TIPPERARY HISTORICAL JOURNAL 1994 © County Tipperary Historical Society www.tipperarylibraries.ie/ths
[email protected] ISSN 0791-0655 The decline of the O'Kennedys of Ormond By Matthew Boland -1 The O'Kennedys belonged to the ancient Gaelic Milesian dynasty who probably migrated from their home territory in East Clare in the eleventh century. There is some dispute as to their precise area of origin. According to tradition, the first person who had the name in Irish Cinn6dc was the father of King Brian Buroimhc. The ancestor from whom the O'Kennedys are said to be descended was Donchuan, a brother of Brian Boroimhe and son of Cinneide. Donchuan's descendant (a great-grand-son) had five sons, two of whom adopted the name Kennedy; a third took the name Regan, a fourth the name Kelleher and the fifth Longargan. From one of the two sons, called Kennedy, was descended the O'Gunnings of Castleconnell; from the other son, Kennedy, descended the O'Kennedys of Ormond. Until the name of King Brian there were no family names; Brian made a law making each family choose a name, which would continue in the family by inheritance. By the 12th century the O'Kennedys were in possession of and lords over the Onnond baronies. The two baronies over which they ruled, Upper and Lower Ormond, extended from Portumna in the North for the latter to the borders of the baronies of lkerrin and Eliogarty for the former.' Many references to the O'Kennedys are found in the ancient records. Among them were noted clerical figures such as Donald O'Kennedy, Bishop of Killaloe and Flan O'Kennedy, Abbot of Trim, both of whom lived in the 12th century.