The Fian, the Gamhanradh, and the kingship of Connacht

Abstract

A short, somewhat garbled prose text in Early Modern Irish, preserved in the Book of Lecan and NLS Adv. MS 72.1.1, traces the genealogies of Clann Gharaidh Ghlúnduibh (which includes Clann Mhorna) and the Gamhanradh and associates the lineage of each kin-group with prominent figures from the Ulster Cycle. It also describes the reign of a king from each kin-group over the kingdom of Connacht and the political manoeuvrings and marriage alliances involved, as well as presenting an account of some lesser-known aspects of the feud between Clann Mhorna and Clann Bhaoiscne that animates much of the Fionn Cycle. Although some of the material in the text is present in Leabhar Mór na nGenealach, much of the Fionn Cycle material is not, and the text remains unpublished and unedited to date. Consequently, an edition and translation, with explanatory notes and an index, are provided. The text is a product of the later medieval project to construct an ancient history of the kingdom of Connacht as a continuous political entity modelled on earlier medieval literature. As well as providing some potentially significant material on otherwise poorly documented events of the Fionn Cycle, it exemplifies how medieval Irish syncretic historical scholarship can transcend traditional literary genres and creatively re-work historical traditions.