Family background

Ua Conchobhair was one of at least twenty-three children of King Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair of Connacht

Connacht

Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...

 (reigned 1106-1156). His mother's name is uncertain.

Early life

Brian's nickname, Luighnech, is taken from the territory of Luigne

Luigné

Luigné is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France....

 in what is now County Sligo. Its ruling family were the O hEaghra (O'Hara

O'Hara

O'Hara is an Anglicized form of the Irish name Ó hEaghra. The death of the eponyum is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters - 926. Eaghra Poprigh mac Saorghus, lord of Luighne, in Connaught .....

).

In 1156, his father died at Dunmore, County Galway. His brother, Ruaidhri, immediately moved to neutralise any opposition to his succession as king by arresting and imprisoning three of his brothers, including Brian, all considered creditable candidates for succeeding Tairrdelbach. Brian seems to have come to terms with Ruaidhri and was released. One of the brothers, Aedh Dall Ua Conchobair

Aedh Dall Ua Conchobair

Aedh Dall Ua Conchobair, Prince of Connacht, died 1194.Aedh was the eldest child of King Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair . His mother's identity is uncertain - Tairrdelbach had six wives - but his full brothers were Tadhg Alainn and Abbot Máel Ísa of Roscommon .Despite his seniority, Aedh's...

, was not so lucky; Ruaidhri had him blinded.

Crich Coipre

Brian became lord of An Coipre (barony of Carbury in what is now County Sligo. During the late 1170's, King Ruaidhri's power as both King and High King of Ireland

High King of Ireland

The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...

 was under severe strain from both Gaelic

Gaels

The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....

-Irish and Anglo-Norman

Anglo-Norman

The Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the Norman conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066. A small number of Normans were already settled in England prior to the conquest...

 alike.

This encouraged King Flaithbertaigh of Tyrconnell to mount raids into northern Connacht, an area over which the Cenal Conaill had long claimed jurisdiction

Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...

. Brian assembled a force and met him in battle on the Saturday before Whitsun

Whitsun

Whitsun is the name used in the UK for the Christian festival of Pentecost, the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ's disciples...

tide, joined by his son, Donogh, his brother Maghnus Ua Conchobair

Maghnus Ua Conchobair

-Family background:Maghnus was a son of King Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair and one of his six wives.-Crich Coirpre:Magnhus and his brother, Brian Luighnech Ua Conchobhair, were killed at the battle of Crich Coirpre in County Sligo by King Flaithbertaigh of Tyrconnell...

, and members of leading Connacht gentry

Gentry

Gentry denotes "well-born and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past....

 such as Aed Ó Cellaigh, Eachmarcach Ó Muireadhaigh, Giolla Críst Ó Roduibh, and many others.

The Annals of the Four Masters

Annals of the Four Masters

The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...

 said of the battle:

Flaherty O'Muldory, Lord of Tirconnell, defeated the sons of the King of Connacht ... Sixteen of the sons and chieftains wer slain by the Kinel Connell, as well as many others, both of the noble

Nobility

Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...

s and the plebeians. They held the Connacians under subjection for a long time after this battle ... slain by Flaherty ... were Brian and Manus, two sons of Turlough More; and Mulrony; and .... two sons of Hugh O'Connor.

The list of dead included Brian's son, Donogh; Ó Cellaigh, Ó Muireadhaigh, Ó Roduibh, and members of the O'Mulrenin and Mac Giolla Buidhe clans.

Descendants

Brian was of ancestor of the O Connor Sligo

O Connor Sligo

Ó Conchobhair Sligigh , Gaelic-Irish family and Chief of the Name.The Ó Conchobhair Sligigh were a branch of the Ó Conchobhair Kings of Connacht....

 dynasty. Only one member of the family ever succeeded to the kingship of Connacht, but they were Lords of Cairbre until the mid-17th century.

Ó Conchobhair Sligigh Family Tree

Brian Luighneach Ó Conchobhair, k. 1181.
|
|
Aindrais
|
|
Brian
|
|
Tadhg, d. 1313
|
|
Domhnall, d. 1307
|
|_____________________________________________________________
| | |
| | |
Ruaidhrí, Cathal Muircheartach
d.1316. | |
|___________________ |
| | | Domhnall
| | | |
Maghnus Ruaidhrí Cathal Óg |
| | |
| | |
Tadhg Tadhg |
|
__________________________________________________|_______________
| | | |
| | | |
Muircheartach Bachach Brian Eoghan Toirdhealbhach Carrach
| | | |
|__________ |___________ |___________ |_______
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
Ruaidhrí Domhnall Maghnus Ruaidhrí Domhnall Tadhg Aodh Ruaidhrí
Bachach | | |
| | | |
| Feidhlimidh Cathal Óg Tadhg
Ruaidhrí Óg | | |
| | |
Ruaidhrí Tadhg Tadhg Óg
|
_____________________|______________________
| | |
| | |
Sir Domhnall Cathal Óg Eoghan
|
_____________________|_______________________
| | |
| | |
Sir Donnchadh Domhnall Tadhg Og
|
_____________________|_______________________
| |
| |
Sir An Calbhach Donnchadh