O'Connor (Ó Conchobhair), Feidhlim

O'Connor (Ó Conchobhair), Feidhlim (c.1455–1519), lord of Carbury, was the eldest son of Maghnus O'Connor (qv) (d. 1461), lord of Carbury. The early 1490s were a time of unrest and infighting among the Carbury branch of the O'Connors, which had political repercussions within the region, significantly contributing to a decline in the dominance of Aodh Ruadh O'Donnell (qv) of Donegal. The death in early 1495 of the lord of Carbury, Ruaidhri Óg, son of Toirdhealbhach Carrach O'Connor (qv), brought about a power struggle between Feidhlim and Ruaidhri Óg, son of Ruaidhri Ballach O'Connor of Carbury. According to the Annals of Ulster, it was ended before Christmas 1495 when Feidhlim killed Ruaidhri Óg; the Annals of the Four Masters, however, say that Ruaidhri Óg and his rival Toirdhealbhach O'Connor killed each other in single combat at Drumcliff, leaving Feidhlim as the only remaining contender for the lordship. In any event, Feidhlim emerged as lord of Carbury and in 1496 had his position endorsed by Aodh Ruadh, who sought a friendly client in the Sligo lordship so that he might better consolidate O'Donnell power over the north-west. Aodh Ruadh also placated Feidhlim's rival, An Calbhach Caoch O'Connor of Carbury, by decreeing that he should have Sligo castle. In October 1497 Feidhlim attended upon the O'Donnell campaign against the MacDermotts of Moylurg, in the course of which he was captured; he was forced to pay a fifth of the revenues of Sligo harbour as his ransom, to hand over the sons of Tadhg MacDonagh as sureties, and to agree to a further fine of six score of milch cows if he were to default in any way. His position within Sligo remained under threat and he faced intermittent challenges from his contentious relatives. In 1501 the family of Toirdhealbhach Carrach seized Sligo castle from An Calbhach Caoch and held it until 1516. During 1517 Toirdhealbhach Carrach's followers went on the rampage and burned throughout Sligo, causing Feidhlim to evict them forcibly from the lordship. Feidhlim died in 1519, described in the annals as a charitable and humane man, and lauded (somewhat inaccurately) as lord of Lower Connacht.