Clan Muircheartaigh Uí Conchobhair

The 'Clan Muircheartaigh Uí Conchobhair (aka Clan Murtagh O'Connors) were descendants of Irish High-King Toirdelbach Ua Conchobair, via his son, Muircheartach Muimhneach (d.1210). They have been defined by Katherine Simms as:

... the earliest, most aristocratic and best documented example of increasing nomadism in the northern half of Ireland in the late middle ages. ... In spite of the fact that they were a very numerous branch of the O'Conor family, who supplied five kings to the throne of Connacht, they seem to have vanished away in the early fifteenth century, never to be heard of again.

Clan Muircheartaigh Kings of Connacht

• Cathal mac Conchobair Ruadh Ua Conchobair, reigned 1280-1288
• Maghnus mac Conchobair Ruadh Ua Conchobair, reigned 1288-1293
• Aodh Breifnech (i.e, of Breifne), reigned 1309-1310
• Ruaidrí, reigned 1315-1316
• Aodh, reigned 1342-1343, Died 1350

Short history

The family held the lordship of south County Mayo prior to the Norman occupation of Connacht by Richard Mór de Burgh. Thereafter they attempted with short periods of success to contest for the title of the rump-Kingdom of Connacht in the King's Cantreds with their cousins, the descendants of Cathal Crobhdearg Ua Conchobair. From the 1290s their main base of activity was in West Breifne. After the 1360s their standing was greatly reduced and they returned to County Roscommon as supporters of the O'Conor Roe, gradually fading into obscurity.

Family tree (simplified)

• Kg. = King of Connacht

                        Tairrdelbach, King of Connacht & Ard Rí na hÉireann, 1088-1156.
                                  |
    ______________________________|____________________________________________
   |                              |                                           |
   |                              |                                           |
   Ruaidrí                 Muirchertach Muimnech                   Cathal Crobhdearg, 1153-1224, 
 c.1115-1198                    Tainiste of Connacht                    Kg. 1202-24.       
 King of Connacht,                d.1210                       Ancestor of Ó Conchubhair Ruadh & Ó Conchubhair Donn                                          
 & Ard Rí na hÉireann             |                                                              
                                  |
                                Conor Ruad, d.1245
    ______________________________|____________________________________________
    |                                                                         |
    |                                                                         | 
    Cathal Ruad                                                          Maghnus
    Kg. Conn. 1280-88; 1293                                              Kg. Conn 1288-1293
    |                                                                         
    |________________________________________________________                               
    |                               |                       |
    |                               |                       |
    Conor Ruad                   Aodh Breifnech           Ruaidri
    claimant. 1296               Kg. Conn. 1309-10        Kg. Conn. 1315-16                                                                  
                                    |
        ____________________________|____________________________                             
        |                               |                       |
        Aodh                         Cathal                    Ruaidri
        Kg. Conn. 1342-43             Tainiste                  Tainiste
        d.1350                         d.1366                   d.1380

References

• A Lost Tribe - The Clan Murtagh O'Conors, Katherine Simms, pp. 1–22, Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society, volume 53, 2001