In the "Geinealaighe
Fearmanach" or in English "Fermanagh
Genealogies" written by O'Luinnis, found in Coleman's
College, Fermoy, County Cork, the pedigrees of more than a thousand
Maguire families are recorded. Padar Livingstons "The Fermanagh Story",
p.432, reports that the "O'Luinnis or Giolla Padraig O' Luinin of
Inishmore Island mentioned above helped Micheal O' Cleirigh and
the Four Masters in the Abbey of Lisgoole, which by the way was
founded by Cuchonngacht Maguire II in 1583, when they were re-compiling
the "Leabhar Gabhala - The Book of the Talkings" a history of Ireland
from oral traditions, in 1631. Possibly the same man , but described as
Padraig Ballach O' Luinin, who copied words for Brian
Maguire of Tempo in 1638".According to these
pedigrees, we trace our line of decent form
[1]Cormac MacArt King of
Tara(226-268-A.D.),
"A brave warrior, and the most learned and wisest of the Pagan
Kings of Ireland"
His son & successor was [2]Caibre
Liffechar, who's Queen was Eithne, they had two sons:
[3]Eochaidh Dubhlein & Fiachadh
Sreabhthuine. Eochaidh married Glean, daughter of
Updar, King of Scotlands famed Picts (Note: This marriage shows they were already
in contact with Alba(Scotland) because of the early colonization by Cairbre Riada about the same time
as Cormac MacArt) they had three sons: Colla
Uais, Colla Meann and finally, about a thousand years after King Heremon, we come to [4]Colla-de-Chrioch, these three were known as
"The Three Collas". Eochaidhs brother
Fiachadh would have a son who would be King Muiredeach Tireach
of Tara, his son would be King Eochaicd Muigh-medon of Tara
whose son would be the famed King Niall of the Nine Hostages.
The three
Collas were brothers, the oldest of which, namely Colla
Uais, was in competition with his cousin, Muiredeach Tireach,
the son of the then ruling High King Fiachadh, for the High
Kingship of Ireland. This was possible because the High Kingship of
Ireland was alternated between two collateral branches of the same
ruling family. The three Collas made war with Fiachadh overthrew
and killed him in order to seize the Kingship for Colla Uais,
which he enjoyed for only four years. Muiredeach the son of the
slain king Fiachadh, overthrew the three Collas & their
followers. In 327 A.D. the three Collas and 350 Clan Chiefs where exiled
to Alba(Scotland). They were received into their maternal grandfathers
court, the court of the Picts. This is seen as the
time Alba received the name it is known for today they named
their new home Scotland, leaving Erie' named
'Ir-land' after King Milesius of Spains youngest son. Thus from the three Collas descend sons of Ireland(Scotia-Major) &
Scotland(Scotia-Minor), but that is not the end of the story.
It is said that a Druid at the court of
the Picts foretold that if the three Collas returned to Ireland to face
Muiredeach, that one of them would be killed leaving the crown to
the survivors. So after a four year exile in Alba(Scotland) the three
brothers confronted the king in hopes of inspiring rage and revenge in
him, but this king Muiredeach was to noble for that, he instead
forgave them and gained their allegiance. Muiredeach was also
wise and knew that it would be foolhardy to keep such rambunctious
youths around. He directed their energy at an old foe, the kingdom of
Uladh(Ulster). The feud between Uladh and Tara started when king
Tiobraide of the kingdom Uladh sent fifty assassins disguised as
women to the kingdom of Tara and killed Conn Ceadchadhach (of the
hundred battles) as well as the incident when Fergus
Blacktooth set fire to the hair of Cormac MacArt putting a
blemish on him which by law debarred him from the High Throne for a time
which Fergus then took advantage of to become High King. So a few
generations later the three Collas and there
army battled against Fergus' Red Branch Knights of the kingdom
Uladh for seven days in Farney & bested them. With permission from
the High King of Ireland they then proceeded to march to Armagh to the
Palace of the Ulster Kings and burnt it to the ground, winning for themselves a new kingdom. This new
kingdom was called "Orghilla" or "Oriel" which extended from the County of Louth to
the County of Donegal. The first king of Orghilla, would be Colla-da-Chrioch.
So then from Eochaidh
came the three Collas, and one of them would be the first king of
Orghilla (Oriel), and he was [4]Colla-de-Chrioch, and starting with him a
sketch of the line of decent runs as follows: [5]Cochadha, [6]Deaghia
Dhuirn, [7]Feigh, Note: The
5th century saw the beginning of written history for Ireland
& Great Britain, the time that Niall Noigiallach('Niall of the
Nine Hostages') became King of Tara & of all Ireland, the time
the Ui'Neill began to rule, leading to the O'Neill line of
Kings it was also the traditional time of Saint Patricks arrival
in Ireland in 432 A.D.; to continue [8]Criomhthuinn(440-A.D.),
[9]Eochaidh(500-A.D.)(Note
Eochaidhs brother Cearbhalls blood line leads to
O'Carroll of ELY, this is how Maguire was recognized as a
dependant Sept of Clan
Cian.), [10]Cairpre an Daibhairgid, [11]Cormaic,
[12]Aodh, [13]Feargusa, [14]Corb, [15]Mac Eignidh, [16]Iorgiallaigh,
[17]Briain Clan Lugan, Note: At
about this time the Vikings would have started their raids on Ireland in
795 A.D.. This would be the start of the Viking hereditary mix in
Ireland.; to continue [18]Odhar mac Cearnaigh
Clan Lugan, and finally in about (956-A.D.)
[19]Oirghiallaigh Magh
Uidhir
The name appears as above according to "Geinealaighe
Fearmanach" ("Fermanagh Genealogies") which this pedigree is mainly
based on & according to it the first Maguire is placed at Uidhir
#21 but more likely according to an earlier
and therefore a more accurate document the "Leabhar Laighean" or "Book
of Leinster" the name here is Odhar
Meicc-Uidhir with the placement of the first Maguire here at
#19. The confusion comes from the fact that in Gaelic Oirghiallaigh
sounds similar to Odhar. Uidhir (pronounced Uwarr) is the genitive or
possessive form of Odhar (pronounced Owarr), meaning that which is
grouped under or belongs to Odhar. In English we use an 's' at the end
of a word to show posession one possible phonetic paraphrase could be
- (Owarr's Son Owarr) or Guire's Son Guire.
Many
Thanks to Philip
McManus for the information on #19!
Many Thanks also goes to
John D
McLaughlin for helping me out by sending me a copy of the "Fermanagh
Genealogies" found in the magazine Analecta Hibernica, No. 3 by the
Irish Manuscripts Commission of the Republic of Ireland, also for the
information on the The Milesian
Legends found in the "Leabhar Gabhala".