Reign c. 890-940 A.D. House Conmaicne Réin Died Ireland | Successor Maolmuire mac Eolais | |
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Issue Brocan,Anbeith,MaolMuire. Father Biobhsach mac Croman Oge Places of burial Fenagh, County Leitrim, Republic of Ireland, County Leitrim, Republic of Ireland | ||
Eolais mac Biobhsach (alias 'Irish: Eolus' "knowledge", anglicized "Wallis", "Olis" or "Olus" fl. AD 900) was a chieftain of 10th century Gaelic Ireland. He is noted as the first "full chieftain of Conmaicne Réin". His descendants, "the Muintir Eolais", expanded into the territory of present day south county Leitrim, and parts of west County Longford.
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Biography
Eolais was born into the Túath of Conmaicne Réin, present day south county Leitrim, sometime in the second half of the 9th century. As an adult, he became chieftain of his sept. A charismatic leader, he united disparate sept's to become the first full chieftain of the "Conmaicne Réin" c. AD 900.
He married, having at least three sons, named "Brocan", the ancestor of Shanley; "Anbeith", the ancestor of Mac Garry; and "Maolmuire", lord of Conmaicne Réin and ancestor of Mag Raghnaill (anglicised Mac Rannell, Reynolds). Ódhrán Ua hEolais, a famous scribe of Clonmacnoise, was probably his grandson.
His death is not recorded by the Irish Annals, but was probably between A.D. 920-960.
Legacy
The primary sept of Eolais today are Reynolds, Mulvey, Shanley, and McGarry. From the 11th to 17th centuries, the territory of the Irish: "Muintir Eolais" "tribe of Eolais", comprised the modern baronies of Mohill and Leitrim in present day south county Leitrim.
Some place names echo his memory. The townland of Corryolus (Irish: Coraidh Eolais, Eoluis) located in the town of Carrick on Shannon is named after Eolais, ancestor of the Muintir Eolais who were medieval rulers over Leitrim (barony) and Mohill (barony). In the remote mountainous Cuilcagh-Anierin uplands, an oligotrophic lake called "Lough Munter Eolas" named after Eolais, straddles the border of Moneensauran townland in west Cavan, and Slievenakilla townland in south Leitrim.
Tributes
A well established Leitrim-Longford traditional fiddle group, trained by a Fr. Quinn since 1966, adopted the name "Ceolus" preserving his name, and they play music garnered from local manuscripts going back almost two hundred years.
Surname
O'Donovan claimed the family name (Irish: Ó hEóluis "descendent of Eolais") is still found anglicized as "Olus" or "Olis". In 1566 two instances of the surname in Leinster, corrupted as "Oelase" and "Olase", appear in the Irish Irish Fiants. The surname must be very rare.