Crom Ua Donnubáin

An Crom Ua Donnubáin or Crom O'Donovan (slain 1254) is the dynast recognized in all sources as the ancestor of all O'Donovans later found in Carbery in County Cork, and later still in distant County Wexford in Leinster. Nothing is known for sure of his life but his progeny, and the circumstances of his slaying and further events which followed. He was the son of Máel Ruanaid, (son of Ragnall),^[1] son of Aneislis, son of Murchad, son of Amlaíb, son of Cathal, son of Donnubán,^[2] (son of Amlaíb),^[3] son of Cathal. An uncle or near relation was Amlaíb Ua Donnubáin, last known king of Uí Chairpre Áebda (Cairbre Eva), slain in 1201.

Events and context

The compilation of primarily Munster annals known as Mac Carthaigh's Book, collected by the celebrated Prince and historian Florence MacCarthy, reports the events several years after Crom's death as follows:

“

MCB1259.1: A.D. 1259. Fínghin Reanna Róin son of Domhnall God Cairbreach [Mac Carthaigh] and the Uí Dhonnabháin killed Mac Craith son of Diarmaid son of Donnchadh na hImirce Timchill [Ó Mathghamhna] in retribution for the slaying of An Crom [Ó Donnabháin] at Inis Béil Átha Dos by the Uí Eachach, about a cowherds' brawl.

”

This Fínghin Reanna Róin is none other than Fínghin Mac Carthaigh, King of Desmond, who two years later would be the victor at the Battle of Callann, and whose father Donal Gott MacCarthy, also King of Desmond, was the founder of the MacCarthy Reagh dynasty, Princes of Carbery. The Ó Mathghamhna and Uí Echach are the powerful O'Mahonys, Kings of Eóganacht Raithlind.

Name or epithet

An Crom translates directly from the Irish into The Bent (One), recalling memories of the infamous deity Crom Cruach. However in this case the source is probably Cromad, name for the bend in the River Maigue becoming the modern Croom, County Limerick. Crom is claimed in the O'Donovan pedigrees to have been seated here and built a great fortress, although this was more likely built by his ancestor/relation Diarmaid O'Donovan. It is the origin also of the war cry "Crom Abu" of the Kildare branch of the FitzGerald dynasty, who are said to have taken the fortress from Crom.

Issue

His wife or wives are unknown, but Crom's known descendants down to the Elizabethan period are the following

• Cathal
  • Tadg, ancestor of Clann Cathail or Clancahill
    • Murchad, Lord of Clancahill
      • Rickard, Lord of Clancahill
      • Conchobar, Lord of Clancahill?
        • Ragnall, Lord of Clancahill
          • (Diarmaid) ^[4]
            • Diarmaid, Lord of Clancahill
              • Domhnall, Lord of Clancahill
              • Tadhg, Lord of Clancahill
                • Donal of the Hides, Lord of Clancahill, died 1584
                  • Diarmaid, died 1581
                  • Donal II O'Donovan, last inaugurated Lord of Clancahill, died 1639
                  • Tadhg/Teige
          • Tioboit, from whom the Sliocht Tioboid
        • Murtogh
          • Aengus
        • Diarmaid, Lord of Clancahill
    • Ragnall
      • Domhnall
      • Melaghlin
      • Diarmaid
    • Conchobar
      • Aed
  • Ímar Ua Donnubáin, from whom the Sliocht Íomhair. He was also possibly head of the entire family.
• Aneslis, had four sons, their descendants all belonging to the Sliocht Aineislis mhic an Chroim
  • Donnchad Mor
  • Rickard
  • Walter
  • Ragnall
• Lochlann
  • Donnchad of Loch Crott, ancestor of Clann Lochlainn or Clan Loughlin/Clanloughlin
    • Cathal
      • Diarmaid
        • Donnchadh, after whom the pedigree of the Lords of Clanloughlin becomes confused for three or four generations
          • (Conchobhar)
            • (Aedh)
              • (Diarmaid)
                • (Donnchadh)
                  • Domhnall na Cartan Ó Donnabháin, Lord of Clanloughlin
                    • Domhnall Og na Cartan Ó Donnabháin, Lord of Clanloughlin, died 1629

Of the remaining known septs the Sliocht Raghnaill and Sliocht Diarmada Rua are impossible to place exactly above because of the multiple occurrences of the names, while the later sept of O'Donovan's Cove are believed to descend from a near kinsman of Donal of the Hides. Finally the Sliocht Taidhg Mhic Niocaill and Clann Chonghalaigh, both also found within O'Donovan territory, possibly represent unrecorded generations.

Notes

1. ^ Ragnall does not appear in the early pedigree reprinted by Ó Cléirigh. Duald Mac Firbis says that he, although an O'Donovan, was the ancestor of the Mac Ragnaills of Carbery and Kinalea (as well as the O'Donovans). In Munster, the name is closely associated with the family of Ivar of Waterford, with whom the early O'Donovans were associated.
2. ^ Donnubán probably married a daughter of Ivar of Limerick or his son Olaf/Amlaíb.
3. ^ The extra Amlaíb found in apparently the earliest pedigrees, notably the probably 14th century one reprinted by Ó Cléirigh. This Amlaíb was possibly a maternal grandfather of Donnubán, for which speculation see Wyndham-Quin, p. 234. This may have been Amlaíb Cenncairech.
4. ^ It is uncertain if there were two in a row.

References

• Burke, Bernard, and Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd, Burke's Irish Family Records. London: Burke's Peerage Ltd. 5th edition, 1976.
• Burke, Bernard and Ashworth Peter Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Ireland. London: Harrison & Sons. 9th edition, 1899. pp. 341–2, 119–20
• Cronnelly, Richard F., Irish Family History, Part II: A History of the Clan Eoghan, or Eoghanachts. Dublin: Goodwin, Son, and Nethercott. 1864. O'Donovan pedigrees, pp. 252–64
• Lyons, J., and H. W. Gillman, "Togher Castle and District, County Cork", in Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, Volume I, Second Series. 1895. pp. 481–97
• Ó Cléirigh, Cú Choigríche, The O'Clery Book of Genealogies. early-mid 17th century.
• O'Donovan, John (ed. & tr.), Annala Rioghachta Eireann. Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters, from the Earliest Period to the Year 1616. 7 vols. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. 1848–51. 2nd edition, 1856. Volume III (pp. 352–3, notes), Volume VI (Appendix, Pedigree of O'Donovan, pp. 2430–83).
• O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees. Dublin: James Duffy and Co. 5th edition, 1892.
• Ó hInnse, Séamus (ed. & tr.) and Florence MacCarthy, Mac Carthaigh's Book, or Miscellaneous Irish Annals (A.D. 1114-1437). Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. 1947.
• O'Mahony, Jeremiah, West Cork and its Story. 1961. 2nd edition, 1975.
• O'Mahony, John, A History of the O'Mahony Septs, reprinted from the Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, Volumes 12–16, Second Series. 1906–1910.
• Ó Murchadha, Diarmuid, Family Names of County Cork. Cork: The Collins Press. 2nd edition, 1996.
• Wyndham-Quin, Caroline, and Edwin Windham-Quin, Memoirs of Adare Manor. Oxford: Messrs. Parker. 1865.

Persondata
Name	Ua Donnubain, Crom
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death	1254
Place of death