May 31st 1839.
Dear Sir,
The Extracts I wrote for have not arrived here yet. I hope there has been no mistake in the direction of them. Oughterard is the place I mentioned but I believe they would not know it by that spelling!
I wish Mr. Curry to look through the Dinnseanchus for the name Beanna Beóla; it is that of a ridge of peaks now called in English the twelve pins of Connamara. It looks very like a name that ought to be in the Dinnseanchus, like Beanna Boirche.
I wish Mr. Petrie would give me a list of old places in Connamara and in Lough Corrib to be looked at.
Are there many Inquisitions about (the forfeitures in) Connamara? It would be desirable that I should have such of them as mention the ancient subdivisions of Iar-Connaught, the Castles, &c. of the O'Flahertys
the islands in Lough Corrib &c.
I want the pedigree of Dorcey of Galway as given by Duald McFirbis in 1645 and all the notices to be found in the Annals about Partraighe. The Darcey of Clifden wants to make his name d'Arcey, but he is always called by the Irish people Seághan O'Dorchadha which I believe to be his true name. The O'Dorceys are still very numerous in the Mountains of Partry - their original locality - and I have no doubt that the Galway merchants are of them though it may be now very difficult to prove it unless McFirbis is satisfactory on the subject.
I want all the references in the Annals, Calendars &c. to Sal Roca, Caol Shaile ruadh, Lionán Cinn mara, Baile na h-inse, Caisleán na Circe, Tuath Tighe orbsen (?) {see McFirbis} Gno mor, Gno beag, Conmaicne mara.
What tribe of the Belgae were located in Conmaicne mara according to the Lecan records? How early were the Conmacs substituted in their place? Is there any record of what families the Conmaicne maritimi or Armoric Conmaicnians branched into?
The O'Flahertys were not of them; neither were the Conrys nor the O'Halloran's. Have we any
record of who the Chiefs of Conmaicne mara (were) before the O'Flahertys were driven across the lake by the Burkes? What race was O'Cadhla of, and where was he located?
It is stated in the Book of Fenagh that the Conmaicne of Moy-Rein {who in modern times became known under the name of O'Farrells, Mag Rannals, &c.} were originally located in West Connaught near the sea and that they were removed thence in the 6th century by St. Caillin, who was one of them and who procured lands for them in Moy-Rein from his cousin [?] and Patron, Hugh Finn, the son of Feargna king of Connaught. I wish Mr. Curry could get this passage out of the Copy of the Book of Fenagh now in Dublin.
The weather is now exceedingly hot and to me Conmaicne Mara looks like a vast desert scorched by the Sun. I am not at all in the train of working as yet, nor do I expect to be for some days.
The sooner O'Conor goes to Carlow the better, and I would suggest that some person should assist him.
J. O'Donovan.