Clan Sweeney

Leabhar Clainne Suibhne states that after Áed's death, although his older brother Domnall was the rightful heir, Ánrothán was chosen instead to be king. Ánrothán then gave up the kingship to his brother and made for Argyll, Scotland where he married a daughter of the King of Scotland. Ánrothán's great-grandson was Suibhne, from whom the clan derived its name. The history from Leabhar Clainne Suibhne may be a fabrication that provides the clan with a pedigree connecting them to the Milesian kings of Ireland, although historian W. D. H. Sellar believes this history may be genuine. ==MacSweens of Scotland==

, thought to have been built by Suibne, son of Dunslebh, son of Aodh of Buirche (Hugh the Splendid), son of Ánrothán. In the 13th century the MacSweens controlled lands across central Argyll, extending as far north as Loch Awe and as far south as Loch Fyne. Their principal seats included Lochranza Castle on the Isle of Arran, Skipness Castle and Castle Sween at Knapdale, which may be Scotland's oldest surviving stone-built castle. The MacSweens held this lordship of Knapdale and lands in Kintyre until 1262. in Kintyre. Following this the Earl granted several churches in Knapdale to the monastery of Kilwinning, showing that he now had control of both North and South Knapdale. In 1263 Haakon IV of Norway sailed down the western coast of Scotland with an invasion fleet from Norway. With the arrival of the royal fleet Norse control in the Western Isles and Argyll was re-established, and the Norwegian king's force was strengthened by Islesmen. Among those pressed into his service were the deposed MacSweens of Knapdale, under Murchadh MacSween. Haakon had "given" Arran to Murchadh, It was then that John MacSween approached Edward I of England, asserting that one of the king's enemies, Sir John Menteith, had deprived MacSween of his inheritance. During the Great Cause, which led to the First War of Scottish Independence, the MacSweens were supporters of the powerful MacDougall Lords of Lorne who supported John Balliol as patriots, as long as John was king of Scotland. However, in 1301, John Macsween, Lord of Knapdale, joined Angus Og Macdonald, by then Lord of the Isles, in a campaign against Alexander MacDougall, Lord of Argyll and Lorne, for his murder of Angus Og's elder brother, Alexander Og Macdonald in Ireland in 1299. After the murder of John Comyn, the nephew of Balliol, by Bruce and his companions in 1306, the First War of Scottish Independence became at one and the same time a civil war. The Balliols, Comyns and MacDougalls taking the side of the English in opposition to the Macdonalds and the Bruce, crowned Robert I of Scotland on 25 March 1306. This was an era of constantly shifting alliances, and in 1301 John MacSween was in alliance with Aonghus Óg Mac Domhnaill, Lord of Islay (died 1314×1318/c.1330) against the MacDougalls of Lorne. In 1307 the MacDougalls were the bitterest of Robert the Bruce's enemies, and the man in command of the rebellion against Bruce was Sir John Menteith, who had previously removed the MacSweens from their castle in Knapdale. MacDougall was aided in part by the MacSweens, including John and his brothers Toirdelbach and Murdoch. provided they could recover it from Sir John Menteith. It is possible, therefore, that this event could have been the "tryst of a fleet against Castle Sween", recorded in the Book of the Dean of Lismore, which tells of the failed attempt by John MacSween to recapture Castle Sween. With the failure to recapture their lands in Scotland, the MacSweens permanently left for Ireland. , published in 1581. The chief sitting at his table, entertained by his bard and harper is thought to be a "Mac Sweyne". A contingent of the MacSweens eventually re-established themselves at Donegal as Gallowglass mercenary soldiers and became the progenitors of Clan Sweeney. Some of those who stayed on in Scotland formed into the Clan MacQueen, a branch of whom later joined the powerful Chattan Confederation. According to Niall Campbell, 10th Duke of Argyll, other MacSweens who remained in Scotland became known as the MacEwens of Otter, whose chiefly line may have become extinct in the 17th century. ==Arrival in Ireland==

The earliest record of a Mac Suibhne, in relation to the clan, is of Murchadh Mac Suibne in 1267. Murchadh's father was Máel Muire an Sparáin of Castle Sween in Knapdale, who was himself the son of Suibne. At a seat of theirs, Clodach Castle, there was a stone set near the highway which was inscribed with an open invitation to travellers to make for Clodach for refreshment. ==Branches==

Mac Suibhne Fánad (Mac Sweeney Fanad) Fánad, is the peninsula between Lough Swilly and Mulroy Bay, on the north coast of County Donegal. The first Mac Suibhne to settle in Tír Conaill was Eoin, grandson of Máel Muire. It was Eoin who expelled the ruling Ó Breisléins from Fánad after 1263, and whose daughter married the Ó Domnaill, king of Tír Conaill. The male line of the ruling Mac Suibhnes soon failed after Eoin, when both his son, Suibne, and his brother, Toirdelbach, died without heirs. Following the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 Murchad Mear, great-grandson of Máel Muire an Sparáin and grandson of the Murchadh who died while a prisoner of the Earl of Ulster, arrived at Lough Swilly with his followers. Donnchadh Mór, who was son of Murchad Óc, and grandson of Murchad Mear, was the first Suibhne na d'Tuath. Donnchadh's father and grandfather had conquered large tracts of land in Tír Conaill in about 1314. In 1359 when Ó Conchobhair defeated Séan Ó Domhnaill, Donnchadh Mór's son, Eoghan Connachtach, was held captive by the son of Ó Conchobhair Shligigh. Later Eoghan was able to help Séan Ó Domhnaill defeat Toirdhealbhach an Fhíona Ó Domhnaill in battle, at Sliabh Malair. Eoghan died as they plundered Glencolumkille "as a result of his violating the monastery there". There are contradictory sources for early history of Mac Suibhne Boghaineach. In the Book of Ballymote (c. 1400), six of Dubhghall's grandsons are said to belong to the Mac Suibhne of Connacht. The eldest of the grandsons, Toirdhealbhach was also listed as the High Constable of Connacht and was killed with two of his brothers, Donn Sléibhe and Donnchadh in 1397. By the 16th century the Mac Suibhne Boghaineach was seated at Rahan Castle, (near Dunkineely in County Donegal). In 1524 Niall Mór mac Eoghain (Mac Suibhne Thíre Boghaine) died here, and who was described as "a constable of hardest hand." Also at Rahan, Niall Mór mac Eoghain's son Maol Mhuire Mór, lord of Banagh, was killed by another son, Niall Óg, in 1535. Killybegs (Irish Gaelic: Na Cealla Beaga, meaning 'the small churches'), was also controlled by Mac Suibhne Boghaineach. In 1513 Killybegs was plundered by Eoghan Ó Máille and the crews of three ships, who were, however, unable to return home to Connacht with their prisoners because of stormy weather. Though the leaders of Banagh were away in Ó Domhnaill's army at the time, a youth, called Brian Mac Suibhne, along with some shepherds and farmers, rescued the prisoners and slew Eoghan Ó Máille. Another raid was recorded in 1547, in which the Mac Suibhnes were able to drive off another landing at Rathlin O'Beirne. In 1547 Niall Óg was killed at Badhbhdhún Nua by the sons of Maol Mhuire (the brother he slew in 1535). After this, Niall Óg, was succeeded by Toirdhealbhach Meirgeach Mac Suibhne. By 1550 Toirdhealbhach Meirgeach was killed at Baile Mhic Suibhne, by the Clann Coinneigéin. Ruaidhrí Ballach Mac Suibhne then requested to Maghnus Ó Domhnaill to be installed as lord of Banagh, but was refused. In retaliation, Ruaidhrí Ballach then plundered Killybegs. Ruaidhrí Ballach was killed by a Maol Mhuire, who then became the rightful lord. In 1581 Maol Mhuire and his sons, Murchadh and Toirdhealbhach Meirgeach, and many kinsman were killed fighting under Aodh Ó Domhnaill, against Toirdhealbhach Luineach Ó Néill at Kiltole (near Raphoe). The lordship then passed to a son of Maol Mhuire, Maol Mhuire Óg who was soon killed, in 1582, by a group of Scots who were present at a meeting near Lough Foyle between Ó Neill and Ó Domhnaill. The next lord was Brian Óg (a son of the Maol Mhuire killed in 1535). Brian Óg was then killed by Niall Meirgeach (son of Maol Mhuire who died in 1581). Niall Meirgeach, like those before him, didn't last long and was killed in 1588 at the island of Derryness in the barony of Boylagh, by Donnchadh (son of Maol Mhuire Meirgeach, who died in 1564). In 1590 when Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill (Red Hugh O'Donnell) was held in Dublin Castle, his half-brother, Domhnall Ó Domhnaill, attempted to wrest Tír Conaill from his father Aodh. Aodh Ruadh's mother, Iníon Dubh, in response mustered a large force of Scots and also the Mac Suibhne branches of Na Tuatha and Fanad to oppose Domhnall. During this time Donnchadh. lord of Banagh took Domhnall's side, along with Ó Baoighill. The opposing forces met at the Battle of Doire Leathan near Glencolumbkille, on 14 September 1590, and Domhnall's force was defeated. By 1592 Aodh Ruadh was in power of Tír Conaill and it seems as if Donnchadh was pardoned for opposing him, as Donnchadh was present at Aodh Ruadh's inauguration at Kilmacrenan. In late 1601 Mac Suibhne's Castle was taken by the English, and then recaptured by Ó Domhnaill. In November Donnchadh submitted to Niall Garbh Ó Domhnaill, who was on the side of the English. In 1608 Donnchadh was part of the jury that indicted Ó Néill and Ruaidhí Ó Domhnaill, earl of Tírconnell, after they fled from Rathmullan in 1607. During the era of the plantations in Ulster, Donnchadh was allotted in the barony of Kilmacrenan, Donegal. In 1641 Donnchadh's son, Niall Meirgeach, was killed in a skirmish near Killybegs by settlers who were under Andrew Knox. ==The chieftaincies of Fanad, Doe, and Banagh==

• The chiefly line of Fanad (Mac Suibhne Fánad) :Historians maintain that the chiefly line of Fanad had disappeared before 1800. • '''The chiefly line of Doe (Mac Suibhne na d'Tuath)''' :The chiefly line of Doe is thought to descend from the chiefly line of Fanad. In 1999 Sweeney petitioned the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland to be recognized as Chief of the Name of the Mac Sweeneys of Doe. in light of the MacCarthy Mór Scandal, the Genealogical Office discontinued the practice of recognising Chiefs, with Sweeneys petition still pending investigation. • The chiefly line of Banagh (Mac Suibhne Boghaineach) :Folk tradition of south County Donegal maintains that the last two male descendants of the chiefly line died in Teelin near the end of the nineteenth century. ==See also==