Northern Uí Néill

Exterior view of Grianan of Aileach situated in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland; the royal fort of the over-kingdom of the Northern Uí Néill; 55°01′24″N 7°25′43″W / 55.023386°N 7.428509°W.

The Northern Uí Néill is the name given to several dynasties in north-western medieval Ireland that claimed descent from a common ancestor, Niall of the Nine Hostages.[1] Other dynasties in central and eastern Ireland who also claimed descent from Niall were termed the Southern Uí Néill.[1] The dynasties of the Northern Uí Néill where Cenél Conaill, Cenél Énda, and Cenél nEógain, named after supposed sons of Niall: Conall, Enda, and Eógain.[1] Whether or not the Cenél Énda were actually part of the Northern Uí Néill or were a part of the Southern Uí Néill is disputed.

The over-kingdom ruled by the Northern Uí Néill was known as In Tuaiscert (meaning "the North"), before being renamed Ailech after the Cenél nEógain's rise to dominance.[2]

History

The Northern Uí Néill are said to have originated from the over-kingdom of Connacht, pushing their way northwards taking western Ulster from the Ulaid.[3] This territory roughly equated to present-day County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. Here they founded their own over-kingdom and dynasties: the Cenél Conaill, Cenél nEógain,[3] and Cenél Énda. The Northern Uí Néill's over-kingdom in its earliest days was known as In Fochla and In Tuaiscert, both meaning "the North", and was ruled by the Cenél Conaill.[2] After the Cenél nEógain's rise to dominance, it became known as Ailech.[2]

Sub-kingdoms

The over-kingdom of the Northern Uí Néill's was divided into several sub-kingdoms, which on their own held dominance over smaller tuatha. Cenél Conaill named their territory Tír Conaill, meaning "Conall's land". The territory Tír Conaill (Anglicised as Tyrconnell) held by the late 16th century, would become the basis for County Donegal. The Cenél nEógain named their territory Inis Eógain, meaning "Eógain's island", the name of which survives today as the name of the Inishowen peninsula. The Cenél Conaill and Cenél nEógain are assumed to have established lordship over their neighbouring local tuatha.[4]

The territory held by the Cenél Énda is more confusing. Depending on the source, they may have descended from the youngest son of Niall of the Nine Hostages, or the sixth son of Niall's own son, Conall Gulban, the eponymous ancestor of the Cenél Conaill.[5] Early Irish sources locate descended clans of the Cenél Énda as being in the lands of the Southern Uí Néill; however, in others the Cenél Énda are cited as appearing to hold lands in the fertile plains of the Laggan, just south of Mag nÍtha, as well as in Tír Enda and Fanad, in County Donegal.[5] The Cenél nEógain branch of Cenél Moen, and the Cenél Conaill are later cited in the area of Tír Enda.[5]

Vying for dominance

Throughout the 6th and 7th centuries AD, the Cenél Conaill and Cenél nEógain are both claimed as vying for dominance of the Northern Uí Néill over-kingdom.[1] Initially the Cenél Conaill held dominance until the collapsing of their power around the 780s, allowing the Cenél nEógain to advance against them.[2] According to the Annals of Ulster, in 788 AD the Cenél nEógain as part of a southwards push burned the monastery of Derry, which had been built by the Cenél Conaill in the 6th century.[2]

The following year, 789 AD, the battle of Cloítech occurred between the Cenél nEógain, led by Áed Oirdnide, and the Cenél Conaill, for complete control of the Northern Uí Néill.[2] The Cenél nEógain emerged victorious excluding the Cenél Conaill from the over-kingship as well as from Mag nÍtha, the valuable plains south of Greenan Mountain in Inishowen.[2] Following this battle, the Northern Uí Néill over-kingdom became known as "Ailech" instead of "In Fochla" and "In Tuaiscert".[2] The Cenél Conaill where afterwards confined to the sub-kingdom of Tír Conaill.[6]

Dominance over Ulster

The Northern Uí Néill were initially hesitant to test the might of the Ulster's more powerful kingdoms such as Airgialla, Ulaid, and even the minor Cianacht, however over the following centuries they would come to conquer and dominate the majority of Ulster.[4] The rate of this expansion has been claimed as equating to a rate of not even 10 miles per century.[4]

The main beneficiary of this was the Cenél nEógain, whose gains came largely at the expense of the over-kingdom of Airgialla in central Ulster.[6] At first the Cenél nEógain established hegemony over them.[3] Concurrently, facing pressure from the Cenél Conaill, branches of the Cenél nEógain started to expand into these Airgiallan lands as well as those of Ulaid.[6] These lands became known as Tír Eógain, the "land of Eoghan", preserved in the name of present-day County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. These conquests included:[6]

Southwards the Cenél nEógain had also established the kingdom of Cairpre Dromma Cliab, in modern-day County Sligo.[6]

Despite these gains, the Cenél nEógain suffered some loses. The Ua Dochartaig (O'Doherty) who had come to prominence in Tír Conaill eventually forced the Cenél nEógain out of Inishowen, with the Ua Domnaill (O'Donnell) sept expelling the Cenél nEógain family Ua Gairmledaig (O'Gormley) of Cenél Moen from Mag nÍtha.[6] Eventually Fír Luirg and Tuatha Ratha came under dominance of the Mag Uidhir (Maguire) lordship of Fir Manach.[6] Cairpre Dromma Cliab had also been lost, having been conquered by Tigernán Ua Ruairc of the kingdom of Bréifne.[6]

The Vikings

Throughout the 9th century the coastline of Ailech and the rest of Ulster was subject to Viking raids. During the 850s, Viking disunity allowed the Ulster kings to fight back and inflict overwhleming defeats on the Vikings.[8] This cumulated in 866, when the king of Ailech, Áed Finnliath, managed to clear the Vikings from their strongholds in "the North, both in Cenel Eogain and Dal nAraide", and won a battle in Lough Foyle on the east coast of Inishowen.[8] This was an important victory as the Vikings largely left Ulster alone for many years afterwards, leaving little imprint on Ulster compared to the rest of Ireland.[8] By the time the Normans arrived in Ulster in the latter 12th century, the Vikings' only settlement of note was "Ulfrek's ford" (modern-day Larne).[8]

Grianán of Ailech

It has been proposed that the Cenél nEógain occupied the site of Grianán fort, which may have been within Cenél Conaill territory, and as new kings of the over-kingdom, and renamed it after their home territory, giving it its present-day name of the Grianán of Ailech.[2] It is usually identified, whether correctly or not, as the capital of of the Cenél nEógain from the 6th century, until its destruction, according to the Annals of Ulster, in 1101.[2]

Cenél Conaill

Below is a chart listing the ancestry of the Cenél Conaill from Niall of the Nine Hostages, which contains figures from oral history until the 700s when the historical period in Ireland starts.

   !        !                                     !
   !     O'Freel                                  !
   !                                              !
   |_______________________________               |______________
   |                     |        |               |             |
   |                     |        |               |             |
   Ainmire, died 569 Colum Lugaid Mael Tuile Bresal, died 644
   Ri of Ireland
   |                              |               |
   |                              |               |
   |                       Cenél Lugdach Dungal, Rí Cenél mBogaine, died 672
   |                              |               |
   |                              |               |______________
   |                            Ronan             |            |
   |                              |               |            |
   |                              |               Sechnasach Dub Diberg, died 703
   |                            Garb              |            |
   |                              |               ?            |
   |                              |               |            Flaithgus, died 732
   |                              |           Forbasach        |
   |                              |       Rí Cenél mBogaine    ?
   |                          Cen Faelad died 722            |
   |                              |                            Rogaillnech, died 815
   |       _______________________|
   |       |                      |
   |       |                      |
   |       Mael Duin Fiaman
   |       |                       |
   |       ?                       ?
   |       |                       |
   |       Airnelach Maenguile
   |       |                       |
   |       |                       |
   |       |                       |
   |       |                       |
   |       Cen Faelad Dochartach
   |       |           (Clann Ua Dochartaig)
   |       |
   |       |____________________________________________
   |       |                                           |
   |       |                                           |
   |       Dalach, 'Dux' Cenél Conaill, died 870.   Bradagain
   |       |                                           |
   |       |                                           |
   |       Eicnecan, Rí Cenél Conaill, died 906 Baigill
   |       |                                        (Clann Ua Baighill)
   |       |
   |       |_______________________________________________________________________
   |       |   !        !          !                   !                           !
   !       !   !        !          !                   !                           !       two sons Flann Adlann Domnall Mor Conchobar
   |    died 956 & 962.          Abbot of Derry (Clann Ua Domnaill
   |                              died 950.        Kings of Cenel Conaill after 1270 a.d.)
   |
   |_______________________
   |                  |
   |                  |
   Áed, died 598 Ciaran
   |                  |
   |                  |
   |                  Fiachra, founder of Derry, died 620.
   |
   |__________________________________________________________
   |                      |           |                      |
   |                      |           |                      |
   Domnall, died 642 Conall Cu Mael Cobo, died 615 Cumuscach, died 597
   High King died 704 High King of Ireland    |
   of Ireland                         |____________
   |                                  |            |
   |                                  |            |
   |                                Cellach Conall Cael
   |                                  |  both died 658/664
   |                                  |
   |                           (Clann Ua Gallchobair)
   |
   |
   |_____________________________________________________________________________
   |                      |           |           |                |             !
   |                      |           |           |                |             !
   Oengus, died 650 Conall Colgu Ailill Flannesda       Fergus Fanad
   |                   died 663 died 663 died 666 died 654
   |                                                                             !
   !                                                                             !
   !                                                                             !
   |                                                                             |
   |                                                                    Congal Cenn Magair
   |                                                                  died 710
   |                                                                   High King of Ireland
   |                                                                             !
   |                                                        _____________________|_______
   |                                                        |         |                 |
   |                                                        |         |                 |
   |                                                     Donngal Flann Gohan Conaig
   |                                                   died 731 died 732 died 733
   !                                                            !
   !                                                            !
   |                                                       O'Breslin-Fanat
   Loingsech, died 703
   High King of Ireland
   |
   |_____________________________________________________________________
   |                                |                    |      |      |
   |                                |                    |      |      |
   Flaithbertach, deposed 734.  Fergus, died 707 three other sons, all killed 703
   |
   |_______________________________________________________________________
   |                                                 |                  |
   |                                                 |                  |
   Aed Muinderg, Ri in Tuisceart, died 747.     Loingsech Murchad
   |                                           Rí Cenél Conaill Rí Cenél Conaill
   |_______________ died 754 died 767
   |              |                                                     |
   |              |                                                     |
   Domnall Donnchad Mael Bresail
  died 804 fl. 784 Rí Cenél Conaill
   |                                                                died 767
   |                                                                     |
   Flaithbertach                                                         |
   |                                                                   Oengus
   |                                                                     |
   Canannan                                                              |
  (Ua Canannain) Mael Doraid
                                                                   (Ua Maildoraid)
 Ri Cenel Conaill                                                         |
                                                                   _______|_______
                                                                  |               |
                                                                  |               |
                                                                 Fogartach Mael Bresail
                                                            Rí Cenél Conaill Rí Cenél Conaill
                                                                 died 904 died 901

Descendants

Descendants of the Cenél Conaill include the O'Donnell dynasty, O'Doherty and Gallagher clans. The most famous descendant of the Cenél Conaill is Saint Columba, who founded the monastery at Derry, and is claimed as being the grand-son of Conall Gulban.[1]

Cenél Énda

Descendants

Descendants of the Cenél Énda include:

Cenél nEógain

Below is a chart listing the ancestry of the Cenél nEógain from Fergal mac Máele Dúin, the first of the lineage to be recorded in historical records.