Fir Ol nEchmacht

Fir Ol nEchmacht was the name of a group or race of people living in pre-historic Ireland. The name may be translated as "men (Fir) of the race/people (Ol, possibly Dal?) of Echmacht" (Echmacht being the given name of the people, perhaps from ech, "horse," and macht, "death/wonderful/across the sea").[1] Some scholars believe they are connected to, or the same as, the Nagnatae tribe, mentioned in Ptolemy's 2nd century AD work Geography.[2]

Virtually all of Ireland west of the Shannon was once named after them and was called Cóiced Ol nEchmacht until the early historic era (c. 5th-7th centuries).

It was only with the rise of the Connachta dynasty that the term Fir Ol nEchmacht was dropped and the province was renamed Connacht.

Sources

Smyth, D. (2020). Earthing the Myths: The Myths, Legends and Early History of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press.
T. F. O'Rahilly (1946). Early Irish History and Mythology. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. pp. 2, 11–12.

Foras Feasa Eirann, Geoffrey Keating, 1636.
Leabhar Mor nGenealach, Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh, 1649–1666.
Ogyia, Ruaidhri O Flaithbheartaigh, 1684.
The History of Mayo, T.H.Knox, 1908.

External links

http://www.rootsweb.com/~irlkik/ihm/ire150.htm

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[1] Smyth, D. (2020). Earthing the Myths: The Myths, Legends and Early History of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press.

[OR-2] T. F. O'Rahilly (1946). Early Irish History and Mythology. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. pp. 2, 11–12.