The Connachta Tribe and Their Clans

The Connachta were a Gaelic Irish tribe who lived in and ruled the Kingdom of Connaught. They claim their descent from Conn of the Hundred Battles who was a famous High King said to have lived in the 2nd century.  

One of their famous septs the O’Rourkes also ruled the adjoining kingdom of Breifne and their famous rulers include Tigernán O’Rourke who was supported by Rory O’Connor, the last High King of Ireland, against Diarmuid Mac Murrough, King of Leinster, who had challenged the two rulers and kidnapped the former’s wife! 

Connachta clans, clans of Ireland

This conflict led to the expulsion of Diarmuid from Ireland and it was he who approached the Norman King Henry II who subsequently came to Ireland seeking power. The Norman Age of Ireland began at this time.

The kinsmen of the Connachta were the powerful Uí Néill tribe who dominated the role of High Kingship for five hundred years.

The seat of the Clans is Clonalis House.

The main septs are O'Connor, O'Kelly, MacDermot, O'Rourke, O'Reilly, Tighe, O'Flanagan, O'Mulrennan, O'Beirne, Concannon, Geraghty, MacManus, O'Dowd, O'Cleary, O'Shaughnessy, O'Hynes, and O'Flaherty.

To Find Your Clan Search Below in our list of the Clans of the Connachta........

Origin of the Cleary Clan Name

Origin of the Cleary Clan Name

Cleary comes from the Irish name Ó Clerigh which means grandson of the scribe. The surname is derived from Cléireach from Connacht who was born in c 820; he was apparently a kinsman of Guaire who was the King of Connacht. The root of the surname is also anglicised as Clarke. Up to the beginning of this century the two names were still interchangeable in parts of the country...read more

Origin of the Flaherty Clan Name

Origin of the Flaherty Clan Name

Flaherty comes from the old Irish name Ó Flaithbheartach, now spelt as Ó Flatharta, which comes from the name meaning Hospitable or generous, although another meaning for the name is Price, generous is more exact. The Flaherty’s were a branch of the Muinir Murchada dynasty, who was in turn a branch of the Uí Briúin, of whom the name is derived from Murchadh mac Maenach, who was a King of Uí Briúin Seóla (An Irish Kin-group), he died in 891....read more

Origin of the Flanagan Clan Name

Origin of the Flanagan Clan Name

The name Flanagan (Ó Flannagain) is derived from the word Flann, which was a personal name meaning “Red”. Because of the popularity of the name, it was strong in different locations throughout Ireland. These areas being the counties of Roscommon and Offaly in the province of Connaught and also Fermanagh and Monaghan in Ulster. In the county of Roscommon they were associated with the royal O’Connor name....read more

Origin of the McDermott Clan Name

Origin of the McDermott Clan Name

The name McDermott is derived from the Gaelic Mac Diarmada, (Diarmuid) which means “Free Man”. The Prefix of the name Mac, means “son of”. Diarmait who was a son of Áed Sláine. In the 7th century Diarmuid and Blathmac ruled together as High Kings of Ireland....read more

Origin of the McManus Clan Name

Origin of the McManus Clan Name

MacManus is derived from the irish Mac Mághnais, which is derived from the popular Norse name Magnus meaning “great”. Even though it was the Norse who introduced the name in Ireland it took on its own separate identity and is completely irish. The prefix Mac comes from the meaning “son of”....read more

Origin of the O'Beirne Clan Name

Origin of the O'Beirne Clan Name

The name O’Beirne is recorded as O’Beirne and Beirne in the irish annals. They name is pronounded almost exactly like O’Byrne but there is no connection to the name. The name O’Beirne was originally written as O’Birn or O’beirn, which is derived from the Norse forename Bjorn. The O’Beirne originated in County Roscommon in the province of Connacht whereas O’Byrne originates from County Kildare....read more

Origin of the O'Connor Clan Name

Origin of the O'Connor Clan Name

O’Connor means descended from Conchobhair ( dog or hound-loving) , and is today one of the most common surnames in Ireland. Conchobhair was descended from the milesian Kings of ancient times and Conchobhair ruled Connaught in 971, during the Viking Age. The O’Conor clan was subdivided again into the O’Conor Don, O’Conor Roe and O’Conor Sligo families. The former survives to the present day and their seat is at Clonalis near, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon....read more

Origin of the O'Hynes Clan Name

Origin of the O'Hynes Clan Name

The Hynes name is derived from the word Hine, meaning Lad or servant. All Hynes are descended from O’Heyne from the irish Ó hEighinfrom the Clann Eidhin. The Hynes name is of Irish origin and originates from the counties of Galway and Clare. Spelling variations of the name include Hines, Hine, Hyne, Hinds and Hynds among many others....read more

Origin of the O'Kelly Clan Name

Origin of the O'Kelly Clan Name

Kelly comes from the anglicised irish name, Ó Ceallaigh which means descendant of Ceallach (meaning strife). The Name originates from the County of Galway in the region formally known as Uí Maine which was one of the oldest Kingdoms of Connacht; the area included the areas of Galway, Roscommon and County Clare....read more

Origin of the O'Malley Clan Name

Origin of the O'Malley Clan Name

The name O’Malley is derived from the old irish Ó Maoileoin, which means descendant of the follower of St John and come from the west of Ireland in Connacht. The name O’Malley never lost its prefix O. The name is derived from the irish word “Maille meaning gentle or smooth. The Clan originally came from the County of Mayo and were one the chieftains of the baronies of Murrisk and Burrishoole. The clan was small so it was very difficult for them to retain control of the lands. ...read more

Origin of the O'Reilly Clan Name

Origin of the O'Reilly Clan Name

The name O’Reilly comes from the irish ÓRaghallaigh and are descendant from Raghallach originating in Cavan and Longford which was once known as the Kingdom of Breffny. Today still Reilly is still strong in these areas. In the 17th Century a large number of O’Reillys immigrated to France but they still hold a strong connection to Ireland....read more

Origin of the O'Rourke Clan Name

Origin of the O'Rourke Clan Name

The name O’Rourke comes from the gaelic Ó Ruairc (Ruarc), a name that derives from an old Norse personal name, Roderick (meaning famous king). The name is derived from the ninth-centry king of Breifne,, coveing the areas of Leitrum, Cavan and parts of County Longford....read more

Origin of the Tighe Clan Name

Origin of the Tighe Clan Name

The name Tighe comes from the old irish O’Taidhg. The original spelling of the name was Mac Taigh or O Taidhg. The person name Tadhg means poet or Philosopher. There were four main septs of the O’Taidhg clan in Ireland, some of these branches are said to descend from the brother of Connor O’Connor who was King of Connacht and died in 973. Others claim their descent from a son of Cathair Mór who was a King of Ireland in 119 AD....read more

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