87

     *87.Niall was the 5th son of *86.Eochy "Muigh Mheadhoin" / "Mugmedon" the Lord of Slaves the Heremonian Ui Cobhthaigh Ui Felim Dal Cuinn 124th King of Tara / Ireland and Caireann "Chais Dubh" - of the Dark Curly Hair who was a Brythonic Princess the daughter of Scal "Moen" the King of the Saxons in Albion / Briton. *87.Niall was to be known eventually as *87.Niall of the Nine Hostages when he became the 126th King of Tara / Ireland who took Royal hostages from nine territories to ensure their allegiance, which he had previously submitted, and paid him tribute / borumha. This included the 4 Provinces in Ireland, Albion / Briton, the Scythian Cruthin Gaelic Picts in Alba / Scottish Highlands, the Heremonian Ui Cobhthaigh Ui Conaire Dal Riada Sept in the north - east of Ireland and Argyle (The Land of the Gael) in the Scottish Highlands, the Saxons in Briton, and the Celtic Morini in France. He was to go deep into Gaul to assist the Morini Celts to expel the Romans from their territory, which he subsequently conquered. In the very early 5th Century AD he was to be killed for revenge on the banks of the River Lianne near Boulgne - sur - mer by 95.Eochy / Eochaidh, who he had previously exiled to Alba / Scottish Highlands, who was the son of 94.Enda / Enna "Cennsalach" the Heremonian Ui Laoghaire Ui Lughaidh Cu Corb 2nd King of Leinster. (*87.Niall had previously decreed that Alba was to be known henceforth as Scotia Minor).

    *87.Niall of the Nine Hostages became the direct male line ancestor of the "Southern" and "Northern" Ui Niaill Septs / Family branches from his own 8 sons,*88.Cairbre / Coirpre who became the direct male line ancestor of one of the "Southern" Ui Niaill Septs who produced hid grandson, *90.Toole / Tuathal "Mael Garb" the 132nd King of Tara / Ireland. *88.Conall "Cremthainne" who became the direct male line ancestor of the "Southern" Cenel nArdgail Sept, the Siol nAedo Slaine and the Clann Cholmain Kings of Ireland, *88.Fiacha / Fiachu who became the direct male line ancestor of the "Southern" Cenel Fiachach Septs, *88.Leary / Laoghaire who became the "Southern" Ui Niaill 128th King of Tara / Ireland whose son, *89.Lewy / Lughaidh was to be the 130th King of Tara / Ireland, *88.Maine of Tethbae who was the male line ancestor of the "Southern" Ui Niaill Cenel Maine Sept. *88.Eogan who became the direct male line ancestor of the "Northern" Cenel nEogain Sept and Kings of Tara / Ireland, *88.Conal "Gulban" who became the direct male line ancestor of the "Northern" Cenel Conaill Septs and Kings of Tara / Ireland, *88.Enda who became the direct male line ancestor of the "Northern" Ui Endae Septs.

    *Only 2 of the 3 "Northern" Ui Niaill brothers, *88.Conall "Gulban" and *88.Eogain were to leave Ui Niaill Kings of Tara / Ireland with *88.Eogan's direct male line surviving the longest in the Kingships, with *88.Enda's Septs being absorbed by those of his two "Northern" brothers. Of the other 5 sons from the "Southern" Ui Niaill, only 3 of the brothers, *88.Coirpre, *88.Conal "Cremthainne" and *88.Leary / Laoghaire were to leave Ui Niaill Kings of Tara / Ireland. Although *88.Conall "Cremthainne" produced the Siol nAedo Slaine Kings early on from his descendant 91.Aed "Slaine" the 139th King of Ireland it was to be the Clann Cholmain Kings from his older half - brother,*91.Colman "Mor" who were to survive in the Kingships until after the Anglo - Norman Invasion in the 12th Century AD.

    Initially *87.Niall was to make his older half - brother, 87.Brion the original 1st King of Connacht, who was also to become the direct male line ancestor of the Ui Briuin Septs in Connacht and Kings of Connacht and eventually Ireland, and his other half - brother, 87.Fiachra the direct male line ancestor of the Ui Fiachrach Septs and Kings of Tara / Ireland and Connacht, a King of a district from Carn Feradaig near Co. Limerick in the north - west of Munster Province to Magh Mucronmhe near Athenry in Co. Galway in the south of the Connacht (The Land of *80.Conn).

    *87.Niall of the Nine Hostages had in essence become the first real Ard Ri / High King of Tara / Ireland although in actual fact there was no such position allowed under the Celtic Brehon Law as the Celtic Septs always remained independent of each other in Celtic culture and tradition. He had the fortress of the Grianan of Ailech / Ailed in the west of Co. Derry in the north of the Ulster Province as his summer place built with oak trees from Thomond / Northern Munster. It was situated on the Greenan Mountain west of Co. Derry overlooking Loch Swilly and Loch Fee where it was to last until the 8^th Century AD under the auspices of his descendants the "Northern" Ui Niaill. *87.Niall divided Ireland into two parts and was to send the 3 youngest of his 8 sons, *88.Eogan the direct make line ancestor of the Cenel nEogain Septs, *88.Conall "Gulban" the direct male line ancestor of the Cenel Conaill Septs, and *88.Enda the direct male line ancestor of the Ui Endae Septs into the north to secure the territory there in Ulster, which did not include the territory in the east of there controlled then by the Irian Septs in Ulaid in Co. Antrim and Co. Down who were descended from 37.Ir (Irians) a brother to *37.Heremon (Heremonians) and 37.Heber "Fionn" (Heberians.) (All of the descendants of these 3 Heremonian Ui Niaill sons were to become the "Northern" Ui Niaill.) He gave over the Midland / Mide / Meath / Northern Leinster region to his other 5 sons whose descendants became the "Southern" Ui Niaill who were based on Tara in Co. Meath / Bregia and Co. Westmeath (Tethbae).

      *88.Conaill "Gulban" was to be set up at Tir Conaill (The Land of *88.Conall) where he was to be the direct male ancestor of the Cenel Conaill (The Family of *88.Conall) in their territory there, now known as Co. Donegal / Dun na Gall (The Fort of the Foreigners) in the far north west of the Ulster Province. Of his other (2) "Northern" sons, *88.Eogan was to establish the Cenel nEogain at Inish Eogan (The Island of *88.Eogan / Owen) and his descendants Tir Eogan (The Land of *88.Eogan) which was extended later into Co. Tyrone in Central Ulster. The other "Northern" Ui Niaill brother, *88.Enda became the ancestor of the Ui Endae Sept, which was to be later absorbed by the expanding Septs of his two other "Northern" Ui Niaill brothers. The O Donnellys, O Hagans, O Kanes, Mac Lochlainns, O Neills were to be the more modern Families descended directly from *88.Eogan. the O Donnells from *88.Conall "Gulban."

       Of the other (5) brothers who were to produce the "Southern" Ui Niaill,*88.Coirpre's / Cairbre's grandson, *90.Toole / Tuathal "Mael Garb," as previously mentioned, became the "Southern" Ui Niaill 132nd King of Tara / Ireland. Also as previously mentioned, *88.Leary / Laoghaire was to be the Ui Niaill 128th King of Tara / Ireland who had promised his father he would not become a Christian and was buried upright facing his enemies in the Ulster Province. *88.Maine of Tethbae had his territory surrounded by the River Inny and Loch Ree and left no Kings of Ireland, As also previously mentioned,*88.Fiachu was the direct male line ancestor of the Cenel Fiachach who were to have their territory in the south, separated by the River Brosna and joined onto the Munster Province further to the south still. Both *88.Fiachu’s and *88.Maine's male line also did not produce any Ui Niaill Kings of Tara / Ireland. *88.Conaill "Cremthainne's" male line became the most dominant in the south in the end, producing many "Southern" Ui Niaill Kings of Ireland. Around 700 AD the "Southern" Ui Niaill territory included the territory of the Cenel Fiachach (Tethbae), *88.Leary / Laoghaire, the Gailenga, the Luigne, the Cianachta, the Saithne, the Fir Tulach and two of the "Southern" Septs of *88.Cairbre. The ancient kingdoms of Brega, Tara, Knowth, and Lagore were also part of it taking in Co. Meath, Co. Longford, the south of Co. Louth and Co. Cavan now found in the Ulster Province, and the north of Co. Dublin, Co. Kildare and Co. Offaly in Southern Leinster.

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