Keenaght (barony)

This article is about the barony of Keenaght. For the townland, see Keenaght (townland).
Keenaght
Cianachta[1] (Irish)

Location of Keenaght, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Country Northern Ireland
County Londonderry

Keenaght (from Irish Cianachta, meaning "race of Cain"[1][2]) is a barony in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.[3] It connects to the north-Londonderry coastline, and is bordered by four other baronies: Coleraine to the east; Loughinsholin to the south-east; Tirkeeran to the west; and Strabane Upper to the south-west.[3] It was the territory of the O'Connors of the Cianachta Glengiven from the 5th century until its take over in the 12th century by the O'Kanes.[4] The largest settlement in the barony is town of Limavady.

History

Originally called the barony of Lymavady prior to 1613,[5] the barony of Keenaght gets its name from an anglicisation of the Irish Ciannachta, which is derived from Cianachta Glenn Geimin (race of Cain of Glengiven), also spelt as Ciannachta Glenn Geimin and Ciannachta Glinne Geimin. The principle sept of the Cianachta Glenn Geimin was the Ó Conchobhair (O'Connor), who ruled there from the 5th century until they were succeeded by the Ó Cathaín (O'Kane) in the 12th century.[4]

In 681, Cenn Fáelad, king of Cianachta Glenn Geimin, along with Dungal Eilni, king of the Cruthin and Dál nAraidi, were killed at Dún Cethirinn by Máel Dúin mac Máele Fithrich of the Cenél Meic Ercae of Cenél nEógain.[6][7][8]

Some form of combination of the Cianachta Glenn Geimin along with the Cenél Feradaig and Dál nAraidi was suspected of involvement in the death of Eochaid mac Domangairt, king of the Cenél nGabráin of Scottish Dál Riata in 697.[9] This act was carried out by Fiannamail ua Dúnchado who would later become king of Dál Riata, however in 700, he along with Flann mac Cinn-faelad of the Cianachta Glinne Geimin were slain in turn.[9]

After its fall to the Ó Cathaín, Keenaght became the homeland to their followers, the Ó Maoláin (Mullan).[10] and the Mac Giollagain (MacGilligan). By the early 17th century, the latter controlled what was called "MacGilligans country" along the north coast, which has been preserved in the form of the present-day parish of Magilligan and the Magilligan peninsula.[11]

An Ó Coinne (O'Quinn) is later noted in Annals of the Four Masters in 1218 as being chief of Moy Lugad, which according to the Books of Lecan and Ballymote, lay in Keenaght.[12]

References in the Annals

Keenaght is mentioned in the Annals under a variety of spellings of Cianachta Glenn Geimin. U stands for Annals of Ulster, M for Annals of the Four Masters, A stands for unspecified annals.[4]

List of major settlements

List of civil parishes

Below is a list of civil parishes in Keenaght:[13]

References

  1. 1 2 Logainm - Barony of Keenaght
  2. ↑ Dal Cassian Sept
  3. 1 2 PRONI Baronies of Northern Ireland
  4. 1 2 3 Ireland's History In Maps - Northern Ui Neill
  5. ↑ The Conquest of Ireland - County Londonderry Lands and Families in Northern Ireland, page 388, Rev. George Hill
  6. ↑ A New History of Ireland, p. 212.
  7. ↑ Charles-Edwards, p. 68.
  8. ↑ Maney (2002), p. 67.
  9. 1 2 3 Maney (2004), p. 265.
  10. ↑ Electric Scotland - Mullin
  11. ↑ Bell, p. 77.
  12. ↑ Ireland's History In maps - Baronies
  13. ↑ Map of the baronies and civil parishes of County Londonderry

Bibliography

  • Bell, Robert (2003). The book of Ulster surnames. The Black Staff Press. ISBN 0-85640-602-3. 
  • Charles Edwards, T.M. (2006). The Chronicle of Ireland, Volume 1. Liverpool University Press. ISBN 9780853239598. 
  • Cosgrove, Art, ed. (2008). A New History of Ireland, II Medieval Ireland 1169-1534. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-019-953970-3. 
  • Maney, Laurance. Erratum for Volume 20/21 of the "Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium". Source: Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium, Vol. 22 (2002), pp. 264-269. Department of Celtic Languages & Literatures, Harvard University. 
  • Maney, Laurance. "I Wonder What the King Is Doing Tonight" Looking for Arthur in All the Wrong Places. Source: Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium, Vol. 24/25 (2004/2005), pp. 54-72. Department of Celtic Languages & Literatures, Harvard University. 

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