Top 12 Favourite Quotes from Richard Dawkins11/7/20159 CommentsI’m so excited to have tickets for tomorrow’s Conversation with Richard Dawkins that is part of the BBC Radio 3 Free Thinking Festival in Newcastle. I’m sure it’d be obvious to anyone reading my site on evolutionary philosophy that Dawkins would be a hero of mine. He’s been a giant in the field of evolutionary biology as well as a passionate defender of reason and scientific thinking in general. Dawkins played a major role in bringing me to the field of evolutionary thinking and inspiring me to try to turn my thoughts about that subject into a new career. Many, many things go into the makeup of any man, but I think it’s safe to say I wouldn’t be where I am today were it not for Richard Dawkins’ presence as a public intellectual during my formative years. I know he’s drawn plenty of controversy over the years for some of the things he’s said, but I’d like to take a moment to point out twelve of the best things he’s said (at least as far as I could find while combing through his extensive wikiquote page). Without further ado, let’s hear from him:
12 Mutation is random; natural selection is the very opposite of random. —Richard Dawkins in The Blind Watchmaker, 1986.
11 If there is only one Creator who made the tiger and the lamb, the cheetah and the gazelle, what is He playing at? Is he a sadist who enjoys spectator blood sports? —Richard Dawkins in River Out of Eden, 1995.
10 There are all sorts of things that would be comforting. I expect an injection of morphine would be comforting – it might be more comforting [than religion] for all I know. But to say that something is comforting is not to say that it’s true. —Richard Dawkins in an Interview by Sheena McDonald, 1995.
9 We are here talking about the fact of evolution itself, a fact that is proved utterly beyond reasonable doubt. To claim equal time for creation science in biology classes is about as sensible as to claim equal time for the flat-earth theory in astronomy classes. Or, as someone has pointed out, you might as well claim equal time in sex education classes for the stork theory. It is absolutely safe to say that if you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid or insane. —Richard Dawkins in “Put Your Money on Evolution”, The New York Times Review of Books, 1989.
8 You know what it’s like to not believe in a particular faith because you’re not a Muslim. You’re not a Hindu. Why aren’t you a Hindu? Because you happen to have been brought up in America, not in India. If you had been brought up in India, you’d be a Hindu. If you had been brought up in Denmark in the time of the Vikings, you’d be believing in Wotan and Thor. If you were brought up in classical Greece, you’d be believing in Zeus. If you were brought up in central Africa, you’d be believing in the great Juju up the mountain. There’s no particular reason to pick on the Judeo-Christian god, in which by the sheerest accident you happen to have been brought up and ask me the question, “What if I’m wrong?” What if you’re wrong about the great Juju at the bottom of the sea? —Richard Dawkins answering audience questions after a reading of The God Delusion, 2006.
7 Like immune-deficient patients, children are wide open to mental infections that adults might brush off without effort. —Richard Dawkins in Viruses of the Mind, 1993.
Published: November 13, 2009Last Updated: November 05, 2026
Salt Lake City, Utah, resident Carol DaRonch narrowly escapes being abducted by serial killer Ted Bundy on November 8, 1974. DaRonch was shopping at a mall when a man claiming to be a police detective tells her there was an attempted theft of her car and she needs to file a police report. Despite her misgivings, DaRonch accompanies the man to his Volkswagen and gets into the car.Once inside, he places a handcuff on her and attempts to hit her with a crowbar, but DaRonch fights back and jumps out of the car to safety.
DaRonch’s attempted abduction was of special interest to the Utah authorities at the time, who were trying to figure out what had happened to severalyoung women who disappeared earlier in the fall of 1974. Simultaneously, Seattle area officials were looking for a young man named Ted who was the suspected culprit in many murder cases.
History’s Most Terrifying Serial Killers
Show: American Ripper
Revisit the deadly sprees of some of history’s scariest serial killers—including one who was never captured.
On August 16, 1975, an officer noticed a suspicious Volkswagen driving around his patrol area. After pulling the vehicle over, he found handcuffs in the back of the automobile and arrested the driver, Ted Bundy. Following his arrest, Bundy was identified as the man who tried to kidnap DaRonch. In March 1976, he was convicted of aggravated kidnapping, which put him behind bars while investigators tried to connect him to the many unsolved murders in Washington, Colorado and Utah.
On December 30, 1977, Bundy managed to escape from jail. A few months later, he was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List, and on February 15, 1978, he was finally captured. He eventually confessed to the murders of 28 women and was executed in Florida on January 24, 1989.
O’flaherty’s married into Blake-Forster family Galway possibly through the Johnstons. Piece from article in Galway news mainly about deBurgos. There are many stories associated with the castle; one of the most infamous is the tale of the ‘O’Flaherty Rent’. This account involves the local O’Flaherty chief swearing allegiance to the King of England. By doing so most of the native Irish population were able to hold onto their land; it was part of a ‘submit and re-grant policy’. O’Flaherty took the oath and his land was re-granted to him. However, he was obliged to pay an annual rent to an overlord appointed by the royal authorities, which was De Burgo of Terryland Castle in this particular case. O’Flaherty had no intention of paying. One story mentions that when Henry VIII heard of their submission, he supposedly said, it wasn’t worth the paper it was written on as they didn’t give hostages as security. Some three years passed without the rent being paid and De Burgo became annoyed. He sent his son to the O’Flaherty stronghold at Aughnanure Castle near Oughterard to collect the money. Upon arrival the young man was admitted to the castle. He had arrived during a banquet and was invited to join the feast. The young man was delighted with the rich food and wine laid out before him. The hall echoed to the sound of the finest musicians and singers of the day. De Burgo was seated in a place of honour, close to his host, the O’Flaherty chief. Aughnanure Castle – Stronghold of the O’Flaherty Clan. Author’s Collection At some point during the banquet, De Burgo requested the rent that was owed to his father. The O’Flaherty chief was insulted and said, ‘If its payment ye want, ye will have it’. The young man was pleased with himself until his host, rather than produce the money, pulled a leaver under the table, which was used to remove unwelcomed guests quickly. De Burgo disappeared from the hall, falling through the trap-door, known as the ‘Flag Stone of Treachery’. De Burgo landed in a shallow river beneath the banqueting hall and O’Flaherty sent his men down after him. They killed the stunned young man; cut off his head and placed it in a sack. O’Flaherty and his men then rode through the night until they reached Terryland Castle. As they crossed the river on that bright moon-lit night, a sentry at the castle called out asking the purpose of their business. O’Flaherty identified himself; and threw the sack over the wall landing at the feet of the sentry and said, ‘Give this to your master and tell him it’s the O’Flaherty Rent, paid in full with interest and arrears’. De Burgo falls through the Flag Stone of Treachery O’Flaherty throwing the sack over the castle wall containing the head of De Burgo’s son O’Flaherty and his men then rode back to Aughnanure. Meanwhile, the guard took the sack to his master and informed him that it was the rent from O’Flaherty. De Burgo was pleased thinking that he was paid at last, but wondered why his son hadn’t brought the rent himself. He didn’t have to think about this for very long. Upon opening the sack, he cried out in horror at the sight of the blood-stained head of his son. According to the story, De Burgo became extremely fearful for his own safety and moved away from Terryland and never returned. The O’Flaherty clan were notorious and ruled much of Connemara during this period. They were feared throughout Connacht and certainly earned their reputation in the story of the ‘O’Flaherty Rent’. According to another legend there was a plaque erected over the Great West Gate leading into the city of Galway with the following inscription: “From the Ferocious O’Flaherties Good Lord Deliver Us”. Can you elaborateThought for 33s
The “O’Flaherty Rent” is a well-known local legend tied to Aughnanure Castle and the long-running enmity between the O’Flahertys of Iar Connacht (Connemara) and the Anglo-Norman de Burgh/Burke family.Oughterardheritage
Your version matches the common telling quite closely. The O’Flahertys (Ó Flaithbheartaigh), originally lords east of Lough Corrib, were pushed westward into Connemara by the de Burghs in the 13th century. There they built a powerful Gaelic lordship controlling roughly a quarter of a million acres, with strongholds near waterways for trade, raiding, and defence. Aughnanure (Achadh na nIúr, “field of the yews”), built around 1490–1500 on a limestone outcrop by the Drimneen River near Lough Corrib, became their principal stronghold.Heritageireland
The story runs roughly as follows. After a long siege (or, in some tellings, in the context of Tudor “surrender and regrant”), the O’Flahertys were obliged to pay an annual tribute of corn, cattle, and wool to the de Burghs of Terryland (Tirellan) Castle as overlords. They ignored it for three years. The de Burgh lord sent his son to Aughnanure to collect. The young man arrived during a banquet, was welcomed, and seated in a place of honour. When he demanded the rent, the chief (insulted) pulled a lever under the table. The guest dropped through the “Flag Stone of Treachery” (or flagstone of treachery), a trapdoor in the banqueting hall floor, into the shallow river/stream flowing beneath the hall. O’Flaherty’s men finished him off, beheaded him, put the head in a sack, and rode through the night to Terryland. They threw the sack over the wall with the message that this was the O’Flaherty rent—“paid in full with interest and arrears,” or “the only chiefry the O’Flaherties will ever pay.” The de Burghs pursued but were ambushed; the lord abandoned Terryland for a safer residence (one version says he built Castlegar and then moved on).Oughterardheritage
Variations exist: some link it more explicitly to post-siege tribute after the de Burghs briefly held the site; others place it in the Tudor period; the messenger is sometimes the O’Flaherty chief’s son on a favourite horse called Deelish; and the recipient is sometimes called the Earl of Ulster or linked to the Earl of Clanricarde (Richard Burke). The trapdoor feature itself is repeatedly mentioned in accounts of the castle. The banqueting hall stood over a watercourse (the natural stone arch later collapsed), and the “flagstone of treachery” is presented as a device for disposing of unwelcome guests. Heritage Ireland notes Murrough na dTuadh’s association with the feature as an example of the clan’s ferocious reputation.Heritageireland
The O’Flahertys earned their reputation. Galway townspeople called them “mountainous and wild people” who robbed and killed. Restrictive bye-laws limited Gaelic clans’ access to Galway’s port, fuelling conflict and raids by land and sea. Their motto was Fortuna Favet Fortibus (“Fortune favours the strong/brave”). A famous (but legendary) inscription over the Great West Gate/Bridge into Galway supposedly read “From the Ferocious O’Flaherties Good Lord Deliver Us.” The actual 1562 commemorative stone on the bridge/mill complex, associated with Thomas Martin and Eveline Linche (Lynch), recorded the construction of the work and mill; the “ferocious” version is a later romanticisation that stuck in popular memory and even appears in James Hardiman’s early-19th-century History of Galway. The real fear and hostility were genuine.Heritageireland
Broader history of the clan and castle: Dónal an Chogaidh (“of the wars”) O’Flaherty married Grace O’Malley (Granuaile), linking two powerful western seafaring families. In the late 16th century internal rivalries and English pressure weakened them. Murrough na dTuadh (“of the Battle-axes”), a junior member, submitted to the Crown, was recognised as chief of Iarchonnacht, and betrayed kinsmen planning resistance. In 1572 Sir Edward Fitton, President of Connacht, captured Aughnanure and granted it to Murrough, further dividing the clan. The O’Flahertys were active in the 1641 Rebellion; their lands were largely confiscated afterward. The castle passed through various hands (including later O’Flaherty ownership), fell into ruin, and was gifted to the State in 1952 by Peadar O’Flaherty of Enniscorthy. It was restored and opened to the public in the 1970s. It remains the best-preserved medieval tower-house complex in Connemara, with its double bawn, watchtower, murder hole, uneven spiral stairs designed to trip attackers, and remnants of the banqueting hall with vine-and-grape carvings.Wikipedia
Terryland/Tirellan Castle (the de Burgh side of the story) survives only as a ruin near modern Galway.
On the Blake-Forster connection: The Blake-Forster family of Galway (and Clare) descends from the English Forster line that received grants in the later 17th century (Francis Forster under Charles II). They intermarried with the Blake family of Menlough/Menlo (one of the Fourteen Tribes of Galway), taking the double name, and also connected with O’Donnellan, ffrench, Comerford, and Johnston lines. A Marcella Johnston (of Arran View, Doolin, Co. Clare) married into the Blake-Forster family in 1879. No readily available published genealogy directly confirms an O’Flaherty marriage into the Blake-Forsters via the Johnstons in the sources examined, though extensive intermarriage among Galway gentry and merchant families makes such a link entirely plausible as local oral or family tradition. Detailed research in parish registers, the Blake Family Records compiled by Martin J. Blake, or Landed Estates materials would be needed to confirm it.
The tale of the rent, the trapdoor, and the “ferocious” reputation together illustrate the violent, personalised politics of late-medieval and early-modern west Connacht—Gaelic lords asserting independence against both Anglo-Norman neighbours and expanding English authority—while the surviving castle remains a tangible reminder of that world.46 sources
O’Flaherty Johnson macnamara how are they connected and therefore Marcella Johnston marries Francis Blake-ForsterThought for 23s
The connection runs through the Macnamara family of Doolin/Aran View, County Clare: an O’Flaherty married a Macnamara, their daughter married a Johnston, and that daughter (Marcella Johnston) married Francis Blake-Forster.
Here is the direct line, drawn from consistent accounts by Patrick Comerford and the Clare Library study of the Macnamaras of Doolin and Ennistymon:Patrickcomerford
O’Flaherty → Macnamara Francis Macnamara (a son of Francis Macnamara of Doolin and Jane Stamer) received a farm at Glasha (near Doolin) and £1,000 from his father on his marriage to Marcella O’Flaherty from Aran (the Aran Islands). They built a house there that they named Aran View (also spelled Arran View). Marcella O’Flaherty is said to have brought or inherited fine gold and silver ornaments salvaged from a Spanish Armada wreck. She died in 1856.Clarelibrary
Macnamara → Johnston Their daughter Catherine Macnamara married Robert Johnson/Johnston, JP, of Aran View, Doolin. The family remained associated with Aran View. Catherine died in 1867; the Armada ornaments (and related claims) passed to her daughter.
Johnston → Blake-Forster Catherine and Robert’s eldest daughter was Marcella Johnston (also Johnson; c. 1852–1917). On 2 August 1879, in St Andrew’s Church, Dublin, she married Captain Francis O’Donnellan Blake-Forster (1853–1912) of Castle Forster (Kinvara, Co. Galway) and Ballykeale House (near Kilfenora, Co. Clare). He was High Sheriff of Galway in 1878 and a grandson of Henry Comerford of Ballykeel/Ballykeale. Marcella was described as co-heiress (or heiress) of Admiral Sir Burton Macnamara (her great-uncle, brother of her maternal grandfather Francis of Aran View). Sir Burton (c. 1794–1876), a distinguished naval officer knighted in 1839, died without children at Merrion Square, Dublin, so property and claims passed among the descendants of his siblings.Patrickcomerford
Summary of the chain Marcella O’Flaherty (of Aran) → married Francis Macnamara of Aran View/Doolin → their daughter Catherine Macnamara → married Robert Johnston of Aran View → their daughter Marcella Johnston → married Captain Francis O’Donnellan Blake-Forster (1879).
This is how the O’Flahertys are linked into the Blake-Forster family “through the Johnstons” (and the intervening Macnamaras). Aran View House still stands in Doolin as a hotel. The Blake-Forsters themselves were a Galway gentry family formed by the marriage of the English-origin Forsters with the Blake family of Menlough/Menlo (one of the Tribes of Galway), with further ties to the O’Donnellans, ffrenchs, and Comerfords.
These links are well attested in local Clare/Galway genealogical writing; primary confirmation would come from marriage registers (Dublin 1879), wills (especially Sir Burton’s), and land records for Aran View.37 sources
Where is the Armada silverThought for 14s
Its current location is unknown. The “Armada silver” (actually described as fine gold and silver ornaments) exists only as a family tradition; no inventory, description, photograph, museum record, auction appearance, or later family reference places the objects after the mid-to-late 19th century.Patrickcomerford
What the tradition says
According to the accounts of the Macnamaras of Doolin and Ennistymon (Michael Mac Mahon) and related genealogical writing (Patrick Comerford):
Marcella O’Flaherty of the Aran Islands brought or inherited a quantity of fine gold and silver ornaments said to have been salvaged from a Spanish Armada wreck.
She married Francis Macnamara; they built Aran View (Arran View) House at Glasha, near Doolin, Co. Clare.
On her death in 1856 the ornaments passed to their daughter Catherine Macnamara, wife of Robert Johnston/Johnson JP of Aran View.
After Catherine’s death in 1867 they passed to Catherine’s daughter Marcella Johnston (c. 1852–1917), who married Captain Francis O’Donnellan Blake-Forster in Dublin on 2 August 1879.
That is the entire documented chain. Nothing further is recorded about what happened to the pieces after they reached Marcella Blake-Forster.Clarelibrary
Context and likelihood
Many Irish west-coast families have similar oral traditions linking heirlooms to Armada wrecks (several ships were lost off Clare and the Aran Islands in 1588, and survivors and salvage were recorded). Actual recovered Armada material—especially the spectacular jewellery, coins, and plate from the Girona off Antrim—is now in the Ulster Museum in Belfast. No matching objects from the Aran View/Macnamara/Johnston line have been identified in public collections.
In the absence of wills, inventories, or later mentions, the most probable outcomes are that the items were:
divided among heirs,
sold or melted down in the 19th or early 20th century,
retained privately by descendants of the Blake-Forsters (or related Comerford/Kelly lines), or
simply lost or exaggerated in family storytelling.
Aran View House itself survives as a hotel in Doolin, but there is no indication the ornaments remain associated with the building. If they still exist, they are almost certainly in private hands and have not entered the public record.54 sources
What about the Armada silver in Clare
There is no documented, surviving “Armada silver” (or gold ornaments) from County Clare that matches the Aran View / Macnamara–Johnston–Blake-Forster family tradition. The story remains an unverified local/family legend with no inventory, description, or later trail.
The specific family tradition (Doolin / Aran View)
As previously noted, Marcella O’Flaherty of the Aran Islands is said to have brought fine gold and silver ornaments “salvaged from a wreck of the Spanish Armada.” These supposedly passed:
to her daughter Catherine Macnamara (Mrs Robert Johnston of Aran View, Doolin),
then to her granddaughter Marcella Johnston (who married Capt. Francis O’Donnellan Blake-Forster in 1879).
This is repeated in Clare genealogical sources (Michael Mac Mahon’s work on the Macnamaras of Doolin & Ennistymon, and Patrick Comerford’s writings), but there is no further record of the objects after the late 19th century—no wills, inventories, photos, sales, or museum deposits. They are not known to be in any public collection.
Actual Spanish Armada activity off Clare (1588)
Several Armada ships were sighted or wrecked along the Clare and Galway coasts after the fleet was scattered by storms. Key points from Clare local history:
Ships were seen off the Aran Islands and the Cliffs of Moher (High Sheriff Boetius Clancy reported sightings).
At least one vessel was associated with the Doolin area (“Black Point” / nearby rocks). Tradition holds that survivors who came ashore were captured and hanged by Boetius MacClancy/Clancy; a local site (Cnocán an Chrochaire, “hill of the hangings”) is linked to this.
Other ships were seen or stripped further south (e.g., near Kilrush), with one deliberately burned after being stripped of value.
English authorities ordered the seizure of any Spanish hulls, stores, and “treasures,” and the execution of survivors.
There was opportunistic local salvage of whatever washed up or could be recovered, but contemporary records do not describe large quantities of silver or gold plate/ornaments being taken from Clare wrecks and retained by specific families. Most valuable material stayed with the ships that sank further north (especially the Girona off Antrim, whose recovered jewellery, coins, and plate are in the Ulster Museum in Belfast).
Other “Armada” associations in Clare
Spanish Point (near Milltown Malbay) is named from Armada wreck traditions and has a memorial; stories of salvage exist but no identified surviving silver collection.
Various “Spanish chests,” anchors, or small finds have been claimed around the west coast over the centuries, but most proven Armada artefacts of value come from excavated wrecks outside Clare.
Modern hotels (e.g., The Armada at Spanish Point) use the name for tourism; they do not hold original silver.
Bottom line: The Clare “Armada silver” linked to the O’Flaherty–Macnamara–Johnston line is folklore. No verified pieces from that tradition (or from Clare wrecks in general) are known to survive in public or documented private collections. Actual recovered Spanish Armada treasures of note from Irish waters are concentrated in the Ulster Museum from the Girona. If the Aran View ornaments ever existed, their fate after reaching Marcella Blake-Forster is unrecorded.
Explore the Girona Armada wreckThought for 13s
I’ll gather detailed, accurate information on the Girona wreck, including its history, the recovery, and the artefacts.Thought
The Girona (or La Girona) was a Neapolitan galleass of the Spanish Armada that wrecked on the night of 26 October 1588 off Lacada Point (near Port na Spaniagh / Portballintrae), County Antrim, on the north coast of what is now Northern Ireland. It is one of the best-documented and richest Armada wrecks ever recovered.Wikipedia
The ship and its final voyage
La Girona was a hybrid warship (part galley with oars, part galleon with sails), armed with around 50 guns and originally intended for Mediterranean-style fighting. After the Armada’s failure in the English Channel, it survived relatively intact, put into Killybegs (Donegal) for repairs with help from local Irish chieftains, and then took on board a large number of survivors from other wrecked ships.
It set sail overloaded with roughly 1,300 men (far beyond its normal capacity of a few hundred), including Don Alonso Martínez de Leyva (a senior and highly regarded commander, often seen as one of the Armada’s brightest hopes) and many young Spanish nobles and officers from elite families. They aimed for Scotland. A storm drove the ship onto the rocks at Lacada Point (near the Giant’s Causeway). The ship broke up quickly. Only about nine people survived; roughly 260 bodies washed ashore and were buried nearby (tradition points to a mass grave at St Cuthbert’s churchyard). Local chieftain Sorley Boy MacDonnell of Dunluce Castle sheltered the survivors and is believed to have carried out early clandestine salvage.Wikipedia
The bay is still known as Port na Spaniagh (“port of the Spaniards”).
Rediscovery and recovery (1967–1968)
The wreck site lay largely undisturbed for nearly 400 years. Belgian diver and underwater archaeologist Robert Sténuit (a pioneer aquanaut) located it in 1967 after extensive archival research, using local place-names such as “Port na Spaniagh” and “Spaniard Rock” on maps. Working with a small team (including Mark Jasinski), he recovered the richest haul of Spanish Armada treasure found up to that time. Diving conditions were harsh (cold, murky, rocky, and exposed Atlantic water, typically around 6–20 metres).BBC
Key finds included:
Hundreds of gold and silver coins (roughly 400+ gold and 700–800 silver in some accounts; various sources give totals around 1,200 coins overall).
Elaborate gold jewellery belonging to officers and nobles: chains (one reportedly very long), rings, pendants, crosses, and religious items.
The famous gold salamander pendant set with rubies (a talisman; the mythical salamander was believed to survive fire, making it suitable for a wooden ship). Only a few of the original rubies survive.
A poignant gold ring with a hand holding a heart, inscribed “No tengo más que darte” (“I have nothing more to give you”).
A gold enamelled cross of the Order of Santiago (possibly belonging to Alonso de Leyva himself).
A set of 12 lapis lazuli cameos of Roman emperors (originally forming a collar or chain); 11 were found in the main excavation, and the 12th was recovered later (around 1998).
Cannons, anchors, lead ingots, silver tableware, scent bottles, and everyday items.
The artefacts were valued at £132,000 in the early 1970s. After legal proceedings (Spain asserted a claim), they were acquired for the Ulster Museum in Belfast, where the “Treasures from the Girona” remain on permanent display. Later finds (including the final cameo) have also gone to the museum.BBC
Status today
The site is protected under the Protection of Wrecks Act (designated 1993). Diving requires a licence. No substantial ship structure survives—the timbers were smashed by the rocks and centuries of Atlantic storms—but the recovered objects provide an exceptional window into the wealth, religion, and personal lives of the Spanish nobility and officers who sailed with the Armada.
The Girona gold and silver is the most significant documented Armada treasure recovered from Irish waters. (By contrast, the Clare “Armada silver” associated with the O’Flaherty–Macnamara–Johnston tradition remains an unverified family legend with no surviving identified pieces.)
Notable artefacts (Ulster Museum, Belfast):
The wreck site area (near the Giant’s Causeway coast):
The collection is a highlight of the Ulster Museum and remains the primary place to see authentic Spanish Armada jewellery and coins recovered from Irish waters.42 sources
Marcella Johnston my grandmother’s mother; rumour had it that wealth related to Armada was exchanged at time of marriage to Blake-Forster. Can you exploreThought for 53s
The rumour is consistent with a well-attested family tradition of Armada-derived gold and silver ornaments, but there is no documented evidence of a large cash or property “exchange” specifically of Armada wealth at the 1879 marriage.
The marriage
Marcella Johnston (c. 1852–1917), eldest daughter of Robert Johnston JP of Aran View (Glasha Beg), Doolin, Co. Clare, married Captain Francis O’Donnellan Blake-Forster (1853–1912) of Castle Forster, Kinvara, Co. Galway, and Ballykeale House, Co. Clare, on 2 August 1879 at St Andrew’s Church, Dublin. Contemporary notices and family genealogies describe her as co-heiress of Admiral Sir Burton Macnamara.Canisgallicus
Francis was High Sheriff of Galway in 1878. The couple lived at Ballykeale House (which had come into the Blake-Forster family via Francis’s mother, Mary Josephine Comerford, daughter of Henry Comerford). They had several children, including Francis, Robert, O’Donnellan (“Donie”), Catherine (later Lucas), Mary (later Pearson), Frances Rose (later Kelly), and Marcella (later wife of Michael Comyn KC).
The Armada tradition
The family tradition (recorded by Patrick Comerford and reflected in Clare genealogical sources) is as follows:
Marcella O’Flaherty of the Aran Islands (who married Francis Macnamara of the Doolin/Aran View line) brought fine gold and silver ornaments said to have been salvaged from a Spanish Armada wreck.
These passed to their daughter Catherine Macnamara (who married Robert Johnston of Aran View).
After Catherine’s death in 1867 they passed to her daughter—another Marcella (Johnston)—who carried them into the Blake-Forster marriage in 1879.Patrickcomerford
This is the source of the “Armada wealth” rumour. It is oral/family tradition, not a documented legal transaction. No marriage settlement, will inventory, sale record, or contemporary newspaper notice has been found that specifically identifies Spanish Armada silver/gold plate, jewellery, or a monetary equivalent being transferred as a dowry or settlement at the 1879 wedding.
Documented inheritance around the marriage
The concrete, recorded inheritance linked to Marcella at that period was her status as co-heiress of Admiral Sir Burton Macnamara (1794–1876). He was a younger brother of Francis Macnamara of Aran View, had a long Royal Navy career, was knighted in 1839, rose to admiral on the reserved list, and died childless in Dublin. He had bought a 732-acre estate at Tromora (near Miltown Malbay) in the 1850s. As he left no direct heirs, property and assets passed to collateral relatives, including (according to family accounts) Marcella Johnston as co-heiress. This is the inheritance repeatedly noted in genealogical notices of the marriage—not Armada salvage.Canisgallicus
Ballykeale House itself was already in the Blake-Forster line before the marriage (via the earlier Comerford connection). Aran View remained associated with the Johnston/Macnamara side; the original building has long since been replaced and the site is now a hotel.
Bottom line
The rumour matches the longstanding family story of Armada ornaments that Marcella Johnston inherited from her mother and brought into the Blake-Forster marriage.
There is no surviving documentary evidence of a formal exchange, large cash dowry, or inventory of Spanish treasure items at the time of the 1879 wedding.
The verified material inheritance was her share as co-heiress of Admiral Sir Burton Macnamara’s estate.
As with earlier inquiries into the Clare “Armada silver,” the ornaments themselves remain untraced after reaching Marcella Blake-Forster; they do not appear in any known public collection or later sale records.
If you have family papers, wills, or specific objects associated with the story, those would be the most useful next places to check (e.g., Irish Registry of Deeds for any marriage settlement, or probate records for Burton Macnamara or the Johnstons). The tradition is persistent in the family line, but it has not been corroborated by external records.91 sources
Explore Irish Armada shipwreck archaeologyThought for 13s
I’ll gather current information on Spanish Armada wrecks off Ireland and the archaeological work done on them.Thought
Irish Armada shipwreck archaeology centres on roughly 24 Spanish ships (out of the 130 that set sail in 1588) that were wrecked along Ireland’s Atlantic coast during the return voyage after the failed invasion of England. Exceptionally severe storms in September–October 1588 drove damaged, leaking, and anchor-poor vessels onto the rocky western and northern shores. An estimated 5,000–6,000 men were lost at sea or on land (many survivors were executed on English orders). Only a minority of the wrecks have been located and investigated archaeologically.Wikipedia
Major investigated wreck sites
1. La Girona (galleass) – Lacada Point / Port na Spaniagh, Co. Antrim (Northern Ireland) Wrecked 26 October 1588 while overloaded with ~1,300 survivors from other ships. Only ~9 survived. Rediscovered and excavated 1967–68 by Belgian diver Robert Sténuit. Richest treasure haul of any Armada wreck: gold jewellery (including the famous ruby-set salamander pendant and the “No tengo más que darte” ring), hundreds of gold and silver coins, chains, cameos, the Cross of Santiago, cannons, etc. Timbers largely destroyed; the site is now protected. Artefacts are on permanent display at the Ulster Museum, Belfast.Wikipedia
2. La Trinidad Valencera (Venetian merchantman / invasion transport) – Kinnagoe Bay, Inishowen, Co. Donegal Wrecked mid-September 1588. Most of the ~360–400 men initially reached shore; many were later massacred after surrendering. Discovered by chance by the City of Derry Sub-Aqua Club in 1971. Systematic excavation (1970s–80s) by the club with Colin Martin (University of St Andrews) recovered the largest quantity of material from any single Armada wreck: large bronze siege guns, smaller ordnance, gun-carriage parts, incendiary weapons, pottery, clothing, footwear, personal items, and organic remains. Finds are held at the Tower Museum (Derry) and Ulster Museum. The site has been re-surveyed by Ireland’s Underwater Archaeology Unit (UAU).Lugnad
3. Streedagh Strand wrecksite (three ships) – Co. Sligo La Lavia (Venetian, vice-flagship of the Levant squadron), La Juliana (Catalan, Barcelona-built), and Santa María de Visón (Ragusan/Dubrovnik). All lost 21 September 1588 in the “Great Gale”; cumulative loss of over 1,100 lives. Famous survivor Captain Francisco de Cuéllar wrote a detailed account. Located in 1985. In 2015 severe storms exposed La Juliana; the National Monuments Service’s Underwater Archaeology Unit carried out a rescue excavation, recovering nine ornate bronze guns (largest single-ship Armada gun collection recovered anywhere), carriage wheels, a bronze cauldron (still containing pitch/tar), and recording hull structure and anchors. Several guns are dated 1570 and decorated with saints (including St Matrona, linking to Barcelona). The material is the largest collection of guns from one Armada wreck. The three wrecks form a mass gravesite; the UAU continues monitoring because the beach is highly dynamic (sand can bury or expose remains in storms). Artefacts are undergoing conservation at the National Museum of Ireland.Gov.ie
4. Santa María de la Rosa (Basque-built nao) – Blasket Sound, Co. Kerry Sank suddenly 21 September 1588 after seeking shelter with other ships; only one survivor (the pilot’s son). Discovered in 1968–69 (Sydney Wignall). Limited excavation recovered an anchor, muskets, an astrolabe, human remains, and two pewter plates inscribed “Matute” (identifying the Sicilian company captain Francisco Ruiz Matute). Some material is in the Ulster Museum. Identification is secure; the site retains significant in-situ structure.The Independent
Other notes and Clare connections
Many other Armada vessels were lost off Clare, Galway, Mayo, and Donegal (e.g., San Marcos and San Esteban near Spanish Point / Mutton Island, Co. Clare; ships off Clare Island, Blacksod Bay, etc.). Most remain unlocated or only poorly surveyed. Local tradition and place-names preserve memories, but proven large-scale salvage of high-value silver/gold plate from Clare wrecks is scarce compared with the Girona. Searches (including sonar work) continue for sites such as the San Marcos.
Archaeological context and institutions
Ireland’s National Monuments Service Underwater Archaeology Unit (UAU) leads modern monitoring, rescue work, and survey (especially after storm exposure at Streedagh).
Earlier work was often by amateur dive clubs (Derry Sub-Aqua, etc.) in collaboration with specialists such as Colin Martin.
Key collections: Ulster Museum (Belfast – Girona, Trinidad Valencera, Santa María de la Rosa), Tower Museum (Derry), National Museum of Ireland (Streedagh guns and other material).
Sites are protected; diving often requires licences. Geophysical survey (multibeam, magnetometer) and storm-response monitoring are now standard.
Recent emphasis includes joint Irish–Spanish heritage work and publications on survivors such as Cuéllar.
The archaeology has transformed understanding of the Armada’s ships (many were requisitioned Mediterranean merchantmen), armament, personal possessions of officers and soldiers, and the human cost of the Irish wreckings. The Girona remains the richest in personal treasure; the Streedagh guns and Trinidad Valencera assemblage are outstanding for ordnance and everyday material culture. Most of the ~24 Irish wrecks still await full investigation.55 sources
Who gained treasure from Armada ships esp O’Flahertys Johnstons MacnamarasThought for 20s
I’ll check historical records and local traditions for evidence of Armada treasure recovered by Irish families, focusing on the O’Flahertys, Macnamaras, and Johnstons.Thought
Local Irish coastal clans recovered substantial material from Armada wrecks and survivors in 1588–89; the O’Flahertys have the strongest direct links, the Macnamaras have a documented tradition of possessing Armada items brought from the Aran Islands, and the Johnstons enter the story only later by marriage.
The O’Flahertys were actively involved with Armada ships and survivors off the Galway and Connemara coast:
They protected some high-ranking survivors for a time (including from the Falcón Blanco Mediano, wrecked off a small island near Galway). Under pressure from the English governor Sir Richard Bingham, many were later handed over and executed in Galway.
Contemporary and later accounts note that O’Flaherty wreckers used bonfires to lure ships (e.g., the Concepción de Juanes del Cano at Carna).
The O’Flaherty family of Iar Connacht long possessed a 16th-century Flemish-style iron treasure chest. Family tradition and later research link it to the Falcón Blanco Mediano. It is now in Torquay Museum (Devon), donated in 1954 with the provenance that it came from the O’Flahertys at the time of the Armada, when their chief Murrough na Tuath was dealing with shipwrecked Spaniards.Torbayweekly
This fits the pattern of west-coast clans taking guns, money, plate, jewellery, and other portable valuables from wrecks and survivors.
Macnamaras (Doolin / Aran View area, Co. Clare)
There is a clear older historical note that matches the later family tradition of Armada ornaments:
In Ireland under the Tudors (Richard Bagwell), it is recorded that “the Macnamara family formerly possessed cups, a watch, crosses, &c., out of the Armada, brought from the Arran Islands,” though the author could not trace the objects further.
The Aran Islands were O’Flaherty territory. The tradition that Marcella O’Flaherty (of Aran) brought fine gold and silver ornaments salvaged from an Armada wreck when she married Francis Macnamara of the Doolin line (who built Aran View at Glasha) is therefore consistent with this documented claim. The items are said to have passed to their daughter Catherine Macnamara.Archive
No modern archaeological recovery is linked specifically to Macnamara activity, and no surviving pieces from this tradition have been identified in public collections.
Johnstons (Aran View, Doolin)
There is no independent evidence that the Johnstons themselves salvaged Armada treasure. They enter the inheritance chain by marriage:
Catherine Macnamara married Robert Johnston JP of Aran View.
After Catherine’s death (1867), the ornaments (per family tradition) passed to their daughter Marcella Johnston, who brought them into her 1879 marriage to Captain Francis O’Donnellan Blake-Forster.
Marcella Johnston is also recorded as co-heiress of Admiral Sir Burton Macnamara (d. 1876, childless), but that inheritance was land and assets (including his Tromora estate), not Armada salvage.
Broader context of Irish recovery
Many coastal Gaelic clans took what they could from the wrecks and survivors (guns, money, clothing, plate, jewellery). English officials complained that much of the more valuable portable material went to local Irish rather than the Crown. Known examples include:
Sorley Boy MacDonnell recovering brass cannons and two chests of treasure from the Girona (Antrim).
Widespread local appropriation of small arms, lighter guns, and personal valuables along the Connacht and Clare coasts (including near Spanish Point, where the San Marcos and San Esteban were lost).
Early official salvage efforts (e.g., by George Carew in Clare) were limited and expensive; most high-value personal items had already been dispersed.
The O’Flaherty chest and the Macnamara “cups, watch, crosses… brought from the Arran Islands” are the best-documented specific links for the families in your line. The later “Armada silver/gold ornaments” story that travelled through Marcella O’Flaherty → Macnamara → Johnston → Blake-Forster is a persistent family tradition that aligns with these older references, but the actual objects have not been traced beyond the 19th century.35 sources
Explore the O’Flaherty chest historyThought for 25s
The O’Flaherty Armada chest is a 16th-century iron strongbox (a classic “Armada chest” or Nuremberg-style iron coffer) now in Torquay Museum, Devon, England, where it serves as the museum’s donations box. It is one of the better-documented examples of an Armada-related artefact with a continuous Irish family tradition linking it to the O’Flahertys of Iar Connacht (Connemara/West Galway).Torquaymuseum
Provenance and family tradition
Captain Morton Jack, who moved from Ireland to Devon, donated the chest to Torquay Museum in 1954. His accompanying statement (preserved by the museum) reads:
“This chest was originally in the possession of the O’Flaherty family of Iar Connaught in Ireland. At the time of the Spanish Armada (1588) the chief of the clan was Murrogh-na-Taugh who was active in the rounding up [of] Spaniards ship-wrecked on the coast of West Connaught after the Armada. Since this chest is passably of Flemish origin and is of 16th century date or earlier this history tends to show that it was a treasure chest from one of the wrecked ships.”Torquaymuseum
Descendants of the donor later contacted the museum and supplied additional information. The museum now states that research indicates the chest is almost certainly from the Armada ship Falcón Blanco Mediano (also called Falcon Blanco Mediano), a 300-ton hulk of about 16 guns carrying roughly 100 men. It was wrecked on a small island off Galway around 25 September 1588. High-ranking survivors included Don Luis de Córdoba and his nephew Gonzalo. The O’Flahertys initially protected them, but under pressure from Governor Sir Richard Bingham they were delivered under guard to Galway, where most were executed.Torquaymuseum
This fits the historical record: the Falcón Blanco Mediano (Armada of Hulks squadron) is known to have been lost off the Galway coast. Contemporary accounts confirm O’Flaherty involvement with survivors from this and other ships in the area (including the Concepción de Juanes del Cano at Carna, lured by O’Flaherty bonfires). Murrough na dTuadh Ó Flaithbheartaigh (“of the battle-axes,” died 1593), Chief of Iar Connacht appointed by Elizabeth I (though not of the senior branch), was active in the region at the time and is the “Murrogh-na-Taugh” named in the chest’s provenance.Wikipedia
The chest itself
It is a heavily reinforced iron strongbox of the type made mainly in Nuremberg, Augsburg, or Flanders in the late 16th/early 17th century. These chests feature complex multi-bolt locking mechanisms (often with a false keyhole to deter thieves) and were used on ships and in private houses to secure valuables, documents, and coin. The name “Armada chest” is a later English/Irish convention; many such chests acquired Armada wreck stories, but relatively few have continuous provenance. The museum notes that, unlike most, this example has a credible family history linking it to the O’Flahertys and a specific Armada vessel. Research is described as ongoing.Torquaymuseum
Historical context
West Connacht coastal clans, including the O’Flahertys, recovered portable valuables (money, plate, jewellery, chests, light guns, and clothing) from Armada wrecks and survivors. English officials repeatedly complained that much of the more valuable material went to local Irish rather than the Crown. The O’Flaherty chest is one of the few surviving objects with a documented chain of possession through a Gaelic family that was present on the coast in September–October 1588. It remains on public display (as the donations box) at Torquay Museum.
The story aligns with the broader pattern of local recovery in Connacht and Clare, including the separate Macnamara tradition of Armada items “brought from the Arran Islands” (O’Flaherty territory), but the Torquay chest is the clearest tangible object tied specifically to the O’Flahertys.64 sources
What is the current value of the chestThought for 10s
There is no publicly available current valuation, insurance figure, or appraisal specifically for the Torquay Museum O’Flaherty Armada chest. The museum has not published one, and it remains part of their collection (used as the donations box in the entrance).Torquaymuseum
Market comparables for similar chests
Standard 17th–18th-century iron “Armada” or Nuremberg-style strongboxes (wrought-iron with complex multi-bolt locks, false keyholes, and side handles) typically sell at auction in a broad range:
Common examples in average condition: roughly £300–£2,000 hammer price.
Better examples (complete locking mechanism, original key, decent condition): £1,200–£3,700 (recent UK sales include one at £1,900 and another at £3,720 including premium).
Higher-end or decorated pieces: up to around £5,000–£8,000+ in dealer listings or stronger auctions; exceptional ones with original paint or strong documentation can go higher.
These prices reflect open-market auction results for ordinary examples without exceptional history.Barnebys
Why the O’Flaherty chest would likely be worth more
Its value is elevated by provenance rather than by the object alone:
Continuous family tradition linking it to the O’Flahertys of Iar Connacht.
Specific association with the Falcón Blanco Mediano wreck and Murrough na dTuadh.
Documented donation history (Captain Morton Jack, 1954) plus later family corroboration.
Strong historical provenance of this kind can multiply the price of an otherwise similar strongbox—sometimes several times over—especially for institutional or collector interest. As a museum-held piece with Armada and Gaelic Irish associations, its insurance/replacement value would almost certainly sit well above ordinary auction comparables, potentially in the mid-to-high five figures or more, but this is an informed estimate only; no official figure has been released.
In short, while a generic Armada chest of similar type might fetch a few thousand pounds at auction, the Torquay example’s documented O’Flaherty and Armada history makes it a higher-value historical artefact.23 sources
What about the swordThought for 17s
No specific O’Flaherty family sword with documented Armada or wreck provenance (comparable to the Torquay Museum chest) appears in available historical, museum, or genealogical records.Torquaymuseum
The well-attested O’Flaherty heirloom is the iron strongbox now used as the donations chest at Torquay Museum. It is linked by family tradition and later corroboration to Murrough na dTuadh Ó Flaithbheartaigh and the Falcón Blanco Mediano wreck off Connemara in 1588. Searches of museum holdings, auction records, local histories, and Armada salvage accounts do not turn up a parallel sword from the same source or the Macnamara/Johnston/Blake-Forster line.
Related Armada weapons that do exist
Girona (Port na Spaniagh, Antrim): Robert Sténuit’s 1960s excavations recovered sword hilts, small arms, and other fittings among the jewellery, coins, and plate now in the Ulster Museum. These are fragmentary or incomplete and have no O’Flaherty association.
Tobermory (Scotland): A heavily corroded sword with traces of damascene decoration was recovered and is held by the Powell Cotton Museum; it is traditionally linked to an Armada wreck but again has no Irish clan connection.
Other Irish wrecks (Streedagh, La Trinidad Valencera, etc.) have produced guns, pikes, and occasional blades, but nothing tied to the O’Flahertys of Iar Connacht.
Murrough na dTuadh himself is remembered as “of the battle-axes” (na dTuadh), reflecting the gallowglass tradition rather than a specific surviving sword.
Family tradition context
The broader O’Flaherty–Macnamara–Johnston tradition (the “cups, watch, crosses… from the Arran Islands” noted by Bagwell, and the rumoured Armada-related wealth at Marcella Johnston’s 1879 marriage to Francis Blake-Forster) centres on plate, ornaments, and the chest rather than a sword. If a family sword exists as an oral heirloom, it has not entered the published record in the same way as the Torquay chest.
If you have more detail—where it was last known, any inscription, a description, or which branch of the family held it—I can narrow the search further.74 sources
Tell me about the Torquay Museum chest
The Torquay Museum Armada chest is a 16th-century iron strongbox (often called an “Armada chest”) that currently serves as the museum’s donations box in the entrance hall.Torquaymuseum
Provenance and family tradition
It was donated to the museum in 1954 by Captain Morton Jack, who had brought it from Ireland. His account stated:
“This chest was originally in the possession of the O’Flaherty family of Iar Connaught in Ireland. At the time of the Spanish Armada (1588) the chief of the clan was Murrogh-na-Taugh who was active in the rounding up [of] Spaniards ship-wrecked on the coast of West Connaught after the Armada. Since this chest is passably of Flemish origin and is of 16th century date or earlier this history tends to show that it was a treasure chest from one of the wrecked ships.”Torquaymuseum
Later research by O’Flaherty descendants strengthened the story. The chest is now linked to the Falcón Blanco Mediano, a 300-tonne hulk of the Spanish Armada that wrecked in late September 1588 on a small island off the Connemara coast (County Galway). Survivors, including high-ranking officers, were initially protected by the O’Flahertys under Murrough na dTuadh (“of the battle-axes”), but were later handed over to English authorities and executed in Galway.Torquaymuseum
The museum itself has long been cautious, noting that many so-called “Armada chests” have unsubstantiated wreck stories. The combination of the original donation account, the object’s date and style, and the later family corroboration makes this one of the better-supported examples.
Description and use
It is a heavily reinforced iron strongbox of Flemish or German (Nuremberg-style) type, typical of the period, with the complex multi-bolt locking mechanisms common to these “safes.” It now sits open in the museum entrance so visitors can drop in coins, with interpretive material nearby explaining its history.
Context
These iron chests were widely used in the 16th–17th centuries to transport valuables. While many later acquired romantic “Armada” labels, this one has a specific chain of oral tradition tying it to the O’Flahertys of Iar Connacht and one of the 1588 wrecks off the west coast of Ireland—the same broader tradition that includes other reported salvaged items (plate, ornaments, etc.) that passed through Macnamara and Johnston hands.
It remains on public display at Torquay Museum in Devon.1 source
How is Marcella Johnston related to O’FlahertiesThought for 19s
Marcella Johnston (who married Francis Blake-Forster in 1879) was the great-granddaughter of Marcella O’Flaherty of the Aran Islands / Iar Connacht.
The direct line
Marcella O’Flaherty (of Aran / connected to the O’Flahertys of Iar Connacht) married Francis Macnamara (son of Francis Macnamara of Doolin and Jane Stamer).
On their marriage, Francis’s father gave them a farm at Glasha (near Doolin, Co. Clare) and £1,000.
They built a house there that they named Aran View.
Marcella O’Flaherty is the one traditionally said to have brought fine gold and silver ornaments salvaged from a Spanish Armada wreck.Patrickcomerford
Their daughter Catherine Macnamara married Robert Johnston (or Johnson), JP.
Catherine inherited the ornaments after her mother’s death in 1856.Clarelibrary
Catherine and Robert’s daughter was Marcella Johnston.
She married Francis Blake-Forster of Ballykeale House (near Kilfenora) in 1879.
According to the same family tradition, the Armada-related ornaments passed to her on her mother’s death in 1867.Patrickcomerford
Summary of the relationship
Marcella Johnston → daughter of Catherine Macnamara → granddaughter of Marcella O’Flaherty → thus a direct descendant (great-granddaughter) of the O’Flaherty line that held Aran View and the associated Armada heirlooms tradition.
This is the three-step inheritance chain (O’Flaherty → Macnamara → Johnston → Blake-Forster) that links the Galway/Connemara O’Flahertys to the Clare gentry families of Macnamara, Johnston, and Blake-Forster. The sources are primarily the Clare Library’s published family history of the Macnamaras of Doolin & Ennistymon (by Michael Mac Mahon) and related notes by Patrick Comerford.Clarelibrary36 sources
Explore Aran Island historyThought for 22s
The Aran Islands (Inis Mór / Inishmore, Inis Meáin / Inishmaan, and Inis Oírr / Inisheer) lie at the mouth of Galway Bay. They have one of the densest concentrations of prehistoric and early Christian archaeology in Ireland, a long Gaelic history involving the O’Briens and O’Flahertys, and a strong cultural identity that persisted into the 20th century.
Prehistoric period
The islands are Carboniferous limestone with almost no natural soil. Early inhabitants created arable land by mixing sand, seaweed, and later dung, then protected it with the dense network of dry-stone walls still visible today.Wikipedia
Major forts include Dún Aonghasa (Inis Mór), a cliff-edge stone fort whose earliest phases date to around 1100 BC, with later additions; Dún Dúchathair (the Black Fort); Dún Chonchúir (Inis Meáin); and others.
There are also wedge tombs and other Neolithic/Bronze Age monuments. The islands were occupied for thousands of years before written records.
Early Christian period (“Aran of the Saints”)
From the late 5th/early 6th century, the islands became a major centre of monasticism. St Enda founded a monastery at Killeany (Inis Mór) around AD 490. It trained figures such as St Ciarán of Clonmacnoise, St Brendan of Clonfert, and others. The islands’ remoteness and harshness made them ideal for ascetic communities.Dib
Surviving sites include Teampall Brecan, Teampall Bheanáin (a tiny oratory), the Seven Churches complex, and numerous early grave slabs and holy wells. The islands remained an important pilgrimage destination into the medieval period.
Medieval and Gaelic lordship
By the 13th century the islands were held by the O’Briens of Thomond (County Clare). They were contested with the O’Flahertys of Iar Connacht (Connemara). In the later 16th century, under Elizabeth I, the O’Flahertys (notably associated with Murrough na dTuadh) gained control of the Great Island, but the Crown then annexed the islands for strategic reasons against possible Spanish or French use.Celt.ucc
O’Brien’s Castle (Dún Formna) on Inis Oírr is a 15th-century tower house later slighted in the Cromwellian period.
Spanish Armada (1588)
Ships of the defeated Armada were sighted off the Aran Islands. Records are limited, but at least one vessel is associated with wrecking or near-wrecking in the area; isolation and rough seas made survival difficult. This fits the broader pattern of 20+ Armada losses on the Irish west coast and local salvage traditions.Wikipedia
Later history and culture
Cromwellian and later periods: Churches and fortifications were damaged; the islands remained Gaelic-speaking and relatively isolated.
19th–20th centuries: The islands attracted antiquarians, writers, and artists. John Millington Synge stayed there and based The Aran Islands and Riders to the Sea on his experiences. Liam O’Flaherty (born on Inis Mór in 1896) wrote realistic fiction rooted in island life. Robert Flaherty’s 1934 film Man of Aran presented a highly romanticised, partly reconstructed image of island existence that shaped popular perceptions.Dib
Traditional life centred on fishing (especially with currachs), small-scale farming on man-made soil, and the Irish language. The population declined sharply in the 20th century due to emigration; today the islands are Irish-speaking Gaeltacht areas with tourism as a major industry.
Connection to the O’Flaherty–Macnamara–Johnston tradition
The family tradition of Marcella O’Flaherty “from Aran” (who married Francis Macnamara of the Doolin line and brought Armada-related gold and silver ornaments) fits within this longer history of O’Flaherty presence and activity around the islands and nearby Connemara coast in the late 16th century and after. Specific branch details (such as later 18th-century O’Flaherty settlement on Inis Mór) appear in local genealogical notes, but the Armada-era link remains part of the oral and family tradition rather than a fully documented salvage record.
The islands today are accessible by ferry from Rossaveal or Doolin and by air from Connemara Airport. Dún Aonghasa remains the signature monument.26 sources
How are they connected to the O’Flaherty familyThought for 19s
The O’Flahertys of Iar Connacht (Connemara) were closely connected to the Aran Islands in the late medieval and early modern periods, primarily through rivalry with the O’Briens and temporary control of the islands.
Medieval and 16th-century control
The islands had long been held by the O’Briens of Thomond (County Clare). The O’Flahertys of Iar Connacht contested this. In the 1580s, under the powerful chief Murrough na dTuadh (“of the battle-axes”), the O’Flahertys expelled the O’Briens from the islands (around 1582–1586). O’Brien’s Castle (Dún Formna) on Inis Oírr was taken by them.Visitgalway
Queen Elizabeth I then intervened. A commission found that neither the O’Briens nor the O’Flahertys had valid title; the islands were declared Crown property (as former monastic land). In 1587 they were granted to John Rawson of Athlone, with conditions about maintaining English soldiers. Later ownership passed through Lynches, Butlers, Digbys, St Lawrences, and ultimately the Guinness family before being sold to the Congested Districts Board in 1914 and redistributed to islanders.Patrickcomerford
Internal O’Flaherty feuding also involved the islands. In the 1580s, rival branches (including those of Murrough na dTuadh and the western O’Flahertys of Ballynahinch) fought a battle on Aran in which several were killed; nine are traditionally said to be buried at Log na Marbh near Cill Rónáin on Inis Mór.Facebook
Later family presence
O’Flaherty branches continued to live on or be associated with the islands after the 16th century. One documented line (including Fr Francis O’Flaherty, parish priest of Aran, d. 1825) is said to have moved from Aughnanure to Inis Mór in the later 18th century. Liam O’Flaherty, the 20th-century writer, was born on Inis Mór.Wikitree
Link to the Macnamara–Johnston tradition
This history underpins the family tradition of Marcella O’Flaherty “from Aran”, who married Francis Macnamara (of the Doolin line) and is said to have brought Armada-related gold and silver ornaments. The O’Flahertys’ documented activity around the islands and nearby Connemara coast in the Armada period (1588) makes the association geographically and historically plausible, even if the specific salvage of ornaments remains part of oral/family tradition rather than a fully recorded contemporary account.
In short, the O’Flahertys were the Gaelic lords who briefly seized the Aran Islands from the O’Briens in the 1580s, lost formal title to the Crown, and retained family and cultural ties thereafter.19 sources
Show me the O’Flaherty clan mapThought for 29s
The classic historical map of the O’Flaherty territory is “A Map of Iar-Connaught in the County of Galway,” published in 1846 as part of Roderic O’Flaherty’s A Chorographical Description of West or H-Iar Connaught (written 1684, edited by James Hardiman for the Irish Archaeological Society).
It shows the Gaelic lordship of Iar Connacht (West Connacht), the core territory of the O’Flahertys west of Lough Corrib, covering what is now largely Connemara, the barony of Moycullen, parts of the Ross barony, and related coastal areas. Key features include:
Lough Corrib (Lough Orbsen) and Lough Mask as major boundaries and transport routes.
Sub-territories such as Gnomore, Gnobeg, Conmhaicne Mara, and areas around Ballynahinch.
Place-names reflecting O’Flaherty control, including strongholds and coastal zones.
The broader extent of the lordship before the 17th-century confiscations.
The map is the standard reference for the O’Flaherty lands in the medieval and early modern periods. It is reproduced in the 1846 edition (and later facsimiles, including the 1978 Kenny’s reprint).
Here is the map from the 1846 edition:
Brief territorial outline
Original heartland: Maigh Seóla (east of Lough Corrib).
After the 13th century: Pushed west of the Corrib into Iar Connacht proper (Connemara and coastal Galway).
Main stronghold: Aughnanure Castle (near Oughterard).
Other sites: Ballynahinch, Renvyle, Ard, and temporary influence over the Aran Islands in the 1580s.
Eastern limit: Roughly Lough Corrib; western limit: the Atlantic coast and Killary Harbour.
This is the map most often meant by “O’Flaherty clan map.” Modern versions of Connemara/Galway maps simply overlay the same historical area.42 sources
Explore O’Flaherty clan historyThought for 18s
The O’Flahertys (Ó Flaithbheartaigh) were the dominant Gaelic lords of Iar Connacht (West Connacht / modern Connemara) for several centuries. Their history runs from early medieval kingship east of Lough Corrib, through a powerful maritime lordship west of the lake, to the collapse of Gaelic power in the 17th century.
Origins
They belong to the Uí Briúin Seóla branch of the Connachta, kin to the O’Connors and MacDermots. The surname derives from Flaithbheartach mac Eimhin (10th century); the first recorded bearer as “Ua Flaithbheartach” is Muireadhach, king of Maigh Seóla, who died in 1034.Wikipedia
Their original territory was Maigh Seóla (roughly the barony of Clare, east of Lough Corrib). After setbacks in the 11th century and the Anglo-Norman advance in the 13th century, they were pushed west of Lough Corrib and established themselves as lords of Iar Connacht.
Lordship of Iar Connacht
From the mid-13th century they ruled a large, rugged territory stretching from Lough Corrib and Lough Mask to the Atlantic, including Connemara, the coast, and (at times) influence over the Aran Islands. Power rested on:
Control of lakes, rivers, and coastal routes.
A network of tower houses (Aughnanure became the principal seat by c. 1500).
Maritime activity, including trade and raiding.
They were feared by the merchant city of Galway. The famous (though partly legendary) plaque over the city’s West Gate is said to have read something close to “From the Ferocious O’Flahertys, Good Lord deliver us.”
16th century: power and division
The 1500s saw both peak power and internal fracture under the Tudor “surrender and regrant” policy.
Murrough na dTuadh (“of the battle-axes”), chief 1560–1593, was the most prominent figure. Though not of the senior branch, he was recognised by Elizabeth I as Chief of the Name. He accepted English titles and the Composition of Connacht (1585), which weakened traditional tanistry and divided the clan. Rival branches (including those of Dónal Crón and the western O’Flahertys of Ballynahinch) continued to resist or feud among themselves.Wikipedia
In the 1580s the O’Flahertys briefly seized the Aran Islands from the O’Briens before the Crown intervened and granted them elsewhere.
Decline
Participation in the 1641 rebellion and the subsequent wars led to large-scale confiscation. Political control of Iar Connacht collapsed. Aughnanure and other castles changed hands; many O’Flahertys lost their lands.
Roderic O’Flaherty (1629–1718), born at Moycullen Castle and last de jure chief of his line, became a major historian. His works include Ogygia (1685) and the manuscript A Chorographical Description of West or H-Iar Connaught (1684, published 1846), which remains a key source for the territory.
Later history and legacy
Branches survived in Galway and elsewhere. The name remains common in County Galway. Aughnanure Castle, the best-preserved O’Flaherty stronghold, was later restored and is now a national monument. Cultural memory of the “ferocious” O’Flahertys persists in local history, the Aran Islands tradition, and modern clan associations.
In summary: early kings east of the Corrib → lords of a powerful maritime Iar Connacht west of the lake → divided and subordinated under the Tudors → largely dispossessed in the 17th century, while leaving a lasting imprint on Connemara and Irish historiography.
first, accept a deal now second, accept a deal after a couple strikes (so he feels a lil better) third, walk away. none of those look too attractive to the white house.
On Thursday 30 July 1903, King Edward VII and his wife, Queen Alexandra paid an official visit to Galway. Edward VII was born in Buckingham Palace on 9 November 1841. He was the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Queen Victoria had strongly resented her pregnancy on Edward and this affected the relationship between mother and son for the rest of their lives. In 1863, Edward married Alexandra, the eldest daughter of the King of Denmark. Alexandra was an extremely beautiful woman; the public loved her, and she was sometimes referred to as the ‘Darling of the British Public’. She was in sense, the Princess Diana of her time and she was also noted for her style and fashion. Their page boy was William II, a young cousin of Edward and later to become the German Kaiser. Edward was crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey on 9 August 1902. He was the first monarch of the Royal House of Wettin or Saxony, Queen Victoria being the last of the House of Hanover.
King Edward VII and his wife, Queen Alexandra, aboard the Royal Yacht in 1909
The 1903 visit was not his first time being in the west of Ireland, he had been here on a number of occasions as Prince of Wales. He was obviously impressed with these visits considering his return trip as king within a year of assuming the throne. His mother had visited Ireland some years earlier and received a rather cool reception from many people. This was surprising as she was known to many Irish as the ‘Famine Queen’, because of the lack of support during those terrible times. News of Edward’s visit was not welcomed by everyone as there were threats of protest from a number of quarters. The age-old differences of opinion between Unionists and Nationalists surfaced in the weeks leading up to the visit. His previous visits were mainly on fishing trips, but now he was planning the trip as king. Some believed that his motives were political, while others thought it was to gain popularity for the monarchy, which his mother had failed to achieve during her time in Ireland. Galway Urban Council struggled with the idea of Edward visiting the western capital. Nevertheless, those in favour of the royal visit won the vote to welcome the king to Galway.
James O’Donohue, Chairman of Galway Urban Council
This decision was welcomed by James O’Donohue, Chairman of Galway Urban Council and preparations got under way to welcome the king and queen. A separate committee was formed to raise funds to decorate the town. This was known appropriately as the Decorations Committee and as funds became available work projects go underway. However, things still did not go as smoothly as expected because the planned visit also triggered an industrial dispute over wages among the labourers employed to decorate the streets. The strike was settled rather quickly, some say that it was over within as hour; and the work went ahead as planned. The entire route was richly decorated with Venetian poles, streamers and buntings. A banner proclaiming a welcome to the City of the Tribes was strung across the road between Dillon’s and Moon’s. The work was organised by Messrs Binns, Tighe and Murphy, and a team of workers and volunteers.
The Royal Yacht, Victoria and Albert
The king and his entourage arrived in Killary Harbour on the royal yacht, Victoria and Albert. The entire party travelled to Recess by motor cavalcade passing through a number of villages on the way including Tully and Letterfrack. They stopped for a time at Kylemore to visit the castle. Upon arrival at Recess they boarded the train and completed the journey to Galway by rail. There they were met at the railway station by J.M.A. Lewis the High Sheriff; Lord Clonbrock, the Lieutenant of the County; Joseph Glynn the Chairman of Galway County Council and James O’Donohue.
There were many more people in attendance leaving the entire area crowded. Many were anxious to secure a good vantage point from which to view proceedings. The Connaught Rangers arrived under the command of Major Bowlby and provided a Guard of Honour, while the regimental band played a number of tunes in acknowledgment of the occasion. A platform capable of holding over 500 people had been erected at Eyre Square. Stands were erected at the station to welcome the royal party and another at the docks to bid them farewell. After the various speakers had welcomed the royals to Galway, the king replied in a most grateful manner and thanked all those involved in the event and the people for their kindness and support. Dillon’s of Galway presented the king and queen with a Connemara Marble Inkstand and a replica of the Brian Boru Harp. Moons of Galway presented Queen Alexandra with a Claddagh Cloak. Incidentally, Griffin’s Bakery also played their part and supplied the royal party with bread and confectionary.
View: William Street, The Royal Visit, 30 July 1903. Photo courtesy Tom KennyView: Williamsgate Street, The Royal Visit, 30 July 1903. National Library of Ireland
On conclusion of the various addresses at Eyre Square the royal procession lined up in planned order preparing for the parade through the streets of Galway. It moved off in the following order: Group I: Mounted R.I.C. Sergeant – F.B. Lopdell (County Police Inspector) – Colonel Neville Chamberlain (Police Inspector General) – Lord Lieutenant of Ireland – Princess Victoria – King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. Group II: Countess of Gosford – Honourable Charlotte Knollys – Earl of Selborne – Viscount Churchill. Group III: Earl of Gosford – Admiral Sir H.F. Stephenson (Principal Naval A.D.C.) – Colonel A. Davidson – Captain G.L. Holford – Major-General Sir Gerald De Courcy Morton (Commander 7th Division). These were then followed by member of Galway Urban and County Councillors. Various other groups and dignitaries also lined out for the event.
Major-General Sir Gerald De Courcy Morton – Military Commander
The town was a blaze of colour and decorations hung from all the buildings. Thousands of people had made their way from the countryside to see the royal couple. All shops and businesses closed at one o’clock. Windows along the route were sold as viewing platforms for £1 to £5, depending on the position. There constant excitement and cheering along the richly decorated streets and as the parade passed by, people jostled for a view of the royals.
The Replica of the Brian Boru Harp. Courtesy Jonathan Margetts
The route took them down through the town and around by the Claddagh Basin; and crossing over the bridge the parade moved towards the docks. Troops in full military uniform decorated with medals, regalia and ceremonial plumed helmets lined the route. The Claddagh people also turned out in style for the occasion. Once they reached the docks, the royals boarded the yacht as the next leg of their journey was to take them to the south of the country. However, there was a change of plan for some reason and the royal couple decided to spend the night in Galway. They planned to travel by train to Kenmare the following morning. Large crowds gathered in the streets on Friday morning to bid farewell to the royal couple as they made their way to the station.
A letter from the Lord Lieutenant, Dublin Castle, to Rev. James Fleetwood Berry, Rector of St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, Galway. The letter is dated 1 August 1903 and accompanied by a declaration of gratitude from King Edward VII, who had recently visited Galway as part of a tour of Ireland. Photo courtesy Galway City Museum
The visit was a deemed so successful that the organisers hoped it would become an annual event, however, with the political climate in Ireland – this was a bridge to far. James O’Donohue was knighted shortly after the visit in recognition of the welcome received by the king and queen.
King Edward VII died at Buckingham Palace after a short illness on 6 May 1910. The great achievement of Edward’s reign was the conclusion of the Entente Cordiale with France, which was largely brought about by his diplomacy and earned him the name, ‘Edward the Peacemaker’. In 1917, his son, King George V, changed the family name from Wettin or Saxony to Windsor, because of the anti-German fever which was sweeping Britain at the time over the Great War. The new name was taken from Windsor Castle as he felt it was a good English name. He was a cousin to the German Kaiser.
William Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley. Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 1902 – 1905
Americans roundly rejected the Republican Party under President Donald Trump at the ballot box, giving the Democratic Party control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. That means Democrats have a raft of new tools with which to oppose Trump, including control of investigative committees the party may use to look into alleged corruption. How should the Democrats use that power? Does the scale of their victory mean they have the country’s backing, or just that Republicans were unpopular? And will Trump’s brand of politics return? Martin speaks to Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman to discuss what happens next. To enjoy future episodes, be sure to subscribe to ‘Martin Wolf on the World’ wherever you get your podcasts. Host: Martin Wolf Producer: Mischa Frankl-Duval Senior producer: Laurence Knight Executive producer: Manuela Saragosa Video editor: Richard Topping Senior Audio Engineer: Breen Turner Broadcast engineers: Andrew Georgiadis Podcast development: Laura Clarke FT Global Head of Audio: Flo Phillips Learn more at http://www.ft.com/martin-wolf-on-the-world
Acedia (often historically spelled as assidia or accidia) is an ancient term used to describe a profound state of spiritual listlessness, existential emptiness, and deep psychological apathy. Originating from the Greek word akēdia—which literally translates to a “lack of care” or “negligence”—it reflects a state of mind where a person completely detaches from their purpose and becomes paralyzed by a sense of meaninglessness. [1, 2, 3]
Historically known as the “noonday demon” by 4th-century Christian monks, it describes the crushing boredom, restlessness, and emotional flatness that occurs when the initial drive for one’s vocation or routine completely vanishes. [1, 2]
Signs of an Acedious State of Mind
Rather than simple physical laziness, acedia is a structural fatigue of the soul and mind. It typically manifests through several key characteristics: [1, 2]
Emotional Numbness: A total loss of joy or satisfaction in activities, relationships, or responsibilities that used to feel deeply meaningful. [1, 2]
Restlessness and Boredom: A persistent desire to escape the current moment, routine, or location, paired with an inability to actually focus on anything productive when you do move on. [1, 2]
Aversion to Effort: A feeling of overwhelming exhaustion or dread at the mere thought of difficult tasks or conversations, leading to chronic shortcut-seeking and avoidance. [1]
Frenetic Distraction: Paradoxically, it can cause people to engage in useless, hyperactive busywork simply to distract themselves from the heavy, underlying feeling of purpose gap. [1]
How it Differs from Depression
While it heavily overlaps with modern psychological concepts like burnout and clinical depression, historical and philosophical analyses treat acedia slightly differently. Depression often blankets a person’s entire capacity for energy and self-worth. In contrast, acedia is specifically a refusal of or sorrow toward the “good”—a targeted existential crisis where the mind simply stops caring about its deeper commitments, goals, or spiritual progress. [1, 2, 3]
(Note: If you are looking for the musical artist ACIDIA who has tracks like “Golden State of Mind,” their work can be found streaming on platforms like SoundCloud). [1]
Are you exploring this concept from a historical/philosophical perspective, or are you trying to identify a specific feeling of burnout or creative block you’re currently experiencing?
I’m so excited to have tickets for tomorrow’s Conversation with Richard Dawkins that is part of the BBC Radio 3 Free Thinking Festival in Newcastle. I’m sure it’d be obvious to anyone reading my site on evolutionary philosophy that Dawkins would be a hero of mine. He’s been a giant in the field of evolutionary biology as well as a passionate defender of reason and scientific thinking in general. Dawkins played a major role in bringing me to the field of evolutionary thinking and inspiring me to try to turn my thoughts about that subject into a new career. Many, many things go into the makeup of any man, but I think it’s safe to say I wouldn’t be where I am today were it not for Richard Dawkins’ presence as a public intellectual during my formative years. I know he’s drawn plenty of controversy over the years for some of the things he’s said, but I’d like to take a moment to point out twelve of the best things he’s said (at least as far as I could find while combing through his extensive wikiquote page). Without further ado, let’s hear from him:
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