Ó Maolchonaire, sometimesÓ Maoil Chonaire, sometimesÓ Mhaoil Chonaire,Ó Maolconaire,Uí Mhaoil Chonaire,Ó Maelchonaire, etc., was the surname of a family of professional poets and historians in medievalIreland. Traditionally, it would have been spelled without the 'h', but with a dot over the 'c', either of which indicatesaspiration. In a period prior to the surrender of theÓ Conchubhair Donn and the other Connacht chieftains, it was anglicisedO'Mulconry. Specific families, particularly the educators, were systematically targeted as part of the plot to destroy the Irish culture and language, as well as the Catholic religion. This can add great confusion to researchers of this important literary and religious family. It is now rendered most commonlyConry, sometimesConroy, and possibly sometimesKing. There are many distinct groups of Conroys, some of whom also, though less commonly, use Conry, which are Anglicisations of disparate Irish Gaelic names.
A bardic family descended from Maine of Tethba, based in County Roscommon inConnacht, many members of the Ó Maoil Chonaire family were successiveOllamh Síl Muireadaigh to theSíol Muireadaigh and other Irish dynasties from the 12th to 17th centuries. Their principal seat was at Cluaine na-hOidhche near Strokestown and their primary patron was the Ó Conchobhair Donn, but they also served the MacDermotKings of Magh Luirg, among many of the other principal chieftains of theSíol Muireadaigh, as well as various other dynasties throughout Ireland. As chiefly historians and poets of the royal variety, they had immense land holdings on account of their profession. InGaelic Ireland the filídh and séanachie were held in high esteem, with theOllamh considered to be of equal stature to the Ard-Rí.
The first extant reference to the family occurs in the annals attributed to Tighearnach, which record the death of Néidhe Úa Mael Conaire, in senchaidh, in 1136. Among their principal surviving works are theAnnals of Connacht, which covers the years 1224 to 1544.Fearfeasa Ó Maoil Chonaire was one of the "four masters" who were credited with compiling theAnnals of the Four Masters. The family was also responsible for the literary manuscript now known as23 N 10, andEgerton 1782.
Students of the family includedJohn de Burgh,Archbishop of Tuam. In a much later period,William J. Higgins, Speaker of the Newfoundland House of Assembly, and leader of the Liberal-Labour-Progressive Party, was the student, law partner and protégé of Charles O'Neill Conroy, only son ofJames Gervé Conroy.
Flaithri Ó Maolconaire, also Florence Conry (Conroy, O'Mulconry), Irish Franciscan and theologian, founder of the College St. Anthony at Louvain, and Archbishop of Tuam.
Mael Sechlainn Ó Domhnalláin,Ollav of Sil-Murray in particular in poetry, and the most learned man in all Ireland in the same art, died of Fiolun in 1375
Maeleoin Bodar (the Deaf) O Mailchonaire took Cluain Bolcain this year, 1232
Dauid mac Tanaide Ó Maolconaire, 1404–1419
Donnchadh Ua Mail-Conaire the Fair, namely, ollam of the Sil-Muiredhaigh in history, died this year.Annals of Ulster, 1405
Diarmait Ruad Ó Maolconaire, d. 1441
Tanaide mac Mailin Ó Maolconaire, d. 1446
Maelsechlainn mac Urard Ó Maolconaire, 1452
Diarmait mac Domnall Ó Maolconaire, son of Domnall, son of Eoin, son of Sitrice Ruad, d. 1465
M1487.9 Maurice, the son of Loughlin O'Mulconry, teacher of his own art poetry, died in Tirconnell, after a long illness, and after the victory of penance, and was interred at Donegal.
M1488.44 Mulconry, the son of Torna O'Mulconry, died of a short fit of sickness at Cluain-na-hoidhche.
M1489.40 Melaghlin, son of Loughlin O'Mulconry, died while on his bardic circuit through Munster.
M1495.17 Donnell O'Mulconry, Ollav of Sil-Murray, died; and two O'Mulconrys were set up in his place, namely, John, son of Torna, and Donough, son of Athairne.
M1506.10 Paidin O'Mulconry, only choice of Ireland in his time for history and poetry, died.
M1519.10 Maoilin, son of Torna O'Mulconry, OIlav of Sil-Murray, a man full of prosperity and learning, who had been selected by the Geraldines and English to be their Ollav, in preference to all the chief poets of Ireland, and who had obtained jewels and riches of all from whom he had asked them, died in Mainistir-derg in Teffia.
Lochlainn Ó Maolconaire
Cu Choicriche Ó Maolconaire
Sean Ó Maolconaire of Baile in Chuimine, fl. 1575
Fintan mac Illann meic Dubhthach "intended ollave of Síl-Muiredhaigh," d. 1585
Brian Óg s. Maoilín s. Torna s. Maoilín s. Tanaidhe s. Páidín s. Néidhe s. Conaing Buidhe s. Tanaidhe Eólach s. Conaing Eólach s. Tanaidhe s. Duinnín s. Dúnlang Consoileach s. Maol Póil s. Maoilín Mear s. Maol Conaire, from whom is the family, s. Flaithfhile s. Brógan s. Dubh Dhá Thuath s. Flann s. Maol Dúin s. Forannán s. Ainmhire s. Criomthann s. Brian s. Maine s.Niall.
A New History of Ireland VIII: A Chronology of Irish History to 1976 – A Companion to Irish History Part I edited byT. W. Moody, F.X. Martin and F.J. Byrne, 1982.ISBN0-19-821744-7
North Roscommon, its People and its Past, Cyril Mattimoe, Boyle, Roscommon, 1992, passim.
Mac Dermot of Moylurg: The Story of a Connacht Family, Dermot Mac Dermot, 1996.
Irish Leaders and Learning Through the Ages Fr. Paul Walsh, 2004. (ed. Nollaig Ó Muraíle).
Muirgheas Ó Maolconaire of Cluain Plocáin: an early sixteenth-century Connacht scribe at work, Bernadette Cunningham andRaymond Gillespie,Studia Hibernica 35 (2008–09), pp. 17–43.
The Uí Mhaoilchonaire ofThomond, Brian Ó Dálaigh, unpublished lecture delivered at Tionól, DIAS, 29 Nov. 2008.
Faith and Patronage: the political career of Flaithrí Ó Maolchonaire, c. 1560–1629,Benjamin Hazard, pp. 11-26, 105, Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 2010.
The Annals of the Four Masters: Irish history, kingship and society in the early seventeenth century, pp. 50–2, 244; 255–67, 286; 262–3; 263–8, 285; 256; also pp. 344–5,Bernadette Cunningham,Four Courts Press, 2010.ISBN978-1-84682-203-2.
