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Greene family name

1659 to 1825

Early origins of the Greenes
Although the name Green derives from the Gaelic Uaithne (for green), there is no evidence of a direct connection between the ancient Uaithne tribe (referred to below) and the O hUaithnin. families of Clare. The proximity of the areas occupied by the Uaithne tribe and the O hUaithnin families, however, appears to be close enough to suggest some connection.

The Greenes, are, as explained below, a Dalcassian family, descended from the Dal Cais, best known of whom is Brian Boru. The following sets out the early history of the Uaithne and the Dalcassians.

According to the website "Ireland History in Maps" (www.fortunecity.com/bally/kilkenny/2/iremaps.htm), a map drawn up by Ptolemy in 150 AD shows the Auteini on the west coast of Ireland. This tribe is 'later identified as the Uaithne of County Limerick and Tipperary'.
The word Uaithne appears first (on the aforementioned website) on a map of Ireland (with the subtitle 'Royal provinces and sites - circa 300AD), in Clare, just north of Limerick.
The word Uaithne appears again on another map subtitled 'Lesser kingdoms and other Dynasties, 700AD', with the Dal Cais (north of Limerick) as a kingdom and Uaithne (just south of Limerick, in County Limerick) as a dynasty.
Similarly, both the Dal Cais and Uaithne appear in similar positions on a map of Munster (the south west corner of Ireland, including Clare) in 750AD.

The text of the website also states, of Thomond (region similar to present day Clare):
"Early people of Thomond included the Corca Baiscind, Uaithne, Corca Mruad and the Dal gCais"
The text also mentions Aillil Olumm (Oilill Olum), a king of Munster (fourth century?), who had three sons, the eldest Cas (whose son was Cormac Cas - their descendants Dalcassians) and Eoghan Mor (descendants the Eoghanacts).

The Dalcassians
According to Dr. Edward McLysaght in his Book "Irish Families Their Names and Origins" (published in the late 1950s), the name Greene in County Clare is one of several genuinely Dalcassian families.
Peter Mulquiney, in his history of the Mulqueeney family, (my great grandmother was a Mulqiney) established that the Mulqueeneys too were Dalcassians. Another Dalcassian family is the Sheehans (a Sheehan married my mother's cousin in Wentworth, NSW).

Descendants of Cas were called the Dal gCais, or Dalcassians (eg. O Brien, MacDonnell, O Grady, O Healy, O Kennedy, Macnamara, Quinn, Aherne and Malone). The Norse had pushed the Dalcassians back into a small area of East Clare, controlling the Shannon river estuary.

Descendants of Eoghan Mor were the Eoghanacts (eg. O Callaghans, McCarthys, O Donohue, McGillicuddy, O Keefe, O Moriarty and O Sullivans). The Eoghanacts were active from the 5th to 11th centuries, gaining power in most of the south of Ireland around 700. They ruled from Cashel, but after the Norse invasions, their province was dominated by Norsemen.

The Vikings (the Norse) sacked the early settlement of Limerick in 812 and made it the principal town of their kingdom.
County Limerick was the ancient home of Uí Fidgeinte, Uaithne, Corca Oiche, Orbraige, Uí Cairbre Eaodhe, Uí Conaill Gabra, Muscraige Luachra, and Eoghanacht Aine. The Viking settlement of Limerick was formed during the 9th and 10th centuries. Some of the cantreds that existed at the time of the Norman arrival included Carrigoginniol, Uaithne, Cairbre Aobhdha, Uí Conaill Gabhra, and Connalla.

Brian Boru
Brian's Boru, born in 941 near Killaloe, and his brother Mahon were princes of the Dal Cais. Mahon drove the Eoghanacts out of Cashel. The Eoghanacts, with the Norsemen, murdered Mahon. Brian then drove the Vikings out of Limerick, and became King of Munster at Cashel.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica,

"In 976 Brian became king of a small state, later called Dál Cais, and also king of Munster, whose Eóghanachta rulers had been defeated (964) by Brian's half brother. Brian destroyed first the Eóghanachta septs and then the Northmen, constructing a fleet to drive them from the Shannon. Under his rule Munster became a unified and powerful state."

He built his palace at Kincora. Initially Brian ruled the southern half of Ireland, with Malachy ruling the Northern half. In a confrontation with Malachy, Malachy was unable to obtain sufficient support, and Brian became king of Ireland in 1002. Brian went on to unify the Gaels successfully against the Norwegians and Danes, breaking the Viking's power at Clontarf (despite their alliance with Leinster kings), near Dublin, in 1014. Brian died in this battle. "His fame was so great that the princes descended from him, the O'Briens, subsequently ranked as one of the chief dynastic families of the country." (Encyclopedia Britannica).

According to John Grenham (op. cit.),
"from about 950 on the east Clare Gaelic sept of the Dal gCais began its rise to power, capturing first the kingship of Munster from the Eoghanacht (Gaels who had held power in most of the south from the 5th to 12th centuries) and then, with Brian Boru, taking the high Kingship of Ireland from (Malachy II, of the clan) Ú Néill in 1002."

Grenham points out that up to the tenth century, surnames in Ireland were not hereditary. Instead there were followers of saints (derived from the Celtic tradition of followers of a God, such as Osrai, Deer people). 'Kil', for example, meant 'follower or devotee' (hence Kilbreda, Kilmore, Kildare, Killarney, Kilsyth ), and 'Mul' meant 'bald (monk) follower of' (hence Mulquiney).
>From the tenth century, 'Mac' or 'Mc' meant 'son of' and 'O' meant 'grandson' or descendant. The grandson of Brian Boru, for example, was Mahon O Brien, and Mahon's son was the first of a line of MacMahons.

Uaithne
According to the website 'Ireland History in Maps', the Uaithne tribe (from whom are descended several families, including the OHeffernan and OCallaghan,) had a succession of kings, whose deaths were recorded between 900 and 1100 AD:
"Clann Uathnia included the Uaithni Thíre (part of the barony of Owney and Arra in northwest Co. Tipperary) and the Uaithni Cliach (barony of Owneybeg in northeast Co. Limerick).
The Four Tribes of Owney (Uaithne) were described as O'Heffernan, O'Calahane, O'Loinsigh (Lynch) and MacKeogh. The O'Cahalane or Culhane (Ua Cathalain) sept is noted as a lords of Owney Beg (Uaithne Cliach). Ua Duinechair (O'Dinan) is another sept noted of Uaithne
O Heffernan is cited as chief of the Uaithne Cliach prior to the Ryans
There are many extracts on this website from the early Annals: the following recording the death of the Kings ('tigherna') of Uaithne:
*For 916, Ainnle, son of Cathan, King of Uaithne of Cliu (Cliach), was put to death by the foreigners of Loch da Chaech.
*For 949, Dubh Da Bharc, mac Maoil Mordha, tighearna Uaithne Tíre, died.
*For 1080, Eochaidh Ua Loingsigh, tigherna Uaithne Thíre, died.
*For 1089, h-Úi Maelsechlainn do dul a n-Uaithne Thire & a n-Uaithne Fidbuidhe, co tucsat bu imdha leo.
*for 1107, Cuilen Ua Cathalain, tigherna Uaithne Cliach, died."

Irish History 10th to 18th century
Following the victory of Brian Boru, Munster was initially ruled by the O Briens, from Kincora, with challenges from the McCarthys (Eoghanact descemdants). After 1169 the Anglo-Normans took control of major towns. The Gaels fought back, and 200 years later, the Anglo-Normans controlled Dublin and an area around it called the Pale. Beyond the pale, however, Norman lords, such as the FitzGeralds in Munster (one of the great Anglo-Norman baronial families), governed most of the land. (Norman names include Brown, Keating, Power, Walsh and Fitz... ).

Struggles between the O'Briens of Munster and the O'Connors of Connaught led to the O'Briens declaring allegiance to Henry II of England. An O'Brien, loyal to the crown, became Earl of Thomond in 1541, when it was separated from Munster ­ rejoining it with the Restoration in 1660.

Around 1550 Queen Elizabeth allowed Sir Walter Raleigh and other English supporters to occupy Munster. In Cork they ejected tenants. The Butlers and Fitzgeralds, roused to fury, sought help from Spain, but in the ensuing struggle, lost to the English, leading the Earl of Desmond (cousin of James Fitzgerald) to take to the hills with a band of supporters.

In 1649 Cromwell, in the East, rooted out any landlords or tenants not in full support of English rule and sent them to Connacht or Clare, where they were given small holdings, displacing local landholders.

Around 1640, the English suppression of the Catholic religion in Ireland resulted in Catholics being driven out of towns, and many priests killed. In 1650 the persecution of Catholics intensified. In 1653 the English occupied the whole of Ireland, except for Clare and Connaught. The Cromwellian wars left Clare in ruins, racked by famine and depopulated (the wars had halved the Irish population). Clare became a refuge for dispossessed Irish from other parts.

Between 1600 and 1700 Catholics had lost control of 80% of the land, and much of the Gaelic culture crushed. In 1770, Catholics made up 75% of the population, but owned 5% of the land.