Historical Background:

{ See Province of LEINSTER }

FORMATION of COUNTY LOUTH

   In the reign of King John, A.D. 1210, Louth was formed into a county.

It acquired its name from the town of Louth, in Irish Lugh Mhagh, which signifies the "Plain of Lugh or Lugaid"--and which probably was so called after some ancient chief.

THE EARLY YEARS in ANCIENT ORGAILL

ANCIENT ORGIALL

There were two territories of this name in the Kingdom of Orgiall:

• one called sometimes Ui-Meith-Tire (from its inland situation), and sometimes Ui-Meith- Macha, from its contiguity to Annagh;
• and the other Ul-Meith Mara, from its contiguity to the sea.

The latter was more anciently called "Cuailghne;" and its name and position are preserved in the anglicised name of "O'Meath," a district in the county Louth, comprising ten townlands, situate between Carlingford and Newry. The "Hy-Meith Macha" or" Hy-Meith Tire" is a territory in the present county Monaghan, comprising the parishes of Tullycorbet, Kilmore, and Tehallan, in the barony of Monaghan. Of this territory the O'Hanrattys were the ancient chiefs, before they were dispossessed by the sept of the Mac Mathghahna (or MacMahons); and saint Maeldoid, the patron saint of Muckno, at Castleblayney, was of the same stock as the O'Hanrattys. That Saint Maeldoid, according to Colgan, was a lineal descendant of Colla-da-Crioch: "S. Maldodius de Mucknam, filius Fingini filii Aidi, filii Fiachri, filii Fiachae, filii  Eugenii, filii Briani, filii Muredachi, filii Colla-fochrioch (or Colla-da-Chrioch)." The Muintir Birn (some of whose descendants have anglicised their name Bruen), a district in the south of the barony of Dungannon, adjoining the territory of Trough in the county Monaghan, and Toaghie, now the barony of Armagh, were descended from the same progenitor as the Ui-Meith, namely, Muredach Meith, as above.

Ancient Orgiall also included the territory embraced in the present counties of Tyrone and Derry; but of that territory the Clan Colla were gradually dispossessed by the race of Owen (son of Niall of the Nine Hostages), from whom it derived the name Tir-Owen.

The native chiefs held their independence down to the reign of Elizabeth...

MAJOR LANDHOLDERS in LOUTH

The O'Carrolls were princes of Oriel down to the Anglo-Norman invasion.

Amongst the other chief clans who possessed Louth were those of MacCann, MacCartan, O'Kelly, O'Moore, O'Callaghan, O'Carragher, MacColman, MacCampbell, MacArdle, MacKenny, or MacKenna, O'Devin, O'Markey, O'Branagan, MacScanlan, and others.

ACCORDING to Connellan, the chief Anglo-Norman or British families settled in Louth were:

• De Lacy;

• De Verdon;

• De Gernon;

• De Pepard;

• De Flemming, barons of Slane;

• Bellew, of Barmeath, who had formerly the title of barons of Duleek;

• De Bermingham, earls of Louth, a title afterwards possessed by the Plunkets;

• Taaffe, earls of Carlingford (in the peerage of the United Kingdom, Mr. Chichester Fortescue, late M.P. for the county Louth, was A.D. 1874, created "baron Carlingford");

• Ball;

• Brabazon;

• Darcy;

• Dowdal;

• Clinton, etc.;

• Fortescue, now earls of Claremont;

• the family of Gorge, barons of Dundalk;

• Foster, viscounts Ferard, and barons of Oriel.