Talk:Kings of Ailech

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What a shitty article. Could it at least explain where Ailech is? john k 08:07, 5 November 2007 (UTC)

I'm not the right person to fix it, but I've had a stab at it. Let me know if it still doesn't make sense. Angus McLellan (Talk) 11:49, 5 November 2007 (UTC)

Hmm, well, no, not really Tyrone/Tír Eógain, or not according to my trusty (but far from in-depth) Atlas of Irish History. More to the west and north (parts of Donegal, Londonderry, Antrim). There was a lot of shuffling around in north-east Ireland as the kingdom of Ulster finally disintegrated. I could do a map I suppose, although my map-making skills are not very great. Angus McLellan (Talk) 14:43, 5 November 2007 (UTC)

Zoney's map

If we take Zoney's artistic geomap of Ireland, as seen on the right. Ailech and its subjects, as distinct from the notional "kingdom of the North", would have included Inishowen and the lands to the east as far as the Bann. In terms of a southern border, that's a lot less clear, but perhaps a line from the bottom end of Lough Swilly to the middle Bann would be realistic. This circa 800AD. Later, as the groups who had controlled much of Tyrone pushed crossed the Bann, the kingdom of Ailech expanded into the gap. When the Normans arrived, its influence probably extended to the Blackwater and Lough Neagh. But by this time the Cenel nEogain had long since lost any real unity they had ever had and split into several groups. The successors would probably be the O'Neills who, as you said, controlled most of Tyrone, and certainly the centre and east. The MacLouglins controlled parts of western Tyrone and Londonderry, and Inishowen had its own rulers in the O'Dohertys. Angus McLellan (Talk) 15:53, 5 November 2007 (UTC)

Very complicated, all this. Should we then say it was centered in County Londonderry, instead? john k 05:47, 14 November 2007 (UTC)

Was in use by "Ui Neill" kings from 500's from writings I've come across (not simply Cenel Eogain group). Was an ancient ringfort, stone construction may be from 700 or so.

In the historic period, from the middle of the sixth century, the Grianán of Aileach is always thought of as the capital of the northern Ui Neill, the dynasty descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages. It acted as such up until the twelfth century. However as it was destroyed in 1050, it was the capital in name only. It was the site where the Kings of Aileach held their inauguration ceremonies. It is written in the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick that Patrick blessed the fortress and left a symbolic flagstone there prophesying that many kings and clerics would come from the place.