Connacht: Difference between revisions

{{shortShort description|Traditional provinceProvince in the west of Ireland}}

{{aboutAbout|the traditional Irish province}}

{{useUse Hiberno-English|date=December 2021}}

{{moreMore citations needed|date=September 2014}}

| native_name = {{lang|ga|ConnachtConnachta}}<ref name=ISOfoclóir>{{Cite web |url=httphttps://www.isofocloir.orgie/isoen/iso_3166-2_newsletter_ii-1_corrected_2010-02-19.pdfdictionary/ei/connacht |title=ISO 3166-2 Newsletter II-1Connacht (includingalso Irish language names for provinces and countiesConnaught) |datewebsite=19 February 2010 |page=20foclóir.ie |publisher=[[InternationalForas Organizationna for Standardization]] (ISO)Gaeilge |access-date=30 16 December 2012 |archive-date=3 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203140951/http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_3166-2_newsletter_ii-1_corrected_2010-02-19.pdf |url-status=live 2022}}</ref>

| shield_size = 90px

| leader_name = 6 [[Independent politicians inpolitician (Ireland)|Independent]] TDs <br /> 5 [[Fine Gael]] TDs<br /> 4 [[Fianna Fáil]] TDs <br /> 4 [[Sinn Féin]] TDs

| leader_name2 = 2 [[Fine Gael]] MEPs<br /> 1 [[Sinn Féin]] MEP<br /> 1 [[Independent politicians inpolitician (Ireland)|Independent]] MEP

| population_footnotes = <ref name=Census>{{citeCite web |url=https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-syi/psyi2016/people/cen/ |title=Population by province |publisher=[[Central Statistics Office (Ireland)|Central Statistics Office]] |year=2016 |access-date=30 October 2018 |archive-date=31 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031052758/https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-syi/psyi2016/people/cen/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

a. {{noteNote|MEP}} Connacht is part of the [[Midlands–North-West (European Parliament constituency)|Midlands–North-West]] constituency; the five Connacht counties contain 36.2% of the population of this constituency.<ref>Census of Ireland 2016: 550,742 out of 1,521,592 total.</ref>

'''Connacht''' or '''Connaught''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ɒ|n|ɔː|t|,_|ˈ|k|ɒ|n|ə|(|x|)|t}} {{respell|KON|awt|,_|KON|ə(kh)t}};<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190126220734/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/Connacht "Connacht"] (US) and {{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Connacht |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200211073158/https://www.lexico.com/definition/connacht |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-02-11 |title=Connacht |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|Connacht|access-date=January 11, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{citeCite American Heritage Dictionary|Connacht|access-date=11 October 2019}}</ref> {{lang-ga|Connachta}} {{IPA-ga|ˈkɔn̪ˠəxt̪ˠəˈkʊn̪ˠəxt̪ˠə|}} or {{lang|ga|Cúige Chonnacht}} {{IPA-ga|ˌkuːɟə ˈxɔn̪ˠəxt̪ˠˈxʊn̪ˠəxt̪ˠ|}}), is one of the four [[provinces of Ireland]], in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major [[Gael]]ic kingdoms ([[Uí Fiachrach]], [[Uí Briúin]], [[Uí Maine]], [[Conmhaícne]], and [[Delbhna]]).

Between the reigns of [[Conchobar mac Taidg Mór]] (died 882) and his descendant, [[Aedh mac Ruaidri Ó Conchobair]] (reigned 1228–33), it became a kingdom under the rule of the [[Uí Briúin|Uí Briúin]] Aí]] dynasty, whose ruling [[sept]] adopted the surname Ua Conchobair. At its greatest extent, it incorporated the often independent [[Kingdom of Breifne]], as well as [[vassal]]age from the lordships of western [[Mide]] and west [[Leinster]]. Two of its greatest kings, [[Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair]] (1088–1156) and his son [[Ruaidri Ua Conchobair]] (c. 1115–1198) greatly expanded the kingdom's dominance, so much so that both became [[High King of Ireland]].

Connacht's population was 1,418,859 in 1841.<ref>{{citeCite book |title=The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge, Vol IV |date=1848 |publisher=Charles Knight |location=London |page=858}}</ref> Then came the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Great Famine]] of the 1840s, which began a 120-year decline to under 400,000. The province has a population of just under 590,000 according to the preliminary results of the [[2022 census of Ireland|2022 census]].<ref>[{{Cite web|title=Geographic Changes |website=Central Statistics Office|date=23 June 2022 |url=https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cpr/censusofpopulation2022-preliminaryresults/geographicchanges/] Central Statistics Office figures|access-date=2023-01-03|language=en}}</ref>

The province of Connacht has no official function for local government purposes, but it is an officially recognised subdivision of the Irish state. It is listed on [[ISO-3166-2]] as one of the four provinces of Ireland and "IE-C" is attributed to Connacht as its country sub-division code.<ref name=ISO /> Along with counties from other provinces, Connacht lies in the [[Midlands–North-West (European Parliament constituency)|Midlands–North-West]] constituency for elections to the [[European Parliament]].

== Name ==

The name comes from the medieval ruling dynasty, the ''Connacht'', later [[Connachta]], whose name means "descendants of Conn", from the mythical king [[Conn of the Hundred Battles]]. The official name of the province in the Irish language is ''ConnachtConnachta''.<ref name=ISOfoclóir /> Originally ''Connacht'' was a singular [[collective noun]], but it came to be used only in the plural ''Connachta'', partly by analogy with plural names of other dynastic territories like [[Ulaid]] and [[Laigin]], and partly because the Connachta split into different branches.<ref>{{citeCite journal|last=O'Rahilly|first=T. F.|year=1942|title=Notes, Mainly Etymological|journal=Ériu|publisher=Royal Irish Academy|volume=13|page=157|jstor=30006811}}</ref> Before the Connachta dynasty, the province (''cúige'', "fifth") was known as [[Cóiced Ol nEchmacht]]. In Modern Irish, the province is usually called ''Cúige Chonnacht'', "the Province of Connacht", where ''Chonnacht'' is plural [[genitive case]] with [[Irish initial mutations#Lenition|lenition]] of the ''C'' to ''Ch''.

The usual English spelling in Ireland since the [[Gaelic revival]] is ''Connacht'', the spelling of the disused Irish singular. The official English spelling during English and British rule was the [[anglicisation]] '''Connaught''', pronounced {{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ɒ|n|ɔː|t}} or {{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ɒ|n|ə|t}}.<ref name="Wells2008">{{citeCite book|last=Wells|first=John C.|title=Longman Pronunciation Dictionary|year=2008|publisher=Pearson Longman|isbn=9781405881173978-1-4058-8117-3|pages=s.v. Connacht; Connaught|no-pp=y}}</ref> This was used for the [[Connaught Rangers]] in the British Army; in the title of Queen Victoria's son [[Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn|Arthur, Duke of Connaught]]; and the [[Connaught Hotel]], London, named after the Duke in 1917. Usage of the Connaught spelling is now in decline. State bodies use ''Connacht'', for example in [[Central Statistics Office (Ireland)|Central Statistics Office]] census reports since 1926,<ref>{{citeCite web|url=http://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/census/census1926results/volume1/C%201926%20V1%20T1.pdf|title=Population of Saorstát Éireann and of each Province at each Census since 1881 and the Numbers of Marriages, Births and Deaths Registered in each Intercensal Period since 1871|work=Census 1926 Volume 1 – Population, Area and Valuation of each DED and each larger Unit of Area|publisher=CSO|access-date=15 June 2014|archive-date=14 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114121311/http://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/census/census1926results/volume1/C%201926%20V1%20T1.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> and the name of the [[Connacht–Ulster (European Parliament constituency)|Connacht–Ulster]] European Parliament constituency of 1979–2004,<ref>{{citeCite web|url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1977/en/act/pub/0030/sched2.html|title=European Assembly Elections Act, 1977, Schedule 2|work=[[Irish Statute Book]]|access-date=15 June 2014|archive-date=27 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727003020/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1977/en/act/pub/0030/sched2.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{citeCite web|url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1993/en/act/pub/0030/sec0009.html|title=European Parliament Elections Act, 1993, Section 9|work=[[Irish Statute Book]]|access-date=15 June 2014|archive-date=27 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727010852/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1993/en/act/pub/0030/sec0009.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{citeCite web|url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1997/en/act/pub/0002/sched3.html|title=European Parliament Elections Act, 1997, Schedule 3|work=[[Irish Statute Book]]|access-date=15 June 2014|archive-date=27 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727003433/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1997/en/act/pub/0002/sched3.html|url-status=live}}</ref> although ''Connaught'' occurs in some statutes.<ref>{{citeCite web|url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2014/en/si/0091.html|title=S.I. No. 91/2014 – Statistics (Carriage of Passengers, Freight and Mail by Air) Order 2013.|work=[[Irish Statute Book]]|access-date=15 June 2014|archive-date=27 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727022300/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2014/en/si/0091.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{citeCite web|url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1987/en/si/0200.html|title=S.I. No. 200/1987 – Garda Síochána (Associations) (Superintendents and Chief Superintendents) Regulations, 1987.|work=[[Irish Statute Book]]|access-date=15 June 2014|archive-date=27 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727013005/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1987/en/si/0200.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Among newspapers, the ''[[Connaught Telegraph]]'' (founded 1830) retains the anglicised spelling in its name, whereas the ''[[Connacht Tribune]]'' (founded 1909) uses the Gaelic. [[Connacht Rugby]] who represent the region and are based in [[Galway]], use the Gaelic spelling also.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.connachtrugby.ie/|title=Connacht Rugby Website|website=www.connachtrugby.ie|access-date=2016-07-28|archive-date=25 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160725111403/http://www.connachtrugby.ie/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Geography and political divisions ==

The province is divided into five traditional [[Counties of Ireland|counties]], the fewest of any province. These are: [[County Galway|Galway]], [[County Leitrim|Leitrim]], [[County Mayo|Mayo]], [[County Roscommon|Roscommon]] and [[County Sligo|Sligo]]. Connacht is the smallest of the four Irish provinces both in terms of size and population. [[Galway]] is the only official city in the province.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cpr/censusofpopulation2016-preliminaryresults/geochan/|title=Table B -– Population of administrative counties, 2011 and 2016|website=Central Statistics Office|access-date=2018-10-31|archive-date=24 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924154355/https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cpr/censusofpopulation2016-preliminaryresults/geochan/|url-status=live}}</ref>

! County !! Population <br /> (2022) <br /> !! Area

=== Largest settlements ===

| country = Connacht in 2022

| div_link = Counties of MissouriIreland{{!}}County

| pop_1 = 7985,934910

| pop_2 = 1920,199608

| pop_3 = 1213,068054

| pop_4 = 10,171556

| pop_5 = 89,767647

| city_6 = BallinasloeWestport, County Mayo{{!}}Westport

| div_6 = County GalwayMayo

| pop_6 = 6,662872

| city_7 = RoscommonBallinasloe

| div_7 = County RoscommonGalway

| pop_7 = 56,876597

| city_8 = Westport, County Mayo{{!}}WestportRoscommon

| div_8 = County MayoRoscommon

| pop_8 = 6,198555

| pop_9 = 56,556322

| pop_10 = 45,990819

| city_11 = MonkslandCarrick-on-Shannon

| div_11 = County RoscommonLeitrim

| pop_11 = 4,978743

| pop_12 = 4,445603

| city_13 = Carrick-on-Shannon Claremorris

| div_13 = County LeitrimMayo

| pop_13 = 43,062857

| city_14 = ClaremorrisBallinrobe

| pop_14 = 3,687148

=== Physical geography ===

The highest point of Connacht is [[Mweelrea]] (814 &nbsp;m), in County Mayo. The largest island in Connacht (and Ireland) is [[Achill]]. The biggest lake is [[Lough Corrib]].

== History ==

=== Early history ===

=== Kingdom of Connacht ===

The single most substantial sub-kingdom in Connacht was [[Uí Maine]], which at itits maximum extantextent enclosed central and south County Roscommon, central, east-central and south County Galway, along with the territory of Lusmagh in [[Munster]]. Their rulers bore the family name [[Kelly (surname)|Ó Ceallaigh]];<ref>{{citeCite web| url = http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100015/text002.html| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20010914100800/http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100015/text002.html| archive-date = 2001-09-14| title = Part 2 of MAC CARTHAIGH'S BOOK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-ceallaigh.php|title=Ó Ceallaigh -– Irish Names and Surnames|access-date=1 April 2016|archive-date=24 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924154521/https://www.libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-ceallaigh.php|url-status=live}}</ref> its spelling sometimes varying slightly from scribe to scribe.

=== Kings and High Kings ===

Under kings [[Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair]] (1088–1156) and his son [[Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair]] (c. 1120 – 11981120–1198), Connacht became one of the five dominant kingdoms on the island. Tairrdelbach and Ruaidrí became the first men from west of the [[River Shannon|Shannon]] to gain the title ''Ard-Rí na hÉireann'' ([[High King of Ireland]]). In the latter's case, he was recognised all over the island in 1166 as ''Rí Éireann'', or [[King of Ireland]].

=== High medieval era ===

Connacht was first raided by the [[Anglo-Normans]] in 1177 but not until 1237 did [[encastellation]] begin under [[Richard Mor de Burgh]] (c. 1194 – 12421194–1242). New towns were founded ([[Athenry]], [[Headford]], [[Castlebar]]) or former settlements expanded ([[Sligo]], [[Roscommon]], [[Loughrea]], [[Ballymote]]). Both ''Gael and Gall'' acknowledged the supreme lordship of the [[Earl of Ulster]]; after the murder of the last earl in 1333, the [[Anglo-Irish]] split into different factions, the most powerful emerging as Bourke of Mac William Eighter in north Connacht, and [[House of Burke|Burke]] of [[Clanricarde]] in the south. They were regularly in and out of alliance with equally powerful [[Gaels|Gaelic]] lords and kings such as [[Conor|Ó Conchobair]] of [[Síol Muireadaigh]], [[Kelly (surname)|Ó Cellaigh]] of [[Uí Maine]] and [[MacDermot|Mac Diarmata]] of [[Moylurg]], in addition to extraprovincial powers such as [[O'Brian|Ó Briain]] of [[Thomond]], [[FitzGerald dynasty|FitzGerald]] of [[Kildare]], [[O'Donnell dynasty|Ó Domhnaill]] of [[Tyrconnell|Tír Chonaill]].

=== Confederate and Williamite Wars ===

=== Early modern era ===

=== The Famine to World War OneI ===

Gaelic football is played throughout the province with the five counties annually competing in the [[Connacht Senior Football Championship]] to determine the provincial champion. [[Galway GAA|Galway]] are the most successful side in Connacht with 48 Connacht titles and 9 [[All-Ireland Senior Football Championship]]. [[Mayo GAA|Mayo]] have been the dominant force in the province in recent years winning a five-in-a-row of Connacht titles from 2011 to 2015, and have regularly reached the semi-finals and finals of the [[All-Ireland Senior Football Championship]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rooney, |first=Declan (20 July |date=2015). [http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2015/0719/715869-mayo07-c/ "19|title=Mayo Crushcrush Sligo for Connacht Fivefive-in-a-Row."] {{Webarchiverow|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125095553/http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2015/0719/715869-mayo-c/|language=en |datewebsite=25 November 2015 }} ''[[RTÉ.ie]]''. Retrieved 28 August 2019.}}</ref> No football team from Connacht has won the All-Ireland since [[Galway GAA|Galway]] in [[2001 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship|2001]].

=== Rugby union ===

Connacht is represented by [[Connacht Rugby]] in the [[Pro14United Rugby Championship]] and the [[Rugby Champions Cup]]. Connacht home games are played in the [[Galway Sportsgrounds]] in [[Galway]]. During the 2015/2016 Season of the Pro12, Connacht, for the first time, reached the play off stages of the competition and won the final in Edinburgh against rivals Leinster. It was their first ever Pro12 title.

=== Other sports ===

Some other sports are overseen by provincial bodies, including in association football, where the [[Connacht Football Association]] is the governing body for a number of [[Connacht Senior League (association football)|Connacht league]] and [[Connacht Senior Cup (association football)|cup competitions]]. Traditionally there have been two main senior men's teams from the province that compete on a national level, [[Galway United F.C.]] and [[Sligo Rovers F.C.]] Both clubs have won various domestic honours.

[[Cricket]] is a minor, but growing, sport within the province. The [[Connacht Cricket Union]], founded in 2010, is the governing body for cricket in the province.<ref>{{citeCite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/cricket-ireland-expands-into-the-west-1.1248946|title=Cricket Ireland expands into the west|date=2010-11-08|worknewspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|access-date=2018-10-26|archive-date=12 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412141453/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/cricket-ireland-expands-into-the-west-1.1248946|url-status=live}}</ref> There are cricket clubs based in Ballaghaderreen, Ballyhaunis, Galway, and Sligo. Connacht does not currently enter a team into the [[Cricket in Ireland#Domestic cricket|provincial competitions]].

== See also ==

{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}

== References ==

{{reflistReflist}}

== External links ==

{{commonsCommons category}}