and settled in Antrim in the late twelfth
century. Branches of this family, known then as the de Mandevilles, settled in Waterford
and Tipperary where the name became Mansfield (another family of Anglo-Norman origin, the
de Mandywells, became Mandevilles in Tipperary). The main line, having settled in the
north of County Antrim, in the area known as the Route, became known as the MacQuillans,
and very early became a completely Gaelicized sept on the native model, their chief being
known as Lord of the Route. Their chief seat was at the castle of Dunluce. In 1315 their
then chief joined Edward Bruce, and during that century they ranked as hereditary high
constables of Ulster. Their predominant position in northeastern Ulster was further
consolidated by their participation in the warlike actions of the Northern Ui Neill during
the fifteenth century, and their chiefs were sometimes referred to as princes of Dal
Riada. In 1541 Rory Og MacQuillan, the then chief declared that no "captain of his
race" ever died in his bed.
The MacQuillans met with major defeats at the
hands of the MacDonnells, after which their power was greatly reduced, and many of them
were dispersed. The last Lord of the Route, a later Rory Og MacQuillan, partly recovered
from the initial English confiscations in Ulster, and died in 1634. A Captain Rory
MacQuillan was an officer in O’Neill’s infantry in King James II’s Irish
Army in the late seventeenth century.
The Rices (Ris) are a Welsh family (called
Rhys in Wales) that settled in the south of Ireland in the fourteenth century, and became
influential merchants and landowners near Limerick City and near Dingle in County Kerry.
They were prominent in the civic government of Limerick, Cork and Waterford, but suffered
heavily under the Cromwellian confiscations of the mid-seventeenth century, especially in
Kerry. Afterwards, several leading members of the family became famous as Wild Geese, that
is, as Irish soldiers in Europe, and some of the Kerry branch settled in France and became
successful bankers.
The Taaffes (Tath) were an important
Cambro-Norman family, that is, they were one of the families of Welsh origin who joined in
the Anglo-Norman invasion of the late twelfth century. Their ancestors settled in Louth in
the late thirteenth century. They were prominent in the Pale, and later in the wars
against the O’Neills, for which service they were granted wide tracts of confiscated
land in Sligo. They later lost everything for their loyalty to the Stewarts. Other
important Anglo-Norman families in Louth included the Darditzes (Dairdis) or Dardeses of
Darditz-rath in Louth, and also the Catholic and pro—Irish Teelings (Taoiling) of
counties Louth and Meath.
The Walshes (Breathnach) of southeastern
Ireland mostly descend from Haylen Walsh, alias Brenach (both names mean "a
welshman," Brenach is from the Gaelic), or from his uncle David: the former being the
son of a Cambro Norman invader of 1172 known as Philip the Welshman, the latter being
Philip’s brother. They settled in southwest Kilkenny, where the family gave its name
to the Walsh Mountains. They spread also into Leix, Waterford and |
