A Short and incomplete story of the MacGonaguls

The McGonigle name was extremely rare in Ireland except in the 
Inishowen Peninsula in county Donegal. They are also common in 
Tyrone, Galway and , to some extent, Sligo county. The name KING 
is also common in these areas however, KING is not a  rare  name 
in Ireland. Nothing can be known about the King family at this 
point because there were dozens of clans who took the name KING. 
Some were not notable, some were heriditary bards and some were 
involved in scribing religious manuscripts such as the Book of 
Kells.    

This information was compiled from different sources and many of
the old Irish words and names are misspelt. Almost all of the names
have multiple spellings varying from manuscript to manuscript with 
sometimes as many as 4 or 5 variations.


�MacGonigal' is derived from the gaelic �Mac Congail' or �son of 
Congail'. This Congail was Congail Gulban, son of Ard Ri Niall. 
He was the high King of Ireland at the time that Saint Patrick 
was taken prisoner and enslaved in northern Ireland. Congail's 
name also means �fierce as the wolf' which might reflect his 
character. Not very much in the way of folklore surrounds 
Congail but his father was legendary. His tag line was �of the 
Nine Hostages' because he was behind many raids on Britain and 
France at the time.


This history is the history of the "Generations of the most 
Valorous one" , the history of the families: Mc/Mac Gonigle, 
Gonegle, Gonagle, Gonigal, Gonegal, Gonagal, Gonigul, Gonegul, 
Gonagul, Garringle. Gunnigle, Carnicle, Conway, Conwey, Convey, 
Conwell, Monigle. 


Legends and stories about the family:

Gallamh: The sons of Gallamh defeat the Danaans in Ireland, but 
the people of Dana do not withdraw. By their magic art they cast 
over themselves a veil of invisibility, which they can put on or 
off as they chose. There are two Irelands henceforward, the 
spiritual and the earthly. 

The people of Gallamh are guided by the druid Amerigin, an 
embodiment of the idea of poetry and thought. Gallamh married 
Scotia, daughter of Pharaoh Nectonibus of Egypt and sister of 
King Solomon's Queen. Scotia came to Ireland with her sons and 
was fighting the Tuatha De Danaan in the present day parish of 
Arnagh in co. Kerry, Ireland in the year 1699 BC. Scotia, after 
whom the people of Ireland were know as Scots until the 16th 
century AD., also gave her name to Scotland when her remote 
descendants settled in Alba in the 5th century AD. Scotia was 
buried in co. Kerry.

Heremon: Heremon and his brother were to divide Ireland, his 
brother Eber was not happy with this situation. War broke out 
and Eber was slain, Heremon became sole king of Ireland and 
ruled from Tara.

Tighernmas: Introduced the worship of Crom Cruach which involved
 the sacrifice of children for fair weather and fertility. Three 
fourths of his people died through this. 

He also found the first gold mine in Ireland and introduced a 
variety of social colours into the society. A slave might wear 
one Collor, a peasant two, etc...


Nuadhat Finn Fail: He was the Lyrurus of Ireland, giving to the 
country a code of legislation, and also subdividing it, under 
the High King at Tara, among the provincial chiefs. Also 
introduced the great triennial fair or festival at Tara, where 
Kings, sub-kings, bards, historians and musicians came to Tara 
from all parts of Ireland to make up genealogical records, enact 
laws, hear disputed cases etc..., surrounded by celebrating 
feasts. He is supposed to be buried in the great tumulus at 
Loughcrew in Westmeath.


Ugaine Mor: "the Great" Married Kesair Cruithach, dau. King of 
France. He ruled a great part of western Europe.

Eochy Foltleathan: "of the Long Hair". Eochy only had his hair 
cut once a years, and the man who did it was chosen by lot and 
killed afterwards. The reason he did this was that he had big 
ears as long as horse's, and he did not want his deformity 
known. Once through, the lot fell upon the only son of a poor 
old widow who convinced the King not to kill her son. He had to 
swear upon the wind and sun that he would tell no person. But 
the secret was so intense upon the man that he became intensely 
sick and near death. A wise druid was called to heal the man and 
he said: "It is the secret that is killing him, he will never be 
well until he reveals it." So the druid instructed the man to 
tell the secret to a willow tree. The man told the tree the 
secret and felt as good as new. Later a harpist named Craftiny 
broke his harp and built a new one out of that same willow tree. 
At a performance at the king's hall, these words came out of the 
harp: "Two horses's ears hath Eochy of the Long Hair." And with 
his secret known no man was ever put to death on account of the 
King' s misery.

Fiacha "of the white oxen": Fiacha founded the Fianna, who were 
a band of warriors who guarded the High King of Ireland. There 
were about twenty-five battalions. They were a military elite, 
and some scholars believe that they are the basis of the 
Arthurian legends. There is an entire mythological cycle 
concerning them.


Eochu Mugmedon: Earned his nickname "Slave Lords" from his raids 
on Roman Britian, in one of which he carried off and married a 
princess of the ancient Britons called Carina, by who he had a 
son.


Niall "of the nine hostages": Niall of the Nine Hostages was the 
greatest king that Ireland knew between the time of Cormac 
MacArt. and the coming of Patrick. His reign was epochal
life not only ruled Ireland greatly and strongly, but carded the 
name and the fame, and the power and the fear, of Ireland into 
all neighbouring nations. He was, moreover, founder of the 
longest, most important, and most powerful Irish dynasty. Almost 
without interruption his descendants were Ard Righs of Ireland 
for 600 years. and-grow, ever mounting higher and spreading 
farther, year by year, for three-hundred years.

Niall was grandson of Muiredeach Tireach. His father Eochaid Mug 
Medon, son of Muiredeach, became Ardrich midway of the fourth 
century By his wife, Cartbann daughter of a British king, 
Eochaid had the son Niall. By another wife,-Mong Fionn, daughter 
of the-King of Munster, Eochaid had four sons, Brian, Fiachar, 
Ailill, and Fergus. Mong Fionn was a bitter jealous and 
ambitious woman, who set her heart upon having her son, Brian, 
succeed his father as Ard Righ. As Niall was-his father's 
favourite, Mong Fionn did not rest until She had outcast him and 
his mother Carthan, and made Canhann her menial, carrying water 
to the court. The child was rescued by a great poet of that 
time, Torna, who reared and educated him. When he had reached 
budding manhood, Torna brought him back to court to take his 
rightful place much to his father's joy. Then NiaIl, showing 
great strength of character, even in his early youth, took his 
mother from her menial task, and-restored her to her place. Of 
Niall's youth there are many legends but one in particular shows 
the working of his destiny. One day, the five brothers being

in the smith's forge when it took fire, they were commanded to 
run and save what they could. Their father, who was looking on 
(and who, say some, designedly caused the fire, to test his 
sons), observed with interest Neill's distinctiveness of 
character, his good sense and good judgement. While Brian saved 
the chariots from the fire, Ailill a shield and a sword, Fiachra 
the old forge trough, and Fergus only a bundle of .firewood, 
Niall carried out-the-bellows, the sledges, the anvil, and anvil 
block saved the soul of the forge, and saved the. smith from 
ruin. Then his father said "It is Niall who should succeed me as 
Ard Righ ofEirinn.

Another story is called the Kiss of Sovereignty. Niall was on a 
hunting trip with his four brothers. One of the brothers went to 
water from a spring and there met a hideous hag who demanded a 
kiss; the boy ran away. The same thing happened to each brother 
in turn until Niall went to the spring. He kissed the old crone 
and one thing led to another. The old hag turned into a 
radiantly beautiful woman, who told Niall that she was the 
Sovereignty of Ireland. Her ugliness was a sign that it was not 
easy to attain the kingship which he had just won.


Conn "of the hundred battles":
Conn's reign was full of battles, his strenuous militancy and 
suggestive title made him famed beyond worthier men. Conn's life 
was ended by his assassination at Tara by fifty robbers hired by 
the King of Ulster dressed as women.

In an Irish legend called Baile in Scail it tells of how Conn of 
the hundred battles discovered a marvellous stone, the Lia Fail 
which shrieked to signify the number of his descendants who 
would be kings. Conn lost his way in a mist and, guided by a 
rider, arrived at a castle in the Other world. There he met the 
lord of the castle (who was in fact the god Lugh) and beside him 
a beautiful girl. She sat on a throne of crystal and had beside 
her a silver vat which never ran dry to ale, a golden cup and 
another vessel of gold from which she gave Conn a generous 
helping of meat. Then she filled the golden cup and asked; "to 
whom shall this cup be given?" to which Lugh replied: "serve it 
to Conn of the hundred battles" As the girl repeatedly refilled 
Conn's cup she asked the same question and Lugh named in turn 
each of the kings who would be descended from Conn. Finally, 
Lugh, the girl and the castle all disappeared, leaving Conn with 
the golden vessels.   


Lineage Chart: This chart was compiled from records kept by the 
Irish monastic institutions. I can get a copy of the details
in their original medieval, archaic Irish but I don't think
it would be very useful!


Note: Asterisks beside names indicate that the name is mentioned 
in other sections. An @ sign indicates that the individual was a 
high king. Numbers other than dates indicates the ruling number 
of the Ardrighs (High Kings). + signs show marriages.


NAME	     CIRCA	                            ADDITIONAL
Noah	     d: in 2948-1998	+ Titea
Japhet	 d: in 1846 BC	               (legend to Niall Mor about ancestry, then recorded)
Magog		
Baoth		
Fenius "the Antiquary"		            King of Scythia
Niul		                             +Scota dau. Pharao Cingris, King of egypt
Gael or Gaodhal Glas		
Asruth - Heber Scot - Beman or Beouman - Ogaman - Tait - Agnon - Lamhflonn -Heber Glunflonn - Agnon Fionn	- Febric Glas - Nenal -Nuadhat - Alladh - Dea - Brath - Breogan - Billius -		
Gallamh 	 d: in 1698 BC	 (means: "Foreign hand") or "Milesius" (meaning " warrior")*King of Spain
Heremon or h-�rem�n	      ruled from 1015 d: in 1285 BC	* @ +   Tea dau. Lewy son of Ith
Muimne		
Luigni		
Laigne		
Laigne		
Irial Faidh or Iar�l d: in 1680 BC	* @
Ethrial or Ethr�l 	d: in 1670 BC	* @
Follac or Falach		
Tighearnmas or Tighernmas 	d: in 1543 BC	* @ 
Eiobiothad or Eanbrotha		
Simorgoill or Smiorgall 		
Fiachadh Lamraein or Flacha Labhrian or Fiachu Labrinne 	d: in 1472 BC	@
Aengus Olmuehada or Aongus Ollmuchach or �engus �lmuccaid		* @
Maen or Maoin		
Roitheachtaigh or Rotheachta or Rothechtaid	d: in 1382 BC	* @
Deman		
Dian or Dien		
Sirna or S�rna or Siorna Saghalach	d: in 1130 BC	* @
Olioll Olchain or Olioll Olchaoin 		"Pince of Ireland"
Gillacaich or Gilallchadh or Giallchad 	d: in 1013 BC 	37th@
Nuadhas Fionnfail or Nuadhat Finn Fail or Nuado Find F�il   	d: in 1001 BC -961 BC 	* 39th@
Nuadha Fionnfail d: in 961 BC		
Aedham Glas		
Simeon Breach or Simon Breac or S�m�n Brecc d: in 909 BC 44th@ 		
Murchad Bolgrach or Muredach Bolgach or Muiredach Balccrig d: in 893 BC 46th@ 		
Fiacha Tolgrach or Fiachadh Tolgrach d: in 893 BC 55th@		
Duach Ladrach or Duach Laigrach @		
Eochy Buadach or Eochaid Buidhaigh or Eochu Fidmuine		
Ugaine Mor or �gaine M�r d: in 747 BC * 66th@		
Cobthach Caol Breagh or Cobthach C�el Breg69th@ 		
Melghe Molbthach or Melog Molghthach or Meilge m. Cobthaig d: in 522 BC 71st@ 		
Iarn Gleo Fhathach or Irereo or h-Irero74th@ 		
Conly caem or Conla C�em d: in 442 BC 77th@ 		
Olioll "of the Crooked teeth" Caishiaclach or Ailill Casfiaclach*@		
Eochadh "of the Long hair" Foltleathan or Eochu Altlethan* @		
Aengus Tuirmeach ot Aongus Turmeach- Teamrach or �engus Turbech 81st @ d: murdered at Tara 324 BC 		
Enna "the hospitable" or Enda Agneach or �nna Airgdech d: in 312 BC 84th@		
Lavra "the fierce"		
Beotact		
Blatact		
Esamon "of Emainia" or Asaman Eamhnadh		
Riognen "the red" or Rioghean Rudah		
Finn Finlogha or Fionnloach		
Fionn		+Benta
Eochadh Feidlioch d: at Tara @ 		
Lewy "of the red circles" or Lugaidh Sriabhn Dearg d: in 142 BC 98th@		+Cloth Fionn
Criffan or Crimthann or Crimthann Coscrach d: in the time of Christ's birth 100th@ 
+Mar Tath Chabob		
Feredac "the just" or Feredach or Feradach Find Fechtnach 102nd@ and King of Scotland?		
Fiacha "of the white oxen" or Fiatach Find d: in 37 * 104th@
+Eighne		
Tuathal or Tuathal teachdmar or Tuathal Techtmar d: in 76?? 106th@ 
+Baine		
Felim "The Lawgiver" or Feideilmid Rechtaid d: in 110 108th@ 		
Conn "of the Hundred Battles"or Conn C�tchathach d: in 123* 110th@ +Eithue		
Art "the Lonely" or Art Ean Fhear or Artt �enfer d: in 226 112th@
+Eachtach 		
Cormac Mac Art or Cormac Ulata d: (254-277AD) in 226 converted to Christianity 246 115th@ 
+Eithue Ollamhda dau. Dunlang, King of Munster		
Carbry "of the Leffey" Caibre Liffechar or Caipre Liphechair d: 285 killed by the Fiana 117th@		
Fiachea Srabhteine or Fiachu Sraiptine d: in 285 120th@		
Murdeach Tireach or Muiredach T�rech d: in 326 King of Connaught, 122nd@ 
+Muirion		
Eochy Moyvone or Eochiad Muigh-Medon or Eochu Mugmed�n "Slave Lords"	d: in 357 	124th@ +Inne
 Niall Noigiallach  125th@	d: in 378 b: in 	
Conall Gulban,	d: 465	King of Tir Conaill ( co. Donegal, Ireland )Ancestor of the MacGonagul's and the Cinn� Conail. Conall's brother Owen began the Cinn� Eoghan and from this family and the Cinn� Conail came Saint Columba (or Colmcille)  

On some island I long to be,
a rocky promontory, looking on
the coiling surface of the sea.
To see waves, crest on crest
of the great shining ocean, composing
a hymn to the creator, without rest.
To see without sadness the strand
lined with bright shells, and birds
lamenting overhead, a lonely sound.
To hear the whisper of small waves
against the rocks, that endless sea-
sound, like keening over graves.
To watch the sea-birds sailing
in flocks, and most marvellous
of monsters, the turning whale.
To see the shift from ebbtide
to flood and tell my secret name:
�He who set his back on Ireland.'
Clamour of the wind making music 
in the elms:
Gurgle of the startled blackbird 
clapping its wings.
I have lost the three settled places
I loved best:
Durrow, Derry's ledge of angels,
my native parish.
I have loved the land of Ireland
almost beyond speech;
to sleep at Comgall's, to visit Canice,
it would be pleasant!
-Colmcille