Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1901-03-16


the founder of the sept, and was sue
ceeded by his son. Mortagh vi Mhaille,
the fourth of the name Mortagh. He, in
turn, was succeeded by Brian vi Mhaille,
his son, and he by Donald, and he by
Dermod, his son, and Dermod by Owen,
his son, and Owen by Dermod H., and
Dermod IL. by Dermod III. and Dermod
III. by -Teige, his son. This Teige Tor
Timothy in English) had six brothers
-Dubhdara, Owen, Dermod. Hugh,
Brian and John.
During this period of descent the for
tune of the family had greatly changed.
For seven generations the blood was that
of Kings-frst Kings of all Ireland;
next Kings of Connaught. Before the
time of Brian Boroihme the chief O'Mal-
leys had become merely Sept-Kings. or
rulers of clan. Several things con-
tributed toward this end. The coming
of the Danes in S12 finished breaking the
line as rulers of Connaught. it would
appear. The "Men of Umhall," the
"Sons of Maill," suffered terribly during
the wars with the fierce Mortimer. Adj
ded to this was a centuries-long struggle
with the O'Connors, who seized their in
heritance after the Danes had laid the
province desolate and weakened the
rulers of Umhall. If history does not
err, moreover, the O'Malleys had them
selves greatly to blame. The race has
always been exceedingly proud, exces-
sively willful; unnaturally vindictive--
equally productive of saints and devils, "
as Red Angus O'Daly, the noted Irish
bard, put it once upon a time. The
O'Connors could forgive and forget in
juries; the headstrong O'Mslleys neither
forgot nor forgave. The struggle between
the two races began early in the tenth
century, and, with few intermissions,
lasted down to the close of the sixteenth.
Owing to this struggle, and to the ex-
ceeding tenacity of the "Sons of MALL, "
it is doubtful if any Irish sept has shed as
much human blood as has been shed by
the O'Malleys. Until recent years all
of that name have seemed to desire con.
Hict rather than inaction, and power
rather than unnoticed virtue.
A brief review of their career in this
respect will indeed prove that the family
has its wild and barbarous chronicles
while serving at the same time to trace
the line down to modern times-a pitifu
record of misfortune and disaster. Ii
1923 Teige, the sept-king was drowned
By the laundering of his galley off tbs
Isle of Arran. He was succeeded by
Donald, his son, who died in 1l76. Ii
1898 Murtogh O'Malley was killed b.
the O'Connors in 1919 Dubhdars, hi
son, was put to death in his owl
fortress for his misdeeds," by Catha
O'Connor, King of Connaught. In 123I
Donal and Murtogh O'Malley wer'
killed by the O'Connors while making I
reprisal to avenge their father. "Sever
chief men of the O'Connors" were killed
during this foray. The triumph of the
O'Connors, however, was of short dura
ton. At Faster of that year the frs
English invaders defeated Manus O'Con
nor, King of Connaught, and massacre6
| his people, men. women and children
without mercy. Without siding with tn
English, the O'Malleys appear response
BILE for the defeat of their enemies. They
were yet strong in ships and fighting
men, yet they saw their rivals destroyed
without lifting helping hand. Thu
Annals of the Four Masters assert tina
chad Manus been on friendly terms will
the OMalleys they would have sent thei
shipping against the English" and save'
| him his throne. In the autumn OF thu
same year the English under Hugo d.
Lacy and De Burgo laid desolate tn
country of the O'Malleys, and to sucl
an extent that the name does not appea
again in martial history for more thar
one hundred years. In 1887 we fine
Donal Roe O'Malley and Cormac hi
SON ''slaiu by Mebric and others of tn
English" the first mention since 1885.
The century of inaction appears reall,
to have been one Of preparation. Away
a sea-faring race, the O'Malleys ha'
withdrawn to the outlying islands be
fore the English and here renewed thei
strength. In 1851 the sept-king 10
chieftain in Scottish form), named Tua
thai, died, and again the sept started on
career of bloodshed. In 1878 the O'Mal
leys killed the English ruler, Macmillan
Burke, decendent of De Burgo. TIL
next year they ravaged the country o
the "ferocious O'Flaherties." In 1888
the O'Flaherties killed Owen, Gonna
and other leaders of the O'Malley sept
In 1896 Conor, son of Owen, and man.
others of his people were drowned be
tween Arran and the mainland Will
returning from a pluudering excursion
into West Connaught.
A few years later Mclaughlin O'Malle..
and number of his clan went in shil
to conmaicne and slew the grandson o
Cashal O'Flaherty and many of his fol
lowers in returning Mclaughlin and thir
ty-three Of his men were drowned off tn
coast of Arran. A few years later ih
Chief MacSweeny of Tyrconneli was cap
tured during an expedition and with hi
daughter was hurled down a precipic