Umaill
Umaill was a territory located in the west of what is now County Mayo, comprising the Baronies of Burrishoole and Murrisk, essentially all the land adjacent to Clew Bay.
The Gaelic culture and Irish language continued on in the area longer than most other parts of Ireland. Today, Acaill and An Corrán are part of the Mayo Gaeltacht.
The realm was finally suppressed in the Tudor period, conquered by the forces of Richard Bingham in 1593. It had then been under the leadership of Gráinne Ní Mháille (Grace O'Malley), who was powerful there in lieu of her nephew, Éamonn Ó Máille, infant son of her brother and previous king, Lochlann Ó Máille who died in 1580. The English forces successfully integrated the realm into County Mayo.
Description
Knox says of Murrisk "With Burrishoole it forms the kingdom of Aicill and Umall, which comes into history at the battle of Moy Lena. Aicill seems to be a descriptive term applied to mountainous country. Umall means low, and applies in this sense to the country lying east of Clew Bay, as Aicill applies to the parts lying north and south of the bay. The title may be translated as King of Highland and Lowland. Aicill survives in Achill Island and Curraun peninsula. The term was applied to the country between Clew Bay and the Killeries in the thirteenth century. Though at all times an independent kingdom acknowledging supremacy of only the King of Connacht, it was too small to play an independent part, and therefore is rarely mentioned in the annals." (p. 303).
Kings of Umaill
Its earliest rulers were the semi-historical Tuath mhac nUmhoir. The Umaill, its early historical rulers, were renamed the Uí Briúin Umaill to claim a fictitious relationship with the Uí Briúin. By the 12th century the ruling family adopted the surname Ó Máille (O'Malley), and were reckoned with the Ó Dubhda (O'Dowd), Ó Flaithbheartaigh (O'Flaherty) and Mac Conraoi (Conroy) as supreme seafaring clans of Connaught.
Annalistic references
- 807.A slaughter was made of the foreigners by the men of Umhall.
- 808.A battle between the men of Umhall and the foreigners, in which the men of Umhall were slaughtered, and Cosgrach, son of Flannabhrat, and Dunadhach, lord of Umhall, were slain.
- 848. Loch Laeigh, in the territory of Umhall, in Connaught, migrated.
- U913.6. Niall son of Aed led an expedition to Connacht and inflicted a battle-rout on the warriors of the north of Connacht, i.e. on the Uí Amalgada and the men of Umall, and they left behind a very large number either dead or captured, including Mael Cluiche son of Conchobor.
- M1002.10 - Conchobhar, son of Maelseachlainn, lord of Corca-Modhruadh; and Aicher Ua Traighthech, with many others, were slain by the men of Umhall.
- M1219.6. Duvdara, the son of Murray O'Malley, was put to death for his crimes by Cathal Crovderg O'Conor, while in fetters in O'Conor's fortress.
- 1415. A great prey was taken by O'Malley, i.e. Hugh, from Dermot O'Malley. Dermot in retaliation took O'Malley's Island, upon which Hugh went in pursuit of Dermot; and a battle was fought between them, in which Hugh O'Malley, Lord of Umallia, was slain by Dermot and his son Conor, and also the son of Thomas O'Malley, and Donnell, the son of Dermot O'Malley. The chieftainship of Umallia was thenceforth wrested from the descendants of Hugh; and Dermot assumed the lordship.
- 1417. Rory, the son of Murrough O'Flaherty; Rory, the son of Dermot Duv O'Flaherty, and sixteen others of the O'Flahertys, were drowned in the bay of Umallia.
Outside links
- Umaill on 'Mediæval Scotland'
References
- Knox, Hubert T: 'The History of Mayo', p. 303 (1908)
