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Variations on the name Kinsella:
Kincheloe, Kinchelan, Kinshalla, Kinshillah, Kinsela, Kinselagh,
Kingsley, Kinsley, Tinsley.
According to ancient Irish
manuscripts, the name Cinnsealach (later anglicized to Kinsella)
first came into being in the year 365 AD. The occasion was a
battle between the King of Tara, Eochaidh Muighmheadhon, and
Eanna, King of Leinster.
The battle was fought at a place
called Croghan Hill and was decisively won by King Eanna. Near
the end of the battle, Eochaidh Muighmheadhon's druid,
Ceadnathach, was taken prisoner and brought to Eanna who was
standing on the Hill amidst the dissipating battle. Upon seeing
Eanna, the druid said, "Thou wouldst never conquer from
this hill on which I am, if I were to live." Upon this
Eanna transfixed him with his spear; and, as the spear pierced
his body, a laugh broke forth from Eanna. "Alas," said
the druid, "that is a foul laugh, and it is this that will
be given as a name to thy posterity after thee for ever".
Based on this account,
Cinnsealach means foul laugh. Other versions exist
however:
- Cinn means head, point,
chieftain, commander and selach means unclean, vile.
So one version of Cinnsealach is unclean head.
- Another version, and one you
could believe the druid would have uttered, is vile
chieftain.
- One favored by an Irish family
in Ireland is crest of a wave as the Gaelic word for
sea or salt water is saile.
- Finally, according to a Gaelic
dictionary, Cinnsealach means authoritative.
Eanna Cinnsealach was powerful in
his time, as may be seen from the poem composed by Dubhthach son
of O Lughair, who was chief ollamh (poet) of Ireland when
Patrick came to preach the Gospel. A battle fought by the
Leinstermen is the beginning of that poem but I shall here quote
only these two stanzas of it, from which it may be inferred that
Eanna was powerful in his time:
The tribute which was given to Eanna,
From Leath Cuinn of the feasts,
Was a screaball from each house,
All of fionndruine
The tribute which was given to Eanna,
From Mumha with insults
Was an ounce of gold from each lios
In the ensuing year.
The clan composed of Eanna's
direct descendants became known as Ui Cinnsealach (Hy Kinsella
in modern times). From the 4th century until the Norman invasion
in the 12th century they ruled over a large area of south
eastern Ireland composed of Co.Wexford, Carlow, and parts of
Kildare and Kilkenny.
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