Felim O'Connor (d. 1265)

Felim Ua Conchobair
13th-century effigy of a tomb in the Dominican Priory of St. Mary in Roscommon that supposedly depicts Felim Ua Conchobair who founded the priory in 1253.
King of Connacht
Reign	1233-1265
Predecessor	Aedh mac Ruaidri Ó Conchobair
Successor	Aedh mac Felim Ó Conchobair
Born	? Connacht, Ireland
Died	Early 1265 Connacht, Ireland
Burial	Monastery of the Preaching Friars, Roscommon
Consort	Identity Unknown
Issue	Aedh na nGall Aedh Muimnech Fionnuala Ni Conchobair
House	Ó Conchubhair Donn
Father	Cathal, King of Connacht

Felim O'Connor (Irish: Feidlim Ua Conchobair) was king of Connacht in Ireland, having been proclaimed king by William Óg de Burgh in 1230, he reigned proper from 1233 until 1265. Felim died in that year and was buried in the Dominican Priory in Roscommon which he founded in 1253. On his accession Felim inherited many problems from his predecessors, having his territory limited to essentially County Roscommon and having to deal with an increase of English and Welsh settlers in the kingdom. Felim attempted to maintain both a loyal and personal relationship with Henry III King of England, hoping he would limit the influence of de Burgh and other powerful Anglo-Norman magnates in Connacht, but this policy of appeasement produced few concrete results.

He was succeeded by his eldest son Hugh McFelim O'Connor, who adopted a more militant stance against English authority in Ireland than his father. Among his other offspring were Aed Muimhnech O Conchobair king from 1274-1280, and a daughter, Fionnuala Ní Conchobair who died in 1301 as abbess of Kilcreevanty, Clonfert. Having married while his brother Aedh Ua Conchobair was designated heir, he more than likely married someone of non-noble birth and thus her name does not appear in the annals.

Life and Reign

Since the late 12th century there had been an intensification of Anglo-Norman power and presence in Connacht, exemplified by the leading role the de Burgh family played in the making of the kings of Connacht since the reign of Felim's father Cathal Crobhdearg. As a result the power the kings of Connacht were able to wield had been reduced considerably and most now relied on the de Burgh's backing to claim the kingship as Felim would do in 1230. In that year William Óg de Burgh lead a hosting into the province forcing its then king Aedh mac Ruaidri Ó Conchobair into exile in Tir Eoghain, and bestowing the kingship on Felim. The annals of Ulster make no mention of Felim at all and the wording of both the annals of Loch Ce and Connacht imply Felim was gifted the kingship as a subordinate to William. In fact in contrast to both his predecessors and successors there is never a mention of Felim being inaugurated as king at Carnfree in the traditional manner and it may be he never underwent this ceremonial inauguration at all.

In 1231 for unknown reasons William imprisoned Felim at Meelick despite the guarantees of what the annals call the 'principal foreigners of Ireland' (Anglo-Normans). In the following year William makes peace with the exiled Aedh, who resumes his kingship, and afterwards releases Felim who goes on make a grant of Kilmore to the Augustinian cleric Cond Craidbheach O Flannacain. In the following year Felim receives the backing of Cormac King of Magh Luirg the chief Irish vassal and king maker of Connacht. They attack and kill Aedh and many of his kin before razing numerous castles built by de Burgh in a sign of Independence from his overlordship. It is in this year that Felim truly assumes government of the the Kingdom of Connacht. The next year in response to de Lacy encroachment on Felim's over lordship of Breifne he sacked several towns.

In 1235 Richard the son of William Og led a large Anglo-Norman army consisting of forces of Maurice FitzGerald Justicar of Ireland, Hugh de Lacy Earl of Ulster, the Anglo-Normans of Leinster as well as Munster into Felim's heartland of Roscommon ravaging the land to force his submission. Felim shadowed this army as they proceeded to Thomond in order to gain revenge and aid his ally Donnchadh Cairbreach O Briain. This led to a great battle between the forces of the Anglo-Norman lords on one side and the forces of the kingdoms of Connacht and Thomond on the other. The forces of the Irish kings were overwhelmed by the heavily armored infantry and cavalry of the Anglo-Normans but Felim managed to execute a fighting retreat, sustaining few casualties as compared his ally Donnchadh who's army was decimated and himself forced to sue for peace. Felim returned to Connacht gathered all his movable wealth and followers and engaged in scorched earth tactics while retreating further north to seek refuge in the Kingdom of Tir Chonaill. The forces of Richard laid waste to Connacht and raided into Tir Chonaill but later in the year Felim made peace with Maurice the Justicar, promising to pay rent as vassal for the kings five cantreds, and would go on to raise Meelick castle where he had previously been imprisoned probably with Maurice's approval.

By 1236 this tenuous peace broke down and Felim again sought refuge in Tir Chonaill while Maurice installed Brian son of Toirdhealbhach Ó Conchobhair as ruler of the Irish in Connacht. De Burgh, who had been in England, rose on behalf of Felim and he was invited from exile by the chiefs O'Floinn, O'Cellaigh and the sons of Aedh Ua Conchobair to regain his rule. This army Felim was able to muster initially consisted of four battalions but when they came across unguarded cow herds simply abandoned the king for this plunder while he tried in vain to rally them, as the Annals of Connacht relate;

''Like fierce furious forceful foemen they crossed the bawn and the moat of the island, where were all the cows of the territory, and then each captain of a company and each leader of an army made for the cows, and they were driving them off wherever they came upon them. A pitiful act, their lord, their honour and their valour were abandoned for booty and cattle which profited them nought, and they deserted their lord until out of the four battalions which had been under him he had but four single horsemen left, and the High-king's voice was broken in trying to recall and rally them.''

Brian saw this disorganization in Felim's now scattered force and pursued and slayed many. Despite this embarrassing setback, at the Battle of Cluain Catha later that year Felim defeated an army of Brian's kinsmen and killed the son of his previous ally Cormac King of Magh Luirg, who had submitted to Brian. In 1237 Felim raises an army in Breifne and engages Brian in battle at an unknown location. Brian's army consists heavily of the justicar's troops, possibly as mercenaries, who are routed soon after the start of the battle when Felim orders an immediate headlong charge at their lines that takes them by surprise. Brian flees the field and Felim imposes his authority on Connacht, putting a fleet on Loch Ce and deposing Cormac King of Magh Luirg. After this show of strength Maurice makes peace and renounces his right to tribute from the king.

In 1240 Felim makes an unprecedented move for a reigning Gaelic Irish king and travels to the court of Henry III where he is received according to the Annals of Ulster with great honor. Here he complains of both Henry's English subjects and various Gaelic Irish lords harassing his position, returning home happy with the meeting and the discussions between himself and Henry. In 1245 he is ordered by Maurice to construct Sligo Castle at his own expense showing clearly he is once more in a subordinate position to the Lord of Offaly. He also travels to Wales in the same year with a contingent of perhaps 3000 infantry to serve Henry III in his campaign against Dafydd ap Llywelen Prince of Gwynedd and is again pleased with his reception by the English king. In 1248 he confers Rathnarovanagh to the canons of Kilmore in the presence of notable Connacht nobles

Ó Conchubhair Donn

Years indicate reign as King of Connacht

Tairrdelbach 1106–1156

Cathal Crobhdearg 1189–1224

Ruaidrí 1156–1189

Áed 1224–1228

Feidlim 1233–1265

Aedh Mac Ruaidri 1228–1233

Áedh na nGall 1265–1274

Áed Muimnech 1274–1280