illo ken n edy ▁in ▁Thom ond ▁are ▁indic ative ▁of ▁their ▁long standing ▁presence ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁The ▁sept ▁split ▁into ▁three ▁branches , ▁the ▁chief s ▁of ▁which ▁were ▁referred ▁to ▁by ▁their ▁hair ▁colours : ▁don ▁( b rown ), ▁f ion n ▁( bl ond ), ▁and ▁r ua ▁( red ). ▁St ▁Ru ad han ▁of ▁Lor r ha ▁was ▁the ▁special ▁prote ctor ▁of ▁the ▁Kenn ed ys ▁of ▁Or mond . ▁Ar ound ▁ 1 6 0 0 , ▁a ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁sept ▁migr ated ▁to ▁Co . ▁An trim ▁where ▁many ▁Kenn ed ys ▁are ▁still ▁found ▁today . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Da ith i ▁O ' h O g ain ▁( Associ ate ▁Professor ▁at ▁University ▁College ▁Dublin ), ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁line age ▁of ▁Irish ▁Kenn ed ys ▁desc ended ▁directly ▁from ▁Brian ▁Bor u : ▁' The ▁name ▁Cin ne ide ▁also ▁continued ▁in ▁the ▁direct ▁O ' B rien ▁line . ▁For ▁instance , ▁a ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁desc ended ▁from ▁King ▁D onn ch ad h , ▁son ▁of ▁Brian ▁Bor u , ▁settled ▁in ▁A her lo e ▁in ▁south ▁Ti pper ary , ▁one ▁section ▁of ▁which ▁had ▁the ▁name ▁Cin ne ide ▁as ▁a ▁surname . ▁Another ▁Cin ne ide ▁O ’ B ri ain , ▁grand son ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁D onn ch ad h , ▁was ▁a ▁strong ▁oppon ent ▁of ▁his ▁k ins man , ▁King ▁To ird he al