Ó Fearghail

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O'Farrell
Ó Fearghail
Coat of arms of Kevin Joseph Farrell (Cardinal).svg
Parent houseConnachta
CountryIreland
Founded11th century
FounderFearghail
TitlesKing of Fortúatha
Prince of Annally
Bishop of Ardagh

O'Farrell (Irish: Ó Fearghail) is the first anglicised form of Ó Fearghail, an Irish noble family of County Longford who were historically the Princes of Annaly. The patronym means "descendant of Fearghail", whose name means "man of valour". Fearghail fought alongside Brian Boru at the Battle of Clontarf and was a great-grandson of Angaile, or An Uillin, the 10th-century nobleman who conquered and gave his name to Annaly. The surname largely became Farrell. The O'Farrells are distinct from their neighbours the O'Farrellys.

Fearghail's great-grandfather Angaile's line were chiefs of the Muintir Anghaile, a Laigin clan comprising the Mac Gofraidh (Jefferies), the Mac Murchadha (Murphy), and the Ó Súilleabháin (O'Sullivan) families. On conquering Annaly, Angaile became a King of Fortúatha and the O'Farrells were Princes of Annaly for 6 centuries. The lineage of Fearghail also provided chiefs of the Dál Messin Corb dynasty and its derivative Uí Garrchon, a clan comprising the Ó Corra (Carr), Ó Guaire (Gore), and Ó Lionnain (Lennon) families.[1]

Early history[]

The origin of the name is in 7th century Ireland, when Saint Máedóc of Ferns baptised and renamed the sons of Ailill, whose descent from High King Niall is recorded in the Lives of Irish Saints as: "Ailill, son of Rechtaide, son of Eitin, son of Felim, son of Caol, son of Áed, son of Ailill, son of Erc, son of Eógan, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages."[2] The brothers Mac Ailill thus became Fearghus and Faircheallaigh and were made Saint Máedóc's heirs to Rosinver Abbey and Drumlane Abbey. Whereas the Ó Faircheallaigh of County Cavan were historically the Abbots of Drumlane, the Ó Fearghuis of County Leitrim did not keep to Rosinver (also known as Cuillin na bFer), as a 10th-century descendant of Fearghus named Angaile, or An Uillin, went on to conquer and give his name to the territory of Annaly in County Longford (Counties Cavan, Leitrim and Longford all neighbouring each other), becoming a King of Fortúatha. An Uillin's great-grandson Fearghail died fighting alongside Brian Boru at the Battle of Clontarf and the Ó Fearghuis became the Ó Fearghail.

The O'Farrell chieftain historically sat at the O'Farrell stronghold of Longford (Irish orthography: Longphort Uí Fhearghail), with another O'Farrell seat at Moatfarrell (Irish orthography: Móta Uí Fhearghail) in the eastern part of Annaly, between Ballinalee and Edgeworthstown. From the early 11th century until the colonial confiscations of James I in the early 17th century, the O'Farrells ruled Annaly as a principality. This rule was disrupted by repeated English invasions in the 12th and 13th centuries. By the 15th century, the O'Farrells regained complete control and had divided into the North Annaly ruling White O'Farrell (Irish orthography: Uí Fhearghail Bán) and the South Annaly ruling Yellow O'Farrell (Irish orthography: Uí Fhearghail Buí). After the tribal Gaelic Order had been shattered, many members of the clan became tenants of their old land with English and Scottish landlords.

Bishops of Ardagh[]

  • Cairbre Ó Fearghail, Bishop of Ardagh (1373–1378)
  • Conchobhar Ó Fearghail, Bishop of Ardagh (1416–1423)
  • Risdeárd Ó Fearghail, Bishop of Ardagh (1425–1444)
  • Seaán Ó Fearghail, Bishop of Ardagh (1462–)
  • Donatus Ó Fearghail, Bishop of Ardagh (1467–1469)
  • Seaán Ó Fearghail, Bishop of Ardagh (1469–1479)
  • Uilliam Ó Fearghail, Bishop of Ardagh (1482–1516)

Modern Era[]

Main articles: O'Farrell and Farrell (surname)

Members of the O'Farrell family served in an Irish regiment of the Spanish Army in the Eighty Years' War in the 1580s. Although originally intending to fight on the English side for Elizabeth I in support of the Dutch United Provinces, religious factors and better pay offered by the Spaniards resulted in their changing sides. By the time of the Irish Rebellion of 1641, many troops returned to fight with the Irish Catholic movement of confederate Ireland. After the Confederates were defeated many of the Irish soldiers returned to Spain. Some of these later defected to French armies seeking better conditions. By the end of the 17th century, the O'Farrell clan had mostly returned to Ireland.

The current chief of the O'Farrell family is of the House of More O'Farrell, a noble house formed by fusion with another of Ireland's most ancient families, the O'Mores. The head of the House of More O'Farrell is titled, Lord of Laois and Prince of Annaly, the former coming from the House of O'More and the latter from the House of O'Farrell. The O'Farrell surname is abundant in the present-day midland counties of Ireland, especially in County Longford, where it is second in number only to O'Reilly.

Timeline[]

  • 1014: Fergal's great-grandfather Anghaile has by this stage established control over Annaly.
  • 1014: Fergal of Conmaicne was killed during the Battle of Clontarf. It is from this man that the O'Farrell clan claims their descent.[3]
  • 1262: The English of Meath pillage the lands of Lord of Annaly GiUa O’Farrell (the Just), causing him to take revenge by slaying many and destroying land in County Meath.
  • 1316: The O’Farrell's fought at the Second Battle of Athenry in support of Edward the Bruce's Irish Campaign, with four prominent O’Farrellys dying by the victorious English.
  • 1323: A large English army under Lord Bermingham attempted to attack the O’Farrells but were repulsed and slain at the command of Donnell O’Farrell.
  • 1329: The sons of John O’Farrell and a group of Meath English lured and murdered the Earl of Breifne at a house in Fore.[4]
  • 1347–1583: No fewer than seven O’Farrells served as Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise.
  • 1452: The Chief O’Farrell clashed briefly with the Earl of Ormond, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, over the imprisonment of Lord Bermingham's son by the O’Reilly's of East Breifne. O’Farrell buys Ormond off, and the Lord Lieutenant leaves to pursue O’Reilly.
  • 1464: John O’Farrell and Redmond O’Farrell of the Annaly Lords died of bubonic plague along with members of their families.
  • 1471: A battle between the O’Reilly's and the O’Farrell's took place at Clankee in which the O’Reilly commander was killed and the Chief O’Farrell was taken prisoner.
  • 1475: A number of O’Farrells were banished to the English of Meath for killing a member of the clan.
  • 1504: Chief O’Farrell (along with most other Irish chiefs) joined forces with the Lord Deputy, Gearóid FitzGerald, and they formed a very large army. This English/Gaelic army marched on Munster and were victorious over the O’Briens at the Battle of Knockdoe, one of the largest battles ever witnessed in Ireland.
  • 1565: The Annaly O’Farrell's repeatedly clashed with the new Lord Deputy to Ireland, Sir Henry Sidney, who planned to shire the county.
  • 1618: The O'Farrell's of Longford are finally deposed as Lords of Annaly by King James I, losing their lands and privileges forever. “They were deprived of their estates without any compensation whatsoever, or any means of subsistence assigned them” (Annals of the Four Masters).
  • 1620: The first written record of an O'Farrell in the English language was by Father Richard O’Farrell, who was a priest in Annaly, Longford. He was a member of the Irish Catholic Confederacy, and later witnessed and wrote about conflicts on the European Continent.
  • 1646: At the Battle of Benburb, General Richard O'Farrell, arrived in Ireland from his serving as an officer in the Spanish Army on the continent, led the Longford Column which was an O'Farrell force in the Irish Confederate Army under the leadership of Owen Roe O’Neill, and decisively defeated the Covenanters in a large scale major pitched battle. O'Farrell was deputy to Owen Roe O'Neill in the Irish Confederate Army.
  • 1649: At the First Siege of Waterford, Oliver Cromwell battled with General Richard O'Farrell who arrived in order to defend the city. O'Farrell was victorious due to tactical superiority to Cromwell, namely via siege warfare experience gained battling in the Low Countries in Spanish and French armies.
  • 1649: In Wexford, Captain Daniel O'Farrell recaptured Enniscorthy Castle from the New Model Army.
  • 1650: Francis Fergus O’Farrell was born in County Longford. He moved to the Netherlands, married a local girl, and had six children. Eventually, he served in the army of William of Orange and saw action in England and Ireland, fighting for the Protestants.
  • 1652: After Waterford, General Richard O'Farrell appeared again in Irish history, this time defending Galway with Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara against the New Model Army. Here the English Parliamentarians were victorious.
  • 1657: The remnants of the O’Farrell clan, known as the Wild Geese, were in the service of the French Army, and commanded an access route to Brussels during the Franco-Spanish War. However, at the behest of exiled Charles II of England, they switched sides and allowed the Spanish to pass on the road and attack Brussels from Flanders.[5]
  • 1662: The O’Farrell clan, on the orders of the recently reinstated King Charles II, was commissioned to Tangier in North Africa. 381 O’Farrells make up the bulk of the Irish contingent, which was half of the Tangier Regiment, and sailed for Africa.[6]
  • 1691: Ceadagh O’Farrell of Annaly, Longford was killed at the Battle of the Boyne. Ceadagh's three sons fled to fight in French Brigades, with some settling in Picardy, France.[7]
  • 1709: Roger O'Farrell authored a work entitled "Linea Antiqua, or, A Genealogical, Cronological, and Historical Account of the Gathelian, Melesian, Scottish or Irish People, or Nation, from the beginning of time to this Year of Our Lord 1709", which collected together many genealogical pedigrees of the Gaels. It was later transcribed by Sir William Betham and copied by John O'Hart in his Irish Pedigrees. The document is held by the Genealogical Office at the National Library of Ireland.

Related articles[]

References[]

  1. ^ History of the Clan; accessed November 2013
  2. ^ Lives of Irish Saints
  3. ^ History of the Clan; accessed November 2013
  4. ^ Annals of the Four Masters; accessed November 2013
  5. ^ Longford Musketeers; accessed November 2013
  6. ^ Longford Musketeers; accessed November 2013
  7. ^ History of the Clan; accessed November 2013
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