History
The sept of the MacGeoghegans is of the southern Uí Néill, and said to be descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages. Niall was High King of Ireland from the mid 4th century into the early 5th century. His father was Eochaidh Muigh-Medon, of the Celtic line of Erimhon, one of the sons of Esbain who it is said took Ireland from the Tuatha de Danann.
Niall's mother was Carthann Cas Dubh, daughter of the king of Britain. Niall's first wife was Inné, mother of his son Fiachu mac Néill, from who the Geoghegans are said to be descended. He also had seven other sons with his second wife, Roighnech. Niall's ancestry is claimed by Irish legend to trace back to Miledh of Esbain, King of Spain, whose wife was the daughter of the Egyptian Pharaoh Nectonibus. From there the line is sometimes traced to Niul (from whom the river Nile got its name) who was married to the daughter of Pharaoh Cingris (all known only in Irish legend).
As High King of Ireland, Niall reigned from the ancient Irish royal seat at Tara, in modern County Meath. During his reign he conquered all of Ireland and Scotland and much of England and Wales. He took a royal hostage from each of the nine kingdoms he subjugated, hence his famous nickname. He gave each of his sons a territory to govern. Fiachu was given a large area in the midlands. His descendants were known as Cenel Fiachaigh, anglicised at Kenaleagh and their territory was known by that name until Elizabethan times when it became the "Barony of Moycashel", County Westmeath.
Niall is also famous for bringing St. Patrick to Ireland as a slave. It is said that Fiachu refused baptism from the saint himself at Carn, near Castletown-Geoghegan. The old name for this place was Carn Fhiachaigh, or Fiachu's burial mound.
On the other hand, it is claimed in the early 15th-century manuscript called Leabhar Breac that the Geoghegans are descended, not from Fiachu, son of Niall, but from a plebeian, Fiachu, son of Aedh. This claim so enraged the descendants of Fiachu, that they killed the author of the passage, even though he was under the protection of Suanach, the abbot of the monastery of Rahin.
Read more about this topic: Geoghegan
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