The Mulbrennan Family

Mulbrennan family crest

(Crest No. 304. Plate 24.)

THE Mulbrennan family is descended from Milesius, King of Spain, through the line of his son Heremon. The founder of the family was Brian, son of Eocha Moy Veagon, King of Ireland, A. D. 350. The ancient name was Maolbreanoin and signifies “Farmer.”

The possessions of the family were located in the present County of Roscommon. The Mulbrennans, Anglicized Mulrenan, were chiefs of Clan Conchobhair, or Clan Conor, a district near Cruachan, or Croaghan, in the barony and County of Roscommon. The exact limits of the cantred of Clan-Conor, the territory of O’Mulrenan, cannot now be determined, as this family sank at an early period under O’Flannagan and O’Connor Roe; but its whereabout may be ascertained from O’Dugan’s topographical poem, which makes the Clan-Conor a subsection of the Clan-Cahill, whose territory comprised the parishes of Kilmacumshy, Kilcorkey, and Shankill and parts of the parishes of Creeve and Elphin in the County of Roscommon. Mael Brenainn, the name of the progenitor of this family, signifies “The Servant or Devoted of St. Brendan.”