Descendants
Writing in 2005, Sean Mac Bradaigh (p.57) stated "Many efforts have been made over the years to find modern descendants of the Glenmalur Chief, Feach mac Hugh O'Byrne. None have met with any notable success."
Toirdelbhach, Fiach's eldest son, was executed on 18 July 1595. He had two daughters and no sons.
Fiach's second son, Felim Buidh na Laragh, was an M.P. for County Wicklow and died in 1630. He married Winifred O'Toole of Castlekevin (daughter of Luke), who died in 1628. A son of the couple was Brian O'Birn of Ballincor, outlawed in 1652. His son was Colonel Shane mac Brian O'Birn, who served in the army of the Irish Catholic Confederation in the 1640s.
MacBradaigh cites a family genealogy which brings Fiach's descendants down to 1875, in the persons of brothers Alfred and John Byrne of Sleaty, County Laois. Alfred, a soldier, was the eldest and would have been ninth in descent from Felim, his pedigree been Alfred son of Gerald of Sleaty son of Charles of Sleaty son of Gerald of Ballinakill son of Charles son of Edmond of Ballinakill (died 1737) son of Hugh son of Shane son of Brian son of Felim son of Fiach.
MacBradaigh agrees that the descent down to Colonel Shane O'Birn is correct, it been verified in the genealogies of the Gabhal Raghnail. He furthermore is inclined to accept the descent from Edmond O'Birn of Ballinakill, Clonmore (died 1737) down to Alfred and John.
However, he casts grave doubts on the authenticity of Hugh O'Birn, punative son of Colonel O'Birn, stating (p. 58) that he "does not belong naturally in either section. ... He is called Hugh Gancagh in the description of his punative son Edmond, a description which associates tha latter, and by implication the former, with the place called Clonmore. This makes it apparent that simple 'Hugh O'Birn' is meant to be Hugh Gancagh of Clonmore but the later in its full form was the name of an uncle of Feach mac Hugh and brother to his mother Sadhbh. Could a member of Feach's family, five generations removed from Sadhbh, by strange chance be named Hugh and be connected with Clonmore? It seems very unlikely! Hugh O'Birn looks phoney, so the genealogy ... is probably false, but perhaps there is someone out there who could prove me wrong."
Sadhbh Ni Birn was the daughter of Feidhlim Buidhe O'Birne of Clonmore, according to p. 110 of the Rathdrum Historical Society, volume 1, 1998.
Read more about this topic: Fiach Mc Hugh O'Byrne
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