The Dalcassian Connection

From Mike O'Brien

The Dalcassian (Dal gCais) Sept has a long and illustrious history dating back over 1700 years.

We all descend from Cormac Cas, dating around 247 A.D.. Many are direct descendents of Cormac Cas and some are branches from those descendents. I have determined that there are 107 main families that descend from Cormac Cas. There are an additional 200 plus variations of these names giving us over 300 family names descended from Cormac Cas.

To learn more about the Conroy branch, please visit our Dalcassian Sept information pages at www.dalcassiansept.com. Here you will see coats of arms and pedigrees from O'Hart proving your lineage. There is also some Dalcassian Knights history there too. The Dalcassian Sept website, located at www.dalcassiansept.com, is designed to link all Dalcassian Sept families together so they can better understand their relationships and where they come from.

A 'Clan of the DalgCais' mailing list is available at our Dalcassian Clan website ([email protected]. Instructions on how to join the mailing list are here (www.dalcassiansept.com/community/mail.htm. This mailing list is for the use of all Dalcassian members worldwide. Dalcassians from all over the world may sign up on the mailing list. This list is for the use of all Dalcassian members. The list is designed to be used as a place where members can share history, culture and research ideas, etc.

Below is the information I have on our Conroy line of Munster. You will see the O'Brien pedigree (Kings of Thomond) and Conroy pedigree from O'Harts book 'Irish Pedigrees', Vol I.

I have included the two pedigrees for you to see the whole list (Conory and O'Brien). They are also listed on our website. You will see below that the Munster line descend from our branch.  Only the O'Hart books show direct connection to the Dalcassian Sept. Although the other books below show there was a branch in Munster, a Dalcassian area.

It starts out with Cormac Cas (Dal gCais) second son of Olioll Olum, King of Munster, by his wife Sabh or Sabina, daughter of Conn of the Hundred Battles.

Cormac Cas is number 85 on this line.
Cormac Cas (247 A.D.) is No. 85 on the "Line of Heber:" down to Henry O'Brien, the eighth Earl of Thomond, who d. in 1741.

Conroy of Munster is number 92 on the same line of Heber.
Dealbhaoth, a brother of Blad who is No. 92 on the "O'Brien" (of Thomond) pedigree, was the ancestor of MacConroi of Munster; anglicised Conroy, Conry, and MacConry.

Also the following books provide more information.

From the book 'The Surnames of Ireland' by Edward MacLysaght:

(O) Conroy, Conree, Conary, Conry.

These mainly Connacht names, owing to the similarity of the anglicized forms, have become virtually indistinguishable. They represent four Gaelic originals, viz. Mac Conraoi (Galway and Clare), Ó Conraoi (Galway), Ó Conaire (Munster) and Ó Maolchonaire (an important literary family of Co. Roscommon).

From the book ‘The Book of Irish Families Great & Small’ by Michael C. O’Laughlin:

O Conroy, Conry

O’Maolconaire, Mac Conraoi, Conrai, O’Mulconry, Conery, Conary, Conrahy

The names of Conry and Conroy have been so often taken on by other families and mistranslated by others that it is often difficult to determine their origins.

At the turn of the last century official records show Conroy families using the names and spellings of: Conary, Conrahy, Conree, Cunree, Cory, Mulconry and King. The same shows that Conry was less distorted with Connery, Mulconry and Conroy being used interchangeably with that name.

More properly the name stems from O’Conrai of the eastern Galway/Roscommon areas, and from Mac Conraoi of the barony of Moycullen in the west of Galway.

The most noted are of O’Maolconaire. They were centered in the parish of Clooncraff near Strokestown in Roscommon and commonly spelled the name as Conry. They served as poets to the chieftains of the area and are easily found in the records there.

Keatings work cites Mac Conroy thusly: ‘Mac Conroy possesses in peace, Gno Mor of the numerous harbors.’ Mac Conroy was chief of Gno Mor which lay upon the western banks of Lough Corrib, Between that lake and Galway Bay, in the barony of Moycullen, Co. Galway.

O'Hart gives the O'Maolconrys as ancient chiefs in Teffia or Westmeath, when they crossed the Shannon River in the 10th century and received lands from the O'Connors, Kings of Connaught. They are given here in the barony of Roscommon, Co. Roscommon, as hereditary historians and bards. In 1846 the head of that family was then living in Berkshire, England, under the name of Sir John Conroy.