ("Conn’s
Half") and southern ("Mogh’s Half")
portions of Ireland respectively. The marriage of their
children may have been a strategic alliance. As a consequence
of this ancestry, Uí Fidhghente (also known as Uí
Ghabhra) was exempt from all tributes and hostages to
subsequent kings of Munster.
The genealogical poem attributed to Saint
Beanán (Saint Benignus, who died in 468) but subsequently
enlarged and continued to a much later period, forms part of
the old Book of Rights and includes the following verse :
"The Eoghanachts pay no tribute,
for theirs are the lands that serve Caiseal,
The Clanna Chais, or the people of
Raithleann, or of Gelann Amhain,
or of Locha Lein, or of the Uí
Fidhghente,
or of Aine Cliath, pay no tribute;"
The chief families of Uí Fidhghente
were the O’Coileáin (Collins), O’Cinnfhaelidh
(Kennelly), O’Flannabhra (Flannery) and Mac Inneirghe
(MacEnery). Although many Flannerys remain in Limerick to
this day, they have also dispersed throughout neighbouring
Counties Clare, Tipperary, Kerry and Cork, as well as
emigrating overseas.
The Book of Rights records the following
annual tribute from the king of Munster to the chief of Uí
Ghabhra (otherwise Uí Fidhghente) to ensure his
political support. It is worth noting that most chiefs only
received multiples of six or seven items.
"Ten steeds to the
king of Uí Ghabhra,
Ten shields, ten swords fit for battle,
Ten drinking horns in his protective fort,
Without hostages from him, without pledges."
Uí Fiachrach Muaidhe
in Connaught
Historically, Uí Fiachrach Muaidhe
was an area of land in the north of Counties Mayo and Sligo,
and at one time stretched from the River Moy as far north as
the River Erne. Uí Fiachrach Muaidhe formed part of
the greater region known as Uí Fiachrach, which
occupied most of Counties Galway, Mayo and Sligo. For the
majority of its history, Uí Fiachrach was bounded by
the River Robe in the south of county Mayo and extended
northwards to the River Cowney which discharges into Sligo
Bay at Drumcliff.
Uí Fiachrach was named after Fiachra
Foltsnathach (Fiachra of the flowing hair), son of Eochaidh
Muighmheadhoin (Eochaidh of the moist middle –
because "he was much troubled by the flux of
the belly" or dysentery; king of Connaught
and much of Ireland, who died in 366). Eochaidh was a
grandson of Conn Cetcathach.
Uí Fiachrach Muaidhe was named
after Fiachra Ealgach, son of Daithi (the last
pagan king of Connaught) and grandson of Fiachra
Foltsnathach. The annals state that the tribes of Uí
Fiachrach descend from Eochaidh Muighmheadhoin,
but there is a certain amount of ambiguity concerning the
precise lineage of the family and several possible
genealogies have been suggested. As a consequence of this
ancestry, Uí Fiachrach was usually exempt from all
tributes and hostages to subsequent kings of Connaught.
St. Beanán’s genealogical poem in the
Book of Rights includes the following verse :
"The free tribes of
Connaught without sorrow,
No ample tribute of them is due;
The Uí Briuin of the ships of the seas,
The Siol Muireadhaigh of the tribes.
The Uí Fiachrach of the great plain,
The Cineal Aedha, - not unjust,
They are not liable to rent or tribute,
To give to the king of Connaught."
This privilege features in the records for
the inauguration of Cathal Croibhdherg O’Conor
(Charles the Red-fisted; king of Connaught 1201 – 1224),
but appears to have briefly lapsed for a short time until it
was reinstated in 1213 when Donnchadh O’Dubhda
(the O’Dowds were the senior sept of Uí Fiachrach
Muaidhe) sailed a large fleet into Clew Bay, and
compelled Cathal Croibhdherg O’Conor to give up
every claim to the tributes which the latter demanded out of
the principality of Uí Fiachrach.
The genealogical poem by Giolla Íosa Mór
Mac Firbis includes the following verse :
"The
O’Mailchonaires without a blot,
The O’Flannabhras without oppression,
The O’Seghdas of rich prudence,
Heroes who reject not men of learning."
Giolla Íosa Mór Mac Firbis
also records the following verse :
"The
O’Flannghailes, who reported no fault,
A people of most universal bravery,
Dwell around Lough Glinne of hospitable men,
Youths with whom valour is a hostage."