The History of Talamthom: Volume I

The History of Talamthom: Volume I

Myth

As the Myth has it the first person ever to walk upon the island that would become Talamthom was the father of the first recognised founder. In a time where tales of mysticism ruled the minds of the people as much as ancient chieftains did, the story goes that an ‘entity’ stole away the bride of a chieftain named Tomá who live somewhere around what is Galway in the modern day Irish Republic. He followed her to the island and fought for her back against a tribe of banshees, dragons and evil wood dwellers. The upshot being that once he’d rescued her he stood in the bay of Baile na hÁlainn and said “One day here will stand a beautiful city” and that is where Baile na hÁlainn gets its name “The Beautiful City”. He then sailed home to Ireland where he would go on to have a son.

The Departure from Ireland

It was Tomá’s son, who carried also the same name, who would be the first to lead people to the Island. Some time around 832 AD the Vikings attacked Ireland in force under command of warrior named Tuirgeis. Upon the receiving the news of invasion, Tomá decided that he and any tribe should sail off in search of a new homeland westward of Ireland. He sought to protect Celtic cultures and their new found faith of Christianity originally brought to Ireland hundreds of years before by St. Patrick from the Paganism of the Vikings. He spoke to his father who was ill at the time about his decision to search for a virgin territory. His father spoke about the land he had found in the west whilst rescuing his bride from those who had abducted her for ill purpose.

Tomá, the chieftains of three other clans and their collected tribes met, made peace with one another and decided to act upon Tomá’s musings. So it was exactly a year and a half later in early 834 AD that they had collected their necessary items for survival, built their ships and finally waved goodbye to their homeland.


The Arrival

With only a few minor problems upon the seas, the weary voyagers came to rest in the very same bay that Tomá’s father had departed from years before. Tomá and his tribe set about the establishment of a settlement that they named Baile na hÁlainn after the story that Tomá’s father had spoken of. As an ode to the two Tomás that had between them discovered the island they decided to name the island after them and so was born Talamh-Tomá (Tomá’s Land) which would through the generations would become known as Talamthom.

It is possible to see from the original distribution of land to the various tribes how the modern counties have come about. Tomá’s clan would go on to build the capital and settle on Isles of Codail (The Sleepy Isles) and the region directly around Baile na hÁlainn down as far as modern day Co. Mainistir and parts of Co. Tintál. O'Ceallaigh would settle his clan in the west (in modern day Co. Shantor), Clann Fhearghus in the north-west (Co. Dun Fhyla), Muintir Lideadha in the north-east (Co. Talamayo).

These clans all developed within their regions separately but still the heads of the clans would meet and discuss issues. With the steady inflow of people fleeing Vikings and the like the population grew steadily along with those intermarrying between clans. By 838 AD a group of monks had established a monastery in the East of the island (modern day Co. Mainistir) and more people were settling there. The only place that remained distinctly unpopulated was the south what is now Fealsamthom.

During Tomá’s final years he became something of a thinker and immersed himself in Christianity and forms of early theology. He decided to cede his chieftain title to his son MacCuhaill and moved down to the south of the country where he and some other tribal elders established a town which would many years later be the site of the islands first University and a centre for free thought later on, Fealsamthom. Fealsamthom is a derivative of an original name that translated as “Tomá the Philosopher.”


The First King of All Talamthom

By 1050 AD it is understood that all of the modern day names of Tománn regions were in place having been adopted by the locals and then getting in wider use as trade between regions increased and mobility was greater increased by the growing number of horses on Talamthom.

With the growing number of people arriving on the island it was decided by the chieftains that a true leaders was needed to rule all Talamthom. One of the chief duties of the king would be to keep order between Mainistir and Tintál who had been arguing over a lake that fell roughly over both sides of their borders. A king was selected and, not to everyone’s approval, a descendant of O’Ceallaigh was chosen, his name was Joseph. He was crowned and a palace built in Baile na hÁlainn which was chosen as a capital for its sea trade links and historical significance.

And so out of the unity of the 8 different regions of the island came The Kingdom of Talamthom governed for the first time wholly from a palace in Baile na hÁlainn. The kingdom stayed constantly under the control of the O’Ceallaigh family through all the failed Mainistiri uprisings and attempted invasions from Norman forces in the early 1100s.

The History of Talamthom, although already written, will be published in the Tománn Independent in four volumes for the next three Saturdays.