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MacDermotts
- Kings of Moylurg and Princes of Coolavin
The more important
line having precedence is that of Coolavin, Co. Sligo, formerly
Moylurg. This line is led by the 'Prince of Coolavin' and the line
is also known as Mag Luirg (Moylurg) line. Their territory - Moylurg
- comprised the plains of Boyle, in the county Roscommon; Tir-Oilill,
now the barony of "Tirerill" in Sligo; Arteach, a district in Roscommon
near Lough Gara, on the borders of Sligo and Mayo; Clan Cuain was
a district in the barony of Carra, near Castlebar, comprising the
present parishes of Islandeady, Turlough, and Breaffy.
As the King
of Moylurg, MacDermott was the chief vassal to O'Conor. For nigh
on five hundred years, from about 1185 the Moylurg branch remained
powerful and influential in their homeland. They were the hereditary
marshals of Connaught, which included the responsibility of raising
and regulating the military forces, preparing them for battle, as
commanders-in-chief; and presiding at the inauguration of the O'Connors
as kings of Connaught to proclaim their election. Without MacDermot's
continued promised support O'Conor's position would have often been
untenable; indeed there were times, especially when Mulrooney MacDermot
(King of Moylurg 1294-1331) was in his prime when MacDermot was
the most influential and materially powerful of all Connacht's Gaelic
chieftains.
The MacDermot
sept lived on The Rock of Loch Ce (also Lough Key), just off the
shores of what is now Loch Key Forest park, outside Boyle in Co.
Roscommon. Carrick MacDermot or MacDermot's Castle was to become
the centre of the kingdom of Moylurg and it was here that the MacDermots
held court, gave judgements and played chess. It was a powerful
symbol not only to those who followed MacDermot and who bore his
name but also to neighbouring clans and representatives of foreign
power. Not once in five centuries of infighting between MacDermot,
O'Conor, O'Donnell, O'Gara, O'Kelly, MacCostelloe to name but a
few or of conflict with emissaries of English authority did the
Rock fall in to enemy hands. The only occasions on which it did
change hands following loss in conflict was when MacDermot fought
and defeated MacDermot!
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In 1599
Conor Og MacDermot together with the help of Brian Og O Rourke
routed the English under Sir Conyers Clifford. One of the
critical events in this 'Battle of the Curlews' of 1599 was
the Castle of Ballinafad. Built by the English Sir Richard
Bingham, to give an English presence in the 1590's, it was
promptly seiged and won, by the Healys and McDermotts. The
castle was held by the MacDonaghs on behalf of the MacDermotts
of Moylurg and the O'Conors. The castle was built at a good
vantage point from which the enemy could be observed for many
miles around and it was constantly under attack from both
English and Gaelic forces. For the next fifty years, it was
the site of fierce battles as the families struggled to keep
the English out of Southern Sligo.
In relation
to the fortunes of the MacDermotts of Moylurgh, they declined
rapidly with
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the onset of the
rebellion. They had already lost some land that previously belonged
to the Church and had already been given away prior to the rebellion.
With the establisment of the new English order under James 1 following
the Battle of Kinsale in 1601 and the flight of the Earls in 1607,
the family lost more property and power - although Connacht avoided
major upheaval until after the Cromwell's campaign. In 1617 Brian
MacDermot received the King James I Grant allocating him his ancestral
lands of approximately 17,400 acres. The principal lands were those
of what later became Rockingham and Oakport estates, but The MacDermott
also recieved large or small holdings in practically every parish
in the newly created the barony of Boyle. This James I grant, whilst
recognizing the authenticity of MacDermot's heritage nevertheless
put under foreign regal privilege (ie they made their ownership temporary
and revokable) what previously had been inherited as of birthright
by the descendants of Mulrooney Mor.
The Moylurg
MacDermots were Jacobite in their sympathies and their influence
dwindled as they lost much of the 17,400 acres at
the time of the final dispersal of the Connacht Gaelic Irish families
following the Cromwellian campaign in Ireland of 1649/50. As a result
of this dispersal they, like virtually every other member of the
old Gaelic aristocracy, were almost completely dispossessed of their
ancestral lands. The
final blow came in the mid 1660, King Charles II issued "Declaration
of Innocence" orders which confirmed whether or not families
had participated in the Irish rebellions against England during
the English Civil War. These declarations were accompanied by confirmations
of the earlier land grants. The Moylurg MacDermots recieved neither
the Declaration or a confirmation of land grant and the last of
their ancestoral lands (approximately 35,000 English acres at the
time) were granted to new English planter families including the
Kings, Dillons, Cootes and Croftons. Many of these new 'planter'
families had either already previously settled in the area (King
was granted the lands of Boyle Abbey by Elizabeth I) or were Old
English transplanted from the Pale (e.g. Dillon). As a result of
this the territory of Moylurg had all but disappeared.
The last MacDermot
to be known as King of Moylurg was Turlough who died in 1586. Subsequently
and until they lost possession of the Castle and its lands the chieftains
were known as "...of the Carrick" or "....of Carrick MacDermot".
In 1644 there is the first record of the chief being referred to
as An MacDiarmada , The MacDermot, which to this day remains one
of the two official titles of the head of the Sept. When the last
of family lands in Roscommon were confiscated in the middle of the
1660s the family was without estate. Unlike many others families,
the MacDermots of Moylurg did manage to salvage some of their old
possessions (held on their behalf by other MacDermott lines) and
in 1669 when Charles (Cathal Roe) MacDermot released to his second
son Hugh lands at Shruffe, County Sligo the the Moylurg McDermotts
moved to the half- barony of Coolavin in picturesque setting on
the slopes of the north shore of Loch Gara. With this as their new
seat, the line
of descendants from the original MacDermot chiefs remains unbroken.
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From the
late 1600s until the late 1800s, Old Coolavin was the home
of The MacDermot. Despite losing
the title Kings of Moylurg the head of the family was still
known as The MacDermot. The title Prince of Coolavin, was
an honorary one which arose from popular usage. Despite losing
their lands in Moylurg and settling to a baroncy the line
was still of royal heritage.
Coolavin
House was secluded and surrounded by trees. It was only a
few few yards from the lake shore. The nearest towns were
Ballaghaderreen
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and Boyle. The
house was connected to the road which joined the towns by a long winding
avenue. It is quite likely that travel between these places and also
between neighbours was carried out by water. The
family burial grounds were at Templeronan, which too was reachable
by boat rather than by road.
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lived at old Coolavin until Hugh Hyacinth MacDermot bought the
nearby lands at Clogher in 1879 and commenced building the new
Coolavin which was completed in 1898. The house is a three storey
manor, situated on a rise overlooking richly wooded parkland.
The house is still the home of the MacDermots and is currently
inhabited, although not by the current Chieftain who lives in
County Kildare. |
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The current
head of the family, known as 'the Mac Dermot, prince of Coolavin',
and recognised as Chief of his name by the Chief Herald of Ireland,
is Niall Mac Dermot.
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Back to the MacDermott - Name Meanings
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