Below are some entries from the
annals, the
Annals of Ulster and
The Annals of the Four Masters regarding the MacCathmhaoil (anglicized as MacCawell) the leading sept of
Cenél Fearadhaigh. Note: Alternative spelling found are listed after name. • 967, Cionaedh Ua Cathmhaoil, airchinnech Dhoire Chalgaigh, d'ecc in aen-mi. Meaning Cionaedh descendant of Cathmhaoil,
erenagh of Dhoire Chalgaigh (the early name of the ecclesiastical center at Derry) died this year. Note: Cionaedh means born of fire, and was also the name of the first King of the Scots and Picts
Kenneth MacAlpin. • 1180, the son of Niall Ua Coemain (O'
Keenan) was killed by Donnchadh Mac Cathmail and
Donnchadh himself was killed therein. Note: The Hui Caeman (Muinter-Caemhain) ruled Magh Leamhna (Plain of Elm river), the area around Clogher, until about 1180 when they were ousted from the lordship of that region by the MacCathmhaoil. • 1185, Gillchreest MacCathmhaoil, royal chief of the Cineal Fereadaidh, clan
Aongus (
Mac Cana), clan Dubhinreacht (Mac Ualgharg or
McGoldrick Lords of Hy Dubhinreacht in Clogher), clan Fogarty O'Ceannfhoda (
Ó Daimhín Lords of
Tirkennedy in Fermanagh), and clan Colla (of Tir-Manach), and head of
counsel of the North of
Érinn, was slain on the 2nd of
Nones (6th) of May by O'hEighnigh (O'
Heaney) chiefs in Fermanagh (and Arch
Kings of Airgíalla) before the
Maguire ascendence in 1202, aided by Muinter-Caemhain (O'
Keenan); and they
carried off his head, which was obtained from them at the end of a month afterwards. Note: Fogarty O'Ceannfhoda was a 5th-century Airgailla chieftain Fergus Cennfhota 'long-head' of Ui Chrimhthain who had descendants known as Ui Chennfhota and the kingdom of Tir Cennfhota, later anglicized to Tirkennedy. • 1216,
Murchadh Mac Cathmail, royal chief of Cenel- Feradhaigh, died through miracle of
St. Colum-cille. • 1238,
Flaithbertach Mac Cathmail, arch-chief of Cenel-Feradhaigh, crown of championship and generosity of the Gaidhil (Irish Gael) and arch-chief, moreover, of
Clann-Conghaile (Connelly) and Ui-Cennfhoda (
Tirkennedy) in Tir-Manach (Fermanagh), was killed by Donnchadh Mac Cathmail, his own kinsman, in treachery. • Mac Cathmhaoil chiefs of Kinel-Farry (Cineal Fereadaidh), slain: Murrough 1215, Flaherty 1238, Donough 1251 (slain by the people of
Airgíalla), Conor 1252, Donslevy 1262 (slain by
Yellow Hugh Buidha O'Neill), Gillapatrick 1370. • 1261, A great victory was gained by O'Donnell (
Donnell Óg) over
Niall Culanagh O'Neill in a battle, in which many of the chiefs of Kinel-Owen, under the conduct of Mac Cawell, Chief of Kinel-Farry, and many other chiefs not mentioned here, were killed or taken prisoners. AFM • 1262
DonnSléibhe (Donslevy) Mac Cathmhaoil was slain by
Yellow Hugh Buidha O'Neill. • Mac Cathmhaoils slain: Cu-
Uladh 1346, Cu-Uladh, son of Gillapatrick 1370, Donough 1346, Donough son of Edmund (died of wounds) 1518. • 1355, a Cattle Raid example and a battle between O'Donnell and O'Neill (with Mac Cathmail) from 1366 •
Brian Mac Cathmhaoil (Bernard MacCamoeil),
Bishop of Clogher (1356–1358). He died of the
plague in 1358. • 1362,
Ruaidhri, son of Domnall Ua Neill, was killed by Maelechlainn (Mac Cathmaoil), with one shot of (a
bow) an arrow. Note: An earlier
Domnall Ua Neill was grandson of the 10th century O'Neill Clan founder
Niall Glúndub. The name
Maelechlainn means "Devotee of
St Sechnall" who is thought to be a 5th-century Italian bishop that preceded St Patrick. • 1365, when Malachy of the Mac Cathmhaoil, the ruling house of Clogher, Tyrone, slew an O'Neill of Tír Eoghain, Malachy was known as 'Maelechainn Mac in Ghirr meic Mac Cathmhaoil'. Translated his name is 'Malachy the son of the Short-Fellow Mac Cathmhaoil'. This feat of slaying an O'Neill warranted a change of name so he became Malachy mac in ghirr or simply Malachy MacGirr. Later this family survived the Ulster Plantation, receiving a number of grants of lands at the time. They are to be found later in the 1660s as taxpayers in the Clogher Valley and elsewhere in Tyrone. Today the family is generally found as
McGirr, McGerr, McKerr and in the English version as Short. • Cu-Uladh Mac an Ghirr Mac Cawell (died 1368), chief of his own
tribe and a son of his, who was a learned and
illustrious professor of
Sciences, died in England. • 1370, Gillapatrick Mac Cawell, Chief of Kinel-Farry; Cu-uladh, his son, and his wife, the daughter of Manus Mac Mahon, were treacherously slain by the sons of Hugh Mac Cawell. Murrough, his Gillapatrick's brother then became Chieftain of Kinel-Farry. • 1376, Richard Mac Cathmail (Mac Cawell) was slain by Philip Mag Uidhir (Philip Maguire), the king of Fir-Manach and Domnall Ua Neill (Donnell O Neill). • 1403, Cú Uladh mac Giolla Patraicc Meic Cathmaoil (Cu Uladh Mac GillaPatrick McCawell) was treacherously slain at an assembly by his own people. • Donough Mac Cawell, Chief of the two Kinel-Farrys, was slain by Maguire in 1404. • 1427, Siobhan (Joan), daughter of the bishop Mac Cathmhail, wife of Maurice Mag Uidhir (
Maguire), that is, of the great Archdeacon, died on the 13th of the
Kalends of February 20 Jan.; one, that maintained a hospital or
hospice at Claen inis (now Cleenish) and at Ros-oirther (or Rossorry), in Fermanagh for six and fifty years reputably, humanely and charitably. Note: Claen inis or Cleenish (sloping Island on Lough Erne) was a
monastic site founded by St Sinnell in the 6th century, an early instructor of
Columbanus, who was said to be the most learned man in
Ireland or
Britain. Ros-oirther or
Rossorry, was a monastery founded in 480 by
St. Fanchea and a church in 1048 in
Magheraboy, Fermanagh. • Art Mac Cathmhaoil (Arthur MacCamoeil), Bishop of Clogher (1390–1432) a pious man, who had kept a
house of public hospitality for the
poor and indigent, died, after
penance in 1432. • 1434, O'Donnell and his son Turlough heir to the lordship of Tirconnell and Mac Cawell went in search of plunder and booty in another direction and their evil fortune brought them into collision with a large body of English
cavalry who surrounded them. They contended with them for a long time until Turlough O'Donnell, Mac Cawell, Hugh Mac an Easpuig Mac Cawell and many others were slain and this was on the day after
Michaelmas After the loss of his people O'Donnell was taken prisoner and delivered up to the son of
John Stanley the King's Deputy, who had shortly before arrived in Ireland, and who sent him to be imprisoned in Dublin. • 1444, Duvcovla daughter of Thomas Maguire, Lord of Fermanagh and wife Owen Mac Cathmhaoil a humane charitable and truly hospitable woman died. The old Irish name Dubh-choblaith pronounced Duvcovla means dark victory. • 1480,
O'Donnell went upon an excursion into Tyrone accompanied by the sons of Art O'Neill and the sons of Felim O'Neill, and committed great depredations on Mac Cawell in Kinel Farry and slew Brian, the son of Turlough Roe, son of Henry O'Neill and the son of Mac Cawell, i.e. James. O'Neill and his sons happened to be in their neighbourhood at that time, and the sons of O'Neill and Mac Cawell pursued the preys, and slew the son of Art O'Neill a distinguished captain, who was along with O'Donnell. O'Donnell however carried off the preys and returned in triumph to his residence with numerous spoils. • 1481, the son of GillaPatrick Mac Cawell with many others not enumerated were killed when a great war arose between the O'Neill. • 1492, Donnell, son of Henry, son of Owen O'Neill, and Gilla-Patrick MacCawell (MacCathmhaoil), were taken prisoners; and Edmond MacCawell was slain by the sons of Redmond
McMahon of
Airgíalla, i.e. Glasny and Brian. Many others besides these were slain and taken prisoners on that occasion. Donnell, however, made his escape from the castle of Muineachan (
Monaghan) a week after his capture. • 1493, A brawl between the Cenel-Feradhaigh themselves in
Clochar (of Ui-Daimin) and
Aedh, son of Mac Cathmail, namely, son of Edmond, son of Brian Mac Cathmail, was slain there and Brian, son of
Toirdelbach, son of
Aengus, son of the Dwarf, was slain there also, namely, the Sunday before
May Day (or
Bealtaine). Note: The Irish word for dwarf
Abhartach is also the name of an early Irish death defying character. • 1498, GillaPatrick Mac Cawell, Henry O'Neill, Felim
McMahon and a great number of the other chiefs of the province were slain in a conflict between the O'Neill. • William (Uilliam) Oge Mac Cathmhaoil, Son of Art,
Dean of Clogher died 1508. Note: he was brother of Eoghan Bishop of Clogher. • 1508 Great depredations were committed by Art, the son of Con O'Neill, upon the Kinel-Farry. Owen, the son of O'Neill, and the sons of Mac Cawell, overtook him; and Aengus
MacSorley 'Bacagh' (the Irish nickname bacach, meaning lame), was slain on the side of Art; but Art himself made his escape from them, and carried off the prey. Note: Art is lightly
Art Oge O'Neill the half brother of
Conn Bacach O'Neill, 1st Earl of Tyrone and son of Conn Mor who would become head of the O'Neills from 1513 to 1519. • 1515 Eoghan Mac Cathmhaoil (Eugene Mac Camoeil, Owen), Bishop of the
Diocese of Clogher (1505–1515). Owen, the son of Art, son of John, son of Art Mac Cawell, Bishop of Clogher, died. He was buried in
St Macartan's Cathedral. • 1518, in a raid on the territory of Brian O'Neill, Brian met them at Donaghanie (Domhnach-an-eich meaning Church/Sunday of the Horse, near Omagh), and defeated them. Hugh, the son of
Donnell O'Neill was taken prisoner and
Donough Mac Cawell, the son of Edmond was wounded and many of the Kinel Farry were slain. Mac Cawell died of his wounds afterwards. Note: According to a local legend, the horse belonged to St Patrick and it achieved fame by kicking and killing an amphibious creature which emerged from Lough Patrick! It may also be an older sacred site! Donaghanie could be derived from Dun Eachaidh for 'fort of the horseman' perhaps referring to St Eachaidh who was a fifth century
Clones saint, an hours horse ride away. Or did the horse belong to
Donn "god of the dead" portrayed as a phantom horseman riding a white horse? Donn is considered an aspect of
The Dagda "the great God" also known as "the horseman" and is the origin of the
Irish "Loch nEachach" for
Loch Neagh. • 1519, in another raid on the territory of Brian O'Neill at Sliabh Troim (mountain of elder or
elderberry) by Domnall O'Neill with the McCathmaoils, Cu-Uladh and Thomas sons of Edmund McCathmaoils and Edmund and Brian two sons of Gilla-Padraic McCathmail were slain. The defeat having taken place at Clogherny, Omagh. Note: Elder or Trom was one of the sacred flowering trees carried in procession at
Beltane and a townland called Beltany lies just below it.
Sliabh Troim and
Clogherny have boggy ground, which may have contributed to their deaths. ==Reformation and dissolution==