Kingdom of Munster in the context of "Celtic Christian"

Munster (Irish: an Mhumhain [ə ˈwuːnʲ] or Cúige Mumhan [ˌkuːɟə ˈmˠuːnˠ]) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (Irish: rí ruirech). Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into counties for administrative and judicial purposes. In later centuries, local government legislation has seen further sub-division of the historic counties.

Munster has no official function for local government purposes. For the purposes of the ISO, the province is listed as one of the provincial sub-divisions of the State (ISO 3166-2:IE) and coded as "IE-M". Munster covers an area of 24,675 km (9,527 sq mi). Its population was 1,373,346 in 2022, with Cork being the largest city. Other significant urban centres in the province include Limerick and Waterford.

Osraige (Old Irish) or Osraighe (Classical Irish), Osraí (Modern Irish), anglicized as Ossory, was a medieval Irish kingdom comprising what is now County Kilkenny, western County Laois and parts of eastern County Tipperary, corresponding to the Diocese of Ossory. The home of the Osraige people, it existed from around the first century until the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century. It was ruled by the Dál Birn dynasty, whose medieval descendants assumed the surname Mac Giolla Phádraig.

According to tradition, Osraige was founded by Óengus Osrithe in the 1st century and was originally within the province of Leinster. In the 5th century, the Corcu Loígde of Munster displaced the Dál Birn and brought Osraige under Munster's direct control. The Dál Birn returned to power in the 7th century, though Osraige remained nominally part of Munster until 859, when it achieved formal independence under the powerful king Cerball mac Dúnlainge. Osraige's rulers remained major players in Irish politics for the next three centuries, though they never vied for the High Kingship. In the early 12th century, dynastic infighting fragmented the kingdom, and it was re-adjoined to Leinster. The Normans under Strongbow invaded Ireland beginning in 1169, and most of Osraige collapsed under pressure from Norman leader William Marshal. The northern part of the kingdom, eventually known as Upper Ossory, survived intact under the hereditary lordship until the reign of King Henry VIII of England, when it was formally incorporated as a barony of the same name.

The Kingdom of Leinster (Irish: Ríocht Laighean) was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland which existed in the east of the island from the Irish Iron Age until the 17th century Early Modern Ireland. According to traditional Irish history found in the Annals of the Four Masters, the kingdom was founded as the territory of the Laighin, a Heremonian tribe of Irish Gaels. Some of the early kings of Leinster were also High Kings of Ireland and Kings of Tara, such as Úgaine Mór, Labraid Loingsech and Cathair Mór.

The Leinstermen had originally achieved hegemony in Ireland to the detriment of the Ulster-based Érainn, another group of Irish Gaels, but eventually lost out to their kinsmen the Connachta. This fall from power had lasting consequences in terms of territory for Leinster, as the Southern Uí Néill carved out the Kingdom of Meath to the north, and control of Osraige to the west was lost to the Corcu Loígde, becoming part of the Kingdom of Munster. The kingdom had different borders and internal divisions at different times during its history.

The royal sites of Ireland were the seats of the Gaelic kings of Ireland. Medieval sources describe them as the ceremonial capitals of various Irish kingdoms, where kingly inaugurations, assemblies and athletic games were held. Archaeological investigations show that many royal sites were culturally significant for thousands of years before recorded history, and they often include ancient monuments such as Neolithic burial mounds, standing stones, cairns and enclosures.

Each Irish kingdom is thought to have had its own royal site, but six sites are considered to be the most important. These are Tara (Irish: Teamhair), seat of the Kings of Meath and the High King, along with the provincial capitals: Navan Fort (Eamhain Macha) for Ulster; Rathcroghan (Cruachan) for Connacht; Knockaulin (Dún Ailinne) for Leinster; and Cashel (Caiseal) for Munster. Uisneach represented the union of the provinces and may have served as a meeting place for the kings. These major sites, excluding Navan Fort (in Northern Ireland), have been listed as a potential UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Kingdom of Desmond (Irish: Deasmhumhain, meaning 'South Munster') was a historic kingdom in southwestern Ireland. It was founded in 1118 by Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh, King of Munster when the Treaty of Glanmire formally divided the Kingdom of Munster into Desmond and Thomond (Tuadh-Mhumhain, "North Munster"). It comprised all of what is now County Cork and most of County Kerry. Desmond was ruled by the Mac Cárthaigh (MacCarthy) dynasty. Other clans within the kingdom included the O'Sullivans and O'Donovans. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland in the late 12th century, the eastern half of Desmond was conquered by the Anglo-Normans and became the Earldom of Desmond, ruled by the Fitzmaurices and FitzGeralds—the famous Irish family known as the Geraldines. The king of Desmond, Diarmaid Mac Cárthaigh submitted to Henry II of England, but the western half of Desmond lived on as a semi-independent Gaelic kingdom. It was often at war with the Anglo-Normans. Fínghin Mac Carthaigh's victory over the Anglo-Normans at the Battle of Callann (1261) helped preserve Desmond's independence. The kings of Desmond founded sites such as Blarney Castle, Ballycarbery Castle, Muckross Abbey and Kilcrea Friary. Following the Nine Years' War of the 1590s, Desmond became part of the Kingdom of Ireland.

The Iverni (Ἰούερνοι, Iouernoi) were a people of early Ireland, first mentioned in Ptolemy's 2nd century Geography as living in the far south-west of the island. He also names a "city" called Ivernis (Ἰουερνίς, Iouernis) in their territory, and observes that this settlement has the same name as the island as a whole, Ivernia (Ἰουερνία, Iouernia). These Iverni are identified with the Érainn (Érnai, Érna), a people attested in Munster and elsewhere in the early Middle Ages. They included the Corcu Loígde, Corcu Duibne, Corcu Baiscind, Múscraige and Déisi, as well as the Dál Fiatach and Dál Riata. Their royal dynasties are sometimes referred to as the Dáirine.

The Eóganachta (Modern Irish: Eoghanachta, pronounced [ˈoːnˠəxt̪ˠə]) were an Irish dynasty centred on Cashel which dominated southern Ireland (namely the Kingdom of Munster) from the 6/7th to the 10th centuries, and following that, in a restricted form, the Kingdom of Desmond, and its offshoot Carbery, to the late 16th century. By tradition the dynasty was founded by Conall Corc but named after his ancestor Éogan, the firstborn son of the semi-mythological 3rd-century king Ailill Aulom. This dynastic clan-name, for it was never in any sense a 'surname,' should more accurately be restricted to those branches of the royal house which descended from Conall Corc, who established Cashel as his royal seat in the late 5th century.

MacCarthy (Irish: Mac Cárthaigh), also spelled Macarthy, McCarthy or McCarty, is an Irish clan originating from Munster, an area they ruled during the Middle Ages. It was divided into several septs (branches) of which the MacCarthy Reagh, MacCarthy of Muskerry, and MacCarthy of Duhallow were the most notable.