TheConmhaícne Ceara orConmaicne Cúile Ceara (transl. Conmaicne of the wide territory, Conmaicne of the wood trail) were an early people ofIreland. Theirtuath comprised some or all of the barony ofCarra, County Mayo.
TheConmhaicne or Conmaicne were a people of early Ireland, perhaps related to theLaigin, who dispersed to various parts ofIreland. They settled inConnacht andLongford, giving their name to several Conmaicne territories.[1][2] Other branches of Conmaicne were located in County Galway, Roscommon, Mayo, and Leitrim.
Old Irish names forConmaicne Carra appear inTírechán collections, theBook of Leinster and other old manuscripts-
In his translation of theBook of Fenagh,O'Donovan identifies the Cinel-Cirend with "Crich-mac-Eric" ("Ulster"),[7] but this is surely wrong.[n 1]Walsh states the"Conmaicne of Crich Meic Eircce is explained by Cenel Meic Eircce which is equated with the Men of Cera, they gave their name to the barony of Carra".
The Irish name for the barony of Carra, Ceara, reflects the ancient population group named Conmaicne Carra. The territory was bounded by lakes, and native Irish forests in places. To the south was theConmaicne Cuile Tolad, now the barony ofKilmaine.[9] To the north is the barony ofTirawley.Eoin MacNeill made interesting comments on the Conmaicne Carra territory-
"i. e. Fir Cherai, their land was wide, i. e. the territory of Cera, until the sons of Brion took it from them as eric for Brion, who fell by Fiachra in the battle of Damchluain.' Our texts refer evidently to a more limited district, which must be located in the northern part of the barony of Carra, bordering on the barony of Tirawley."
A place calledCorcu Temne or "Temenrige" is mentioned in Trichans's Brevium as "i Ceri contra solis occasum" which MacNeill translated as "in the west of Cere/Carra".[3]
O'Culachain (O'Colahan), O'Gormog, Murrays, Ó Móráin, O'Learghusa and O'Tierney families were septs of Conmaicne Carra. The Ó Móráin and O'Tierney surnames appear in otherConmaicne territories.
In the originalVita tripartita Sancti Patricii,Tírechán saidSaint Patrick travelled here fromConmaicne Cuile Tolad, establishing a church at a place namedCuille Corr (Old Irish).[10]
The "men of Carra" are mentioned in theAnnals of the Four Masters.
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