Connacht

Connacht or Connaught/ˈkɒnəkt/ (Irish: Connacht or Cúige Chonnacht) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of the country. Up to the 9th century it consisted of several independent major kingdoms (Lúighne, Uí Maine, and Iarthar Connacht). Between the reigns of Conchobar mac Taidg Mór (died 882) and his descendant, Aedh mac Ruaidri Ó Conchobair (reigned 1228–33), it became a kingdom under the rule of the Uí Briúin Ai dynasty, whose ruling sept adopted the surname Ua Conchobair.

At its greatest extent, it incorporated the often independent Kingdom of Breifne, as well as vassalage from the lordships of western Mide and west Leinster. The Kingdom of Connacht collapsed in the 1230s because of civil war within the royal dynasty, which enabled widespread Norman settlement under Richard Mór de Burgh, 1st Baron of Connaught.

The province of Connacht has the greatest number of Irish language speakers at between 5–10% (40,000–55,000) of the population. There are Gaeltacht areas in Counties Galway and Mayo.

Connacht (disambiguation)

Connacht or Connaught is a western province in Ireland.

Connacht or Connaught may also refer to:

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