Ireland
Robert SewellThis page was set up by Robert Sewell in April 2006 to show the descent of the Sewell Family from our ancient Irish ancestors.  Robert Sewell graduated from McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) in 1967 with a B.Sc. degree in chemistry.  After a year of studies at the University of Toronto's College of Education, he taught high school science in Collingwood, Ontario for a year and then taught chemistry, physics and general science in Hamilton, Ontario for twenty-nine years.  Robert Sewell retired from teaching in June 1998.

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Sources

World Book Millenium 2000 Deluxe Edition, © 1999 World Book Inc., © IBM Corp.
Microsoft Encarta Encyclopædia 99, © 1993-1998 Microsoft Corporation
Norman F. Cantor (ed.) The Encyclopædia of the Middle Ages, New York, 1999
Frederick Lewis Weis: Ancestral Roots, 7th Edition, Baltimore, 1999
Celtic Ireland AD 400 - 1200, Time-Life Books, Richmond, Virginia, 1998
Berhard Grun, The Timetables of History, New York, 1991
J.C. Beckett, A Short History of Ireland, London, 1979
Martin Wallace:  A Short History of Ireland, South Devon, 1973
The Book of History (18 Volumes), London, 1914
Richard Thomson:  An Historical Essay on the Magna Charta of King John (London, 1829)
Mediæval History Guide, http://historymedren.about.com/index.htm
Brian Tompsett, Royal Genealogical Data, http://www3.dcs.hull.ac.uk/genealogy/royal/
CELT: Online Resource of Irish History, University College Cork, http://www.ucc.ie/celt/
Archives of University College Dublin, http://www.ucd.ie/archives/
Ireland's History in Maps, http://www.rootsweb.com/~irlkik/ihm/iremaps.htm

Ireland's History in Maps Link

Mediæval Ireland

    Ancient Ireland was divided into about one hundred and fifty tiny kingdoms, each ruled over by a local king who was really just a tribal chieftain. There were also five main kingdoms:  Ulster, Connacht, Leinster, Munster, and Meath.

Please click on Mediæval Ireland for more information

Early Irish History

    The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters (usually shortened to The Annals of the Four Masters) claim to record the History of Ireland beginning just prior to Noah’s Flood. The first entries in the Annals of the Four Masters are thought to date from about 550 AD; earlier (and perhaps later entries as well) must be considered to be partly legendary. However, we must be careful not to “throw the baby out with the bathwater” as these annals represent a unique view of the history of Ireland as recorded by someone who was 1500 years closer to the truth than we are in the 21st century.

The Annals of Inisfallen chronicle the history of Ireland beginning 433 AD, but are believed to have been written between the 12th and 15th centuries. The Annals of Ulster, beginning 431 AD, are thought to have been compiled in the late 15th century.


Here is the first entry in The Annals of the Four Masters:
"AOIS domhain gus an m-bliadhoin-si na dileand, da mhile da chéad da fichet & da bhliadhoin.

"Ceathracha la ria n-dilinn tainig Ceasoir go h-Eirinn, go c-caogaid n-inghen, & go t-triar b-fer . . .."

in modern English this is:
"The Age of the World, to this Year of the Deluge, 2242.

"Forty days before the Deluge, Ceasair came to Ireland with fifty girls and three men . . .."


The arrival of St. Patrick is said to have occurred in 432 AD:
"Aois Criost, ceithre ched triocha a dó.

"Pattraic do theacht i n-Erinn an bliadhain-si, go ro gabh for baitseadh & beannachaigh Ereann, fiora mna, maca, & ingena, cénmótá uathadh na ro fhaomh baitsiodh na creideamh uadh, amhuil aisnedheas a bheatha."

in modern English this is:
"The Age of Christ, 432.

"Patrick came to Ireland this year, and proceeded to baptize and bless the Irish, men, women, sons, and daughters, except a few who did not consent to receive faith or baptism from him, as his Life relates."


The Annals of the Four Masters 432 AD

 

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The Annals of the Four Masters 
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Annals of the Four Masters year 432


Some problems arise if we attempt to take information as being totally accurate. For example, we have an entry in The Annals of the Four Masters for the year 122 AD concerning Cathaeir Mor:
"The Age of Christ, 122.

"Cathaeir Mor, after having been three years king over Ireland, was slain by Conn, and the Luaighni of Teamhair, in the battle of Magh hAgha."

Over 300 years later in the year 435 we have mention of the grandson of Cathaeir Mor: 
"The Age of Christ, 435.

"Breasal Bealach, son of Fiacha Aiceadh, son of Cathaeir Mor, died."

Clearly, Breasal Bealach could not have been a grandson of Cathaeir Mor. 
     Perhaps Breasal Bealach was a descendant of Cathaeir Mor; but many generations must be missing. This sort of inconsistancy hasn’t detered enthusiatic family historians from claiming an unbroken line from very early times in much the same manner as an unknown historian claimed a descent for the early kings of Wessex from Biblical figures dating back to Adam and Eve. 

     See the entry in The Anglo Saxon Chronicle for the year 854 AD for this legendary line.


Historical fiction is not to be scoffed at. Author Dan Brown has created a place for himself in history
and made a great deal of money with his "Da Vinci Code" and the fictional descendants of Jesus.

Beginning in 935 AD, we have a line of descent documented in The Annals of Ulster:
"Anno Domini .dcccc.34., alias .dcccc.35

"Cinaedh m. Coirpri, dux Nepotum Ceinnselaig, cum multis a Nordmannis interfectus est."

in modern English this is:
"AD 934 alias 935.

"Cinaed son of Cairpre, chief of Uí Chennselaigh, was killed with many others by Norsemen."

From this point on, we have the following tentative (perhaps semi legendary) line of descent:
1.   Cinaed macCairpre King of Ui Chennselaig, died in 935.
2.   Cellach macCinaeda, King of of Ui Chennselaig, died in 947 
3.   Domnall macCellaig, King of of Ui Chennselaig, died in 974 
4.   Diarmait macDomnaill, King of Ui Chennselaig, died in 996
5.   Donnchad Máel nam Bó, King of Ui Chennselaig, died in 1006 
6.   Diarmait MacMáil nam Bó, King of Ireland & Leinster.  Died on February 7, 1072 
Diarmait married to Darbforgaill ingen Donnchada O'Brien (died in 1080), a granddaughter of Brian Bórú. See Generation Three below for the continuation of this line.

Descendants of Brian Bórú

    While Brian Bórú's ancestry depends solely on tradition and is not accepted as proven, we have two definite links with regard to his descendants.

    This information is presented in Frederick Lewis Weis: Ancestral Roots, 7th Edition, Baltimore, 1999, pages 67, 69, 149 - 150, 202 - 203 and 224; and originates with material from:

Brian Bórú

This was the time of Brian Bórú, arguably the only ard-rí (ARD-ree) or
High King of Ireland
who, like Ælfred the Great of England, actually controlled the entire country.

Please click on
Brian Bórú
for more information.

Brian Boru

Generation One
Brian Bórú, High King of Ireland
Born circa 941 at Béal Bórú (from which he received his name), near Killaloe, County Clare, Ireland.
Died (murdered) on Good Friday, April 23, 1014.
Brian Bórú had at least three wives, one of whom was Gormflaith of Naas, a daughter of Murchad, King of Leinster.  Brian Bórú and Gormflaith had a son:

Brian Bórú had by another wife a daughter:
Reference: Weis, Ancestral Roots, Line 175-1, Line 239-1

Generation Two
Donnchad, son of Brian Bórú and Gormflaith, King of Munster in 1023.  Donnchad went on a pilgrimage to Rome in 1064 and died the same year.
Donnchad had a daughter:

Reference: Weis, Ancestral Roots, Line 175-2

Slani, daughter of Brian Bórú and an unknown wife. Slani married Sihtric of the Silken Beard, King of Dublin who went on a pilgrimage to Rome in 1028 and died in 1042.
Slani and Sihtric had a son:

Reference: Weis, Ancestral Roots, Line 239-1, 239-2, 239-3.

Generation Three
Darbforgaill ingen Donnchada O'Brien
Died in 1080

     Darbforgaill married Diarmait MacMáil nam Bó, King of Ireland & Leinster.  Diarmait was King of Leinster from 1042 to 1052, at which time he became High King of Ireland, a post which he held from 1052 until his death on February 7, 1072.  When Dairmait became High King of Ireland in 1052, it appears that he resigned as King of Leinster and his son Murchad took over that post.

     Darbforgaill and Diarmait had the following son:

Reference: Weis, Ancestral Roots, Line 175-3

Generation Four
Murchad macDiarmata macMáil, King of Leinster 1052 - 1070
Died in Dublin, probably on December 8, 1070.

Murchad married to Sadb, a daughter of MacBricc and they had a son:

Reference: Weis, Ancestral Roots, Line 175-4

Generation Five
Donnchad macMurchada, King of Leinster 1098 - 1115
Died, killed in battle against Domnall Ua Briain in 1115

Donnchad married to Orlaith and they had a son:

Reference: Weis, Ancestral Roots, Line 175-5

Generation Six
Diarmait Mac Murchada, King of Leinster 1126 - 1171, also known as Dermot MacMurrough, is best remembered for having brought the English to Ireland.

Click on Dairmait Mac Murchada for the grim details.
Born in 1100
Died on January 1,  1171 at Ferns.
Dairmait Mac Murchada married to Mor, a daughter of Muirchertach Ua Tuathail (O'Toole) and they had a daughter:
Reference: Weis, Ancestral Roots, Line 175-6

Generation Seven
Aoife (Eva) MacMurrough of Leinster, Countess of Ireland
 

Wedding of Aoife MacMurrough and Richard de Clare
The Big Wedding.
Aoife MacMurrough married on August 26, 1171 at Waterford
to Richard "Strongbow" FitzGilbert de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. 
The above image indicates that the wedding must have been quite a striking social event.

Click on Richard "Strongbow" FitzGilbert de Clare for his background.
Aoife and "Strongbow" had the following children:

Reference: Weis, Ancestral Roots, Line 175-7, Line 66-26

Generation Eight
Isabel de Clare, Countess of Pembroke
Born about 1174
Died in 1220 and interred at Tintern Abbey
Isabel married in August 1189 at London, England to William Marshal, 4th Earl of Pembroke, who was named in the Magna Charta as advisor to King John. Click on William Marshal for details.
Isabel and William Marshal had the following children:

Reference: Weis, Ancestral Roots, Line 66-27

Generation Nine
Lady Isabella Marshal
Born on October 9, 1200 at Pembroke Castle, Wales
Died during childbirth on January 17, 1240 at Berkhamsted Castle, Hertfordshire and interred at Beaulieu Abbey, Hampshire
Lady Isabella married on October 9, 1217 at Tewkesbury Abbey, Gloucester to her third cousin, Magna Charta Surety Gilbert de Clare, 4th Earl of Gloucester.  Click on Gilbert de Clare for details
Lady Isabella and Gilbert de Clare had the following children:Armorial Bearings of Gilbert de Clare

Lady Isabella married second on March 30, 1231, at Fawley Church, Buckinghamshire to Richard, Earl of Cornwall.  Lady Isabella and Richard of Corwall had the following children:
Reference: Weis, Ancestral Roots, Line 63-28

Generation Ten
Isabel de Clare
Born on November 8, 1226
Died in 1254
Isabel de Clare married on May 12, 1240 to Robert le Bruce, Lord of Annandale and they had a child:

Reference: Weis, Ancestral Roots, Line 252-28

Generation Eleven
Robert Bruce, Lord of Annandale and Earl of Carrick
Died in 1304
Robert Bruce married in 1271, at Turnberry Castle to Marjorie, Countess of Carrick and they had the following children:

Reference: Weis, Ancestral Roots, Line 252-29

For the continuation of this line, click on Robert the Bruce.

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For lots more Irish History, click on the image below:
Irland's History in Maps Link