Part I. Topography of Thomond Chapter 2. Ui Ainmire

Ui Ainmire included Kilfintinan, Killeely, St. Munchin’s and St. Patrick’s parishes; Cratloe wood; Mountains of Slieve Oighidh-an-righ

As far as can be conjectured from the imperfect notices of it remaining in the Annals, this district included the modern parishes of Killfintinan, and parts of Killeely, St. Munchin’s, and St. Patrick’s. So little information relating to its boundaries has come down to our time that it is not possible to fix upon the line which divided it from Ui Cearnaig and Ui Floinn. From the fact that the boundaries of the dioceses of Ireland were generally made to coincide with those of the tribe districts of the country, it may be inferred that Ainmire was conterminous with that part of the diocese of Limerick which is situate in the county of Clare. Equal uncertainty exists as to the tribes by whom it was occupied previous to the year 1318. When the MacNamaras took possession of it, it contained the great wood of Cratloe; we are told that in the ninth century the men of Ulster having invaded Thomond, took away from Cratloe a sufficient quantity of oak to roof the palace of the kings of the north, at Aileach, near Derry. In revenge for this offence and for the burning of Kincora also, Murtogh O’Brien, monarch of Ireland in the year 1101, marched northwards to Donegal and demolished Aileach, ordering his men to bring a stone of the building in every sack which had been emptied of provisions on the march. With these stones he built a parapet on top of his palace situated on the site of the present cathedral of St. Mary at Limerick, the materials of which were afterwards incorporated into that edifice.^[1] It was in the district of Ainmire that the mountain called, from the following incident, Sliabh-Oighidh-an-Righ was situate. In the year 378, say the Four Masters and Dr. Keating in his History of Ireland, Crimhthann, son of Fidhach, after he had been thirteen years ruling as king over Ireland, died by poison, administered to him by his sister Mung Fionn at Sliabh-Oighidh-an-righ (that is the Mountain of the death of the King), on the north side of Limerick. The place is so called at this day, and is situated in the townland of Ballycannan North, in the parish of St. Munchin.