Conmhaícne Dúna Móir

Early people of Ireland

The Conmhaícne Dúna Móir (transl. Conmaicne of the great fort), or Cenéoil Dubáin (Conmaicne of Dubain race), were an early people of Ireland. Their tuath comprised at least the barony of Dunmore, in County Galway.[1][2]

## Origin[edit]

The Conmhaicne or Conmaicne were a people of early Ireland, perhaps related to the Laigin, who dispersed to various parts of Ireland. They settled in Connacht and Longford, giving their name to several Conmaicne territories.[3][4] Other branches of Conmaicne were located in County Galway, Roscommon, Mayo, and Leitrim.[5]

## Territory[edit]

Early peoples and kingdoms of Ireland, c.800

Knox stated the tuath comprised the barony of Dunmore, part of Ballymoe, and at least Belclare parish.[1][6] However O'Donovan says the territory comprised only the barony of Dunmore.[2][7][8]

Conmaicne Dunmore was centred about the present town of Dunmore, County Galway (burnt in 1249, 1284, and 1315, and walled in 1280), which is bounded by rising land in the north, and bogland east and west.[6] Moated sites were situated some distance to the south and west of Dunmore, at Darrary North, Carrow-munniagh, and south-west at Doonbally. A possible deserted village was located south-west at Castletown. Settlement was seemingly concentrated in the south-east part of Cenel Dhubhain.[9]

## Septs[edit]

From 800 AD the Ui Briuin Ai were the dominant tribe of Connaught, settling clans ('the Silmurray') in various tuaths, including among the Conmaicne Dunmore.[10] The Castle of Dunmore in Conmaicne Cinel Dubhain, was later called Dun Mor Fheorais.[11]

## Patrican link[edit]

In the original Vita tripartita Sancti Patricii, Tírechán said Saint Patrick travelled through Conmaicne Dunmore to Conmaicne Cuile Tolad. Churches of Patrician origin in Conmaicne Dunmore were not identified.[8][12][13]

## Abbey[edit]

The abbey at Dun-more, a friary of the Order of Saint Augustine, was established by Anglo-Normans in 1425.[14]

## People[edit]

* Saint Benignus, who supposedly founded the church at Kilbannon near Tuam, belonged to the Conmaicne of Dunmore.[8]

## See also[edit]

* Conmhaicne
* Dunmore, County Galway

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b Knox 1908, p. 19.
2. ^ a b O'Donovan 1862, p. XLII.
3. ^ MacKillop 2004.
4. ^ John O'Donovan 1856, p. 417.
5. ^ Walsh 1940, p. 6.
6. ^ a b Holland 1997, p. 165.
7. ^ Walsh 1940, p. 7.
8. ^ a b c Neary 1912, p. 105.
9. ^ Holland 1997, p. 166.
10. ^ Knox 1908, p. 38.
11. ^ Neary 1912, p. 95.
12. ^ Knox 1908, p. 28.
13. ^ Mac Neill 1932, p. 19.
14. ^ Neary 1912, p. 96.

### Secondary sources[edit]

* John O'Donovan, ed. (1856). Annála Rioghachta Éireann. Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters... with a Translation and Copious Notes. 7 vols. Translated by O'Donovan (2nd ed.). Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. CELT editions. Full scans at Internet Archive: Vol. 1; Vol. 2; Vol. 3; Vol. 4; Vol. 5; Vol. 6; Indices.
* MacKillop, James (2004). "Conmaicne. Oxford Reference.". A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. Oxford University Press.
* Knox, Hubert Thomas (1908). The History of the County of Mayo, to the close of the sixteenth century. Dublin: Hodges, Figgis & Co., Ltd.
* O'Donovan, John (1862). The Topographical Poems of John O'Dubhagain and Giolla Na Naomh O'Huidhrin (Edited in the Original Irish, from MSS. in the Library of the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, with translation, notes, and introductory dissertions ed.). Dublin: printed for the Irish Archaeological and Celtic Society by Alexander Thom, 87 & 88 Abbey-Street.
* Walsh, Paul (1940). "Connacht in the Book of Rights". Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society. Galway Archaeological & Historical Society. XIX, Nos. i & ii, 19 (1/2): 1–15. JSTOR 25535199.
* Neary, J (1912). "On the History and Antiquities of the Parish of Dunmore, IN THE BARONIES OF DUNMORE AND BALLYMOE, Co. GALWAY". Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society. Galway Archaeological & Historical Society. 8 (2): 94–128. JSTOR 44971915.
* Holland, Patrick (1997). "The Anglo-Norman Landscape in County Galway; Land-Holdings, Castles and Settlements". Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society. Galway Archaeological & Historical Society. 49: 159–193. JSTOR 25535678.
* Mac Neill, Eoin (1932). "The Vita Tripartita of St. Patrick". Ériu. Ériu, vol. 11: 1–41. JSTOR 30008085.

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