Fir Ol nEchmacht explained

Fir Ol nEchmacht was the name of a group or race of people living in pre-historic Ireland. The name may be translated as "men (Irish, Old (to 900);: Fir) of the race/people (Irish, Old (to 900);: Ol, possibly Irish, Old (to 900);: Dal?) of Irish, Old (to 900);: Echmacht" (Irish, Old (to 900);: Echmacht being the given name of the people, perhaps from ech, "horse," and macht, "death/wonderful/across the sea").^[1] Some scholars believe they are connected to, or the same as, the Nagnatae tribe, mentioned in Ptolemy's 2nd century AD work Geography.^[2]

Virtually all of Ireland west of the Shannon was once named after them and was called Cóiced Ol nEchmacht until the early historic era (5th-7th centuries).

It was only with the rise of the Connachta dynasty that the term Fir Ol nEchmacht was dropped and the province was renamed Connacht.

Sources

• Foras Feasa Eirann, Geoffrey Keating, 1636.
• Leabhar Mor nGenealach, Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh, 1649–1666.
• Ogyia, Ruaidhri O Flaithbheartaigh, 1684.
• The History of Mayo, T.H.Knox, 1908.

External links

• http://www.rootsweb.com/~irlkik/ihm/ire150.htm

Notes and References

1. Smyth, D. (2020). Earthing the Myths: The Myths, Legends and Early History of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press.
2. Book: T. F. O'Rahilly. T. F. O'Rahilly. Early Irish History and Mythology. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. 1946. 2, 11–12.