Notes |
- John Kinsella
http://kinsella.org/history/famline.htm
The Kinsella Homepage
http://www.kinsella.org/
"Information taken from O'Hart's "Irish Pedigrees" and Rev. P.L.O'Toole's"History of the Clan O'Toole" "
http://kinsella.org/history/eanna.htm
"According to ancient Irish manuscripts, the name Cinnsealach (lateranglicized to Kinsella) first came into being in the year 365 AD. Theoccasion was a battle between the King of Tara, Eochaidh Muighmheadhon,and Eanna, King of Leinster.
The battle was fought at a place called Croghan Hill and was decisivelywon by King Eanna. Near the end of the battle, Eochaidh Muighmheadhon'sdruid, Ceadnathach, was taken prisoner and brought to Eanna who wasstanding on the Hill amidst the dissipating battle. Upon seeing Eanna,the druid said, "Thou wouldst never conquer from this hill on which I am,if I were to live." Upon this Eanna transfixed him with his spear; and,as the spear pierced his body, a laugh broke forth from Eanna. "Alas,"said the druid, "that is a foul laugh, and it is this that will be givenas a name to thy posterity after thee for ever".
Based on this account, Cinnsealach means foul laugh. Other versions existhowever:
Cinn means head, point, chieftain, commander and selach means unclean,vile. So one version of Cinnsealach is unclean head.
Another version, and one you could believe the druid would have uttered,is vile chieftain.
One favored by an Irish family in Ireland is crest of a wave as theGaelic word for sea or salt water is saile.
Finally, according to a Gaelic dictionary, Cinnsealach meansauthoritative.
Eanna Cinnsealach was powerful in his time, as may be seen from the poemcomposed by Dubhthach son of O Lughair, who was chief ollamh (poet) ofIreland when Patrick came to preach the Gospel. A battle fought by theLeinstermen is the beginning of that poem but I shall here quote onlythese two stanzas of it, from which it may be inferred that Eanna waspowerful in his time:
The tribute which was given to Eanna,
From Leath Cuinn of the feasts,
Was a screaball from each house,
All of fionndruine
The tribute which was given to Eanna,
From Mumha with insults
Was an ounce of gold from each lios
In the ensuing year.
The clan composed of Eanna's direct descendants became known as UiCinnsealach (Hy Kinsella in modern times). From the 4th century until theNorman invasion in the 12th century they ruled over a large area of southeastern Ireland composed of Co.Wexford, Carlow, and parts of Kildare andKilkenny. "
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