Connacht: Difference between revisions

Up to the early historic era, Connacht then included [[County Clare]], and was known as [[Cóiced Ol nEchmacht]]. Later myths state the [[Fir Bolg]] ruled all Ireland before the [[Tuatha Dé Danann]] arrived. When the Fir Bolg were defeated, the Tuatha Dé Danann drove them to Connacht. Sites such as the [[Céide Fields]], [[Knocknarea]], [[Listoghil]], [[Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery]] and [[RathcroghaRathcroghan]], all demonstrate intensive occupation of Connacht far back into prehistory. Enigmatic artefacts such as the [[Turoe stone]] and the [[Castlestrange stone]], whatever their purpose, denote the ambition and achievement of those societies, and their contact with the [[La Tène culture]] of mainland Europe. In the early historic era (c. A.D. 300 – c. A.D. 600), Ol nEchmacht was not a united kingdom but a pitoregion. It comprised dozens of major and minor [[túath]]; rulers of larger túatha ([[Maigh Seóla]], [[Uí Maine]], [[Aidhne]] and [[Máenmaige]]) were accorded high-king status, while peoples such as the Gailenga, Corco Moga and [[Senchineoil]] were lesser peoples given the status of [[Déisi]]. All were termed kingdoms, but according to a graded status, denoting each according the likes of lord, count, earl, king.

===Kingdom of ConachConnacht===