Kings of Osraige
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The kings of Osraige (alternately spelled Osraighe or Ossory) reigned over the Kingdom of Ossory from the first or second century AD until the late twelfth century. Ossory was a semi-provincial kingdom in south-east Ireland which disappeared following the Norman Invasion of Ireland. Except for a period in the sixth century, the kingdom was ruled continuously by a single dynasty which is known to history by several names: Dál Birn being the first general term for the native ruling lineage of Osraige, and later adopting the surname Mac Giolla Phádraig by the end of the tenth century. This same dynasty eventually outlived the collapse of the kingdom into a lordship, and remarkably continued into the first half of the 20th century as landed gentry of varying rank. Thus, the kings of Osraige form one of the oldest continuous dynasties in Western Europe. By 1541, the Mac Giolla Phádraig clan had adopted the surname Fitzpatrick, which is still in use today.
Osraige
Osraige was largely a buffer state between the provincial kingdoms of Leinster and Munster. It was bounded to the south by the rivers Suir and Barrow, though it originally extended to the sea and its rulers had some influence over the Norse kings of Waterford. In the north, it may have once stretched over the Slieve Bloom mountains and reached the River Shannon, but in the historic era it generally stayed to the south of these mountains, the boundary generally being the river Barrow.
In a clockwise direction (starting at 12:00) it was bordered by the kingdoms or lordships of Éile, Ui Duach, Loigis, Ui Drona, Uí Cheinnselaig, Desi Mumhain, and Eóganachta Caisel. Its main town and dynastic capital was Kilkenny. The name Osraige is said to be from the Usdaie, a tribe that Ptolemy's map of Ireland places in roughly the same area that Ossory would later occupy. Other tribes in the vicinity were the Brigantes and the Cauci. The Osraighe themselves claimed to be descended from the Érainn people. Modern day County Kilkenny and part of west County Laois comprise the core area of what was this kingdom.
Genealogy and Succession
A number of important royal Ossorian genealogies are preserved. Notably, is MS Rawlinson B502, tracing the medieval Mac Giolla Phádraig dynasty back through Óengus Osrithe, who supposedly flourished in the first or second century.[1][2] Another is a king list from the Book of Leinster (also known as "Lebor na Nuachongbála").[3] Recent analysis of ninth and tenth century regnal succession in Osraige has suggested that in peaceful times, kingship passed primarily from eldest to youngest brother, before crossing generations and passing to sons and nephews.[4]
Early Kings of Osraige to 800[5]
- Óengus Osrithe, founder of Kingdom.
- Loegaire Birn Buadach
- ...
- Feradach Finn mac Duach (died 581 or 583), of the Corcu Loígde [6]
- Colmán mac Feradaig (died 603)
- ...
- Scannlan Mór mac Cinn Fáelad (died 644)
- Fáelán mac Crundmaíl (died 660)
- Tuaim Snámha (died 678)
- Fáelchar Ua Máele Ódrain (died 693)
- Cú Cherca mac Fáeláin (died 712)
- Fland mac Congaile
- Ailill mac Fáeláin
- Cellach mac Fáelchair (died 735)
- Forbasach mac Ailella (died 740)
- Anmchad mac Con Cherca (died circa 761)
- Tóim Snáma mac Flainn (died 770)
- Dúngal mac Cellaig (died 772)
- Fáelán mac Forbasaig (died 786)
- Máel Dúin mac Cummascaig
- Fergal mac Anmchada (died 802)
List of Kings from 842 to 1172
- Dúngal mac Fergaile (died 842) 802-842
- Cerball mac Dúnlainge 842-888 Leading his army, he is recorded as having slaughtered 1,200 Danes at Carn-Brammin (Bramblestown), in Co. Kilkenny in 845 AD. In 847 AD it is proposed that he had "Saint Canice's" Round Tower built.
- Riacan mac Dunlainge 888-894
- Diarmait mac Cerbaill 894-905
- Cellach mac Cerbaill 905-908
- Diarmait mac Cerbaill 908-928
- Cuilen mac Cellaig 928-933
- Donnchad mac Cellaig 934-976
- Gilla Patráic mac Donnchada 976-996
- Cellach mac Diarmata 996-1103
- Donnchad mac Gilla Pátraic 1003-1039 (Also king of Leinster from 1033 to 1039)
- Gilla Patráic mac Donnchada 1039-1055
- Muirchertach mac Gilla Patráic ????-1041
- Domnall mac Gilla Patráic 1055-after 1072
- Donnchad mac Domnaill after 1072-1090
- Gilla Patráic Ruad 1090-1103
- Cerball 1103-c.1113
- Domnall mac Donnchada Mac Gilla Patráic ????-1113
- Finn Ua Caellaide ????-????
- Donnchad Balc mac Gilla Patráic Ruaid after 1119-1123
- Donnchad Dub c.1121-c.1121
- Murchad Mac Murchada c.1123-1126
- Conchobar mac Cerbaill 1123-c.1126
- Gilla Patráic mac Domnaill Mac Gilla Patráic c.1126-1146
- Cerball mac Domnaill Mac Gilla Patraic 1146-1163
- Murchad Ua Caellaide ????-????
- Donnchad mac Gilla Patráic Mac Gilla Patráic after 1151-1162
- Diarmait Ua Caellaide 1170-1172 (lord of part of Osraige)
- Domnall Mac Gilla Patráic 1162/63-1165
- Domnall Mac Gilla Patráic 1162-1185
- Maelseachlainn Mac Gilla Patráic 1185-1194[7]
See also
- Dál Birn
- Mac Giolla Phádraig
- Fitzpatrick (name)
- Kingdom of Osraige
- Irish kings
- Irish Royal Families
Notes
- ↑ Genealogies from Rawlinson B 502; CELT: http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/G105003.html
- ↑ Digital images of Rawlinson B502 folios from Oxford Bodleian Library (Ossorian Genealogy is found on folio 70v): http://image.ox.ac.uk/show?collection=bodleian&manuscript=msrawlb502
- ↑ Book of Leinster, formerly Lebar na Núachongbála, online through CELT: http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G800011A/index.html
- ↑ Early Irish Regnal Succession: A Case Study; by Jim Reid. https://www.academia.edu/6401329/Early_Irish_Regnal_Succession_A_Case_Study
- ↑ From the Book of Leinster king lists and various Irish annals.
- ↑ According to the sources, Feredach Finn and his son Colmán were the last of a line of Corcu Loígde kings of Osraige. At the same time there were Osraige kings of Corcu Loígde. The two kingdoms appear to have been closely allied, however relations had spoiled causing the Osraige to kill Feradach. See FA4 (583)
- ↑ Annals of Loch Cé 1193.13, Four Masters 1194.6
References
- "Kings of Osraige, a.842-1176", pages 202-203, in "A New History of Ireland", volume IX, ed. Byrne, Martin, Moody, 1984.
- "The FitzPatricks of Ossory", T. Lyng, Old Kilkenny Review, Vol. 2, no. 3, 1981.
- Book of Leinster,Reges Ossairge at CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork
- "Kilkenny..." John Hogan/P.M. Egan, 1884
- "The Encyclopaedia of Ireland", B. Lawlor, Gill & McMillan, 2003. ISBN 0-7171-3000-2