Above : Mac Murrough Family Logo

The final struggle, shortest in point of time, lay between the O’Connors—successful in the south— against the Mac Loughlins of the north. Since the death of Domhnal Mac Loughlin, the Cineal Eoghain had been distracted by the rivalry of the O’Neills and the Mac Loughlins. During the career of Turlough O’Connor they had contented themselves with securing their supremacy in the north. Ulaidh and Oirghialla were still strong enough to be troublesome. At length, however, they finally surrendered their independence, and their chiefs swore allegiance on the Bachall Iosa\ to Muirkertagh Mac Loughlin, King of Cineal Eoghain, a.d. 1148. Two more ” provincial” Kingdoms disappear, and Aileach alone remains supreme in the north. But the right of the Cineal Eoghain to the monopoly of its throne is still protested against by the descendants of Conall.

Muirkertagh Mac Loughlin having secured himself in the North, and having also obtained the submission of Mac Murrough and some of the O Maolachlans, prepared for a contest with the aged Turlough O’Connor. After the battle of M6in M6r, he took up the cause of the banished Turlough O’Brien. He defeated O’Connor, and restored Turlough O’Brien, a.d. 1153—but to Thomond only. Next year, however, O’Connor won a great naval victory off Innishowen, the solidarity of Connacht being shown by the fact that O’Connor’s admiral was O’Dowda, chief of the Uf Fiachra, while his greatest lieutenant in his wars was O’Rourke of Breifne, who was, outside the Siol Murray clans, the greatest of the Ui Briuin. Two years later Turlough O’Connor died, A.D.1156, and was succeeded by his son Rory. After a struggle of three years, Rory O’Connor was utterly defeated at Ardee, and submitted to Muirkertagh Mac Loughlin (a.d. 1159).

* Near Emly.

Muirkertagh Mac Loughlin was now practically undisputed Ard Ri, his chief ally being Mac Murrough of Laighin, who, on the downfall of the O’Briens, had transferred his allegiance to him. Mac Loughlin’s policy was essentially the same as that of Turlough O’Connor. The dismemberment of Munster and of Meath was continued. In the latter the feuds of the O Maolachlan family in which father fought against son, and brother against brother, invited interference. In 1150, Murtough O Maolachlan was expelled by Mac Loughlin and Mac Murrough, and two years afterwards Meath was divided between him and his son Maolachlan O Maolachlan. Upon his death in 1153, the allies imposed Donough O Maolachlan as King to the exclusion of the sons of Murtough. Donough’s career was discreditable, and he was solemnly excommunicated, but was forcibly retained in his position by Mac Loughlin and Mac Murrough. Upon his death, at the hands of his outraged subjects, Meath was again partitioned a.d. ii6i.

Murtough O Maolachlan had, for the most part, been an ally of Turlough O’Connor, who was married to his daughter. Another daughter, the famous Devorgilla, was married to Tiernan O’Rourke, chief of Breifne, and ally of O’Connor. The same year (1152) in which Meath was divided between Murtough and his son Maolachlan, Devorgilla either eloped with or was abducted by Diarmuid Mac Murrough. The lady’s brother, Maolachlan actively assisted in the affair, and she is said to have taken with her in her ” flight ” her dowry, consisting mainly of herds of cattle. Next year she and her belongings were restored to her family by Turlough O’Connor. Romance and poetry have been unduly applied to this incident, the historical importance of which has been much exaggerated. Diarmuid was over sixty years of age at the time, and Devorgilla over forty years, and the family dissensions may reasonably be supposed to have suppliedmotive. Diarmuid’s flight from Ireland did not occur until fourteen years afterwards, and the abduction was only one of the factors which contributed to it.

Devorgilla afterwards retired to the Abbey of Mellifont, to which she presented many gifts, and died there in 1193.

An act of aggression towards Dunlevy, chief of Dal Araidhe, brought about the fall of Muirkertagh Mac Loughlin. The chiefs of Ulaidh, Oirghialla, Breifne, and others who had so recently submitted to him, rose in indignant revolt, and Mac Loughlin was defeated and slain, a.d. 1166. Rory O’Connor then became undisputed Ard Ri of Ireland. He had no rival. There was left but one of the ” provincial ” Kings—Diarmuid Mac Murrough —and he was now powerless. Rory was formally inaugurated in Dublin—the first King of Ireland ever crowned there. North, East and South paid him homage and gave hostages. He ratified the partition of Munster, and again partitioned Meath. The Kingdom of Aileach, also, was now ended—Tfr Eoghain being divided between Mac Loughlin and O’Neill, while the Cineal Chonaill were left independent of all but the Ard Ri. Mac Murrough was amongst those who gave hostages, and his power was apparently confined to his own patrimony of Ui Cinnsealaigh, the other chiefs of Laighin submitting direct to Rory, a.d. 1166. Thus were the various dynasties outside Connacht split up into independent families, while the numerous clans which had been subordinate to them were freed from their control. No sub-King now stood between the Ard Ri and the clans of Eire.

Next year (1167), Rory held a great Council of the whole country at Tlachtgha (Hill of Ward, Co. Meath), and the following year (1168) he celebrated the Fair of Taillte with great pomp.

The last of the ” provincial ” Kings was Diarmuid Mac Murrough, King of Laighin, of the Ui Cinnsealaigh sept. His career had been remarkable. One of his earliest exploits as King was an attack upon the town and convent of Kildare, when he tore the Abbess from her cell, and married her to one of his officers (1135). He was at deadly enmity with most of the other chiefs of Leinster, and had treacherously killed the chiefs of the rival North Leinster families of Ui Faolain (O’Byrne) and Uf Murray (O’Toole), and killed or blinded seventeen other chiefs. His abduction of O’Rourke’s wife has been referred to. In the struggles for leadership, he had almost consistently opposed the O’Connors. The friendship with the O’Briens, which started with Mac Maoil na m-B6 (his grand­father) led him to support their interest. Upon their fall, he became he steady ally of Mac Loughlin. In the feuds of the O Maoilachlans, he had invariably espoused the cause of the faction hostile to that supported by O’Connor and O’Rourke. With the accession of Rory O’Connor he was at the mercy of his numerous foes : O’Connor and O’Rourke, and the hostile OMaolachlans, his political and private enemies ; the chiefs of North Leinster, the traditional rivals of his family ; the revolted chiefs of Osraidhe, Laoighis, and the Norse of Dublin and Wexford. Unscrupulous as a man, tyrannical as a ruler, unfortunate as a politician, he was also the last representative of the now intolerable tradition of the ” provincial ” Kings. Diarmuid’s submission to O’Connor did not protect him. His enemies gathered under O’Rourke, and he fled for help to Henry II, the Norman, of England, A.D. n66,and his brother, ” Murrough na n-Gaedheal,” was appointed chief in his stead.

With the flight of the last of the “provincial” Kings, the third phase closes.