Fearghal Ó Gadhra facts for kids

Fearghal Ó Gadhra (born around 1597, died after 1660) was an important Irish leader. He was known as the lord of Coolavin in County Sligo. Fearghal is most famous for supporting the creation of the Annals of the Four Masters. This was a huge collection of Irish history. He was also sometimes called Farrell O'Gara.

Fearghal Ó Gadhra's Family History

Fearghal Ó Gadhra was the son of Tadhg mac Oilill Ó Gadhra. His family lived in Coolavin, which is in the southern part of County Sligo today. The Ó Gadhra family was very old and owned a lot of land in Connacht, a province in Ireland.

A historian named Geoffrey Keating wrote about their family tree. He said they came from ancient Irish kings and heroes. The family was linked to areas like Gaileanga and Luighne.

In the 1100s, the Ó Gadhras were powerful Kings of Sliabh Lugha. This area was also known as Gailenga. Later, another family, the Mac Jordans, pushed the Ó Gadhra family into the Coolavin area of County Sligo.

Fearghal Ó Gadhra's Early Life

When Fearghal was young, Sir Theobald Dillon became his guardian. King James I gave Dillon this job. Dillon made sure Fearghal went to Trinity College Dublin between 1609 and 1616.

Even though Fearghal's father had rebelled in 1589, Fearghal still got most of his family's land. This was thanks to Sir Theobald Dillon's help. By the 1630s, Fearghal was one of the richest Catholic landowners in County Sligo.

In 1618, Fearghal gave his land at Moygara to King James I. The King then gave the land back to Fearghal under English law. This allowed Fearghal to hold court and act like a baron. In 1634, he became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Sligo.

Fearghal married Isobel Taffe. Her father, Sir John, was a Viscount (a type of noble). Isobel's mother was a daughter of Sir Theobald Dillon. Even though Dillon was Protestant, Fearghal and his close family stayed Catholic.

Fearghal and Isobel had two sons, Cian and John. One of their descendants, Oliver O'Gara, later fought in the army of King James II.

Fearghal Ó Gadhra and the 1641 Irish Rebellion

In 1642, Fearghal Ó Gadhra was happy when Owen Roe O'Neill arrived in Ireland. Owen Roe O'Neill was a leader in the Irish Rebellion. Fearghal's son, John, even became a captain in the Irish forces.

In 1643, some people accused Fearghal of being an Irish rebel. However, in 1644, a Protestant woman named Jane Browne gave a different story. She said that Fearghal Ó Gadhra had helped her and her children. He gave them shelter, food, and clothes after the Protestant castle at Templehouse Castle fell in 1641.

Fearghal Ó Gadhra's Later Years

After the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, Fearghal Ó Gadhra's land was taken away. He was still alive in 1660, but we don't know the exact date he died.

Fearghal Ó Gadhra: Supporter of the Four Masters

Fearghal Ó Gadhra's most important contribution to Irish history was his support for the Annals of the Four Masters. This huge historical project happened in the 1630s. The Annals are a collection of old Irish stories and events.

Historians still wonder why the Franciscan monks chose Fearghal to support this important work. He was not a very powerful lord at the time. One idea is that he met scholars like James Ussher and James Ware at Trinity College. They might have encouraged his interest in Irish history.

Another idea is that the connection came from his guardian's family, the Dillons. The Dillons had strong links to the Franciscan order. One of Dillon's sons, Edward, was a teacher at an Irish college in Louvain, where one of the main writers of the Annals, Mícheál Ó Cléirigh, also studied.

Fearghal was also a good choice because he was wealthy. He was a respected Catholic leader in his area.

To thank him for his help, Mícheál Ó Cléirigh gave Fearghal a copy of the Annals. This copy included a long message thanking him. Fearghal's sons inherited this book. Later, Colonel Oliver O'Gara took it to Europe when he was exiled after the Treaty of Limerick. In the 1730s, the book returned to Ireland. It was given to Charles O'Conor (historian). Today, it is kept at the Royal Irish Academy.

Ó Gadhra Family in the Annals

The Annals of the Four Masters mention members of the Ó Gadhra family many times. Here are a few examples:

• 926 - Eaghra mac Poprigh, lord of Luighne Connacht.
• 964 - Toichleach ua n-Gadhra was a leader of Luighne Deisceirt.
• 993 - Conghalach mac Laidhgnen, also known as ua Gadhra, was a leader of Gaileng.
• 1181 - Donn Sléibhe Ua Gadhra, king of Sleibe Lughu, died.
• 1206 - Ruairí Ó Gadhra, Lord of Sliabh Lugha, died.
• 1227 - Donn Sleibhe O Gadhra, Lord of Sliabh Lugha, was killed by his own brother's son, Gillaroe.
• 1256 - Rory O Gadhra, Lord of Sliabh Lugha, was killed by David, son of Richard Cuisin.
• 1285 - Rory O Gadhra, Lord of Sliabh-Lugha, was killed by Mac Feorais on Lough O'Gara.

See also

• Ferghal Dubh Ó Gadhra, who put together the O Gara Manuscript