Tomás Láidir Mac Coisdealbhaigh, Irish soldier and poet, fl. 1660s.
Tomás Láidir Mac Coisdealbhaigh was a member of the Costello family of north Connacht who lost their lands in the Cromwellian confiscations of the 1650s. He was a descendant of Sir William de Angulo, who died in 1206. His brother was the Rapparee, Colonel Dubhaltach Caoch Mac Coisdealbhaigh.
Biography
Mac Coisdealbhaigh was in love with Úna Ní Dhiarmaida but her family refused to allow them to marry. After several attempts, Mac Coisdealbhaigh made a last formal proposal, swearing that if he crossed Áth na Donóige (a ford on the Donóige river) on his way home without receiving an answer, he would never marry Úna. "He rode slowly and waited a long time in the ford itself, but finally on the mocking advice of his own servant, he crossed to the opposite bank. A messenger came soon after with news that he had been accepted, but he refused to go back on his oath. Úna died shortly afterward. Tomás killed the servant who gave him the evil counsel, and composed the famous song Úna Bhán."
Clann Coisdealbhaigh (after Mac Fhirbhisigh)
Jocelyn de Angulo, fl. 1172. | | William de Angulo, aka William Mac Coisdealbhaigh | | Miles Bregach Mac Coisdealbhaigh | |______________________________________________ | | | | | | Hugo, died 1266? Gilbert Mor Phillip, fl. 1288. | | | | | |____________________________ Jordan, died 1324? Gilbert Og, k. 1333. | | | | | | | | Jordan Duff Baldraithe/Baldrin John. John, fl. 1366. | | | Mac Jordan Duff Mac Phillip | Jordan na Bertaighecht | ___________________|_____________ | | | | Edmond an Machaire, k. 1437. William | |_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ | | | | | | John Duff, died 1487. William Walter | | | | |_________________________________________ ____________________| Gilleduff | | | | | | | | | | | |_________________ Walter, k. 1545 John Dubh, fl. 1536. Jordan Glegil Hubert John | | | | | | | | | | | | | |___________ Jordan John, k. 1536 Rudhraighe Piers, k. 1555. William Gilladuff | | | | | | | | | | | | | |____________ Thomas Jordan Boy Jordan Buidhe Jordan William David | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |_______________________ _________| _________|____________ Edmond John Walter David Dubhaltach Edmond | | | | | | | | fl. 1586. | | | | David Richard | | | | John Jordan Buidhe William Caech Edmond William Calvach Jordan Boy, fl. 1585 k. 1589 | _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________| | | | | | | | | Tomás Láidir Mac Coisdealbhaigh Dubhaltach Caoch Mac Coisdealbhaigh Edmond Dubh Calbhach Ban fl. 1660s. killed 3 March 1667.
Sources
- pp. 174–175; 400 The New Oxford Book of Irish Verse, edited, with translations, by Thomas Kinsella, 1986.