Kings of Airghialla
513 AD
Colga, son of Loite, son of Crunn, son of Feidhlimidh, son of Colla
Dachrich, chief of Airghialla
560
Daimhin Damhairgitr, i.e. Cairbre, died. From him are the Airghialla
825
Cumasgach, son of Cathal, lord of Airghialla
Cumusgach, lord of Airghialla
Cumusgach and Conghalach, two sons of Cathal, and other nobles of
the Airghialla [Battle of Leth Caim]
885
Maelpadraig, son of Maelcuararda, lord of Airghialla
917
Maelcraeibhe Ua Duibhsinaich, lord of Oirghialla
947
Fogartach, son of Donnagan, lord of Oirghialla [Nad Sluaigh]
961
Egneach, son of Dalach, lord of Oirghialla, and his son, i.e. Dubhdara [Clan
Lugain]
998
Mac-Egnigh, son of Dalach, lord of Airghialla [Clan Lugain]
1022
Macleighinn, son of Coireall, lord of Oirghialla [Nad Sluaigh]
1027
Cathalan-Ua-Crichain, lord of Fearnmhagh, and of the Airghialla in general
1048
Gillacoluim Ua hEignigh, lord of Airghialla [Clan Lugain]
1053
Leathlobhar, son of Laidhgnen, lord of Oirghialla [Nad Sluaigh]
1054
Leathlobhar, son of Laidhgnen, lord of Airghialla [Nad Sluaigh]
1078
Leathlobhar Ua Laidhgnen, lord of Airghialla [Nad Sluaigh]
1086
Ua Baigheallain, lord of Airghialla [Nad Sluaigh?]
1093
Aedh Ua Baigheallain, lord of Oirghialla [Nad Sluaigh?]
1095
O'hAinbhidh, lord of Oirghialla [Southern Ui Neill]
1096
Flann Ua hAinbhidh, lord of South Airghialla [Southern Ui Neill]
Cu-Uladh Ua Celeachain, Tanist of Airghialla
1099
Ruaidhri Ua Ruadhagain, lord of the east of Oirghialla [Airthir]
1101
Cucaisill Ua Cearbhaill, lord of Fearnmhagh and Oirghialla [Nad Sluaigh]
1127
Gillachrist Ua hEignigh, lord of Feara-Manach and Airghialla [Clan Lugain]
1136
Conchobhar, son of Domhnall Ua Lochlainn, who was first [Cenel Eoghain]
lord of Aileach, and king of all the north, both Cinel-Conaill
and Cinel-Eoghain, Ulidians and Airghialla
1138-1148
Donnchadh Ua Cearbhaill and the Airghialla [Nad Sluaigh]
O'Cearbhaill, with the chieftains of the Airghialla [Nad Sluaigh]
1152
Ua Cearbhaill [expelled from the chieftainship of Oirghialla] [Nad Sluaigh]
1155
Donnchadh Ua Cearbhaill, lord of Oirghialla [Nad Sluaigh]
Donnchadh assumed the lordship of Oirghialla again [Nad Sluaigh]
1157
Donnchadh Ua Cearbhaill, lord of Oirghialla [Nad Sluaigh]
1164-1168
Donnchadh Ua Cearbhaill, lord of Oirghialla [Nad Sluaigh]
Donnchadh Ua Cearbhaill, with the Airghialla [Nad Sluaigh]
1169-71
Murchadh Ua Cearbhaill, lord of Oirghialla [Nad Sluaigh]
I pulled up all the Kings of
Airgiallaigh in the Four Masters. There
weren't that many of them named and the great majority were Nad Sluaigh. Some
appear to be Clan Lugain, the name of the kindred that later gave rise to
Maguire
in Fermanagh. I'm not sure of these though because there is also an Egneach
son of Dalach in the pedigree of the O Hanlons of Airthir. Also not sure of O
Baigheallain entries. Later they were subchieftains to McMahon. For what it's
worth the O'Donovan translation refers to them all as "Lord." There were a
couple of outsiders named (one from the Cenel Eoghain; one southern Ui Neill).
From 513 to 825 there exactly 4
men named as Lord of Airgiallaigh. None of
these are recognizable to me.
The second listing in the annals is for Cairpre Daim Airgit; he is probably
the first truly historical figure in the Airgiallaigh pedigrees (560 A.D.)
In the 900s, there are 4 men named as Lord of Airgiallaigh. One of these
is Nad Sluaigh; two are Clan Lugain or Airthir; the other is unrecognizable by
me.
In the 1000s we find Nad Sluaigh, Clan Lugain, Airthir and a southern Ui
Neill interloper.
In the 1100s are all Nad Sluaigh with a single Clan Lugan and Cenel Eoghain
representative.
The point of this seems to be as historians relate that the Airgiallaigh
were really just a loose confederation of kindred kingdoms with little central
leadership or cohesion. Until the 1100s there isn't much mention of "Lords of
the Airgiallaigh" at all and among these, the Nad Sluaigh are as prominent or
more so than any of the other clans so named. During the 1200s most of the
references are to Donnchadh O Carroll. The only two other clans named were
interlopers (Cenel Eoghain) or a single listing to Clan Lugain.
By the 12th century the meaning of Airgiallaigh was probably somewhat
different in that the kingdom had contracted greatly and was eventually just
confined to the territory of Monaghan. The Normans had taken lands in Louth and
Meath; the Airgiallaigh of Derry County were long buried under the Cenel
Eoghain, as were the Ui Tuirtre and the surviving Airgiallaigh clans in Tyrone.
I also pulled every reference
to O Cearbhaill and Fearnmagh in the Four
Masters. It's interesting to follow Donnchadh O Cearbhiall's progression from
Lord of Fearnmaigh to Lord of Airgiallaigh. At first he is not named as Lord,
but just hosting with the Airgiallaigh. We aren't told he was actually Lord of
Airgiallaigh until 1155, although an entry in 1152 mention he was expelled from
the chieftainship of Airgiallaigh.
In other words in earlier entries he was probably de facto Lord of the
Airgiallaigh although the annalists hesitated to call him this. The same may be
true of Neill in the annals that show him hosting with the Airgiallaigh. It
may be the Airgiallaigh were so splintered that prior to Donchadh O Cearbhaill
few actually were able to unite the various kingdoms under a central
chieftain.
Whatever the situation was it's clear the Nad Sluaigh were in the thick of
things from the beginning.
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Nad Sluaigh Lords of Fearnmagh & Oirgiallaigh
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987
Laidhgnen, son of Cearbhall, lord of Fearnmhagh [O Carroll line]
1022
Mathghamhain, son of Laidhgnen, son of Cearbhall, lord of Fearnmhagh [O
Carroll]
1043
Ua Cearbhaill, lord of Fearnmhagh
1101
Cucaisill Ua Cearbhaill, lord of Fearnmhagh and Oirghialla
1123
Cucaisil Ua Cearbhaill, lord of Fearnmhagh
1125
Muircheartach Ua Cearbhaill, lord of the south of Fearnmhagh
1133
Donnchadh Ua Cearbhaill and the men of Fearnmhagh
1138
Donnchadh Ua Cearbhaill, with the Airghialla
1145
Donnchadh Ua Cearbhaill, with the Airghialla
1147
Donnchadh Ua Cearbhaill and the Airghialla
1148
Donnchadh Ua Cearbhaill, and the Airghialla
O'Cearbhaill, with the chieftains of the Airghialla
1152
Ua Cearbhaill [expelled from the chieftainship of Oirghialla]
1155
Donnchadh Ua Cearbhaill, lord of Oirghialla
Donnchadh assumed the lordship of Oirghialla again
1157
Donnchadh Ua Cearbhaill, lord of Oirghialla
1164
Donnchadh Ua Cearbhaill, lord of Oirghialla
1165
Donnchadh Ua Cearbhaill, lord of Oirghialla
1166
Donnchadh Ua Cearbhaill, lord of Oirghialla
1167
Donnchadh Ua Cearbhaill, lord of Oirghialla
Donnchadh Ua Cearbhaill, lord of Oirghialla
1168 [obit]
Donnchadh Ua Cearbhaill, lord of Airghialla
Other Kings of Fearnmhagh
910
Flannagan, lord of Fearnmhagh
960
Dunchadh, son of Laeghaire, lord of Fearnmhagh
~ John D McLaughlin
July 2003