EÓGANACHTAReferences and Further Reading
Simms, Katharine. “Guesting and Feasting in Gaelic Ireland.”
Jnl. Roy. Soc. Antiq. Ire. 108 (1978): 67−100.
Kelly, Fergus. A Guide to Early Irish Law. Dublin: Dublin
Institute for Advanced Studies, 1988.
Ramsey, Greer. “A Breath of Fresh Air: Rectal Music in
Gaelic Ireland.” Archaeology Ireland, 16 no. 1 (Spring
2002): 22−23.
See alsoLaw Tracts; Music; Society Functioning of,
Gaelic
EÓGANACHTA
The Eóganachta emerged at the beginning of recorded
history to become the dominant dynasty in the south
of Ireland, the ancient kingdom of Munster, at approx-
imately the same time as the Uí Néill in the north of
the country. The name Eóganachta may indicate
descent from a divine or human ancestor connected
with the yew tree, suggesting a parallel with the Gaulish
tribe, the Eburones, “yew people.” The yew tree is said
to have been regarded as sacred by the Eóganacht. The
importance of this tree held right into the historic
period, the ending of Eóganacht power is said to have
been symbolized by the destruction of an ancient yew
tree at the Eóganacht monastery of Emly by the Dál
Cais. The genealogies claim that they descended from
the mythical Eógan Mór (also known as Mug Nuadat),
son of Ailill Ólum. It may have been that the Eóganachta
were colonists who returned or were driven from their
conquests in Britain, which could account for the
Latin borrowing for the name of their capital, Caisel
(modern Cashel, County Tipperary, from castellum).
Around the beginning of the fifth century, the rulers
of some Irish kingdoms in North Wales were expelled
by the original inhabitants, which may or may not be
coincidental, although traditionally Munster colonists
in Britain were said to have been the Uí Liatháin and
the Waterford Déisi. The favored-ally status of the Déisi
with the Eóganachta in historical times may well stem
from such colonial activities.
A remarkable feature of the Eóganacht kingship
was its association with Caisel and Christianity. Unlike
the capitals of the other provinces such as Tara, Emain
Macha, or Cruachain, Caisel had not been a ritual
center in prehistoric times and was associated in his-
toric times only with the Eóganachta. Tírechán’s
seventh-century biography of Patrick tells us that
Patrick himself baptized the sons of Nadfraích super
Petram Cothrigiat Caisel. This is an obvious invention
but would appear to be an early effort to tie Munster
in with Armagh and the supremacy of the Uí Néill.
The story of Conall Corc and his sons and their acqui-
sition of the kingship of Munster has some parallels
with the tales that attach to Niall Noígiallach and his
rise to power in the north of Ireland. The legends of
Corc of Caisel included both pagan elements, found
in a seventh-century text, Conall Corc and the Corcu
Loígde, and Christian elements, in the eighth-century
texts, The Exile of Conall Corc andThe Finding of
Caisel. The literatiof the Eóganachta liked to depict
the kingship of Munster as a benevolent place, more
peaceful than the Uí Néill kingship in the north.
Six main branches may be identified: Eóganacht
Áine, Eóganacht Chaisil, Eóganacht Glendamnach,
Eóganacht Airthir Chliach, Eóganacht Locha Léin,
and Eóganacht Raithlind. Others such as Eóganacht
Arran; Eóganacht Ruis Argait, also called Ninussa; and
the Uí Fidgenti in Limerick and Uí Liatháin in Cork,
who are included in the tract The Expulsion of the Déisi
as one of the Eóganachta dynasties, may have been
segments of the main branches or grafted onto the
ruling stem at a later date in the case of the last two
named. Ultimately all of the Eóganachta were said to
have been descended from Eógan Mór, son of Ailill
Ólum. However, Eóganacht Raithlind (Uí Eachach
Muman) and Eóganacht Locha Léin may also have
been later grafts onto the main Eóganacht stock and
rarely figured in the kingship of Caisel, which
remained with a few exceptions in the grasp of the
eastern Eóganachta, the descendants of Óengus mac
Nad Fraích maic Cuirc of Caisel, who consisted of
Eóganacht Chaisil, Eóganacht Glendamnach, and
Eóganacht Airthir Chliach. Eóganacht Caisel were set-
tled around Caisel itself; Eóganacht Glendamnach
around Glanworth in north Cork; Eóganacht Áine at
Knockaney in County Limerick; Eóganacht Locha
Léin around Loch Léin in Killarney; and Eóganacht
Raithlind in the Lee and Bride valleys to the west of
Cork Harbor.
The Eóganachta had a complicated relationship with
their vassal kingdoms. There seems no doubt that the
Déisi of Waterford and the Múscraige (in at least six
widely separated túathafrom north Tipperary to west
Cork) acted as facilitators for the Eóganachta and were
treated as favored allies, and extant texts show that the
kingship of Caisel/Munster was based on mutual obli-
gations between the king and his subkings and vassals.
While the text may be aspirational rather than the letter
of the law, it shows that the king of Caisel was expected
to give compensatory gifts in order of precedence in
return for the services, such as hosting, tribute, and so
forth that he got from his vassal states.
The most notable kings of Munster were Cathal mac
Finguine of Eóganacht Glendamnach (d. 742) and
Fedelmid mac Crimthainn (d. 847), both of whom
were notable warriors who went on the offensive
against the ever-increasing power of the Uí Néill kings
of Tara. The Eóganacht ruled Munster for over 500
years until the rise of the Dál Cais in the tenth century,