History: The "O'Ferrall" Sept, Princes Of Annaly

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Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives
Longford Index
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File contributed by:  C.Hunt

 THE "O'FERRALL" SEPT, PRINCES OF ANNALY

 This illustrious family is of Milesian origin; descended 
from Milesius, who was King of Galicia, Andalusia, Murcia, 
Castile, and Portugal, and who is known as Milesius of 
Spain. The Milesians came into this country several 
centuries before the birth of Christ. The three sons of 
Milesius who left any issue were Heber, Ir, and Heremon. 
From Ir descended FergusMor, who (by Meave, or Mab, Queen of 
Connaught) was the father of three sons, named respectively 
Conmac, Ciar, and Corc: from Ciar are descended the 
O'Connors of Kerry, who were kings, Agri Kerriensis (the 
O'Connors of Connaught being descended from Heremon); from 
Corc, the O'Connors of Corcomroe, and the O'Loughlins of 
Burren, both territories being situate in the County of 
Clare; and from the eldest son, Conmac, the O'Farrells, 
Kings of Conmacne (this word signifying "the posterity of 
Conmac"), which contained all that territory which we now 
call the County of Longford, a large portion of the Counties 
of Leitrim, Sligo, and Galway, and that part of the County 
of Westmeath anciently called Cuircneach, but more lately 
"Dillon's Country."

 From Angall, a direct lineal descendant of Conmac, that 
part of Conmacne now known as the County of Longford, and 
Cuircneach, in Westmeath, was called "Upper Annaly;" and the 
adjacent part of the County of Leitrim was called "Lower 
Annaly;" and his posterity, after they lost the title of 
Kings of Conmacne, which his ancestors enjoyed, were, upon 
their submission to the Crown of England, styled Princes or 
Lords of both Annalies until a recent period.

 Third in descent from Angall was Feargal (a quo 
"O'Ferrall"), who was King of Conmacne, and was slain 
fighting on the side of Brian Boru, at the Battle of 
Clontarf, A.D. 1014.

 About that time the O'Farrells conquered Cairbre the 
Incredulous (upon whom, for his incredulity, the malediction 
of St. Patrick swiftly descended), and dispossessed the 
O'Kearys, whose tribe name was Hy-Cairbri; and they changed 
the name "Hy-Cairbri" to "Annaly"— their own tribe name.

 In 1183, Auliffe, or Awly O'Farrell assumed the lordship of 
Annaly; the English and Annadh O'Rourke having previously, 
in 1172 slain Donnall O'Farrll, the chieftain of that 
territory.

 Tradition says that O'Farrell had seven castles in Annaly, 
which bore the following names: 1. Mornin, in the parish of 
Taghsheenod; 2. Ardandra, in Agharra; 3. Cammagh; 4. 
Castlereagh, in Moydoe; 5. Moat Farrell, in Clonbroney (it 
is said that there is a hollow or cave in this moat into 
which, in time of danger, the O'Farrels used to escape from 
their enemies); but it is highly probable that he had more 
than seven castles.

 It is believed that the military barracks in the town of 
Longford occupy the site of the O'Farrell's ancient 
fortified residence, which in Irish was named 
Longport-Ui-Fhearghail, meaning the "Fortress of O'Farrell;" 
and which gave its name to the town and county of Longford.

 Source: 
 Records relating to the Dioceses of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise 
By The Very Rev. John Canon Monaghan, D.D., V.F.