Fir Ol nEchmacht

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It has been suggested that Cóiced Ol nEchmacht be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

Fir Ol nEchmacht was the name of a group or race of people living in pre-historic Ireland. The name may be translated as Fir=men; Ol (possibly Dal?)=race, people; nEchmacht=the given name of the people.

Virtually all of Ireland west of the Shannon was once named after them, being called Cóiced Ol nEchmacht until the early historic era (c.5th-7th centuries A.D.)

The Ol nEchmacht were divided up into three main tribes: the Fir Craibe, or Fir na Criabe; the Tuatha Taiden; the Gamanraige. Each tribe ruled respective kingdoms within the Cóiced (portion, fifth=province) of the Ol nEchmacht. All three may be the kingdoms or peoples called, respectively, the Concani, Auteni and Nagnatae who are shown on Ptolemy's map of Ireland, dated to c.150 A.D. (Some are of the opinion that Ptolemy's map may be based on cartograpy carried out as much as five hundred years earlier). Nagnatae is generally agreed to be a corruption of nEchmacht.

It was only with the rise of The Connachta dynasty that the term Fir Ol nEchmacht was dropped and the province was renamed Connacht.