St. Columba at Bridei Gate (Picts) by Joseph Skelton

In Weekly Blogs 19 and 20 I discussed the evolution of the MacCarthaigh Clans in Munster (Cork and Kerry), Ireland because Tadgh and Aidan McCarthy are main characters in my The Irish Clans novels.

Today I will inform you about the evolution of the O’Donnell Clans in Tyrconnell (Donegal, Sligo) Ireland because Morgan (Claire), Collin, and Peader O’Donnell and his family are also central characters in my The Irish Clans novels.

These two clans ruled large areas of Ireland in the period between 400 CE and 1602 CE when the British defeated the Clans at Kinsale.

The O’Donnell of Tyrconnell was of the Uí Néill, i.e. descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages, High King of Ireland at the beginning of the 5th century. The O’Donnells, or Cenél Conall, traced their pedigree to Conall Gulban, son of Niall. Conall was one of the first kings to be baptized by St. Patrick. This formed the religious bond with this early clan that would influence future Chieftains.

During the baptism, St. Patrick took his staff, known as the staff of Jesus, and struck the shield of Prince Conall, rendering a sign of the Cross on it, (Constantine’s Cross), thus indicating that he and his offspring would henceforth be victorious in battle if they followed that sign. His land became Tír Chonaill, Tyrconnell, the land of Conall.

Before his death in 461 CE, St Patrick prophesized that a great religious leader would follow him 60 years later from the Conell clan. St. Columba, or Colmcille the warrior saint was born in 521 CE in what is now Donegal. He was the great-great-grandson of the high king Niall of the Nine Hostages and chose Christian leadership instead of secular leadership of his clan. St Columba set up several monasteries in Ireland and was well respected by the Gaels of Dál Riata, the combined kingdom of northern Ireland and southwestern Pictland (Scotland).

St. Columba has a major part to play in my novel series The Irish Clans as I will discuss in future blogs.

In 561 St. Columba founded an important monastery on the island of Hy (Iona) in the southern Hebrides of what is now Scotland. From there he helped Christianize the Picts.

A hundred years after Colmcille another prince from the Conall clan followed in his footsteps to become the ninth Abbot of the monastery on Hy. St. Adomnán was devoted to his ancestor Colmcille and wrote an hagiography of him called Vita Columbae (Life of Columba) which gives us most of the information available about the founding saint.  In addition to his missionary work with the Picts, he befriended King Aldfrith of Northumbria in northern England.

Perhaps his most valuable achievement occurred at the Synod of Birr gathering in northern Ireland of the Irish (led by his kinsman, the high king of Ireland, Loingsech mac Óengusso), Dál Riatan, and Pictish notables in 697 CE.  The Eóganachta  king of what would become the MacCarthy Clan from Cashel would have attended this synod.

There, St. Adomnán advanced the Cáin Adomnáin (Law of Adomnán) which was adopted by all concerned. Also known as the Law of the Innocents, this law from henceforth protected the women, children, and non-combatants in war. This was a significant step forward out of the barbarianism of the times and is now considered the ‘Geneva Accord’ of the ancient Irish/English world.

The O’Donnell clan therefore influenced most regions of what would centuries later become Great Britain, their sworn adversary. 

Next week we’ll talk more about this famous Clan.

Stephen’s novel series “The Irish Clans” can be purchased at https://amzn.to/3gQNbWi