Historical Background:

{ See Province of LEINSTER }

FORMATION of COUNTY WICKLOW

Wicklow was formed into a County in the reign of King James the First.

Its name being derived from the town of Wicklow, which, it is said, was called by the Danes "Wykinlow or Wykinlough, signifying the "Harbour of Ships;" it was called by the Irish Cilmantan. According to O'Flaherty, the name of "Wicklow" was derived from the Irish Buidhe Cloch, signifying the yellow stone or rock; and probably so called from the yellow colour of its granite rocks. Wicklow was in ancient times covered with extensive forests; and the oak woods of Shilielagh, on the borders of Wicklow and Wexford, were celebrated in former times. The gold mines of Wicklow, celebrated in history, were situated in the mountain of Croghan Kinselagh, near Arklow; and pieces of solid golden ore of various sizes were found in the rivulets: one of which pieces was twenty-three ounces in weight. 

THE EARLY YEARS in LEINSTER

THE PROVINCE OF LEINSTER

Leinster: The ancient kingdom of Leinster comprised the present counties of Wexford, Wicklow, Carlow, and Queen's County, the greater part of Kildare, of King's County, Kilkenny, and that part of Dublin south of the river Liffey. Parts of Kilkenny bordering on Tipperary, and the southern parts of the King's County, belonged to ancient Munster; and some of the northern part of the King's County belonged to the province of Meath. The above named territories continued to be the limits of Leinster down to the reign of Queen Elizabeth; but in after times the old kingdom of Meath was added to Leinster, and also the county Louth, which was a part of the ancient kingdom of Ulster.

HY-KINSELLAGH AND CUALAN; OR WEXFORD, WICKLOW, CARLOW, AND PART OF DUBLIN.

UNDER this heading will be given the history and topography of the ancient territories comprised in the present counties of Wexford, Wicklow, and Carlow, with their chiefs and clans, and the possessions of each in ancient and modern times. The territory of "Hy-Cinsealach" [Hy-Kinsela] derived its name from Enna Cinsealach, King of Leinster in the time of St. Patrick; and comprised at one time the present counties of Wexford and Carlow, with some adjoining parts of Wicklow, Kilkenny, and Queen's County.

    O'Dugan, the learned historian of the O'Kellys, princes of Hy-Maine, gives a full account of all the chiefs and clans of Leath Cuin (i.e. Conn of the Hundred Battles' half of Ireland or the kingdoms of Meath, Ulster, and Connaught--see No. 83, page 67), and collected part of the topography of Leinster; but O'Heerin, another learned historian, who died A.D. 1420, wrote a continuation of O'Dugan's Topography, commencing thus; Tuilleadh Feasa air Eirinn Oigh, or "An Addition of Knowledge on Sacred Erin;" in which he gives an account of all the chiefs and clans of Leath Mogha (i.e. Mogha's half of Ireland, or the kingdoms of Leinster and Munster), and the territories they possessed in the twelfth century.

    Leinster in early times was called Gaillian or Coigeadh Gaillian, from its being possessed by the tribe of Firvolgians called Fir-Gaillian, signifying spear-men; but it afterwards got the name of Laighean [Laen] from the following circumstance: A few centuries before the Christian era, an Irish prince, named Labhra Loingseach or Laura of the Ships (Latinized Lauradius Navalls), having been banished to Gaul, became comander of the forces to the king of that country: and afterwards led an army of Gauls to Ireland for the recovery of the crown. He landed at a place more lately called Lough Garman (now Wexford Bay), and proceeded to Dinnrigh, an ancient fortress of the kings of Leinster, which was situated near the river Barrow, between Carlow and Leighlin, and there put to death the Monarch Cobthach Caolbhreagh, son of the Monarch Hugony the Great; and became himself the Ardrigh of Ireland. The name "Garman" was afterwards applied to the whole of the territory now forming the county Wexford; and the people called "Garmana," because this Gaulish colony who settled there came from those parts of Germany adjoining Gaul. The Gaulish troops brought over by Laura were armed with green broad-headed spears, called Laighin, which were introduced amongst all the forces of the province: hence it got the name of Coigeadh [cooga] Laighean or "the province of the spears;" and from Laighean or Laen came the name Laen- Tir, which has been anglicised "Leinster" or the Territory of the Spears.

    When the Firvolgians invaded Ireland, some of them landed in large force in Connaught, at Erris, in Mayo; and were called Firdomnians or Damnonians. Another body of them landed under one of their commanders named Slainge, the son of Dela, at a place called after him Inbhear Slainge [Inver Slaney], now the Bay of Wexford, from which the river "Slaney" takes its name. These Firvolgians were called Fir-Gaillian or spear-men as already mentioned; and possessed the counties of Wexford, Wicklow, and Carlow, under the name of "Galenii" or "Galenians." This territory was in after years called Hy- Cinsealach, which derived its name from Enna Cinsealach, King of Leinster at the advent of St. Patrick to Ireland; and comprised the present counties of Wexford and Carlow, with some adjoining parts of Wicklow, Kilkenny, and Queen's County.

    The territories now forming the counties of Dublin and Klldare are connected with some of the earliest events in Irish history: Partholan or Bartholinus, the Scythian, who planted the first colony in Ireland, had his residencie at Binn Eadair, now the Hill of Howth. At this place Bartholinus was cut off by a plague, together with his entire colony; all of whom were buried, according to some authors, at Moy-nEalta or the Plain of Birds, afterwards called Clontarf; but according to O'Brien these people were buried at a place called Tamlachta Muntir Partholain (signifying the burial cairns of the people of Bartholinus), which is now the Hill of Tallaght, near Dublin. Crimthann Niadh-Nar, Monarch of Ireland when Christ was born. had his chief residence and fortress, called Dun Crimthann or Crimthann's Fort, on the Hill of Howth; and so had Conary the great, the 97th Monarch of Ireland. Crimthann Niadh-Nar was a famous warrior, celebrated for his military expeditions to Gaul and Britain; and brought to Ireland from foreign countries many valuable spoils; amongst other things a gilded war-chariot, two hounds coupled together with a silver chain, and valued at three hundred cows; according to the Glossary of King Cormac MacCullenan of Cashel, this was the first introduction of greyhounds into Ireland. The ancient Irish kings and chieftains (like their Celtic or Scythian ancestors), as well as those of Gaul and Britain, fought in war-chariots, in the same manner as did Maud, the famous heroine and Queen of Connaught; and as did the British Queen Boadicea, etc. Numerous memorials of the most remote ages still exist in the counties of Dublin and Kildare, as in all other parts of Ireland; of which full accounts may be found in D'Alton's History of the County, and of the Archbishops of Dublin; Ware's and Grose's Antiquities; Vallancey's Collectanea, etc. --  CONNELLAN

HY-KINSELLAGH AND CUALAN

THE following accounts of the chiefs and clans of Wexford, Wicklow, and Carlow, and part of Dublin, and the territories possessed by each, have been collected from the Topographies of O'Heerin, O'Dugan, O'Brien, O'Halloran, and other sources. It appears that O'Dugan collected part of the topography of Leinster; but it was chiefly compiled by O'Heerin, who says:

"Leath Mogha, the portion of Heber the Fair,
The two southern territories of Erin!
Thus the plain of Leinster is mine;
And each brave man to the Bay of Limerick."

• O'Tuathail or O'Toole, chiefs of Hy-Murray, an extensive territory comprising the greater part of the baronies of Talbotstown and Shilelagh in the county Wicklow, and extending as far as Almain, now the Hill of Allen, in the county Kildare; thus containing a great portion of the baronies of Naas, Kilcullen, Kilkea and Moone, and Connell, in that county. The O'Tooles were princes of Imaile; of the same race as the MacMurroughs; and like them eligible to be kings of the province of Leinster. The celebrated St. Lawrence O'Toole was of this family.

• O'Brain, O'Broin, or O'Byrne, were chiefs of Hy-Briuin Cualan (which comprised the greater part of the barony of Ballinacor, called "O'Byrne's Country"), and also the Ranelagh: hence the O'Byrnes were styled lords of Ranelagh.

• O'Ceallaigh or O'Kelly, and O'Taidhg, chiefs of Hy-Maile [Imaile] and of Hy-Teigh. This ancient family of O'Teigh have anglicised the name "Tighe;" and the O'Kellys here mentioned were of the same race as the MacMurroghs, OTooles, O'Byrnes, etc. The territory of Hy-Teigh was also called Crioch Cualan or "Cualan's Country," which comprised the baronies of Rathdown, Newcastle, and Arklow.

• MacGiollamocholmog, chiefs of Cualan.

• O'Cosgraidh or O'Cosgrave, and O'Fiachraidh, other chiefs in Cualan.

• O'Gaithin, and O'Dunlaing or Dowling (some of this family have anglicised the name "Laing"), chiefs of Siol Elaigh and the Lagan; this territory of Siol Elaigh is now the barony of "Shilelagh," in the south of the county Wicklow.

• O'Murchada or O'Murphy, chiefs of Crioch O'Felme or Hy-Feidhlme [Hy-Felimy], and of the same race as the MacMurroughs, kings of Leinster. Hy-Felimy extended along the sea coast, and was commonly called the "Murrowes;" and comprised the baronies of Ballagheen in the county Wexford.

• O'Gairbidh or O'Garvey, other chiefs in Hy-Felimy.

• O'Cosgraidh or O'Cosgrave, chiefs of Beantraidhe, now the barony of "Bantry," county Wexford.

• O'Duibhgin, probably O'Dugan, chiefs in Shelbourne, a barony in Wexford.

• O'Lorcain or O'Larkin, chiefs of Fothart, the territory of the Foharta, now the barony of "Forth," in the county Wexford; the O'Larkins had their fortress at Carn, now the headland called Carnsore Point.

• O'h-Airtghoile (O'h-Airtghaol: Irish, "the kindred of O'Hart"), anglicised "Hartly" and "Hartilly," chiefs of Crioch-na-gCenel (the country of the clans) or Criochnageneal, a territory "O'Larkin's Country," above mentioned.

• O'Riaghain or O'Ryan, lord of Hy-Drona, a territory which comprised the present baronies of "Idrone," in the county Carlow. The O'Ryans were styled princes of Hy-Drona and were the stock of the O'Ryans who had extensive possessions in Tipperay.

• O'Nuallain, O'Nolan, or O'Nowlan, chiefs of Fotharta Feadha, now the barony of "Forth," in the county Carlow.

• O'Kinsellagh, O'Cahill, O'Doyle, O'Bulger, and MacCoskley, were powerful clans and had large possessions in the counties of Wexford and Carlow. O'Brien or MacBrien, and O'Moore, were also respectable families in Wexford. O'Doran held the high office of hereditary Brehons of Leinster; and, being the judges of that province, had extensive possessions under its ancient kings. Donald Caombanach [Cavanagh], a son of King Dermod Mac-Murrough, succeeded partly to the inheritance of the kingdom of Leinster; and from him some of his descendants took the name of Kavanagh or Cavanagh, or MacMurrough-Kavanagh.

NOTICE of HY-KINSELAGH

THE counties of Waterford and Wexford were intimately connected with the Anglo-Norman invasion under Strongbow and his followers: Dermod MacMurrough, King of Leinster, after giving his daughter Eva in marriage to Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke (commonly called Strongbow), at Waterford, A.D. 1171, also conferred on him the title of "Heir Presumptive to the Kingdom of Leinster." After Dermod'a death Strongbow succeeded to the sovereignty of Leinster, in right of his wife Eva, by whom he had an only daughter Isabel, who became heiress of Leinster; and was married to William Marshall, earl of Pembroke; who, in right of his wife, enjoyed the sovereignty of Leinster. Marshall, Earl of Pembroke, had by his marriage with Isabel five sons and five daughters; all the sons, namely, William, Richard, Gilbert, Walter, and Anselm, became in succession earls of Pembroke, and lords or princes of Leinster; but all having died without issue, the male line became extinct; the five daughters were all intermarried into noble families in England, and the different counties of Leinster were divided amongst them and their posterity (see "Hammer's Chronicle;" and Baron Finglas's "Breviate of Ireland," in Harris's "Hibernica").

MAJOR LANDHOLDERS in WICKLOW

• Maurice Fitzgerald and his descendants, in the reigns of Henry the Second and King John, got extensive grants of land about Arklow;
• and Walter de Riddlesford, who had the title of "Baron of Brey," got from King John a grant of the lands of Imaile in Wicklow, and of Castledermot in Kildare; both of which belonged to the ancient principality of O'Toole.
• The other chief families of Wicklow were Butler, Talbot, Eustace, and Howard.

THE following have been denoted as the MAJOR LANDOWNERS in WICKLOW, since the reign of King John:

• Howard, earls of Wicklow;
• Stuart, earls of Blessington;
• Boyle, viscounts Blessington;
• Wingfield, viscounts Powerscourt;
• Maynard, barons Maynard;
• the family of Cole, barons of Ranelagh;
• and Jones, viscounts Ranelagh;
• Butler, barons of Arklow;
• Eustace, viscounts of Baltinglass;
• the Ropers, viscounts of Baltinglass;
• Stradford, barons of Baltinglass and earls of Aldborough;
• Proby, earia of Carysfort;
• Brabazon, earls of Meath;
• Berkeley, barons of Rathdown;
• the family of Monk, earls of Rathdown;
• the earls Fitzwilliam in England have extensive possessions in Wicklow.