{"id":66,"date":"2021-11-29T20:33:02","date_gmt":"2021-11-29T20:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/?p=66"},"modified":"2021-11-29T20:33:03","modified_gmt":"2021-11-29T20:33:03","slug":"the-kinsella-clan-a-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/the-kinsella-clan-a-history\/","title":{"rendered":"The Kinsella Clan &#8211; A History"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Kinsella is one of the big clan names in Irish history. Their strongholds were in Leinster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some of the family names of Kinsella ancestry. Are you amongst them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Kinsella, Kinshellagh, Kinshlagh<\/li><li>Kinsello, Kinchelloe, Kenselloe<\/li><li>Kinsler, Kinslayer, Kinchsular<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The first Kinsella was the son of a King of Leinster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But let\u2019s start at the beginning of this story. That goes back a few generations to a clan known as U\u00ed Cheinnsealaigh (this is pronounced like Kinsella).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_63 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/the-kinsella-clan-a-history\/#Diarmaid_Mac_Mael_na_mBo_d_1072\" title=\"Diarmaid Mac M\u00e1el na mB\u00f3 (d. 1072)\">Diarmaid Mac M\u00e1el na mB\u00f3 (d. 1072)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/the-kinsella-clan-a-history\/#Diarmaid_Mac_Murrough_King_Of_Leinster\" title=\"Diarmaid Mac Murrough, King Of Leinster\">Diarmaid Mac Murrough, King Of Leinster<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/the-kinsella-clan-a-history\/#Diarmaid_Loses_His_Kingship\" title=\"Diarmaid Loses His Kingship\">Diarmaid Loses His Kingship<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/the-kinsella-clan-a-history\/#The_First_Norman_Invasion_Of_Ireland\" title=\"The First Norman Invasion Of Ireland\">The First Norman Invasion Of Ireland<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/the-kinsella-clan-a-history\/#King_Of_Leinster_Once_Again\" title=\"King Of Leinster Once Again\">King Of Leinster Once Again<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/the-kinsella-clan-a-history\/#The_second_Anglo-Norman_Invasion\" title=\"The second Anglo-Norman Invasion\">The second Anglo-Norman Invasion<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/the-kinsella-clan-a-history\/#Eanna_Ceinnsealach_The_First_Kinsella\" title=\"Eanna Ceinnsealach, The First Kinsella\">Eanna Ceinnsealach, The First Kinsella<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Diarmaid_Mac_Mael_na_mBo_d_1072\"><\/span>Diarmaid Mac M\u00e1el na mB\u00f3 (d. 1072)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The lands of the U\u00ed Cheinnsealaigh were in the counties of Wexford and Carlow. &nbsp;Some of the territories expand into what now are Laoid, Kilkenny, and Wicklow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The U\u00ed Cheinnsealaigh clan was ascendant in Leinster in earlier centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their powers waned with the ascent of rival Leinster families. The Battle Of Clontarf returned them to a position of power in the province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>M\u00e1el na mB\u00f3 was one early powerful chieftain. &nbsp;This nickname means \u201cBald man of the Cattle\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His son Diarmaid was therefore Mac (son of) M\u00e1el na mB\u00f3. Diarmaid Mac Maol na mB\u00f3 expanded the clan\u2019s strongholds and became king of Leinster in 1032.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Diarmaid took the kingship of Viking Dublin and expanded further to the Isle of Man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was the most powerful King in Ireland when he died in battle in 1072.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Diarmaid_Mac_Murrough_King_Of_Leinster\"><\/span>Diarmaid Mac Murrough, King Of Leinster<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Some view Diarmad Mac Murrough (Mac Muchadha) as a great king of Leinster. Others believe that he brought disaster to the entire island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both positions could be true at the same time! Read on\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Diarmaid Mac Murrough was a great-grandson of Mac Maol na mB\u00f3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When his older brother died, Diarmaid became king of Leinster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Turlough O\u2019Connor was the High King at this time. He was worried that Diarmaid would challenge his position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Turlough\u2019s strong ally was Tiernan O\u2019Rourke, the King of Breffni (now Cavan). Tiernan brought his forces down to Leinster to conquer the territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other Leinster clans rallied to Diarmaid\u2019s aid. He succeeded in droving O\u2019Rourke back to Breffni in 1132.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next twenty years brought an uneasy peace between the King of Leinster and the High King of Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Diarmaid_Loses_His_Kingship\"><\/span>Diarmaid Loses His Kingship<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There were ongoing disputes and strife involving these three kings. When Turlough died, his son Rory became High King of Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 1160s, Diarmaid is said to have captured the wife of the King of Breffni. Although some accounts say she fled to Diarmaid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever the reason, Rory O\u2019Connor decided to depose Diarmaid. He marched his armies into Leinster and took the kingship from the Leinster chief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_First_Norman_Invasion_Of_Ireland\"><\/span>The First Norman Invasion Of Ireland<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Diarmaid traveled to England to ask King Henry II for help. Henry gave him permission to recruit Norman soldiers for his cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Diarmaid promised lands in Wexford two Norman half-brothers in return for their forces. Fitzgerald and Fitzstephen duly sailed to Ireland in 1169.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fitzstephen laid siege to Wexford town and took it under his control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Earl of Pembroke also agreed to Diarmaid\u2019s terms. This was Richard de Clare, who was also known as Strongbow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Strongbow received the hand of Diarmaid\u2019s daughter, Aoife. He later claimed that he was promised the kingship of Leinster in the event of his father-in-law\u2019s death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"King_Of_Leinster_Once_Again\"><\/span>King Of Leinster Once Again<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Rory O\u2019Connor,&nbsp; the High King, took his forces back down to Leinster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But this time, the two foes engaged in talks through the mediation of the Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rory agreed to restore Diarmaid as king of Leinster. Diarmaid agreed to recognize Rory as High King.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also said that Diarmaid agreed to send the Norman knights back to England. This did not happen. They were here to stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Norman settlers immediately started to expand into wider territories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Diarmaid didn\u2019t remain king for long. He died of an illness in 1171.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_second_Anglo-Norman_Invasion\"><\/span>The second Anglo-Norman Invasion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Strongbow now made claim to the title of King Of Leinster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>King Henry II of England was growing concerned about Strongbow\u2019s power in Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The English King invaded Ireland in 1171. His forces were so large that the Irish kings assembled in Dublin and submitted to Henry\u2019s rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was the beginning of the end of the clan system in Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Eanna_Ceinnsealach_The_First_Kinsella\"><\/span>Eanna Ceinnsealach, The First Kinsella<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One son of Diarmad Mac Murrough was known as Domhnall Caomh\u00e1nach (Kavanagh). This was the start of the Kavanagh line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can read more in our <a href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/kavanagh-clan\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"64\">article on the Kavanagh clan<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Diarmad\u2019s other son was known as \u00c9anna. He took the second part of his name from the territorial lands of the clan. These were known as the U\u00ed Cheinnsealaigh lands, or the Kinsellagh lands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ceinseallach means \u201clike the Kinsellagh lands\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is how Eanna became Eanna Ceinnsealach. He is the first of the Kinsella clan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He supported his brother\u2019s claims to the title of King of Leinster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eanna Ceinnsealach\u2019s lands were what is now known as the diocese of Ferns. This covers most of County Wexford and land in the counties of Carlow and Wicklow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kinsella is one of the big clan names in Irish history. Their strongholds were in Leinster. Here are some of the family names of Kinsella ancestry. Are you amongst them? Kinsella, Kinshellagh, Kinshlagh Kinsello, Kinchelloe, Kenselloe Kinsler, Kinslayer, Kinchsular The first Kinsella was the son of a King of Leinster. But let\u2019s start at the &#8230; <a title=\"The Kinsella Clan &#8211; A History\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/the-kinsella-clan-a-history\/\" aria-label=\"More on The Kinsella Clan &#8211; A History\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67,"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66\/revisions\/67"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploreirishancestry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}