Quick Facts
Biography
Eolais Mac Biobhsach (alias 'Irish: Eolus' "knowledge", anglicized "Wallis", "Olis" or "Olus" fl. AD 900) was a chieftain of 10th century Gaelic Ireland. He is noted as the first "full chieftain of Conmaicne Réin". His descendants, "the Muintir Eolais", expanded into the territory of present day south county Leitrim, and parts of west County Longford.
Biography
Eolais was born into the Túath of Conmaicne Réin, present day south county Leitrim, sometime in the second half of the 9th century. As an adult, he became chieftain of his sept. A charismatic leader, he united disparate sept's to become the first full chieftain of the "Conmaicne Réin" c. AD 900.
He married, having at least three sons, named "Brocan", the ancestor of Shanley; "Anbeith", the ancestor of Mac Garry; and "Maolmuire", lord of Conmaicne Réin and ancestor of Mag Raghnaill (anglicised Mac Rannell, Reynolds). Ódhrán Ua hEolais, a famous scribe of Clonmacnoise, was probably his grandson.
His death is not recorded by the Irish Annals, but was probably between 920-960 A.D.
Legacy
After the establishment of hereditary surnames in Ireland, the primary descendant sept of Eolais today are Reynolds, Mulvey, Shanley, and McGarry. From the 11th to 17th centuries, the territory of the Irish: "Muintir Eolais" "tribe of Eolais", comprised the modern baronies of Mohill and Leitrim in present day south county Leitrim.
Some place names echo his memory. The townland of Corryolus (Irish: Coraidh Eolais, Eoluis) located in the town of Carrick on Shannon is named after Eolais, ancestor of the Muintir Eolais who were medieval rulers over Leitrim (barony) and Mohill (barony). In the remote mountainous Cuilcagh-Anierin uplands, an oligotrophic lake called "Lough Munter Eolas" named after Eolais, straddles the border of Moneensauran townland in west Cavan, and Slievenakilla townland in south Leitrim.
Tributes
A well established Leitrim-Longford traditional fiddle group, trained by a Fr. Quinn since 1966, adopted the name "Ceolus" preserving his name, and they play music garnered from local manuscripts going back almost two hundred years.
Surname
O'Donovan claimed the family name (Irish: Ó hEóluis "descendent of Eolais") is still found anglicized as "Olus" or "Olis". In 1566 two instances of the surname in Leinster, corrupted as "Oelase" and "Olase", appear in the Irish Irish Fiants. The surname must be very rare.
Notes and references
Notes
Citations
Primary sources
- O'Daly, Aengus; Mangan, James Clarence; O'Donovan, John; O'Daly, Ferdoragh (1852). The tribes of Ireland: a satire (PDF). p. 35.
Secondary sources
- Petrie, George (1872). Christian Inscriptions in the Irish Language. Volume 1. Royal historical and archaeological association of Ireland, University Press. p. 61, f131.
- O'Hart, John (1876). "Irish pedigrees : or, The origin and stem of the Irish nation" (PDF). Dublin : M. H. Gill. pp. 135–136.
- Deputy Keeper. Deputy Keeper of Public Records in Ireland : eleventh report (PDF). Parliamentary Papers, Session 1878-79, Vol. XXXIX, p.581. HSMO.
- Woulfe, Patrick (1923). "Ó hEÓLUIS".
- Hardiman, James (1831). "Irish Minstrelsy, Or Bardic Remains of Ireland". Robins. pp. xlvi (46).
- Annals of the Four Masters, ed. & tr. John O'Donovan (1856). Annála Rioghachta Éireann. Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters... with a Translation and Copious Notes. 7 vols (2nd ed.). Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. CELT editions. Full scans at Internet Archive: Vol. 1; Vol. 2; Vol. 3; Vol. 4; Vol. 5; Vol. 6; Indices.
- Ward, Conor (2016). "Scordatura in the Irish Traditional Fiddle Music of Longford and South Leitrim" (PDF): 12.
- Templan, Paul (2010). "Irish Hill and Mountain Names" (PDF). mountainviews.ie. p. 14.
- O'Clery, Michael; O'Clery, Cucogry; O'Mulconry, Ferfeasa; O'Duigenan, Cucogry; O'Clery, Conary (1856). John O'Donovan, ed. Annala Rioghachta Eireann : Annals of the kingdom of Ireland (PDF). Volume 1. Dublin : Hodges, Smith.
- Joyce, P. W. (Patrick Weston) (1913). Irish names of places (PDF). v.3. Dublin : Phoenix.