Above : O’Connor Family Logo

The vigorous advocate of a new claim initiates the second phase. We have seen that Connacht had suffered least from the invasions, and that the clans there had become consolidated whilst elsewhere they were being sundered. The family of O’Connor was now supreme. They were the leaders of the powerful ” Siol Murray “* ; they had won or commanded the support of all the rest of Ui Briuin, and also of the families of the rival Ui Fiachra ; the subordinate elans, with the exception of Ui Maine, were unimportant, and loyally followed them. The whole power of the west, therefore, became concentrated at this time in its greatest leader—Turlough O’Connor. He was now to re-assert the claims of the western Siol Chuinn which had been crushed at Ocha more than 600 years before.

It was by Mukertagh O’Brien that Turlough O’Connor had been installed as King of Cruachan at the age of 18, supplanting his brother. In the struggle of O’Brien against Mac Loughlin, he was, therefore, the ally of the former. But when both those life-long rivals retired, a field was open for O’Connor’s ambition and energy. With the united strength of Connacht, aided by O’Maolachlan of Meath, he invaded Munster. The permanent rivalry of Eoghanacht and Dal Chais had nearly blotted out the tradition of the Kingdom of Caiseal. No greater illustration of the weakness of that tradition could be had than the fact that Muirkertagh O’Brien, by the grant of Caiseal to the Church had abandoned the royal seat itself (a.d. iioi). Turlough seized the opportunity, and made Eoghanacht and Dal Chais independent of one another. The leading clan of the former was now Mac Carthy, and Cormac Mac Carthy he made King in ” Desmond ” COe^f ttlurfiA or South Munster), while Connor O’Brien, nephew of Muirkertagh, was King only of ” Thomond” (Cuat Tflwfid or North Munster), A.D. 1118.

The destruction of the crumbling ” provincial ” Kingdoms had definitely begun.

In Meath, O’Connor carried out precisely the same policy as in the South. That Kingdom was also torn by dissension—not, however, between rival families but between individual members of the same family. These were the O’Maolachlans (or O’Melaghlins), the posterity of Malachy II (ITlAotfeAClAirm), who were the acknowledged heirs to the throne of Tara. They were, however, torn by factions. The same year (1118) that he dismembered Caiseal, Turlough also partitioned Meath, and in the following years it was again frequently divided. The nominal King of Tara remained, but he was shorn of more than half his power. Power and Rule of Turlough.—Having broken up two Kingdoms,

Turlough next took hostages from Laighin, Osraidhe, and from the Norse of Dublin. In 1120 he celebrated the Fair of Taillte with great pomp, as if he were indeed Ard Rf. He was now the most powerful King since the time of Brian. Like Brian, he proved himself able and vigorous as a ruler as well as a warrior. He built abbeys bridges, encouraged art and learning, established mints, and in many other ways showed a wise conception of his kingly duties.

The struggle with the south had, however, by no means ended. Nearly every year witnessed an invasion of both Thomond and Desmond. Connor O’Brien proved himself an able opponent, and a brief alliance between him and Cormac Mac Carthy secured a truce with O’Connor, a.d. 1133. But the struggle was revived when Connor died, and was succeeded by his brother Turlough. Dissensions eventually destroyed the O’Briens, as in Meath, the worst quarrel was between the members of their own family. Civil war broke out between Turlough O’Brien and his brother Tadhg. The latter had the support of Diarmuid Mac Murrough, King of Leinster, traditional ally of the O’Briens. He also invoked the aid of O’Connor. In a fierce battle at M6in M6r,* Turlough O’Brien was utterly defeated, and the Dal Chais nearly annihilated, a.d. 1151. Tadhg was installed as petty King of Thomond. The partition of Caiseal was completed, and the ” Kings ” of Thomond and Desmond were practically the vassals of Turlough O’Connor.

The second phase ends with the overthrow of the O’Briens and the destruction of the Kingdoms of Caiseal and Tara.