Clan Commane

**Clan Commane / Ó Comáin** is an Irish clan with the surname **Ó Comáin**, which comes from an earlier chief named *Commán*, The family goes back to kings of Déisi Munster and is linked to early saints and poets.

## Name and spellings 
The name Ó Comáin comes from both Connacht and Munster.

The prefix Ó means “descendant of”. The name is found in records as Comain, Commáin, and Comman. Later, it was written in many different ways, such as:

* *Comain(e), Coman, Comeens, Comin(s), Commane, Comman(s), Commin(s), Common(s), Commyn, Comyn(e), Cowman(s), Cummane, Cumings, Cummin(s), Cumming(s), Cumyn, Cummyn, Kimmons, MacSkimmins, McCowman*

It is sometimes wrongly translated as Hurley, because Comán looks like Camán, the Irish word for hurley stick. Stone Fort situated in the Burren, excavation in 1934 led by Hugh O’Neill Hencken suggests that it dates back to the early 8-9th century. D. Blair Gibson suggests Cahercommaun was the capital of an early medieval Chiefdom of Tulach Commáin.]]

## Chiefdom of Tulach Commáin 
The name **Ó Comáin** is associated with the early medieval *Chiefdom of Tulach Commáin*, which means the *fort of Commán*.

Each chiefdom had a main centre with a fort, a church, and  a mound used for ceremonies.

According to historian and anthropologist (a scientist who studies people) David Blair Gibson, the *Chiefdom of Tulach Commáin* was probably an independent territory or part of a larger related family group. It was likely near the much older Corcu Mruad chiefdom, and may later have joined the kingdom of Thomond led by the Dál Cais.

Archaeologist Claire Cotter, suggests that the area was possibly named after a sub-king (a smaller king *Rí túaithe* "king of a tribe") named *Commán*; she notes evidence in the annals (early Irish records), such as the *Annals of Ulster* recording the 744 AD destruction of Corcu Mruad by the Déisi and agrees with Gibson. Both say there was a short-lived Eóganacht chiefdom tied to a chief-king named *Commán*.

## Family line and mentions 
The *Dessi Genealogies* (family lists of the Déisi people), written in books like the *Book of Lecan, Rawlinson B 502*, and the *Book of Leinster*, say that Suibne mac Comáin (died 658) was a king of Déisi Muman (old Irish for Munster). This was a small kingdom in Munster that followed the bigger Eóganacht confederation (group of dynasties).

His son Congal mac Suibne (died 701) is named in the Annals of Ulster. He is called *rí na nDéisi* (“king of the Déisi”). He was killed by the Connachta.

The Déisi Munster were a Gaelic people in early medieval Munster. They lived in what is now County Waterford, Tipperary, and Clare. Often they worked with or supported the Eóganacht kings from the 5th to 8th centuries.

Some historians think the Déisi Muman and the Eóganacht were very closely linked, maybe an overlapping group.

Historians Cotter and Gibson write about two men who may have been brothers:
# Célechair mac Commáin died in the battle of Corcu Modruad in 705. This battle was one of many fights in north Clare in the 8th century. His death is written in the *Annals of Ulster, Annals of Tigernach, and Annals of the Four Masters.*

Old genealogies and annals list members of the clan:

* Suibne mac Comáin (d. 658) – king of the Déisi Munster
* Congal mac Suibne (d. 701) – his son, king of the Déisi
* Célechair mac Comáin (d. 705) – killed in battle in Clare

## Place names and ancient sites 
The clan name survives in the place names Tullycommon (Irish: Tulach Commáin) and Cahercommane.

In 1938, Hugh O’Neill Hencken wrote about his dig (archaeological ) at the site. He used the spelling Cahercommaun, but he noticed the Ordnance Survey map showed it as Cahircommane. Both he and Westropp agreed the name probably came from a historical figure called *Commán*, linked to the old chiefdom in Clare.

## Loss and revival 
According to John O'Hart in *Irish Pedigrees,* by the 13th century, the clan lost most of its lands after the Anglo-Norman invasion. The name survived in County Clare and is found in the 1659 census.

## Further reading 
* "Annals of Innisfallen." CELT Project. University College Cork.
* "Annals of Ulster." CELT Project. University College Cork.
* "The History and Topography of the County of Clare." Frost, James. Internet Archive.
* "Corpus Genealogiarum Hiberniae." O'Brien, M. A. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
* "Irish Kings and High-Kings." Byrne, F. J. Four Courts Press.
* "Irish Pedigrees: Or, The Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation." O'Hart, John. M.H. Gill & Son.
* "Leabhar Mór na nGenealach." Mac Fhirbhisigh, Dubhaltach. Edited by Nollaig Ó Muraíle. De Búrca Rare Books.
* "CELT: The Corpus of Electronic Texts." CELT Project. University College Cork.
* Gibson, D. Blair. *From Chiefdom to State in Early Ireland*. Cambridge University Press, 2012.Cambridge University Press
* Gibson, D. Blair. *Tulach Commain: A view of an Irish chiefdom.*
* "Cahercommaun Triple Ring Fort." Academia.edu. Academia.edu

## References