- Uí Briúin
The Uí Briúin were an Irish kin-group. Their
eponym ousapical ancestor was Brion, son ofEochaid Mugmedon , an elder brother ofNiall of the Nine Hostages . They formed part of theConnachta , along with theUí Fiachrach andUí Ailello , putative descendants of Eochaid Mugmedon's sons Fiachra and Ailill. The Uí Ailello were later replaced as the third of the Three Connachtas, by genealogical sleight of hand, by theUí Maine .Connacht was ruled in early times by the Uí Fiachrach, the Uí Briúin only becoming the dominant force in Connacht in 7th and 8th centuries.
The Uí Briúin divided into multiple septs, the major ones being:
* The Uí Briúin Ai, named for the region they controlled—Mag Ai, the lands around the presumed ancient centre of Connacht, Cruachan in modern
County Roscommon . Major divisions of the Uí Briúin Ai were the Síl Muiredaig, from whom the many high medieval dynasties ofUa Conchobair (O'Connors) were descended, and the Síl Cathail.* The Uí Briúin Bréifne, whose high medieval kingdom of
Bréifne lay in modernCounty Cavan andCounty Leitrim . The O'Reilly and Ó Ruairc dynasties were among the septs of the Uí Briúin Bréifne.* The Uí Briúin Seóla, who were centred around
Tuam in modernCounty Galway .* The Uí Briúin Umaill, in far west Connacht, on the shores of
Clew Bay , modernCounty Mayo .References
* Byrne, Francis John, "Irish Kings and High-Kings." Batsford, London, 1973. ISBN 0-7134-5882-8
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