The O'Molloys were kings of Pailís UI Mhaolmhuaidh. There was a lot of O'Molloys in the area and they had castles including Pallas, Ralehin, Cully, Rathrobin, Garbally, Killooly, Derrydolney and Broughal. The O'Molloys were mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters because of wars battles and deaths of many chieftains. They sometimes fought against the O'Connors of Fáile and the O'Carrols of Ely. Other times they fought together against the Normans. In the 14th century they ruled Firceall without any trouble from the Normans.

In the 1540s to the 1550s the O'Molloys rebelled and made peace many times. In 1557 Teboid O'Molloy from Pallas became ruler of Firceall. In 1580 Lord Grey with 150 cavalry and 6 companies of infantry overran Firceall and hung the chief Hugh O'Molloy of Broughal "as a seditious person". The queen began to use surrender and regrant to try to keep the Irish chieftains in check. The people would surrender their land and promise to be loyal to the queen of England. Then she would give the land back to them. In 1587 Connal O'Molloy surrendered and his land was given back. He died in 1599. He was the last O'Molloy to be elected chief in the old Irish way. In 1605 the chief of Pallas was killed and his land was given to the English.