UI NEILL, NORTHERN (Medieval Ireland)

The Early Period—Cenel Conaill Dominance

"The Northern U Neill" is the collective name for the dynasties established in northwest Ulster by Eogan, Conall, and Endae, three putative sons of Niall No^giallach, known respectively as Cenel nEogain, Cenel Conaill, and Cenel nEnnai. If Cenel nEnnai ever held a prominent position, it has left no trace in the historical records, and the history of the Northern U Neill is, essentially, the history of Cenel Conaill and Cenel nEogain.

From the sixth century, when the Northern W Neill emerged onto the pages of history, until the latter half of the eighth century, Cenel Conaill were the dominant grouping among the Northern W Neill. However, the standing of Cenel nEogain was by no means insignificant during this period, in the course of which several members of that dynasty attained the over kingship of the U Neill. At the battle of Mag Roth (Moira, Co. Down) in 637, Domnall mac Aedo of Cenel Conaill, who styled himself rex Hibernie ("king of Ireland"), defeated an alliance of the king of Ulaid and the Dal Riata from Scotland. After this battle, the W Neill were established as the dominant power in the north of Ireland. The base of Cenel Conaill and Cenel nEogain lay in the relatively poor lands of Donegal in the northwest of Ireland (the massive stone fortress of Ailech, in the Inishowen peninsula, was to remain synonymous with the kingship of Cenel nEogain long after the center of Cenel nEogain power had moved to the east). Between the Northern W Neill and the Ulaid (largely confined to counties Antrim and Down) lay the extensive lands of the Airgialla ("those who give hostages"), a group that increasingly fell under the sway of the Northern W Neill.


The Emergence of Cenel nEogain

Flaithbertach mac Loingsech, who abdicated the over kingship of the W Neill in 734, having been challenged by Aed Allan of Cenel nEogain, was the last Cenel Conaill dynast to attain that status. The reign of Aed witnessed the beginning of the arrangement, which was maintained for two and a half centuries (with only one exception), whereby the kingship of the W Neill alternated between the Cenel nEogain and the Clann Cholmain of the Southern U Neill. The battle of Cloitech in 789, in which the Cenel Conaill were roundly defeated by Cenel nEogain, seems to have consolidated the already superior status of the latter dynasty.

Cenel nEogain expansion from their northeast Donegal base into Derry, Tyrone, and Fermanagh was at the expense of the Airgialla. So extensive was this expansion that, by the ninth century, Airgialla had been restricted to the southeast of the modern province of Ulster. Sometime during this period of expansion, Cenel nEogain established their inauguration site at Tulach Oc (Tullaghogue) in county Tyrone. The descendants of the Cenel nEogain kings, the O Neill family of Tyrone, were inaugurated standing on the "Stone of the Kings" at Tullaghogue until 1602 when the stone was smashed by Lord Mountjoy.

Following their defeat at the hands of Niall Caille mac Aedo of Cenel nEogain at the battle of Leth Cam near Armagh in 827, the Airgialla became a subject people of the Northern Ui Neill. Of even greater significance was the fact that, after Leth Cam, the abbacy of the church of Armagh also fell under the effective control of Cenel nEogain—a control that they exercised through the Airthir, a branch of Airgialla settled near Armagh. So close were the ties between Cenel nEogain and Armagh that Aed Findliath, the Cenel nEogain king of Tara, had his own house there in 870. A century later, Domnall Ua Neill, a great-grandson of Aed, whom the annalists styled ardrt Erenn ("High King of Ireland"), died after penance in Armagh.

The tenth century in Ireland witnessed renewed Viking incursions. Among the most effective Irish kings at dealing with the enhanced Norse presence was the Cenel nEogain king, Muirchertach na Cochall Craicinn ("of the Leather Cloaks") mac Neill, who defeated the Vikings near Armagh in 921 and at Carlingford and Annaghassan in 926. He slew the jarl Torulb in 932, defeated the combined forces of the king of the Ulaid and the foreigners in 933, and launched a successful onslaught, in conjunction with Donnchad Donn, the Clann Cholmain, over king of the Ui Neill, against the Dublin Norse in 938. Not surprisingly, he met his death at the hands of the Norse in 943.

The Northern Uf Neill During the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries

Domnall ua Neill (d. 980), son of Muirchertach of the Leather Cloaks, was the last king of Cenel nEogain for over a century to assume a position of national dominance. In the period following Domnall’s reign, the Ua Briain dynasty of Dal Cais in Munster succeeded in excluding all branches of the Ui Neill from political power on the national stage. However, the emergence of Domnall Ua Lochlainn in the late eleventh century represented something of a revival in the fortunes of Cenel nEogain. At various stages in his career, he achieved dominance over, among others, the Ulaid, Cenel Conaill, and Ui Maelsechlainn of Clann Cholmain. The submission of Muirchertach Ua Briain to Domnall in 1090 was short-lived, and he was to continue to oppose Domnall. Domnall’s successes, such as they were, were due in no small part to the support that he received from the church of Armagh. The annalists, recording Domnall’s death in 1121, accord him the title ardrt Erenn—a designation scarcely matched by the evidence. The achievements of Domnall’s grandson, Muirchertach Mac Lochlainn, between the middle 1140s and his death in 1166, were more substantial. Following a series of successful military campaigns, Muirchertach had become the foremost dynast in the country by the early 1150s. His position was, however, never secure and was continually challenged by Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair of Connacht and his son Ruaidri. However, in 1161, Mac Lochlainn secured the submission of all the principal kings of Ireland, including Ruaidri Ua Conchobair. By 1166, Muirchertach was facing a rebellion of Ruaidri Ua Conchobair, who had the support of most of the major Irish kings, and the backing of Muirchertach’s enemies within Cenel nEogain. Muirchertach died in 1166 as he prepared to confront Ua Conchobair’s invading army. The annalists called him rt Erenn—a dignity that was certainly not universally recognized at the time of his death.

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