Clarus Mac Mailín Ó Maolchonaire was one of the most powerful Irish churchmen of the thirteenth century. He was Archdeacon of Elphin, a leading figure among the Premonstratensians, a founder of churches and monasteries, a diplomat trusted across political divisions,…
The Rise of Loch Cé and the Early Ó Maol Chonaire The rise of Loch Cé did not begin with the construction of a castle or the foundation of a single monastery. Its importance developed gradually from the geography of…
The Rise of the Great Dynasties By the middle of the twelfth century, the reorganization of the Irish Church was already well underway. The Synod of Ráth Breasail had divided much of the country into territorial dioceses, and the Synod…
With this article, the story leaves the pre-surname world and enters a different period of Irish history. For the first several centuries after the arrival of Christianity, the people encountered throughout this series did not possess hereditary surnames. Individuals were…