Genelach Dáil Cuinn Project™ Forum

The more I put placenames together and read about the families around Maigh nAilbhe, the more it seems my FT130287 group were mysteriously somewhow in central-southern Kildare and that possibly the Ui Bairrche, who ruled Maigh nAilbhe could have been a confederation of people as they weakened c.8th-11th centuries. The Ui Bairrche influence prior to the 8th/9th century seems to be widespread in N. Leinster with ties to the ruling Ui Dunlainge dynasty (although not related to them). But they eventually break up into small detached tuaths, or even maintain small communities surrounding their earlier Patrician monastic settlements at Killcullen, Killashee, Sleaty, Killeshin and Castledermot. The two AFM entries for Ua Guaire are certainly questionable in regards to Ui Cuilinn, as Coileain was an immensely popular name, particularly among the O'Dempsey of Clanmaliere in Ui Failghe (several Coileain O Diomsaigh men in the annals), so there could have been 'Ui Cuilinn' people that were lost to history. The Irish govt agency that runs logainm.ie is determining most placenames referencing a "Cullen" surname to be Coileain (welp/pup, synonymous of young warrior) anciently the given name Cuilen, and not what Woulfe determined to be "Cuilinn" (of the holly tree) which was determined to be the root of placenames with geographic descriptions like Feighcullen (Fiodh Cuilinn) or Kilcullen (Cill Cuilinn). Coileain was anciently Cuilen.

The Cairbre Ua Guaire "head of the hospitality of Leinster" who d. 963 (+/- 5) which I had figured was undoubtedly another meaning for an abbot of Kildare, could have been an abbot of Killeshin, Co. Laois. There were intermittent periods of the 10th century where the church of Leinster administered from Gleann Uisean. Of which in Rawlinson 502's Ui Bairrche lineages is Úi Cuilíne dia fail Diarmait Glinni Uissen which also coincidently contained "Shrule" on the barrow river which anciently was Sruthail Guaire becoming obsolete by the 12th c. This location may also explain the slaying of 'Tadhg Ua Guaire, lord of Ui Cuilinn' by Diarmait mac Mael-na-mBo during his rise to power in Leinster. Maigh nAilbhe was the Ui Dunlainge's barrier to their rival Ui Cennsalaigh to the south. The AFM in the 1030s records Diarmaid's operating and pillaging central/southern Kildare from Kilcullen in Magh Liffe to Catherlach and slaying of his rivals before is seizing the kingship of Laigin.

There seems to be both "Cullane" and "McClane" populations in the vicnity of townlands referencing the surname Ui Coileain, where the townland name also anglicized with the "long a" with plenty of other evidence that Irish diminutive names (ending in -ain) anglicized to an 'AYN' ending such as Cahalane, Keelane etc. I had visited this possiblity years ago but the research did not bear fruit as it seems i was looking in the wrong locale. This anglicization of names is particularly prevalent in eastern Laois, southern Kildare and northern Carlow which were all somewhat close to Maigh nAilbhe. Ballykillane near Portarlington, Ballycullane near Athy and Ballykillane near Hackettstown all have corresponding (Mc)C*l-EAN/ANE/AIN (E) populations. Several 16th century records in N. Leinster confirms the Mac Coileain surname certainly existed, several records of which I had previously thought were Mac Giolla Eain but could not explain the Irish given names (Failghe and Diarmaid, overwhelmingly popular in Offaly/Kildare) among mercenary kindreds who I know for a fact did not come into the midlands until their pro-govt employment with the Earls of Kildare and Ormonde in the 2nd Desmond Rebellions, which created a mental conundrum for me.

4 Sep 1513, Item to Donnell mac Collayn, a bay (yellow horse; Kildare Rental; horses gifted by the Earl of Kildare; likely an O'Diomsaigh? a Teige mac Colan also listed)
24 Nov 1539, Dermot McLone holds demesne lands at Greatconnell Priory (Ir. Mon. Poss.; certainly M'Cullone' based on other *C/lone* spellings in N. Leinster fiants)
16 Sep 1582, Phaly M'Layne (Failghe mac Coileain?) gent, tenant of Gerald Fitzgerald of Villanston Co. Westmeath (F4030)
16 Sep 1582, Teige M'Collyn & Malghlin M'Collyn, husbandmen in Ballynasculloge, Co. Kildare (F4031)

Also worth mentioning after i came across a "Cuileannan Claen, lector of Leighlin and Disert-Diarmada" (Castledermot, Co. Kildare) in AFM1054, eDil lists another form of the epithet 'Claen' as Cuilín which is very intersesting.

I've found early 18th c. records of ancestor's relatives as McClen, McKlan, Macklan, McCleen, etc as well as strange McHalean, and Maghcalan(Mac Choilean?). This is beginning to suggest Mac Cuilen. There either may have been DNA switches within this kin-group called "Ui Cuilinn" which was either derived from the given name Cuilen or the epithet Cuilin / Claen, which had meany meanings (uneven, crooked; squinting; perverse/unjust). But perhaps it's as simple as the given name Cuilen was so popular and favored here that there was a Cuilen Ua Guaire.

Chris,

If this holds up, this is another significant departure from the traditional genealogies and annals. Really crazy if it holds up.

Chris I had thought it might come to something like Magh Cuilen or MacCuilen- similar to my McEvoys coming from Magh Cobha

Thanks guys! There were *at least* three 'Ui Cuilen/Ui Cuilin/Ui Culinn' in Leinster. So it's a little tough to determine. I like to see how placenames can factor into it although the "Guaire" oriented placenames could just be personal names, as it seems to have been a popular name in Leinster as well abt 8th-11th centuries which can throw me off. One in Ui Failghe, one in Maigh nAilbhe, and one of the Laigin who were near the modern Kildare/Wicklow/Carlow borders which most likely the Ballycullane in Kilkea (Kildare) and Ballykillane in Rathvilly (Carlow) are probably attributed to. I'm certainly split between the Ui Failghe and Maigh nAilbhe possiblities. However as 'lords of Ui Cuilinn' the Ui Guaire could have been displaced from elsewhere either by the Ui Cennsalaig or Norman incursion. I also haven't determined if the given name Cuilén which had varients of Coileain and Coilin is the same as Cuilín which was "Cooleen" and another from of Cláen ("Clayn") as it seems Cuilinn ("of the holly tree") did not have an emphasis on the last syllable and was probably more of a placename than a given name. Perhaps there was an Ui Cuilín who were not from the given name Cuilen, that is 'whelp, pup/young warrior' but more-so a form of Cláen:

Cláen
Forms: Cuilín
adj o, ā

(a) uneven, crooked, sloping; aslant, bending, stooped; curving, curved : dosroraind . . . cona deilg. Sīa īarom rosīacht a dealg ūaithe sair a bēlaib oldās dar a hais sīar. Is aire is clōen ind less, Corm. Y 502 . clóen ind ráth dind leith adiu, RC xiii 462 § 65 . in chuirn chláoin curved(?), IGT Decl. ex. 356 . a bheith claon nochar chás duid `its laying low troubled thee not' (of a severed head), PBocht 14.35 . ? Fig. mo chiall ata claon, Atlantis iv 180.31 .

(b) Freq. of hair waving (?) flowing (?): folt claon, DDána 96.33 . ciabh dhaghcruinn n-a cuaichleirg claoin, Magauran 1001 . is camarsach claon . . . / a carn-ḟolt, Keat. Poems 65 .

(c) Of eyes, squinting: Finan Cam . . . .i. cloen a rosc, Fél. 112.23 , Gorm. Apr. 7n. dā mac imleasan . . . ┐ sīat clǣna, TBC-I¹ 2612 . gura bhris in suil claein, MR 36.13 .

As epithet: a trian ro charsat Conall Cloen batis cloín cot acallaim, LL 13522 (Thurn., ZCP viii 72 ff. q.v., would translate hump-backed ). Conghal Caoch, no Claon, AFM an. 624 . co tard beach . . . a neim for mo leth-rosc-sa, gura claen mo ṡuil. Congal C. mo ainm ar sin, MR 34.12 . an Giolla claon Ua Ciardha, tigherna Coirpri, AFM ii 1092.11 .

(d) In moral sense, iniquitous, perverse, unjust, biassed: cil .i. claon no cutruma, O'Dav. 467 (? leg. écutrumma). nate ni clóin gl. (numquid iniquitas apud Deum?) Absit, Wb. 4c17 . in miscuis clóin, Ml. 46d10 . inna mbritheman cloin, 103b17 (brithem, MS.). adbar inna combartae cloine, 71c6 . is gó flatha do-ber sína saíba for tūatha clóena. ZCP xi 82 § 25 . scítha láma indrosc (sic leg.?) cloína unjust demands(?), LU 10884 (TE rhet.). ingena cloína Cain, LL 17437 . nírbat santa[ch] immun mbith / nō for ind nim (leg. indiub) chlóen, ACL iii 312 § 6 (indium, in nem, v.ll.). gan beith fa chomadaib claena `unjust conditions', MR 120.26 . freasdal a gcor gclaon `crooked wiles', Aithd. D. 52.3 . ainic nach claon do chathaoir `lest your poet's chair be partial', Content. v 186 .

This would certainly make "McClane" from Mac Cuilín (McCooleen, McClene, McLeen) in a grammatical way and not neccesarily in terms of anglicizations of a diminutive names in a certain dialect or an effect of the english language vowel shift (i.e how Sean became "Shane", 17th c.)

The Ua Guaire population in modern times is certainly E. Offaly. One member is from the "Kilbeggan cluster" and the other from the "Summerhill cluster" with a TMRCA abt 1220-1310, which would most certainly be around Clonbulloge. .

Rawlinson B502 gives

GENELACH ÚA FAILGE.

¶245] Rus Failge m. Cathaír Máir sé mc la suide .i. Nath Í, Brénaind, Óengus Find, Óengus Dub, Dálán, Eochaid.

¶246] Ó Óengus Finn: Úi Máele Topair & Úi Chuilíne & Úi Máel Aithgén.

There was a 'Cuilíne' king of Ui Failghe who d.653 who these people were probably descended of. The area that the Ui Failghe once covered gives a wealth of placenames, including some very interesting obsolete placenames in terms of "Cuilin" or "Cuilen", several of which have the "Mac" prefix which tells me Mac Coileain certainly did exist here beyond any theories of mine about alternate prefixes like when I was taking other names into account in years prior. Near the place of the pardon of 'Phaly M'Layne' (F4030) in 1582 is a 'Balle m'Cullian' which became enveloped by the town of Edenderry by 1700, most certainly Baile Mhic Cuilín as the documentation of the placename gives several instances of a mac prefix and a "cooleen" pronunciation. Phaly M'Layne (Failghe Mac Coileain? Phaly Mac Cláen?) was a tenant of Gerald Fitzgerald of Vilanston Co. Westmeath who held Lenamarren Co Offaly (F3537 in the alientation of Henry Waryng of Waryingston) which was adjacent to Edenderry and Monasteroris Co. Offaly. Just a short distance from here in Carrick Co. Kildare a 'Donagh M'Gorreh' (Donnchadha Mac Guaire) was pardoned in 1600 with some Berminghams of Carbury. The Berminghams at one time held all of E. Offaly prior to the gaelic resurgence. The other townland confirmed to be of the Cuilín variant based on the research noted on logainm.ie is Ballycullenbeg Co Laois (Baile Cuilín Beag) which is close to Ballykillane (Baile Choileain) however Ballykillane is likely associated with a Coileain Ua Diomsaigh and not the Ui Cuilín sept in the Ui Failghe genealogies (as per logainm.ie) although the "beag" was added in the 18th c., only because of the proximity to Ballykillane.
Another obsolete name appears in the 1518 Kildare rental and 1550 Offaly survey. "Bealath Cuyllean" near Athy is very close to Tullygorey, Ballycullane, and a Ballycoolan. There's some conflicting evidence here, but the given name Cuilen was very popular among the O'Dempseys of Clanmaliere and in "Account of the O'Dempseys", the author claims that Clann Maoilughra held sway over the Athy area prior to the Norman invasion. "Bealath Cuyllean" is probably Bealach Coileain or Beal Atha Coileain,and in the vicinity of Castlereban, Co. Kildare. Which in this parish, "Teige M'Collyn and Malghlin M'Collyn, husbandmen who dwell in Balmaskollock, Co. Kildare" (Ballynasculloge) were pardoned the same day as Phaly M'Layne. In the 1841 land survey books have a "John McLene" (John MacCuilin?) occupying Ballynasculloge, a very small townland. Now I wonder if the few M'Lyne fiants i had come across years ago are really Mac Laighean (since O'Lyne was in the general area) and not Mac Cuilín (?). One was very close to Kilbeggan (James M'Lyne, gent. of Rahinmore, Co. Westmeath; F1603)

This area could be in Ui Failghe but it's certainly close enough to Killeshin to be related to the Ui Cuilin in Maigh nAilbhe.

Chris,

Amazing as always. IDK if it is helpful, but the "Bealath" in "Bealath Cuyllean" looks like it might be a compound of bel or bél + áth = "path or way of the ford" or "mouth of the ford".

Thanks David, that actually makes much more sense!
It's last known record is 'Balachalun' in the 1565 'Offalia' Map. Castlereban is the towerhouse in it's vicinity.

Just based on some research I have done with my Moran co-admin I think that the Ui Failghe were likely R-Z255, there are Cullens on their surname project that fall here. I don't know enough about the history of the people in the area to say much more, so, is there a chance that they were a confederation of genetic types? ....or do you rule out the Ui Failghe?

I've been wondering the same thing, but I dont know enough about them myself and they are certainly southern Ui Niall. The more research I do, the more I lean towards Ui Failghe because the modern Ui Guaire population certainly reflects (if not confirms) where they were most dense pre-17th century. I have to take the 'Guaire'-denoted placenames with a grain of salt because it also seems to have been a popular given-name among the Ui Cennesalaigh in S. Leinster 9th-11th centuries. Couple that with the records of the other Ui Cuilin septs of Laigin and Ui Bairrche and things seem to overlap into eachother.

I found there was a 7th c. Ui Failghe king, Cuilin who was noted in a poem about Rathangan fort and died 653 (AFM) at a battle near Croaghan hill in Ui Failge.

The fort over against the oak-wood,
Once it was Bruidge's, it was Cathal's,
It was Aed's, it was Ailill's,
It was Conaing's, it was Cuilíne's,
And it was Maeldúin's:
The fort remains after each in his turn—
And the kings asleep in the ground.

It is most likely his descendants who were noted in Rawlinson B502 from Oengus Finn who descended from Rus Failghe m. Cathair Mor.

Ó Óengus Finn: Úi Máele Topair & Úi Chuilíne & Úi Máel Aithgén.

The Ui Guaire population is chiefly in E. Offaly moreso in the parish of Clonsast which lies in Coolestown b. ("Garre"; 6 families of the name, 1659). Guaire was originally pronounced "Goo-uh-reh" then "Goo-uh-ree", many older records of names like Garre, Goora, Gorro, Goragh, Gwerah, Gwery etc near E. Offaly are undoubtedly Guaire. Miraculously, the locations of this family was noted in every single baptism in Clonsast parish to the end of the famine which defined a fairly solid geographic area. I haven't delved too deeply into "Cullen" variants because so many Leinster families anglicized to Cullen, but it does seem there was an E. Offaly population of the name who were slightly more dense around Clonsast where the Ui Guaire are also dense. The common denominator here for all of these factors seem to be Ui Failghe, particularly if 'head of the hospitality of Leinster' does refer to the monastery at Kildare which was within Ui Failghe's pre-Norman boundaries. Until the discovery of Guaire m. Dubhdacrich m. Brenainn (Ballymote), one of my theories was that we are all just NPEs who probably arrived here pre-surnames and none of the FT130287 branches denoted any true lineages. I wasn't even sure if "Guaire" was the correct surname for Gurry & Gorry. Woulfe believed the O'Guaire 'were originally somewhere between Offaly and Meath' so he probably saw the same thing I'm seeing. The two fiants in very close vicinity to an obsolete placename may be telling. All three of these places wouldve probably been within the tuath of 'Fearann Ui Murcháin' which is also denoted in the placename Lenamarren (Léana Murcháin) which was alienated from it's original plantation landholder to a Gerald FitzGerald of Villanston Co Westmeath whose tenants were pardoned in F4030. The three late-medieval records of the Ui Guaire all indicate a North Leinster origin. One of which (John Gwery in F1714) is probably related to FT130287's Peter Gurry (Clondoogan, Co. Meath). The first 1567 record im not positive of.

6 Oct 1567 Dermot more M’GORAGH (Diarmait Mor Mac Guaire?) of Cookstown, Co. Wicklow, a tenant of Dermot mac Tirrelagh O’Toole (F.1161)
24 Feb 1571 John GWERY (Seán Ó Guaire), occupier of one waste messuage in Winetavern street, Trim, Co. Meath, leased to Lucas Dillon (F.1714)
4 Dec 1600 Donogh M’GORRO (Donnchadha Mac Guaire) of the Carrick, Co. Kildare, A tenant of Rich. Bremingham of the Carrick. (F.6448)

(Note: The Breminghams of Carbury aka 'Clann Feorais' controlled all of E. Offaly in the first century or so post-Norman invasion; the O'Connor Failghe eventually re-took much of 'Bermingham's Country' by the late 14th c. including their monastery (Monasteroris: Monaistir Fheorais). In my opinion as to how it seems most "peasantry" aka tenant farmers 'moved' via landlords in both the gaelic tuath system and English manorial system, some of the O'Guaire may have come into Carbury when the Breminghams held both locales. This is another clue to me that our Ui Guaire were in Ui Failghe).

I've never come across any of the 'Ui Cuilin' in Leinster as dynastic kin-groups aside from that 1032 AFM entry where 'Tadgh Ua Guaire' was lord of Ui Cuilin. I wonder if it was possible for some interloper kindred to insert themselves into a place that was being consistently ravaged by the Norse during what was probably one of the most violent centuries in Irish history, and take advantage of local septs weaknesses. Perhaps the Ui Cuilin had been once relegated into obscurity in Ui Failghe and become a confederation of people who temporarily became a force to be reckoned with. To touch again on the 'Cairbre Ua Guaire' who may have been an abbot at Kildare- positions like this were usually inherited one way or another with some type of affirmation or support from Kings of Leinster if not another powerful group in the region. For someone whose surname does not appear (fabricated or otherwise) in any Leinster genealogies to be 'Head of the Hospitality of Leinster', it may indicate that there was immense social upheaval and a lack of heirs to such a position, or that those in power that administered the sending of kin to local religious houses were in such dire straits they were powerless to stop an interloper.

Whether McLain is really Mac Coileain, I'll probably never know. But it does seem things are certainly lining up as far as the who/what/where in terms of O'Guaire.

Chris,

Out of curiosity, where are you getting Mac Coileain from? Rev. Woulfe does not seem to have it. The closest derivation I can find in eDIL is Mac Cáeláin or Mac Caíleáin. Both of these are related to "thin, slender, narrow" and have a pronunciation close to keel-an.
https://dil.ie/7578
https://dil.ie/7721

I've been figuring it for a mac-prefix of the Leinster surname which was mostly Ó Cuileáin, Ó Coileáin and Ó Coilín, purely on speculation since the surname evolved from the given name Cuilén (which it seems was also Cuilín) which may be the family that was associated with Ó Guaire. I'm nearly 100% positive that McLain is an NPE, but just on the odds that the Ó Guaire and Ó Cuilín probably lived amongst eachother for a millennium vs much more brief contact with Mac Giolla Eain who didn't come into the midlands until very late, an NPE/DNA switch among those two families seems much more likely. Woulfe acknowledges variants "Cullane" and "Collaine" for these names, which i've found certainly occurred in Offaly-Laois-Kildare and some placenames anglicized this way as well (Ballykillane, Ballycullane etc). The fiants and confirmed placenames definitely give enough evidence that a mac-prefix existed here:

Ballycollin (Baile Mhic Coillín), Geashill p., Geashill b., Co. Offaly
Killan aka "Balle'm'cullian" (Baile Mhic Cuilín), Monasteroris p., Coolestown, b., Co. Offaly

But I believe Woulfe seems to omit smaller family groups as established surnames when the majority had the opposite prefix, which is also the case with Mac Laighean (M'Lyne, Lyons) which I found also existed in Leinster, but he probably groups the smaller "alternate prefix" families with the majority without specific mention.

Ó Corráin & Maguire give:

Cuilén: Coileáin (kil-an), m, 'a whelp', hence 'a youth, young warrior'. This name was common amongst Munster peoples especially the Dál Cais. Clann Chuiléin was the name of the MacNamaras and related families. The name was favoured among the Uí Dímmusaig (O'Dempseys) in the later middle ages. Cuilén Ua Domnalláin, judge of Offaly, died in 1065. There is also a Saint Cuilén of Laughil, Co. Offaly whose feast day is 22 April. In the form of Colin, it was favoured by the House of Argyll (Campbells).

The Donnell mac Collayn who was gifted a horse by the Earl of Kildare in 1513 is probably a patronymic of an O'Dempsey, however the 'Teige M'Collyn and Malghlin M'Collyn, husbandmen who dwell in Balmaskollock (Ballynasculloge, Co. Kildare, in the neighborhood of Ballycullane, Tullygorey, Ballycoolan, and the obsolete 'Bealath Cuyllean'), are probably Mac Coileáins just like I think 'Phaly M'Layne' is Failghe Mac Coileáin in F4030.

If you remember several years back, I was floating the possibility of a mac-variant of Ó Cillín>Ó Cilleáin based on the variants I was finding (McClene, McLeon, Macleen amongst a number of Killeens, etc), however these could also be produced by Mac Cuilín. As I mentioned a few posts back, eDil gives Cuilín as a form of Claen/Claon, so whether Cuilín was in fact just another possible variant of Cuilén or it's own epithet-turned-surname, I really can't tell.