O'Brien

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O'BRIEN

The surname O'Brien is 'O'Briain' in Irish, meaning descendant of Brian (Boru). The name means 'exalted one' or 'eminence'. It is among the ten most frequently found in Ireland and derives from the 10th century King of Ireland, Brian Boru.

In 976 Brian Boru secured control of the Dal gCais tribal grouping based in the Clare/Limerick area, and two years later defeated and killed the Eoghanacht king of Munster. He then waged deadly war on the kingdoms of Connacht, Meath, Leinster and Breifne and eventually secured submission from all but the northern Ui Neill, the Leinstermen and the Vikings.

His remarkable career as High King of Ireland ended with his death on the field of the battle of Clontarf (1014) when the Norsemen were finally subdued. His victory at Clontarf united all of Ireland, nominally at least, under a single leader, though Brian himself was slain. It is not surprising that Brian's harp went on to become the model for the national emblem of Ireland.

From the 10th century down to the present day, the O'Briens have always been prominent in the history of Ireland. There were a number of septs/clans in early Irish history, the largest of which were based in Counties Clare, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford. It is in these Counties that the majority of descendants can still be found. In the case of "our" O'Briens the roots are believed to be County Mayo

Brian's descendants, bearing the O'Brien name, continued to rule the Kingdom of Munster until the 12th century when their territory had shrunk to the Kingdom of Thomond which they held for almost five centuries more. After the partition of Munster into Thomond and the MacCarthy Kingdom of Desmond in the 12th century, the O'Brien dynasty went on to provide a further thirty monarchs of Thomond until 1542. The last O'Brien to reign in Thomond was Murrough O'Brien who was made Earl of Thomond in the Peerage of Ireland under Henry VIII of the House of Tudor. Murrough O'Brien was the first Baron Inchiquin, a title created for him in 1543, and today the title still applies to the head of the O'Brien clan.

In Griffiths Valuation ca 1850s, the largest concentrations of O'Brien households were found in Limerick, Clare, Tipperary and Cork.

EXTRACTED FROM  IRELAND ROOTS

 

 

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