8th Century AD
From
700 AD until 900 A.D. the
language period in Ireland would be known as "Old
Irish." During this Century, Nimidas was held, which was derived from
the word,
"Nemeton," which is plural for "Holy Places of the Woods" where Seasonal gatherings
of the Septs from each Tuath / Family region occurred when the Earthen
Mounds
throughout the
various territories were to be used more in Ireland
for gatherings of the various Septs instead of for burials.
(The
"Senchas
Mor"
/ Great Laws were written down also during this Century).
North - Eastern
Ulster:
in the territory of the
Ulaid /
Ulidia
the order of the Septs remained basically the same as in the previous Century
with the Heremonian
Ui Cobhthaigh
Dal Riada Septs still in the
north
of Co.
Antrim below the
Giant's Causeway and Larne and the
Irian Dal nAraidi Sept were still
below them between Larne and Antrim. The
Dal Fiatach Sept were still
further down near
Belfast
and the Ui Echach
Cobo
Sept a branch of the Irian Dal nAraidi
Sept were below them to the east of Co. Monaghan and the
Heremonian
Ui Cobhthaigh Dal Cuinn 3 Colla Conaill Muirtheimne Sept
were below them above
Dundalk.
Northern
Ulster:
The
original 3
Heremonian
Ui Cobhthaigh
Dal Cuinn
"Northern"
Ui Niaill
Septs descended from the 3 sons of 87.Niall
of the Nine Hostages,
88.Eogan, 88.Conall "Gulban"
and
88 Endae had by now
basically combined into two main
"Northern"
Septs the
Cenel nEogain and the
Cenel Conaill. In the central - north of
Ulster
Province
in their own territory were also the
Cianacht Sept descended from
85.Cian at Keenaught near Coleraine
and below them the 3 Colla Fir
Li
Sept, and below them the Colla da Crioch
Ui Thuirtre Sept west of
Antrim. Further to the south between
Derry and
Omagh were the "Northern"
Ui Niaill
Cenel
nEogain Septs descending from
88.Eogan, and the
Cenel nEnnae Sept
descending from his brother 88.Enda in the north -
west above Dungloe near Raphoe in Co. Donegal. The
Cenel Conaill Septs descending from
88.Conall "Gulban" would be more
predominant until 734 AD and their territory was in the west
adjoining the territory of both their kinsmen the
Cenel nEnnae and the
Cenel nEogain.
The Heremonian Ui
Cobhthaigh Dal Cuinn Colla da Crioch
Ui Cremthainn Sept in
Orghialla /
Airghialla
were to the east of Omagh below the
Cenel nEogain and the
Ui
Thuirtre, with the Fir Manach Sept to the south -
west of them above Enniskillen. To the east of the Fir Manach were the
Colla da Crioch
Airthir Sept near
Armagh, the Colla da
Crioch Ui Meith
Sept further south below Enniskillen, the
Colla Uais Mugdorna
Sept to the east of them and west of the Ui Echach Cobo
Sept.
The Dairtre Sept were south of the
Ui Meith and
Mugdorna above Cavan with
the Fir Rois Sept further to the
south - east of the 3 Colla
Conaill Muirtheimne Sept between Cavan and
Dundalk. In the south of the far - west were the
Cairbre
/ Cairpre Dromma Sept of
Ulster
near Bundoran in
Co.
Donegal and below them the Dartraige Sept still in
Ulster,
north of the Calraige Sept near
Sligo
in
Connacht.
By the end of the 8th Century AD the
Cenel nEogain would
expand their influence further to the south and to the
east from Inishowen and Derry
across the plain of
Mid -
Ulster.
They would then slowly bring their kinsmen the Heremonian
Ui Cobhthaigh Dal Cuinn 3 Colla
Septs in their
individual kingdoms there in
Orghialla
also under their control. The
Ulaid
Septs along the
east coast, and their "Northern"
Ui Niaill
Cenel Conaill
kinsmen
in the north - west
would continue to remain opposed to there increasing
influence
in
Ulster.
Connacht:
the two most dominant Septs here were to be still the
Ui Fiachrach
(87.Fiachra)
and
Ui Briuin
(87.Brion) who were
Heremonian
Ui Cobhthaigh Dal Cuinn kinsmen to the
Ui
Niaill,
the Ui Maine
and the 3 Colla
Septs.
The
Ui Fiachrach
had two main Septs, the
"Northern"
Ui Fiachrach
Muaide and
the "Southern"
Ui Fiachrach Aidni. The
"Southern"
Ui Fiachrach Aidni
Sept
had dominated here previously and also
much of
Northern
Munster, but the
authority of the
Ui Briuin
Septs was now emerging rapidly and the
Ui Fiachrach's
influence
was weakening. One of the
Ui Briuin
Septs spread out to the north - east establishing the kingdom of the
Ui Briuin Breifne right up to the
borders of the
Ui Niaill
in
the Irian Conmaicne Rein
Sept territory and this created a
wedge between the two
more dominant Septs of the "Northern"
and "Southern"
Ui Niaill.
(By the 12th Century AD it would
actually be the
Ui Briuin who would become the
most dominant Sept in
Ireland).
Meanwhile at this time the "Northern"
Ui Fiachrach Muaide
Sept were in the far - west of
Ballina with the
Cianacht
Luigni Sept near Ballina, the
Ui Briuin Ailella Sept
were further to the east near
Sligo in Co. Sligo towards the territory of their kinsmen
the Ui Briuin Breifne
west of the Dairtre Sept. The Cianachta Gailenga Sept
in
Connacht were near
Castlebar, the
Ui Briuin Ai Sept further
to the east and the Conmaicne Rein Sept further
east still and below the
Ui Briuin Breifne. The
Ui Briuin
Umaill
Sept were near
Westport, in the far - west and to
the west of the Gailenga in
Connacht,
and the Partraige Sept were below them near the west
coast. The Sogain Sept were to the east of the
Partraige in the middle towards Roscommon with the eastern
Delbna Sept further to the east near Roscommon. The
Irian
Conmaicne Mara Sept were near Clifden on the south - west coast below the
Partraige with the Ui Briuin
Seola to the east of them above Tuam to the south - west of the
eastern Delbna Sept in
Connacht.
The western Delbna Sept was near
Galway with the
Ui Maine Sept to the east
of them near Ballinsloe and the
Ui Fiachrach Aidni Sept
was to the south below
Galway. Although the "Southern"
Ui Fiachrach Aidni Sept had run its race
their kinsmen the
"Northern"
Ui Fiachrach
Muaide Sept, who were also descended from
87.Fiachra were to still
provide 3 Kings of
Connacht during this coming Century
while the Ui Briuin Septs descended from his brother,
87.Brion were to become much more dominant in
Connacht.
The
Ui Briuin were
to be represented by the Ui Briuin
Umaill
Sept near Clew Bay, the
Ui Briuin Sinna Sept in the
east of Co.
Roscommon, the
Ui Briuin
Seola
Sept at Tuam in
Co. Galway,
the Ui Briuin
Breifne
Septs
and the Ui Briuin
Ai
Septs
all tracing descent from 87.Brion
and his son 88.Daui
"Tenga Uma" - of the Sweet Tongue the 3rd King of Connacht
from
the 5th Century AD, who had been previously insignificant during the past Century,
were to now
spread out from Central Connacht.
The Ui Briuin
Sinna
Sept who were originally known as the
Cenel
mac
Ercae, and the Ui Briuin
Umaill Sept would be be
first recorded in 787 AD among the
Ui Briuin Septs. The
Saer - Tuatha gave a tribute free status
in the
Ui Briuin territory from the
River
Shannon to Clew
Bay. The
Ui Briuin Ai
Sept
at Magh nAi were
situated around Cruachu were they eventually came to monopolise the
Kingship of
Connacht. (Their direct ancestor, 90.Murray
/ Muiredach "Mal" was a
brother to 90.Fergus the direct ancestor of the
Ui Briuin
Breifne,
who did not exist before the 8th Century AD, whose territory was to take in
Co. Leitrim
and what became
Co. Cavan in Southern
Ulster
/ Garb Thrian Connacht
(The Rough Third). (They would become especially strong in the 11th and 12th Century
AD.)
87.Brion's
other
brother,
87.Ailill
who was the direct ancestor of the
Ui Ailello Sept only
developed a minor kingdom in Co. Sligo in
the Barony of Tirerill, which was never prominent and was to decline further leaving
the way open for the Heremonian
Ui Cobhthaigh Dal Cuinn
Ui Maine
Sept whose over kingdom was to spread over the whole south
- east.
Northern
Leinster /
Midlands
/ Mide:
The influence of the
Heremonian Ui Cobhthaigh
Dal Cuinn "Southern"
Ui Niaill had emerged,
emanating from the other 5 of the 8 sons of
87.Niall
of the Nine Hostages the 126th King of Ireland
in 88.Coirpre
/ Cairbre,
88.Leary
/ Laoghaire,
88.Maine of
Tethbae, 88.Fiacha the direct ancestor of
the Cenel Fiachach Sept, but mainly it was to be be
advanced through 88.Conall "Cremthainn."
His descendants
also had by now divided into two predominant Septs through the auspices of his grandson,
90.Diarmait
mac Carroll
/ Cerball the previous 133rd
King of Tara / Ireland who was
to be the father of
3 sons who would leave contending issue including,
91.Colman
"Bec" the
direct ancestor
of the Caille Follamain
Sept.
91.Aed "Slaine" the
previous joint 139th
King of Ireland who was the direct
ancestor the Siol nAedo Slaine
Sept and 91.Colman "Mor"
the direct ancestor of the Clann Cholmain
Sept. Of these it would be those descending from the Siol
nAedo Slaine and the
Clann Cholmain Septs who would
come to control the territory in Co. Westmeath
and
Co. Meath. To the north was the eastern
Cianachta Gailenga
"Mide"
Sept with the
Cianachta Sept descended from 85.Cian near the
east - coast above Drogheda. The Cianacht Luigne Sept also
descended from 85.Cian were below the
Gailenga
"Mide" and the
Cairbre /
Cairpre
"Mide" Sept
descended from 87.Coirpre was to the south - west
of them, north west of Tethbae.
Brega was to the east
and the territory of
88.Leary
/ Laoghaire to the
southwest of there, with the Saithne Sept on the east
coast below Brega. To the south - west was the
Cenel Fiachach Sept
descended from 88.Fiacha, and east of them in the
centre was the Cu Corb Ui
Cheinnselaig Fir Thulach Sept with the
Cairbre
"Mide" east of them and to the south - west of the Saithne. The
"Southern" Ui Niaill
Siol nAedo Slaine Sept would
be in the ascendant up until 728 AD and altogether they were to produce
9
Kings of
Ireland.
The
Clann Cholmain
would then become much more dominant in 743 AD
and
go on to produce the last 7
of the 8 remaining
"Southern"
Ui Niaill
Kings of
Ireland.
Despite this over 200 years later on the
Siol nAedo Slaine
would
produce one
more in
101.Congalach
"Cnogba"
the
168th King of
Ireland. (The "Southern"
Ui Niaill
were to continue to try and dominate the north of Leinster.)
The "Southern" Ui Niaill
Kings of Knowth / Cnogba were also
to be the over - Kings of the Cianachta
in their region as they had
conquered that particular Sept south
of the Lower Boyne, while north of the River Boyne the
Cianachta
Kings
were to keep their status in
Fir Arda
Cianachta
(Barony of Ferrard). Tara
in Meath with it's ancient
ramparts was
now chosen by the "Southern"
Ui Niaill of
Northern Brega as
their royal fortress as it could be seen from all of the hills of the
Provinces.
The
"Southern"
Ui Niaill Siol nAedo Slaine
Sept descended from
91.Aed
"Slaine"
and therefore
88.Conal
"Cremthainne" would
basically see the end of their participation in the Kingship of Ireland by 728 AD, and the
"Northern" Ui Niaill
Cenel Conaill Sept descended from
a brother to 88.Conal "Cremthainne. namely
88.Conall "Gulban" would also produce their
last Kings of Ireland by 743 AD. The
Clann Cholmain
Sept descended from an older half - brother to
91.Aed
"Slaine," in
91.Colman "Mor" would finally
come to the fore in their own right, and
from then on would share the Ui Niaill
Kingship of
Ireland only with the "Northern"
Ui Niaill
Cenel nEogain Sept descended
from another of 87.Niall of the Nine Hostages sons, 88.Eogan. The
Cenel nEogain from then on
when not acting as the
Kings of Ireland were to be the
Kings of
Aileach in Northern Ulster claiming allegiance
from their "Northern" Ui Niaill kinsmen the Cenel Conaill
and the lesser Gaelic Milesian
kingdoms there in the north. At the same time in the
Midlands / Northern Leinster
the
"Southern"
Ui Niaill
Clann Cholmain
King of
Meath ruled over the
"Southern" Ui Niaill
from the River Shannon
eastwards to the
sea. Despite this
the Siol nAedo Slaine kingdom in
Brega in Meath
in the east
nevertheless remained a separate
kingdom with the
Siol nAedo Slaine Sept
still dominant over the other Septs there, including
the "Southern"
Ui Niaill
Cenel nArdgail
Sept descended from
89.Ardgal,
another son of 88.Conall "Cremthainne," and the
"Southern" Ui Niaill
Ui Laoghaire Sept descended
from 88.Laoghaire
who had been the 128th King of
Tara / Ireland in his own right,
and
another
son of 87.Niall of
the Nine Hostages the 126th King of Tara /
Ireland.
Southern Leinster;
The
Heremonian
Septs descending from
84.Cu
"Corb," (A descendant of
78.Lewy
/ Lughaidh) a son of 77.Breasal
"Breac)," whose own grandson,
*80.Nuadhas
“Neacht”
had become the Heremonian
Ui Laoghaire Ui Lughaidh
96th
King of
Tara
/
Erinn. after 12
generations of their particular Sept being out in the cold. (They in turn
were all descended from 60.Leary
/ Laoghaire
"Lorc"
the
68th
King of Tara / Ireland and
his father,
59.Ugaine the Great the
66th King of Tara
/ Ireland who had been a contemporary of Alexander
the Great, who was also in turn descended from 37.Heremon.
(They were
by now the most dominant Sept in
Southern Leinster.)
Of
these the
Ui Dunlainge
Sept descending from
92.Dunlaing, a son of 93.Enna
"Nia," a son of
90.
Bressal "Belach" the
1st
King of
Leinster,
a grandson of 88.Cahir
/ Cathair
"Mor" the
109th King of Tara / Ireland
was to be the most prominent.
Their
Ui
Faelain
Sept emanating from 103.Faelan
the 16th King of Leinster was in the north -
west, and their Cu Corb
Ui Mail kinsmen emanating from
90.Maine "Mal" the
Ui Chellaig
Cualann
Sept were to the south - east of them
west of Dublin.
(The
Ui Dunlainge Sept had their territory below the
Ui Faelain). Their
other Cu Corb kinsmen,
the Dal Messin Corb Ui Garrchon Sept
emanating from 87.Mess "Corb"
and 90.Garrchu was on
the east - coast to the east of the
Ui Dunlainge.
Their other
Cu Corb
kinsmen the
Ui
Bairrche
Sept emanating from 91.Daire "Barrach" were to the south of the
Ui Dunlainge
and the Ui
Enechglais Sept emanating from his brother,
91.Bressal "Enechglas" were on the east - coast south of the
Ui Garrchon Sept and to the south - east of the
Ui Bairrche.(Both were sons of
90.Caher / Cathair
"Mor" who had been the 109th King of Tara / Ireland). The
Ui Drona Sept descended from
94.Dron, a son of 93.Labraid
"Laidech," another of the two sons of 92.Bressal
"Belach" the 1st King of Leinster was in the
south - west below these and to the west of the
Ui Cheinnselaig Sept in the
far south - east, who were descended from his brother,
94.Enna "Cennsalach" who had been the 2nd King of Leinster
and their direct ancestor,
who were by now slowly losing their grip on the Kingship
of Leinster
at this time. In the east the most dominant Sept was that of
99.Kelly / Cellach
"Cualann"
who was the present Cu Corb Ui Mail
13th King of Leinster
who was to become the direct ancestor of the
Ui Chellaig Cualann Sept.
He was descended from
95.Aed "Dibchine" the 6d King of Leinster through
88.Maine "Mal" the direct
ancestor of the
Ui Mail
and
Ui Theig
Septs who was also descended from
84.Cu "Corb." Also the
Heremonian
Ui Laoghaire Ui Connla Septs, (who were also descended from
60.Leary / Laoghaire "Lorc," also) but through 78.Lewy's
/ Lughaidh's
brother, 78.Connla, had their territory in the south - west in
their kingdom of Ossory
in what is now
Co. Kilkenny bordering on Co. Tipperary in
the north - east of the Munster Province,
who would in the future
culminate in the Fitz Patricks.
Northern Munster:
in the far - north to the east of the
River Shannon was the Delbna
"Munster" above the
Cu Corb
Ui Failge
Sept with the Heremonian
Ui Cobhthaigh Muscraige
Tire Sept descended from
69.Conaire 11 the 111th King
of Tara / Ireland near Birr in
Co. Offaly. The
Irian
Loigis Sept were to the east of them along the
Leinster
border, as was the
Osraige Sept below them, and the
Heberian
Cianachta Eile Sept descended
from 85.Cian were to the
south below the Muscraige Tire.
The Uaithne Sept were near
Limerick
and the Heberian Eoghanacht
Chaisil
Sept was to the east of them in Co.
Tipperary.
The Eoghanacht
Ui Fidgeinti
Sept were below Adare in Co. Limerick and the
Eoghanacht Aine were below the
Ciarraige Luachra Sept near Tralee. The Heremonian
Ui Cobhthaigh Muscraige Corca Duibne Sept was at
Dingle and the
Eoghanacht Locha Lein
Sept were to the
east of them with the Eoghanacht
Glendamnach Sept to the east of them. The
Deisi
Muman Sept were near
Waterford
on the south - east coast and the
Eoghanacht Ui Liathain
Sept further to the south of them near
Cork. To the south - west
along the coastal region were the
Eoghanacht Raithlind Sept and to the west
of them near Bantry the remaining Ithian
Corca Loigde Sept.
In
Co.
Clare
to the west of the River Shannon in the far - northern corner at this time there was still
the Cianacht Corca Mruad Sept
aristocratically descended also from
85.Cian and below them the
Heremonian
Ui Cobhthaigh
Muscraige Corca Baiscind
Sept descended from 70.Cairbre
"Baschaoin" another of the 3 sons of 69.Conaire 11,
the 111th King
of Tara / Ireland,
with the
Heberian Dal gCais
Septs descended from 91.Cas along the
banks of the River Shannon.
Southern
Munster:
The Ithian Corca Loigde Sept based
originally on the Erainn Septs had early on been in
control up until now, but the
Heberian
Eoghanacht Septs in the
north - east from Cashel and Glanworth now began to really
dominate, as they had begun to rule here
from the 7th Century AD and would do so until the middle of the
10th Century
AD
in their own right when the Cashel / Munster Kingship would be passed to the emerging
Heberian Dal gCais
Ui Bloid Ui Turlough
Sept. The
Heberian
Eoghanacht
Kings of
Cashel / Munster
at this time also relied heavily on the
Heberian Dalcassian warriors from
Thomond / Northern Munster to back them
up as they were always, "The
first into battle and the last out, " and this was only strengthening the
Dalcassians' ability to fight
for their own cause when it was to arrive.
+On to
701 AD - 710 AD