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Origins of the Fox Family Line in Ireland

by Moire-Sinead níc an Sionnach (M J Fox)

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that there are several sources which offer background information on the origins of the Fox name in Ireland, and it must be stressed right away that "Fox" is a literal translation for the Irish word for Fox, Sionnach or Shionnaighe. There are a variety of spellings for Sionnach, but for simplicity's sake Sionnach will be used here, except when directly quoting historical sources.

As for historical and legendary sources, many works have overlapping information, and others have snippets of information here and there which are not shared by others, and then there is always information which conflicts with other information. As in any historical research, there is also bound to be general confusion; one example of this will be recognized by those readers who already have some background on the Foxes: no doubt you will have run into information about the Fox/Sionnach ancestral lands, listed as being in "parts of" Meath, Westmeath, and Offaly, and with names ranging from Tethba to Ceffia to Kilcoursay to what-have-you. Much of this sort of information is straightened out by understanding that the land held by Foxes changed borders throughout the centuries, and that names for those lands also changed over time.

Due to the actual age of the Fox name, however, not all sources are 100% reliable, and some of them are contradictory; this is even more so regarding the Fox lineage, which pre-dates the actual use of Fox as surname. Some of the earliest information is based on accounts written by monks or other educated persons well after the life of the person or event under discussion; such discrepancies will be noted within the text. In this essay we will try to be as specific as possible when it is possible, and to address confusing information and admit when it requires more research. In fact, it would be wise to acknowledge that no historical research is ever really complete, as new sources are always emerging, new translations are always being forwarded, and traditional accounts, even when found to be in error, don't die easily. Those caveats aside, however, the various narratives do tell a story which is rather fascinating and informative when they are compiled. So let's begin with the earliest mention of the Sionnach line, keeping in mind there is always more to discover.

Early Traces
Depending on how rigorous you want to be about sources of information, an argument can be made that the Fox/Sionnach line can be traced back before the time of Christ, but this is a field of study which is highly specialized, very complex, and somewhat controversial. As it is we already begin here as far back in time as the fourth century AD, to the time of the founder of the Uí Neill line, Niall of the Nine Hostages. Niall is known throughout Irish myth and legend, but has also been established as a historical figure who is recognized to have ruled from 378-405 AD. Known for undertaking raiding parties and kidnapping settlers living along the coast of Wales, it is often claimed that on one of these raiding parties one of Niall's hostages was a young boy who was to later escape, and then return; and that the young boy was the future Saint Patrick. Several sources claim the Foxes to be one of the three branches of the southern division of the Uí Neill line (Hy Niall ).

Briefly, then, the line of descent goes as follows: Niall is claimed to be the 124th Monarch of Ireland, who had 12 sons, some of whom became founders of various family lines. One of his sons was named Maine, who is noted for being the founder of several family lines, but primarily the Fox line. Maine's tract of land, which was handed down from father to son, is reported to have run from Loch Ree to Loch Annin (now Lough Ennell), in an area historically connected to the Foxes later on, but even in Maine's time was referred to as Teathbha. You can see this area of land on any present-day map of Ireland. Judging the precise extent of his territory is difficult, particularly since Lough Ree is rather large (about 35 miles long and perhaps 8 miles wide at its widest point), but historical research has revealed that the River Inny was used as a boundary between North and South Teathbha during Saint Patrick's time, which would also have been Maine's generation. It is not certain if Maine's territory comprised all of Teathbha, which would have been a good part of counties Westmeath and Longford, or if it was resticted to the area region between the two above-named lochs.

One of Maine's descendants was Tagain or Tagan, who most probably lived some time in the 8th century. He is recognized as actually having established the ancestral home territory and family line, referred to as Muintir Tagain. Muintir translates to family or people , and is a word still used in reference to certain social services in Ireland. This same general area is one of the territories considered to be part of the Ui Niall domain, and is also referred to as as Teffia , or Ceffia . Phonetically these three words are all related, and it would be safe to assume the different sources more or less refer to one and the same area.

But it was a descendant of Tagain's who, in the middle of the 11th century, was the founder of the line which came to be known as Fox . Tadhg O'Catharnaigh (Ua Catharnaigh) was the regional chieftain, the "O'Catharnaigh" half of his name taken from his great great grandfather, Cathiarnach. For background on the possible origins of the nickname he began to take on - The Fox - we cover that separately in the section called "Fox Name Origins". Nicknames used as a type of surname were not uncommon in that time period, and it was at this same time that surnames just began to be developed.

The first mention of the O'Catharnaighs referred to as The Foxes is in 1051, found in the Annals of Ireland by the Four Masters. "The Sinnacha" are unfortunately mentioned as having plundered the great ecclesiatical center, Clonmacnoise, TWICE in three months! There is then a report a year later of the death of "Patrick's steward in Munster", Muireadhach Ua Sinnachain. The next activity reported is for the year 1054. Seemingly in conjunction with an attack on Fine-Gall by one of Brian Boru's sons, Donnchadh, "the Sinnaigh" took many prisoners and hostages, including the daughter of a well-known clan chief. This did not bode well for the people of Meath and West Meath, and there was strong retaliation for this, wherein "both churches and territories" were "burned from the Slaine to West Meath".

Tadhg O'Catharnaigh's death is reported under the year 1086 in The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters (otherwise called The Annals of the Four Masters.) It offers the following account:

"The Sinnach Finn, i.e. Tadhg Ua Catharnaigh, lord of Teathba, and Cinaedh, his son, and Ua Muireadhaigh, chief of Muintir-Tlamain, were treacherously slain by Maelseachlainn, son of Conchobhar, at Loch Maighe Uatha, in revenge of Murchadh, son of Conchobhar, having been slain by Ua Catharnaigh Sinnach."

(note: Loch Maige Uatha noted above is most likely present-day Loch Luatha, or Baile-Locha Luatha, anglicized as Ballyloughloe, in County Westmeath)

Tadhg's death was also noted in the Annals of Clonmacnoise, for the year 1084:

"Teig Sheannagh O'Caharnie, archprince of the land of Teaffa, with his son, Kynnath, and the chiefe of Montry-Thlaman, were killed treacherously by Moyleseaghlyn mac Connor O'Melaughlyn, in revenge of his brother, Morragh mac Cooner, that was slain by Kaharnagh Shennagh. Of this Teig, Montyr-Hagan, now called Foxes Contrey, or the contrey of Killcoursey, tooke the name."

Tadhg's slaying seems to have been avenged , since both of the above sources report that shortly after his slaying, Maelseachlainn himself was killed by "Cathal Mac Muirigen and the men of Teathbha...through treachery and guile." This quote is from the year 1087 in the Annals of the Four Masters, and a similar report is found in the Annals of Ulster. Variation in spelling of names was common throughout the period, and one must rely on some rather sorry anglicizations of the original Irish, though even in the original Irish there is also variation in spelling. Tadhg's title of "An Sionnach" or "The Fox" and "lord of Teathbha" seems to then have been picked up most likely by a son, who was later referred to as Sinnach Odhar or The Pale Fox.

It should be noted here that this was a time period several decades after the death of Brian Boru in 1014. Although Boru's great contribution was the subordination of all other Irish kings under him, and thus the first observable unification of Ireland, by Tadhg O'Catharnaigh's time this was no longer the case. The Irish has returned to fighting amongst themselves, and various annals of the period are filled with accounts of general warring, plunder, and revenge. In the year 1092, for example, Rory O'Conor, the King of Connaught, was reported to have "had his eyes put out most malisciously" by a rival. The English had not yet invaded Ireland, and the Vikings had more or less been routed at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.

References to the O'Catharnaigh/Fox line continue through to the end of this century, though there is no mention of them until several years after Tadhg's death. In 1095, it is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters that "there was a pestilence over all Europe in general in this year, and some say that the fourth of the men of Ireland died of the malady". Among those listed was Cairbre, the Bishop Ua Ceithearniagh. He is referred to in the Annals of Ulster as "Carbry O'Kehernay", and in the Annals of Clonmacnoise as "the bishop O'Kehernie, Cowarb of Moyeoge".

However, events in the northeast part of Teffia quickly heated up again, when Muircheartach Ua Briain was reported to be "plundering and wasting...against the men of Teathbha". The Pale Fox's son, named Catharnach, was killed in 1098 by Muircheartach Ua hAirt (also written as O'Hairt), a lord in the eastern part of Teathbha. During the next year this was rather quickly avenged, and in 1099 the century ended with Ua hAirt being killed in a battle referred to as The Breach of Lochangeiridh, most likely the same area which is now called Loughhanagor.

And this was only the beginning! In the next two centuries the people of the Sinnach/Fox line were to become even more visible, and even have a direct hand in the killing of a prominent representative of the King of England!!


1100-1199

During this period in time, research thus far has found the record of the Foxes to be somewhat spotty, though there is one recorded event where the Foxes were very involved and of which there is much detail available. Although the title "An Sionnach" or "The Fox" is indeed referred to in historical texts, there is also some evidence that people related to the original Tadgh O'Catharnaigh might not have yet been consistently referring to themselves as a Fox or an O'Catharnaigh. Consistency in the the application of surnames was not yet established, and many people still referred to themselves in relationship to their father or grandfather's first name. This makes tracing a line of descent difficult. This seems to be true for the Foxes as well, since there is sparse reference to O'Catharnaighs or Foxes for a good part of this century. Another problem is how there is often, for example, reference to "the men of Teathbha", and just who exactly this refers to is uncertain, as there were sevral clans who lived in Teathbha. The smaller problem of spelling variation also, for obvious reasons, continues in this century. Tracking all of this is difficult and time-consuming, and the research for this has only just begun. Any developments which come out of this will be included in the historical text as they are discovered.

As stated above, from the beginning of this century until 1186 and their involvement in Hugh de Lacy's murder, the O'Catharnaigh Foxes do not have much mentioned of them in the various Irish annals. They do not appear to have been participating in the chronic and bloody raiding and revenge which was taking place during this time. Where ever lists of those clans or individuals who participated or died in battles appear, there is no mention of the Foxes. As will be discussed subsequently, however, they do not seem to hve disappeared all together, and instead are found to have developed some relationship or closeness to the church, particularly the religious center at Clonmacnoise.

The first specific mention of the Fox line in the twelfth century is in the year 1105, with the report of the death of Muircheartach Ua Catharnaigh, who is referred to as a "distinguished senior" of a Clonmacnoise family. Clonmacnoise was located either within or close to the borders of what would have been Teathbha at that time, so it would not be unlikely Muircheartahc was related to Tadhg O'Catharnaigh. In Part 1 History there is mention of another O'Catharnaigh linked to Clonmacnoise (Ua , Mac, and O seem to be used interchangably by the three main sources used for this essay).

There is also mention of a Fox-related location for the year 1133, in which a one-year peace agreement was made between two kings at a traditional historical spot once considered to be the physical center of the entire Ireland. This was a small hill just west of Mullingar, in what is now Westmeath, then Teathbha. The site is referred to as Uisneach, or the Hill of Uisneach, and is mentioned in ancient Irish myth and legend. It consists of several archealogical sites and was rumored to have medicinal and other powers. The place where this agreement took place is reported to be "near Uisneach" and is called, in Irish Abhall-Chethearnaigh, or Catharnaigh's Orchard.

In 1127 there is a somewhat confusing account of "the taking of the house of Flann Mac Sinaigh", followed by the year 1135, which reports the death of Flann Ua Sinaigh , "keeper of the Bachall-Isa" ( or Staff of Jesus, a holy relic passed down from Saint Patrick's time, reportedly the golden crozier which was used by the saint). The "Muintir-Ceithearnaigh" (Clan Catharnaigh ) was cited as the responsible party for the killing of the lord of Breaghmhaine in 1150 at a field in Clonmacnoise, and in 1155 were sited again as having been defeated along with two other family groups. Suddenly, the following year, in 1156, the family name surfaces again, with the report that "Tadhg Ua Catharnaigh, lord of Teathbha, died in religion". He is likely to be the son of the Pale Fox (see Part 1) and seemingly named after his grandfather, which was traditional.

The next mention of this religious link is found in the year 1168, though it is recorded not as a Sionnach or O'Catharnaigh, but with the surname Ua Tadhgain ; as mentioned in Part 1 of Fox History, the Fox Clan were often referred to as Muintir (family or clan) Tadhgain. The reference states "Galbhrat, son of Duairic Ua Tadhgain, great priest of Cluain-mic-Nois, died." Although it is unclear whether it was Galbhrat or Duairic was the great priest (this might be a reflection of the celibacy debate taking place at that time), what is clear is that some individual or branch of the Foxes used the wider term to denote family or clan affiliation.

So until 1186, the O'Catharnaigh Foxes seem to have been relatively quiet, church-oriented, and in general laying low in comparison to other Irish clans. Before going further, however, it may be important diverge from the Foxes for a moment and offer a wider background on the events which led up to 1186, in order to better understand the context in which the Foxes were living at that time. In October 1171, Ireland experienced an event which would for centuries determine the course of its culture, its language, its people, its history. Henry II of England arrived on the shores of Ireland with 240 ships and brought with him, among others, Hugh de Lacy and the man who had come to be known as "Strongbow" (English accounts report 400 ships, 500 knights, and 4000 armed soldiers). Henry II had headed for Ireland since, ten months earlier, some of Henry's knights had murdered Thomas a´ Beckett, England's Archbishop at Canterbury. Henry, in hearing the pope was sending a delegation to meet and possibly publicly reprimand him, avoided them by setting off for the subjugation of Ireland. After all, the Irish clergy had long been a thorn in the side of Rome and the pope had been anxious for Henry or anyone to do something about it. Henry's three sons were also young men now and needed some land for themselves. With the pope's representatives soon to arrive in England, Henry thought it best to sail to Ireland, and with his large and impressive contingent, manage to easily subordinate the decentralized and relatively weak Irish chiefs, and therefore gain some favor with Rome. Soon after Henry II arrived, the Dublin area, Munster, and Leinster succumbed to Henry, though it should be mentioned that it was the Leinster king who had allied himself with Strongbow a year earlier. Six months later, in April 1172, Henry left Ireland, and, coincidentally, in that same year was officially pardoned by the pope for Becket's death. He was made to publicly atone for Becket's death four years later.

Hugh de Lacy (Henry's official deputy for Ireland) , Strongbow, and and John de Courcy remained behind, and promptly set about killing principal Irish chiefs, plundering, burning crops, churches, castles and homes, taking land and building their own castles. This is a period of Irish history which is filled with enormous amount of bloodshed, with many Irish chiefs and kings struggling desparately to stem the seemingly endless flow of the English invasion and the Irish who allied themselves with the English. The various annals of this period (after 1171) amount to not much more than a tireless series of great and small battles. In 1177 the pope sent one of his cardinals to Ireland, who pronounced, among other things, the King of England's formal right to Ireland, and excommunication for all those who opposed it.

Back to the Foxes. In the midst of this, a Fox emerges in the year 1178. He is referred to as Muireadhac, son of "the Sinagh" (the Fox), slain in a battle against the English. In 1180, a long list of churches and religious centers were reported burned, among them 105 houses in Clonmacnoise, the place to which the O'Catharnaigh Foxes seem to have been attached. And then in 1183, Muireadhac's brothers appear in the annals, being cited as having killed six people of a nearby clan, including the chief. No explanation for this is offered. A year later, one of the brothers, Niall (referred to as "son of the Sinnagh O'Caharny) is reported to have died.

It is in the year 1186 the O'Catharnaigh Foxes attempted to put an end to Hugh de Lacy's domination of Ireland, which at this time began to look well-established. The reader can grasp a glimpse of de Lacy's power and sucess from a passage in the Annals of Loch Cé, where he is stated to have gone

"to Durmhagh-Choluim-Cille, to build a castle in it, having a countless number of Foreigners along with him; for he was king of Midhe and Breifne, and Airghiall, and it was to him the tribute of Connacht was paid; and he it was that won all Erinn for the Foreigners. Midhe, from the Sinainn to the sea, was full of his castles and of Foreigners."*

(note for the reader: see the map URL listed at the end of History Part 1 in order to locate these territories; Durmhagh-Choluim-Cille is Durrow Abbey, founded by Saint Columcille, about 15 miles south of Mullingar; Sinainn is the River Shannon)

No doubt de Lacy was a force to be reckoned with. He had built at least a dozen castles in the few years he had been in Ireland. As it turns out, building a castle at Durrow was indeed stepping on traditional Fox territory, which was well within Teffia (Teathbha). Saint Columcille, back in the 6th century, had actually been granted the land for the monastery by a Fox ancestor, Brendan, then considered Chief of Teffia (he is also referred to as Brannan in Irish genealogy). What happened to de Lacy at Durrow is recorded in many Irish annals, though there is some variation in detail.

The essential story is that The Sinnagh O'Catharnaigh was outraged by de Lacy choosing to build a castle on holy ground at Durrow Abbey, and sent his stepson, disguised as a laborer, to speak with de Lacy regarding some measurements. When de Lacy turned his back and bent down to measure, the stepson took out his axe and literally beheaded de Lacy. In reporting this event, the Annals of Loch Cé refer to de Lacy as "destroyer and dissolver of the churches and sanctuaries of Ireland". The act is referred to in several annals as revenge for Columcille. An interesting footnote in The Annals of Ireland by the Four Masters informs the reader that something similar was repeated in the 1800s, when an English lord built a castle on the same sight as de Lacy's, and was then murdered, though the murderer was never found. Some of the details of this event will be inserted into this text in coming weeks, but for the moment, the essential story is provided. And de Lacy, by the way, was not much mourned by Henry II, who had become somewhat troubled by de Lacy's power. Afterwards, in several battles where the English were defeated, they were often said to have taken place through the aid of Saint Columcille.

The last mention of the O'Catharnaigh Foxes in this century appears in 1196. The first few letters of the individual's Christian name are missing in the original text, but the last few letters strongly suggest that this could have been a reference to The Sinnagh himself: "____aigh O'Catharnaigh, great priest of Clonmacnoise" died in the monastery of Cill-Becain (Killbegan), in the novitiate of a monk.


1200-1299

Although the Foxes do not seem to be as present in the annals covering the 1200s, the first mention of the Fox line in this century takes place in 1201, where the grandson of the Sinnagh O'Caharny died. The grandson's name was Murray (Muireadac) and his father's name was Niall. It was not customary to name the first name of a clan chief, so they were simply referred to as "The ...." At this point in time the current Sinnagh seemed to have at least two sons: Niall, mentioned above, and Ruaidri (Rory), who had a son named Cathal. In 1207 Cathal is also reported to have died. So between 1201 and 1207 The Sinnagh apparently lost at least two grandsons, though therír cause of death is not stated.

Epilogue on Hugh de Lacy's castle at Durrow: Remember the murder of Hugh de Lacy in 1186 by the stepson of The Sinnagh? This took place while de Lacy was attempting to build a castle on the grounds of Durrow Abbey, the lands of which had been given by Fox ancestors. Although this deed might have interrupted the building of the castle, it is recorded as having finally been finished in 1213.

Niall O'Caharny, one of the sons of the Sinnagh, seems to have outlived his progeny. Not only did he lose a son Murray in 1201, but years later in 1227, lost another one, Conor, who was slain by the Leinster soldiers who were with the King of Connaught (Cathal Crovderg). Leinster soldiers in the various annals are often referred to as English soldiers or English soldiers with Irish allies.

Six years later, in 1233, there was a battle between the son of Hugh de Lacy and Cathal O'Reilly, in which O'Reilly and those behind him were the victors. The Sinnagh at that time was Niall, the man mentioned above who had lost two sons; he also took part in this battle. Niall, who is referred to in the Annals of the Four Masters as "Niall Sinnagh O'Catharny, Lord of Teffia" also finally joined his sons after being wounded in the battle and "died at his own house after making a will and being annointed." This event is also recorded in the Annals of Clonmacnoise, which refers to him as "Neale Ffox, King of Teaffa-land", who returned home after the battle and received "the sacraments of the altar and Extreme Unction" and "died penitently".

But there is a bit of mystery and confusion about Niall Sinnagh O'Catharny. The Annals of the Four Masters have footnoted Niall's death in the main text. Dropping down to the footnote, it claims that the Annals of Kilronan record the death of a "Donncatha Erenagh of Aghagower" and seem to equate Niall with this person. The Kilronan accounts record the death to have taken place on January 18, and state he was "a man respected in the Church and State for his wisdom and personal form; a man the most bountiful of his contemporaries in bestowing cattle and food; protector of the poor and the mighty; the ornament of the country; and the guide and settler of every covenant among his own people and all in general".

Curiously, the Annals of the Four Masters, before reporting the death of Niall, also record the December 15th death of a "Donncahy, Erenagh of Aghagower, settler of every dispute and covenant, a man of esteem and honour". To clarify this, O'Domhlaill's Irish-English dictionary defines an erenagh ("airchinneach" in Irish) as a lay person who is "a hereditary steward of church lands". And Aghagower is not located at all in Teffia, but in northwestern County Mayo, near Westport. Although Aghagower does claim some connection, for example, to Saint Patrick, and there was indeed a Fox ancestor in the previous century who was the designated keeper of Patrick's gold Staff of Jesus , this is hardly a convincing connection. The existence of the town of Foxford northeast of of Aghagower as well as claims by some Irish genealogical historians of the existence of an O'Caharny Sinnagh branch in Mayo also do not confirm this connection, though they do strengthen the suggestion of it.

Whoever this erenagh of Aghagower was, he certainly held the esteem of the chroniclers of the period. The Annals of Connacht also refer to him: "Donn Cathaig, erenagh of Aghagower rested in Christ on the 15 of December; a man reverenced by clergy and laity for his qualities of mind and body; the most generous bestower of cattle and food in his age; the protector of the wretched and the prosperous; an honor to his land and country; the reconciler of all disputes between his own household and the public in general"

One last note about this: could it be that the editor-translator in the edition of the Annals of the Four Masters I use (John O'Donovan, 1856) mistakenly noted a phonetic similarity between Catharnaigh and Cathaig-erenagh and made assumptions from there? Or could Cahy and Cathaig be abbreviated versions of Catharnaigh , just as the name branched into the distortion of Caharny and Kearney later on? Any suggestions from those doing this type of research would be welcomed.

On to more mundane reporting, and the year 1254, when a man named Domnall, the son of the Sinnagh O'Caharny, killed one Murrough O'Melaghlin (O' Mailsechlainn).

The last mention of Foxes in this century take place in 1287, when Ruaidri (Rory) Sinnach is said to have died on March 10.

Looking back over the Fox history, then, it seems that they were most active and at the forefront of the Irish landscape in the 1100s. More research might change this observation, however, but in the meantime suffice to say that other families were reaching their own zeniths as well, some of them making alliance with the English and others wanting to rid Ireland of them all together. As will be seen, the Foxes did survive into the subsequent centuries, though perhaps not as dramatically as they had been in the past.


1300 -1399

In the Irish annals and other historical readings, it seems it was in this century that distinctions between the O'Catharnaigh lines begin to be more obvious and frequent. Since over time the family line had diffused and expanded many times over, it seems distinctions began to made between those who were distant cousins, closely related only several generations back, and those who had some direct line of descent from the clan chiefs. For this reason, one begins to see more and more a references to either an O'Catharnaigh or a Sinnach, but infrequently to an O'Catharnaigh Sinnach.

The first sign of the name Fox, Sinnach, or O'Catharnaigh appears in 1307, when the town of Ahascragh, just across the Shannon River from Offaly, in County Roscommon, is reported to have been burned by Edmund Butler, a representative of the British crown and who was soon to be Lord Deputy of Ireland (1312). In retaliation, Donough Muimhneach O'Kelly led the slaying of most of the English of Roscommon, and jailed three of Butler's accomplices and their followers, Cormac Mac Ceithernaig (also written as Mac Keherny ) among the three accomplices. Eventually O'Kelly released the followers of the accomplices and then all three men once they agreed to make restitution for Butler's deed. Mac Ceithernaigh was chief of a barony called Ciarraighe (Kerry...but not the county!). Including Cormac Mac Ceithernaig in this discussion is done so with the caution that he might not have been of the O'Catharnaigh line. However, due to spelling irregularities of the time, the dispersal of the ever-growing clan, and the proximity to Offaly, he has been included.

Nine years later, in 1316, there were to be two battles in which Fox ancestors took part. The first one took place in March and was essentially over the kingship of Connaught, and was between Rory O'Connor (the current king), and twenty-three year old Felim O'Connor, a contender. Felim won, and Rory was killed - among the two main chiefs who died along with Rory were our friend from above (1307), Cormac Mac Ceithernaigh, as well as one of the other two men who had been jailed with him at that time.

Several months later, in August, the new King of Connaught, Felim O'Connor, faced the superior military forces of William Burke at Athenry. Among the 10,000 Irish killed on the battlefield was "Niall Sinnagh (Fox) Lord of the men of Teffia, and his people". He is also noted in some annals as "Niall Roe Fox", the "Roe" indicating his red coloring, most likely his hair. From the Annals of Connacht (1316:5), the words of an unnamed poet, commenting on the Battle of Athenry, are quoted:

many of the of all Ireland lay dead about that great field

many a king's son, whom I name not,

of the Meath and Munster hosts was killed in that great rout

my heart rues the fight

In 1321, the Galls (English) of Meath led by Andriu Mac Feorais battled with unspecified "princes of Offaly" and defeated them. A Cathal Mac Keheeny is listed in 1341 as having been killed by a fall - this also is included in Fox history since it is not clear whether this is a variation on Catharnaigh or not - so it is included now but might be omitted later when more information is available.

In 1350, from The Red Book of Kildare, which uses some fairly dreadful anglicizing of names and places, it is reported that the Earl of Kildare made an agreement with "Maurice Schynnach, King of Fertewac and Monthyrcagan, and Fergal MacGeoghegan, duke of Keneraliagh, by which they became his men for their lives, undertaking to give him counsel and aid against all except the king and Mortimer, and to follow Kildare's banner, voyages and wars throughout Ireland at his expense."

It is most likely that "Maurice" is Muirchertach Sinnach, and clear that Fertewac is the area called Fartullagh in County Westmeath and Monthyrcagan is Muintir Thadhgain (a reference to Teffia), which became the barony of Kilcoursey in Counties Westmeath and Offaly. Four years later Kildare complains in a letter to the English king that his Irish allies are not to be trusted, as they have been breaking agreements made with him; The Sinnach is listed as among those who have turned against him. It was not uncommon for the Irish to not honor agreements they felt they had signed under duress or threat. Treaties between the English and native Irish at the time often consisted of "you ally yourselves to me and I won't plunder your lands with my militarily superior forces..."

In 1357 Clement O'Duigenan is reported to have died, referred to as "Sagart na- Sinnach", "priest of the Foxes". A footnote in two of the annals question this, as there does not seem to be an explanation as to how he was connected to the Foxes - his vicarage, Kilronan (Cille Ronáin), was not in Fox territory but up north near Lough Allen.

The year 1363 reports the death of BeBinn or Bevin, daughter of the neighboring MacGeoghegan and wife of The Sinnach (Fox). Seven years later her husband, Muirchertach Sinnach (The Sinnach) died on February 19, 1370. This is surely the same man of whom the Earl of Kildare complained.

The MacGeoghegan chief Cucogry Oge MacGeoghegan was slain "with one thrust of a lance" on August 27, 1374 by Sinnach Mac Merain, and this was done in the company of the Bishop of Meath. The Sinnach himself was then "afterwards torn asunder, and his body was cut into small pieces for this crime." This is also reported to have taken place on September 6 of the same year. Sinnach is reported to have been in alliance with William Dalton, who was English and the Sheriff of Meath, and in fact had been killed the previous year by the MacGeoghegan clan.

The English take-over of Ireland was becoming slowly more complete. Battles were still being fought, but the Irish did not often win. Overpowered and outnumbered, when Edmond Mortimer arrived in Ireland in 1380, "with great powers, as Lord Justice", "the Irish nobility repaired to (pay their respect to) him". Among those listed as the "Roydamna of Ireland" (heirs apparent of Ireland) were "Niall O'Neill, O'Hanlon, O'Farrell, O'Reilly, O'Molloy, Mageoghegan, and the Sinnach (Fox) with many other nobles." Although the literal meaning of the word "roydamna" might have started to fade by this point in time, at the very least it was an indication of one's respect and position among the Irish elite.

Mortimer set about destroying towns and castles, killing in much the same way as Hugh De Lacy had done when he arrived in Ireland 200 years earlier. Only a year after the Sinnach had, with other Irish nobles, paid court to Dalton, Owen Sinnach, tanist of Muintir Tadhgain, was killed by the Daltons in 1381. As tanist, Owen had officially been next in line to become chief.

Muirchertach Fox, who was chief after the death of Owen, died of an epidemic in 1393, an epidemic whicn in fact killed so many of the family that it is reported there were no adult Foxes left to carry on the line. Muirchertach was described as "a man renowned for prosperity, wealth, almsgiving and eloquence". His son Donough did not officially proceed him until the following year, perhaps too caught up in the raiding of Fox territory by two other families who took advantage of the vacuum left after Muirchertach's death. The land they took, near present-day Moate, was never again recovered by the Foxes.

The last we hear of the Foxes in this century is 1398, a report of the death of the daughter of Brian O'Ferghail, wife of The Fox; her first name is not mentioned. More Fox deaths are reported again in 1400, among them the man who appears to have been her husband, The Sinnach, but that will be told in the next addition to this site.


1400 -1499

During this century constant conflict was the normal state of affairs throughout Ireland. The fighting took place not only between the English and Irish, but among the Irish themselves, fighting for land and position, and doing so no doubt weakened any unity they had against the English. Brothers and first cousins were natural rivals in such a system, and there are often reports of the internal fighting taking place between such relations. In regard to fighting against the English, many significant battles took place, but in regard to the Foxes and their general area, it turns out that a long-time Fox neighbor mentioned in previous centuries, the Megeoghegans, developed into a powerful force of their own and are mentioned throughout the century as formidable opponents of the English presence.

One additional development is that the Cambro-Norman Foxes (De Bhosc) began to become more observable in this century. They are covered at the end of this historical section.

The Irish Foxes were not so active at this time, and it must be remembered that they began the century as a family victimized by a plague which almost completely wiped out the line all together. The century begins with the deaths of three more Foxes....

.....1400 - Donough Sionnach (Fox), who is referred to as "King de jure" (legally rightful king) of Muintir-Tadhgain and Chief of Teffia, is reported to have died, though no causes are given. Donough had two grandsons by his son Catharnach, and they are also reported to have died this same year on August 1; although it is not clear how old they were or what they died of, the simultaneous deaths of Dermot and Brian Mac-an-t-Sionnaigh suggest foul play. This coming August 1 will mark the 600th anniversary year of their deaths. It is not revealed just who immediately replaced Donnchad, though it was not his son Catharnach. It turns out that a cousin or brother named Niall assumed the role.

Three years after these three deaths (1403), an unnamed grandson of Donough mentioned above was killed in a battle with the Daltons and O'Melaghlins, this latter family having had their eye on Fox territory for quite some time, and having already helped themselves to some of it due to the Foxes' weakened status from the plague. The father of this unnamed man was called Maolmordha, though he does not seem to have been in line for the chiefship. Donough's brother was also killed at this time.

In 1422 a "great war" took place between the Gaels of Meath and O Conchobair Failgi (O'Conor Faly). Opposing O'Conor Faly are listed O'Mailmuaid, Mag Cochlain, and the Fox, though no first name for the Fox is given, and we are in the dark as to precisely who this Fox was. After much destruction and mayhem, it was reported that peace was made after all, though it is written that Kilcoursey Castle was taken by the Daltons in this year.

The year 1445 clears up the identity of the Fox Chief through the details of the death of Cu Choiccrich Sionnach (also Cugory or Peregrine). He is listed as "son of Maine, son of Niall, lord of Tethba." It is assumed that "lord of Tethba" also meant chief of the clan.

Almost fifty years later, in 1471, the name of O'Conor Faly shows up in Fox history again, this time his sons reported as slaying the sons of two men, neighbors, that of Niall Mac-an-t-Sionnaigh and Owney Mageoghengan. The following year, 1472, Maine, son of Niall, who had taken his father's place as Lord of Muintir-Tadhgain, was also slain, and his son Tadhg took his place.

There is a pattern here which seems to point towards the intentional destruction of the Fox line, since slaying a chief's sons and grandsons, who were more often than not future chiefs, would in due time amount to such a goal. Only three years after Tadhg assumed the role of chief, a result of his own father's demise. Tadhg himself was killed by Murrow, son of Art O'Melaghlin, another family in the region which was growing strong. No new chief is mentioned, though it becomes clear later that his brother (though it is not clear they were brothers, but were indeed related) Caibre took over the chiefship sometime thereafter.

This is no clear accounting for why there is an absence of any reports of Fox killing for the next 25 years. It is worth mentioning here that, one year beyond this century, in the year 1500, another son of Art O'Melaghlin by the name of Con, coincidentally or not made it his business to slay Caibre, who was at that time referred to as The Sinnagh (Fox) of Muintir-Tadhgain. In the span of 100 years, and of the 10 Foxes who were either chiefs, eligible for chiefship, or very closely related to the chief, seven were deliberately killed, two were most likely killed, and one, in 1400, either was killed or simply died.

Circumstances for the Cambro-Norman Foxes (De Bhosc Foxes) in southwest Ireland were somewhat better. These DeBhosc Foxes began to settle in the area over a period of about 150 years, from 1150-1300. Entering the mouth of the Shannon River from the Atlantic Ocean , they generally seemed to have sailed about half way to Limerick and dispersed throughout the area from the south shore of the river in the area of present-day Foynes. From there they spread into what is now the eastern and southern parts of County Limerick. In fact, one particular area, located between Dromin and Killmallock, came to be called "Poball Boscach", or, literally translated "Community (of the) Foxes".

It should be stressed here that "b" and "bh" often were pronounced with a "v" sound, and that the contemporary Dutch name which translates as "of Fox" is written as "De Vos".....it is not that far from the old Norman "De Bhosc". In otherwords, the Norman Foxes we are discussing here also used the image of a fox for their surname, and phonetically are quite close.

The first mention of Foxes in that area of Ireland has a specific date affixed to it: June 11 1400. On that day, Gerald, the 5th Earl of Kildare, formally opposed a decree entitled the "Custodes Pacis et Supervisores Custodium Pacis in concotata Limericensi" (Custodians of the Peace and supervisors of custodians of the Peace in county Limerick) and did so in Clare with Patrick Fox, Bishop of Cork and Walter Fitzgerald. This took place at the house of Lord Inchaquin (now Inchiquin; the current Lord of Inchiquin is The O'Brien, hereditary Chief of the O'Brien Clan).

The Foxes also were established enough to begin to take part in local politics, and several Foxes were mayors and bailiffs in Limerick throughout the century:

1435 - Richard Fox (mayor)

1443 - Richard fFox (mayor) (the "f" prefix denotes French for "fils" or "son of")

1459 - Patrick Fox (bailiff)

1494 - Richard Fox (bailiff )

This trend also continued into the next century as well. As will be discussed, in the coming centuries the De Bhosc Foxes became increasingly established and eventually experienced their own set of problems with English rule.


1500 -1599

Sionnach Foxes

The events of the previous century seemed to have been devastating to the Foxes. To our current knowledge, none of the annals mention the Foxes at all, and other sources must be turned to for bits of information. Severely weakened by the deaths and murders of so many males in the line, as well as the confiscation of their property by other Irish clans, they were no longer the force they once were. On August 27, 1526 the Fox Chief Breasal appeared to have no choice but to sign an agreement with a neighboring clan, the Mageohegans*, in which they agreed to live under the protection of the Mageoghegan clan. They agreed to do so for a price, and an English translation** of the document is as follows:

"This is the covenant and contract of Mageoghegan, that is, Connala, son of Laighnech, and of the Fox of Muintir Tadhgain, that is, Breasal, son of Eoghan, son of Cairbri, to wit: Mageoghegan to be lord over the Fox and his country; and this is all the sign of lordship which Mageoghegan has over the Fox and over his country, which is: a gniomh (division of land equivalent to the 12th part of a plowed land) of land free from every impost (tax) and a hog out of every other gniomh which chiefry to the Fox; and the hog to be in the condition of a muc clasach (fatted pig); and the gniomh on which there is not a hog, to give a sheep in its place. And whenever land is mortgaged from the Foxes to persons (living) outside the territory, and the Foxes not able to redeem it, Mageoghegan is at liberty to redeem it.

Wherever cess (tax) on cutting (harvest) comes from the King's Deputy on Mageoghegan, the due proportion of it to be paid by the Fox for his own territory. And every place that is deserted and rent unpaid in Fox's country, Mageoghegan is obliged to distrain upon it, without making the person settled there liable to him. And if cess on cutting be levied by the King's Deputy upon the Fox, Mageoghegan is to pay the proportion of his territory of it as well as the Fox. Every Allhallows or May meeting that shall take place in Mageoghegan's country shall be convened at the town of Ath-an-urchair or Corruasgean, and the Fox and the chieftains of his country shall come with him thither. They are to be under the same custom and the same tribute within and without. Every privilege and ascendancy here ceded to Mageoghegan shall be enjoyed by his representative after him, provided he does his utmost endeavor for the benefit and protection of the Fox and his country.

Whenever a war or disturbance comes upon Mageoghegan or upon the Fox, on account of which one of them may bring his forces with him out of the territory, that other shall bear the proportion of his territory of the (at the expense of) bonaghmen (foot soldiers), and the Mageoghegan is to distrain in case of non-payment.

And these are the liabilities of Mageoghegan for all the privileges which we have mentioned above, which are: that he do his utmost for the protection and shelter of the Fox and every person in his country, both small and great. And wherever another, an Englishman or Irishman, shall sue the Fox, or any person in his territory, that the decision of Muirchertach Mac Egan, or of the Brehon who shall be by them appointed, be submitted to; and when this will not be accepted from them, then that Mageoghegan shall be bound to spend his country and Fox's country for obtaining justice for the Fox and his country, as well as to compel them and him to render justice. And whenever any part of their territory is unjustly or with default of rent detained, Mageoghegan is bound to do his utmost endeavors to recover such part of the territory. Whenever the Earl of Kildare declines to recover it, Mageoghegan is bound to lend his utmost endeavors to recover it. And if he shall recover the land, then one-half of it shall be his own, and the other half be left to the man in possession. Not this alone, but whenever he (Mageoghegan) shall not endeavor to shelter and distrain for the Fox and Muintir Tadhgain as he would for his own mansion, he shall not have rent, lordship, or privilege over them, but every man shall be for himself.

These are the witnesses for this covenant, that is: Mageoghegan and God before him; and Marcella, the daughter of Christopher; and O'Breen, that is Thomas Buide, the son of Eoghan O'Breen, of Craebh; and the person O'Senchain, that is Cucricho; and Eoghan O'Cionga, the son of Diarmaid Dubh; and James Ruadh, the son of Aedh, son of Ferghal; and Muirchertach O'Cionga, the chief poet of both territories. These are all we had present of the Cinal-Fhiahach (the family group to which the Mageoghegans belonged). Here are all of Fox's country that were with us, that is: the Fox himself; and the two sons of Edmond, that is Muirchertach and Felim; and the two sons of Brian Fox, that is, Breasal and Cucrichi; and Muirchertach, the son of Eoghan, son of Tadhg Onoire, that is, the chief poet of the Fox.

And I am James O'Cionga, the son of Cairbri O'Cionga, who was present at the making of this covenant, and who wrote it; and it was at Suidhe Adhamnrain this covenant was made, precisely on Wednesday, and on Friday it was written; and this is the age of the Lord, at this time, six years and twenty, five hundred and one thousand years, and the twenty-second day of the month of August.

THIS IS IN IRELAND (mark) I AM MAGEOGHEGAN

WE ARE THE SONS OF EDMOND FOX (mark) I AM THE FOX

"The Fox" referred to in this agreement was Breasal Fox, who appears to refer to himself as the clan chief at that time by using the title "The Fox", and who appears to have continued to be chief for the next several decades.

Note: almost all of the following information is taken from text researched and written by Fox Clan Historian, Michael Colm Fox.

About twenty years later, four Midlands clans joined with the English in battles against the O'Connors, who had begun to attack English and Irish alike in their efforts to gain power. These clans were the Foxes, Mageoghegans, O'Molloys and O'Melaghlins, and the Annals of the Four Masters reports they benefited from "much booty and spoil". It is also reported that these clans' alliance or circumstantial loyalty with the English was eventually betrayed, and "many thousands of cows" were taken from them. At this point in time the English-controlled area around Dublin know as "The Pale" was established, though it did not reach all the way into Fox territory.

These conditions, however, did not prevent the clans from attempting to even out the playing field, and in 1552 the Lord Chancellor for Ireland complained in writing that the territories of the Foxes, Megeoghegans and O'Molloys (among others) were "very strong countries for woods, moors and bogs, by means whereof much cattle was stolen out of the English pale." He reports a year later that the Fox chief was ordered to pay £300 in restitution for such actions. In 1558, Breasal and his wife, Amailin (formerly O'Melaghlin) received a pardon from the English crown, though it is unclear exactly what they had done. How much this affected the Fox and his attitude towards English rule might be reflected in subsequent events: in 1564 he was ordered to keep his people from joining rebel forces, and then in 1574 that he was to be punished for "spoiling" an English solider and was also to make monetary reparations.

The Fox-Mageoghegan alliance continued, as suggested by the 1582 marriage of Conley Mageoghegan with Amalin Fox, who was most likely a daughter of Breasal. Breasal also had two sons we know of, Art, and a younger son, Hubert, who eventually became Fox chief. The ruins of his primary residence, Lehinch or Kilcoursey Castle, can still be seen outside of the town of Clara, and are shown on this website under "Fox Sites".

The Nine Years War began in 1594 (ending 1603), and Hubert was chief at that time, his lands comprising a large portion of northwest Offaly. When the English Lord Deputy Mountjoy raided west Offaly at that time, he commented "it is incredible in so barbarous a country, how well the ground had been manured, how orderly their fields were fenced, their towns inhabited, and every highway and path so well beaten" - in their efforts to subdue what resistance was left, his troops brought great suffering to the area, including famine, by burning homes and destroying crops ready for harvest. In 1599 Hubert Fox, perhaps in an effort to avoid additional destruction, signed an agreement of "surrender and regrant" with the English crown. In such agreements, Irish chiefs swore loyalty to the crown by "surrendering" their land to the crown, which was then given "back" in return for this public display of loyalty.

Hubert was unlike most of his Fox kin, who chose to fight against the English, on the side of the rebel forces. This seems to have at least partially caused a major division within the family line, although some divisions at this point in the growth of the clan would tend to be natural or automatic due to its burgeoning size. The clan was soon to divide into four main groups:

1) the chiefly line of Hubert Fox at Lehinch

2) Phelim Fox's Cloghatanny line, where the Fox Clan inaugural stone is located, between Clara and Ballycumber

3) the Foxes of Kilmalady, between Clara and Horseleap

4) Owen (Eoghan) Fox's line in Lyssinuskie; Owen was Hubert's uncle

It should be kept in mind that these branches were not geographically far from each other: contemporary Horseleap is less than two miles (3+ km) north of Kilmalady; Kilmalady is about 1 mile north of Lissanisky (Lyssinuskie); Lissanisky is less than 2 miles north from Lehinch Castle in Clara; and Lehinch Castle is less than 3 miles east of Cloghatanny.


De Bhosc Foxes

Although there is more information about De Bhsoc Foxes from the 1600s onwards, there is a clear presence of the name in the 1500s as well. Besides serving as mayors and bailiffs of Limerick in the 1500s, which is listed below, there is additional evidence of Foxes who are generally of De Bhosc (Norman) origin in southwest Ireland at that time.

For the year 1519, for example, a Prior Johannes Ffox died. He was connected to St. Mary's Cathedral in Limerick City, and an inscription for him can be seen in the north transept of St. Mary's today. The inscription reads:

"Here lies the Reverend Master Johannes ffox formerly Provost of Holy Cross who closed his last day on the 28th day of the month of August in the year of Our Lord 1519, on whose soul may God have mercy."

One source is a list of freeholders and "gentlemen" of County Limerick from 1570. In the area called Coshemay, we find a Richard Fox of Ballyveneghe (close to Maidstone Castle and Dromin) and an Edmond Fox of Ballygrennan.

In 1571, a John Ffox is recorded as holding land at Ballyvenogue Castle (Maidstone Castle) in an area referred to as Poblebushaghe - also written as Pobal Boscach. The latter word refers to the de Bhsoc name and the first is meant to indicate a people or a community. This John Ffox also owned land in Owergare (Dromin) and Bulgaden, and moreover served as the mayor of Killmallock. All of the areas mentioned here are very close and in some cases adjacent to each other.

Foxes as officials (mayors and bailiffs) in Limerick in the 1500s are listed as follows:

Richard Fox - 1513 (mayor)

James Fox - 1538 (bailiff)

James Fox - 1550, 1551 (mayor)

William Fox - 1554 (bailiff)

Nicholas Fox, Edmond Fox - 1591 (bailiffs)

The Fox Septs

Unlike most other Irish surnames, Fox divides into two distinct septs. Many of us, especially descendants of immigrants, do not have enough distant genealogical knowledge to determine which of these two septs is really ours. This is why it is important to promote both septs on this site. But to make things more complicated, one of those septs can be divided into several different branches or family lines. The primary division or distinction is between:

1) Foxes of Celtic origin, who originated from Ireland's midlands

2) Foxes of Cambro-Norman origins, who invaded Ireland in 1169

Celtic Foxes
The first sept can be traced back in time much further than the second, and the lineage itself can be traced back even beyond the use of surnames in Ireland, which did not begin until sometime in the 11th century. More information can be found about the first mention of the Sionnach (Irish for Fox ) clan and its chief in the Fox History section of this link. This site concentrates on these O'Catharnaigh Foxes mainly because they are the oldest Fox sept and there appears to be generous amounts of information available on them.

The complication begins with the fact that Fox was originally a nickname for a man who had already assumed the surname of O'Catharnaigh (also Ua Ceithernaigh) by the 11th century. As chief of his clan, instead of being referred to as The O'Catharnaigh , which would have been customary, he was referred to as The Fox or The Sionnach . Eventually his direct descendants - and perhaps other close relatives, though this is not certain - began using Sionnach as part of their name as well. Sources from that time period often (but not always) refer to The O'Catharnaigh Sionnach rather than just The O'Catharnaigh . Soon enough a separate but certainly related line of O'Catharnaighs developed, their last name eventually abbreviated and anglicized to O'Caharny, Kearny, Kenney, Kinney, and other spelling variations.

But another problem arises. As English rule increased and families were more or less forced to anglicize their surnames, the Sionnach-Foxes had to either decide on a direct translation of their surname OR accept an anglicization of it. Although those of us who are Foxes today know which decision our ancestors took, at some point, and it is not yet clear exactly when, one branch of the Sionnach Clan chose to anglicize Sionnach - it became Shinnick. Their coat of arms differs from the "Sionnach Abu" coat of arms, and they are referred to as the Munster Foxes, which comprises southwestern Ireland. There is also a Shinnick genealogical group based in the US, and you can see their excellent website at http://www.shinnick.org/. Other related names would be Seaney, Shanaghy, Shanahan, and perhaps Shannon.


Cambro-Norman Foxes

Arriving in Ireland first as invaders, many Cambro-Normans later turned against the English crown and fought on the side of those Irish who also opposed foreign domination. Originally their last name was De Bosc or de Bhosc, though there do not seem to be any Irish of that name in Ireland today. The de Bhoscs were Norman, and not English, in background, and it is likely they had not been in England for very many generations before they entered Ireland; in fact, a listing of the knights who accompanied William the Conqueror in his 1066 invasion of England includes two knights by the de Bhosc name. The distinction is made between Cambro-Norman (Welsh-Norman) and Anglo-Norman since many Normans in England preferred living in Wales and intermarried with the Welsh people, learning their language and adapting/adopting their customs. Due to the similarities at that time between Welsh and Irish, many of the these Cambro-Normans integrated quite easily into Irish society, and also intermarried when they came on the Irish scene in the late 1100s. It is likely that the de Bhoscs were Cambro-Norman given their subsequent break with the English crown as well as other historical evidence.

It should be stressed here that in Irish as well as other languages, "b" and "bh" often were pronounced with a "v" sound, and that the contemporary Dutch name which translates as "of Fox" is written as "De Vos".....phonetically speaking, this is not that far from the old Norman "De Bhosc", and indeed contemporary Netherlands is very close to what historically was considered Norman territory, thus possibly explaining some relationship. What is most imporant to stress here is that the Norman Foxes we are discussing also used the image of a fox for their surname.

Seamus Fox, who heads up the de Bhosc background for this website (see also Fox Events), for years assumed he was a Sionnach Fox, since his records from school days showed the Irish spelling of his last name as Sionnach. A little further research showed that this was merely a mistaken assumption by a school employee, and that in fact his family line did indicate de Bhosc in almost every other case. These Foxes stem from County Limerick area, particularly Doon, and somewhat into Tipperary as well. Most of their recorded history begins in the 15th century, and will be included in Fox History when that time period is reached.

Origins of the Sionnach Name

No doubt there are several of us who have read or heard that the origins of the Fox name have to do with 11th century Tadhg O'Catharnaigh's cleverness in battle as well as ability to acquire land. When you travel to Ireland, you can even buy a plaques and scrolls which make this claim. Since this was a time period when nicknames were not uncommon and surnames began to be used, this seemed and still seems plausible. However, recent close reading of the Annals of Ireland by the Four Masters as well as The Annals of Loch Cé and the Annals of Ulster reveal a quite different story, one that is also quite plausible, but perhaps not as charming or pleasant!

Collectively, these sources report that in the year 1024, Ireland's chief poet and historian Cuan Ua Lothchain (Cwan O'Logan) was killed in Teathbha by "the men of Teathbha". Here the story splits: one version is that the murderer thereafter acquired a strong odor, making him "easily known among the rest of the land". He was therefore nicknamed "Fox"; anyone who has ever experienced the scent sprayed by a skunk has a very good idea of what fox smells like too. The other version of the story is that men who killed him were killed within an hour after the poet's death, and they wre not buried, but left as carrion for the birds and beasts, and one can imagine the stench in the air from that.

Another argument against the "stench argument" is that the Annals of Inisfallen actually report the name of the man who killed the poet - Gillaultain Mac Roduibh, who lived near Lough Ree and was not a Fox relative. Moreover, it is not difficult to see how, through time and perhaps bad translating, the name of a Fox from the latter part of the 11th century, Bec An Sionnach Odhar (Bec the Pale Fox or Bec the Pale-faced Fox), could have had the last part of his name assumed to have a similar meaning to the English word "odor". This is particularly so since "Odhar" has a few spelling variations, two of them similar to the English "odor".

However, this reasoning does not help to explain the ancient name for the site called Cloghatenny (Stone of the Fox), which in Irish was Tolghannebrennye. Local legend claims the nearby mound or tulachan is the burial site of a once-important person, and that the site is even more important than the Fox Coronation Stone. Its ancient name unfortunately looks and sounds a bit too much like "tulchan na breine" or "mound of the stench". Other explanations for the Fox name origins exist, and they will be brought out in the next edition.

The problem with the first line of explanation is that it is hard to believe descendants of someone nicknamed in such a deragatory way would opt to keep that name through the generations, "Fox" being equivalent to "Stinking Assassin". The second explanation makes even less sense, since no one would want to name themselves after a relative or relatives who were not even worthy of burial after the murder of a great poet and historian. To go one step further, one of the sources listed above which links those particular "men of Teathbha" as "ancestors of the Foxes" claims to have gotten its information from one of the other sources above! A littel investigation indicates that this is simply not true, since I have both of these sources in my possession. So it may well be that the murdering "men of Teathbha" at this point in time were not necessarily immediate Fox ancestors, nor were they nicknamed Fox, nor, if they indeed were killed within an hour, nicknamed anything at all!

This brings us back to the first line of explanation - that old Tadhg O'Catharnaigh was skilled in battle as well as in acquiring land. Since Tadhg died in 1086, he most likely could not have taken part in a murder from 1024 unless he died a very old man (for that time period) and was born well before 1024. Although none of the reading I have done so far supports or even suggests he was a skilled warrior/landowner, the reasoning behind it nevertheless makes more sense than the "Stinking Assassin" story. However, it's always good to be aware of alternative explanations.

Full Archive of The Fox Clan 1999/2000