The following is a copy of the notable entry.
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The O’Conor family was one of the most distinguished and powerful royal houses in Ireland, ruling the Kingdom of Connacht for centuries up until 1475. Turlough Mór O'Conor (Toirdhealbhach Mór Ua Conchobhair, 1088–1156) was High King of Ireland and his son Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair (c. 1116–1198) was the last High King of Ireland.
Relief of Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair at Cong Abbey, Connacht (Public Domain)
Another son of Turlough Mór O'Conor was Maghnus (d. 1181), the ancestor of one of the two McManus septs of Ireland.
Turlough’s youngest son Cathal the Red-handed O'Conor (Cathal Crobhdearg Ua Conchobair, 1153–1224) was King of Connacht, and his sons Aedh Ua Conchobair and Feidhlimidh Ua Conchobair were also kings of Connacht after him.
Due to feuding between rival factions of the clan, the O’Conor family split into two major branches: the O’Conor Don line and the O’Conor Roe line. Their common ancestor was Hugh McOwen O'Conor (Aedh mac Eoghan Ó Conchobair, d. 1309).
The Roe line stems from his son Felim McHugh O'Connor (Feidhlimid mac Aedh Ó Conchobair, 1293–1316). The Roe line has no known living patrilineal descendants.
The Don line stems from his son Turlough O'Conor (Toirdelbach Ó Conchobair, d. 1345) and rose to prominence in the late 14th century led by Toirdhealbhach Ruadh O'Connor (d. 1426).
Despite facing challenges in the 15th century from Anglo-Norman families and internal divisions among the native Irish, the O'Conor Don line managed to maintain their influence and territories. The 16th and 17th centuries saw a decline in the O'Conor Don line's power due to the expansion of English rule in Ireland. However, the family continued to hold titles and maintain a presence in Irish society. Charles O'Conor, a historian and antiquarian, was a notable member of this era who sought to preserve the Gaelic culture and history of Ireland.
Charles O'Conor of Belanagare (1710–1791) - Public Domain
Today, the O'Conor Don family serves as a symbol of Irish heritage and remains an important part of the country's cultural landscape. Their legacy is celebrated and honored in modern Ireland as a testament to their resilience and adaptability throughout the centuries.
With the help of Dr. Maurice Gleeson and Tim McEvoy, the detailed haplogroup of the O’Conor line was determined by Big Y testing of a Don line family member in the Sons of Aodh Group Project. The O'Conor tester pedigree is well documented and widely accepted as going back to Turlough Mór O'Conor (1088–1156 AD), High King of Ireland. The existence of the R-BY18179 McManus subclade, with an age estimate that aligns well with Turlough’s son Maghnus (d. 1181), further supports this thousand-year-old genealogy.
Pictured: Coat of arms of the O'Conor. Created by “Claíomh Solais,” CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Historical information sourced from Wikipedia and Genealogical tables of medieval Irish royal dynasties (Bart Jaski, 2013). Further reading: McManus YDNA Project.
