The Beginning
Not long ago, a woman asked mé about her early Irish ancestors. Her surname is‘Hession’ (i.e., Ó hOisín) from Co. Galway.
In books of genealogy
It was difficult for me to find anything about her early ancestors in the usualsources. Finally, I found a summary of the genealogy of her extended family in Leabhar MórMhic Fhirbhisigh Leacain written between 1397 and 1418 by Giolla Íosa Mór Mac Fir Bhisigh with helpfrom Ádhamh Ó Cuirnín and Murchadh Riabhach Ó Cuindlis, and almost the same summary in Leabhar na nGenealach written in 1650 by Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh. I was able to report to herthat “Mic Oisín” is the ‘clan-name’ of her family and that they descend from the Fir Scéinne, a branch of the Fir Bolg named for their goddess Scéinne. Here is the summary of the Fir Scéinnein Leabhar Mór Mhic Fhirbhisigh Leacain:
Of the Men of Sceinne here i.e. Mag Riabaich their leader & Ó Gormgaili & Ó Caemocan & Ó Muirrthaili & Ó Fichthillich & Ó Muroici & (Ó) hUicing & MacMailin & Mac Oisin & Ó Lonan & Ó Corra & Mc. (Mic) Danair & Mc. (Mic) Mairtin & Ó Dondgaili & Ó Crechnua & Ó Drucan & Ó Dudacan & Ó Beandan & ÓBethnachan & Mac Domnaill & Mac Landacan & Mc. (Mic) Gilli Maine & Ó Timanaich & Ó Birn & Ó Mail Phail & Ó Loacan & Ó Duibabrad & Ó Dobran & Mc. (Mic) Coind& Mc. (Mic) Gilli Glacaich & Mag Scalbuidi with their relations.
However, although we can find mention of these families in modern books, there isn’tany mention at all of the Fir Scéinne or their families in any of our other genealogical manuscripts like Leabhar Genealach Uí Chléirigh by Cúchoigríche Ó Cléirigh, Leabhar Laighin, the “Craobhscaoileadh” (Branching) by Seathrún Céitinn,the famous manuscript called “Rawlinson B. 502”, Leabhar Bhaile an Mhóta, etc. Nó doubt because of this, the Fir Scéinne are not mentioned as a people at all in any of the most comprehensive genealogical sources of the 20th century. There is nothing to be found aboutthe Fir Scéinne as a people on the internet (which is full of the ancient genealogy of Ireland these days). Similarly, as far as I know, there is nothing to be found about the Fir Scéinne inany history written in the 20th century.
The prohibition on Seanchas of the Fir Scéinne
The reason? There was a prohibition, and perhaps a geis (taboo) at some time,against the Seanchas of the Fir Scéinne. Until the 17th century, history, law, and genealogy were linked together, learned together, and practiced together, and the combination wascalled ‘Seanchas’. In other words, there was a prohibition against preserving the history, genealogy, and rights under law of the Fir Scéinne because they were classified as part of the FirBolg, as Seathrún Céitinn explained over 350 years ago:
Let it be known to you, o reader, that six kinds of Tribute-Paying Peoples or Servile Peoples are in Ireland upon whom it is not right to trace Seanchas, even though some of themare of the Gaeil and others are not of the Gaeil. The first type of them is a remnant of the Fir Bolg …
The reason for this prohibition? The Gaeil believed that the Fir Bolg are part ofthe Aitheachthuatha and that the Aitheachthuatha were under the hard rule of the Gaeil long ago. In one of the stories about the Aitheachthuatha, their leaders at that time were Buan, CairpreCatchenn, and Monach, and Monach gave his name to the ‘The Seven Peoples of Monach’, part of the Fir Bolg. Based on advice from these three, the Aitheachthuatha rebelled and killed the noblesof the Gaeil, almost every one of them. Only a handful escaped. When the progeny of this handful grew in power again, they killed many of the Aitheachthuatha, they conquered the rest, and(as we see) most of the seanchaidhthe (who combined the functions of historian, jurist, and genealogist until the 17th century) of the Gaeil refused “to follow” the seanchas of theAitheachthuatha even though “their descendants attained great headship afterwards, especially in Connacht.”
But, happily, the ollaimh (masters of knowledge, professors) of the Mac Fhirbhisighschool at Leacan had a different view, as Dubhaltach Mac Firbhisigh said:
... because of their rarity now and servitude long ago ... some groups say that it is not proper to follow the history of the six classes of vassal tribes, or servile families,who are in Ireland... However, I ask how can genealogies or other categories of Seanchas be gotten for their seeding (distribution) without writing of low-born and high-born, for thetheologians themselves say there was not a king who didn’t come from a servile person, or a servile person who did not come from a king; look at David the young shepherd and Saul who cared for femaleasses before they were kings ...
Thanks to the Mic Fhirbhisigh and their distinct perspective, we can name the ancientextended families of the Fir Scéinne.
In the ‘Seanchas of Places’
Seaán Mór Ó Dubhagáin wrote this rann in the 14thcentury:
Old-Leaders of the full Plain of theTrack,
We do not legitimize their leaving,
Mág Eóach, Mág Maonaigh Mhóir,
and Mág Riabhaigh theroyal-host.
Many tuatha in Ireland had kings until the end of the middleages. The word “ríoghshlóigh” in the last line is an indication that the Mic Riabhaigh were kings for the Fir Scéinne at some time before this rann was written. We can see also that theMic Riabhaigh were seantaoisigh (i.e., former taoisigh, former hereditary leaders) of Magh Luirg (Moylurg) when Ó Dubhagáin wrote this rann. And in Leabhar Mór Mhic FhirbhisighLeacain, written between 1397 and 1418, we already saw that the Mic Riabhaigh were described as “taoisigh” of the Fir Scéinne at that time.
Their country in the Middle Ages
Starting with the knowledge that the Mic Riabhaigh (taoisigh of the Fir Scéinne) weresettled on Magh Luirg an Daghda (‘Moylurg’) in the middle ages, we can assume that the other extended families of the Fir Scéinne would not be located too far from the Mic Riabhaigh inConnacht. Using Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall by Patrick Woulfe (1923) and Surnames of Ireland by Edward MacLysaght (1969), the surnames of the Fir Scéinne in Leabhar Mór MhicFhirbhisigh Leacain can be classified as follows:
* The surname cannot be found any longer in any Provinceof Ireland: 9 surnames
* It is not possible to find the surname in Connacht, but the name is to befound in another province: 10 surnames. For example, an hereditary ecclesiastical family called Ó Drucáin (i.e., Ó Druacháin) was at Armagh and erenaghs called Ó Lonáin were at CillRannaileach (Kilranelagh, Co. Wicklow)
* The surname is found in Connacht but asmembers of other tuatha who are not Fir Scéinne: 4 surnames. For example, the name Ó Dondgaili is still in Sligo as Ó Dunnghaile but counted as a branch of the UíFhiachrach.
* It ispossible to find the name in Connacht and to count the family as Fir Scéinne: 8 surnames, approximately equal to 25% of the families identified as Fir Scéinne in Leabhar Mór Mhic Fhirbhisigh Leacain. The following are the families who can still be identified as Fir Scéinne inConnacht:
Mag Riabaich / Mac Riabhaigh – Co. Ros Comáin
Méig Oisín / Mic Oisín / Ó hOisín, Co. na Gaillimhe agus Co. Mhaigh Eo (Accordingly, I was able to tell the woman who put me to work on this research that she descends fromthe Fir Scéinne. Another interesting fact – it’s apparent that the mother of Mícheál Ó Lócháin, founder of the Philo-Celtic Society, descended from this family. This was her surname andshe was from Co. Mayo.)
Mag Scalbuidi / Mac Scalaidhe – Co. Roscommon and Co. Westmeath
Ó Bethnachan / Ó Beannacháin – “a family of the Fir Bolg in Sligo” according to Woulfe
Ó Dobran / Ó Dobharáin –still found in Connacht but “rare” according to Woulfe
Ó Dudacan / Ó Dubhdacáin –Woulfe reports that this is “a rare Sligo surname”.
Ó Gormgaili / Ó Gormshúiligh – Woulfe reports that this is the name of a Mayo family “who were anciently lords of the barony of Carra” and of a Roscommon family “who were formerlyerenaghs of Elphin”.
Ó Loacan / Ó Lócháin? – I’m not completely certain, but I think these are the Uí Lócháin inCo. Galway. If so, the founder of Cumann Carad na Gaeilge, i.e., Mícheál Ó Lócháin, descended from them on his father’s side.
Accordingly, we can reasonably conclude that the territory of theFir Scéinne once stretched from Sligo in the north down through Mayo and Roscommon as far as districts in the north of Galway.
In Féineachas (‘Brehon Law’)
There is a good reason why we can identify only about 25% of theFir Scéinne today.
According to Féineachas, as a branch of the Fir Bolg, the FirScéinne were classified as an ‘Aitheachthuath’. The meaning of ‘Aitheach-thuath’ is ‘rent-paying people’. As we have already seen, they were daoir (‘un-free peoples’). They had topay rent or tribute to local lords of the Gaeil to use their land. The Gaeil looked on them as servants. Also, under Féineachas, they had no lóg n-enech or enechlann(‘face-price, ‘honor’ price). Accordingly, it’s clear that they had the same status under the law as a ‘deorad’ (exile) or ‘ambue’ (non-person), i.e., a Gael could wound or kill them withouthaving to pay éraic (wergild).
We can see that it was not desirable for an extended family ortuath to remain classified as an aitheachthuath or daorchlann. Some of these people tried to change their genealogies, claiming that they were Gaeil. Other families tried to change theirprofession in order to become saor (‘free’), going into the church as hereditary ecclesiastical families, or practicing filidheacht (prophet-poetry), seanchas (law, history, genealogy), breithiumhnas(law), medicine, or other learned arts as hereditary families. The honor-price of a master of these arts was equal to the honor-price of a suí litre or fer légend (a master ofecclesiastical learning) which was equal to the honor price of a king of a tuath. It is no wonder, therefore, that Ireland was full of saints and scholars like the Uí Dhruacháin, Uí Lonáin, andUí Ghormshúiligh mentioned above.
We know that certain extended families succeeded in changing theirgenealogies or their professions. The Uí Dhálaigh Midhe (Ó Dalaigh family of Meath) succeeded in changing both. They were one of our greatest hereditary families in the field ofprophet-poetry. They also claimed that they descended from the Fir Teathbha, a branch of the Uí Néill of the South, although the Mic Fhirbhishg remembered well that the Uí Dhálaigh Midheactually descended from the Corcu Ádhaimh, a branch of the Fir Bolg.
We can’t identify roughly 75% of the Fir Scéinne today. Maybesome of them didn’t survive, or they fled out of Connacht, or they changed their names, or like the Uí Dhálaigh Midhe, they changed their genealogies and their way of life. Certainly, they hadgood reason.
The End of the Fir Scéinne
By 1033, the Ua hAedha (O’Hea) dynasty of the Uí Fhiachrach werecompeting for the title ‘Lord of Moylurg’. The Ó Maol Ruanaigh branch of the Síol Mhuireadhaigh royal dynasty of the Connachta were in competition for the same title by 1159. By 1187, theUí Mhaol Ruánaigh took the name Mac Diarmada (‘MacDermot’) and Magh Luirg from the Mac Riabhaigh. From the thirteenth century on, the Mic Riabhaigh were obliged to pay tribute to theMacDermots. In the list of the families of the Fir Scéinne in Leabhar na nGenealach, written in 1650, the title “their taoisigh” is no longer to befound.
The last time the FirScéinne were mentioned in Irish annals was in the year 1238. The source is Annála Chonnacht (‘The Annals of Connacht’):
Cathal Mag Riabaig leader of the Fir Scéinne dies.
With this reference, the Fir Scéinne faded from our histories, andeventually, from all our seanchas.
