Ciannachta
Encyclopedia
The Ciannachta were a population group of early historic Ireland
. They claimed descent from the legendary figure Tadc mac Cein. They first appear in historical sources in the 6th century, and were found in several parts of the island, including in Brega and Tír Eoghain. The Ciannachta groups were absorbed over time.
dynasty, who was said to be a grandson of Ailill Aulomm; Tadc was also the putative ancestor of Luigni and Gailenga - peoples which were located in a number of centres in the midlands and the west of Ireland." (P. Byrne, p. 121).
They are first recorded in the Irish annals
sub anno 535 when they were defeated in battle at Luachair Mor (between the rivers Nanny and Boyne
), near Duleek
, by Túathal Máelgarb
.
The Ciannachta kept their independence into the ninth century. However, the battle of Imblech Pich (Emlach, near Kells
) in 688 was an important defeat, inflicted upon them by King Niall mac Cernaigh, king of Brega
. After this, they lost their independence south of the Boyne, and from this point on were referred to as Ard Ciannachta, reflecting their loss of territory in south-east Brega.
In 742 the king of North Brega, Conaing mac Amalgada began using the title king of Ciannachta, the first of seven North Brega kings to do so. In time, the Ui Conaing conquored and assimilated it into Brega, while retaining use of the title for themselves.
Byrne (p. 126) remarks:
, Eoganachta
and Ciannachta. He states (pp. 31–32)
Paul Byrne accepts this hypothesis, proposing the "conjecture that the source of the tribal name was the patron saint of the Ciannachta Breg, Cianan
, the founder of Duleek
. ... Cianan is, of course, a diminuitve form of "Cian." Thus, the name Ciannachta may have been a combination of "Cian" and the suffix "-acht." One may surmise that an ambitious tribe (or grouping of tribes) of relatively insignificant origin based near the church of Duleek - possibly lay tenents of the monastery - decided to forge a new identity based on their adherence to the local founder. Thus they became the "Ciannachta" - 'the people of St Cianan.' fortuitously, the ancestor figure of their neighbours Gailenga and Luigni - Cian mac Ailella Auluimm - would have provided a suitably named ancestor figure when they later sought to construct a new pedigree for themselves."
Cianan was regarded as a very significant figure in very early Irish Christianity, his church at Duleek traditionally stated as the first stone church in Ireland. Cianan himself is reported in the Annals of Ulster
as dying in 489, four years before Saint Patrick
. No life is extant, but various anecdotes survive, particularly in Felire Oengusso.
The territorial extant of Ciannachta Breg prior to its conquest is uncertain, but believed to have been reasonably large.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. They claimed descent from the legendary figure Tadc mac Cein. They first appear in historical sources in the 6th century, and were found in several parts of the island, including in Brega and Tír Eoghain. The Ciannachta groups were absorbed over time.
Background
The Ciannachta claimed descend from Tadc mac Cein, a member of "the possibly legendary early MunsterMunster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...
dynasty, who was said to be a grandson of Ailill Aulomm; Tadc was also the putative ancestor of Luigni and Gailenga - peoples which were located in a number of centres in the midlands and the west of Ireland." (P. Byrne, p. 121).
They are first recorded in the Irish annals
Irish annals
A number of Irish annals were compiled up to and shortly after the end of Gaelic Ireland in the 17th century.Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days...
sub anno 535 when they were defeated in battle at Luachair Mor (between the rivers Nanny and Boyne
River Boyne
The River Boyne is a river in Leinster, Ireland, the course of which is about long. It rises at Trinity Well, Newbury Hall, near Carbury, County Kildare, and flows towards the Northeast through County Meath to reach the Irish Sea between Mornington, County Meath and Baltray, County Louth. Salmon...
), near Duleek
Duleek
Duleek is a town in County Meath, Ireland, close to the Louth border.Duleek takes is name from the Irish word daimh liag, meaning house of stones and referring to an early stone-built church, St Cianan’s Church, the ruins of which are still visible in Duleek today...
, by Túathal Máelgarb
Tuathal Maelgarb
Túathal mac Cormaic , called Túathal Máelgarb, was said to be a grandson of Coirpre mac Néill. He was High King of Ireland. In the earliest accounts he appears to have been regarded as the man who completed the conquest of what would later be Brega for the descendants of Niall of the Nine...
.
The Ciannachta kept their independence into the ninth century. However, the battle of Imblech Pich (Emlach, near Kells
Kells, County Meath
Kells is a town in County Meath, Ireland. The town lies off the M3 motorway, from Navan and from Dublin. In recent years Kells has grown greatly with many Dublin commuters moving to the town....
) in 688 was an important defeat, inflicted upon them by King Niall mac Cernaigh, king of Brega
Kings of Brega
-Overview:Brega took its name from Mag Breg, the plain of Brega, in modern County Meath, County Louth and County Dublin, Ireland. They formed part of the Uí Néill kindred, belonging to the Síl nÁedo Sláine branch of the southern Uí Néill. The kingdom of Brega included the Hill of Tara, the site...
. After this, they lost their independence south of the Boyne, and from this point on were referred to as Ard Ciannachta, reflecting their loss of territory in south-east Brega.
In 742 the king of North Brega, Conaing mac Amalgada began using the title king of Ciannachta, the first of seven North Brega kings to do so. In time, the Ui Conaing conquored and assimilated it into Brega, while retaining use of the title for themselves.
Byrne (p. 126) remarks:
Following the death of Cellach (786), the indigenous Ciannachta never again attained the kingship of their own territory and their political ambitions seem to have been entirely focused on the kingdom of Fir Arda Ciannachta ... The political eclipse of Ciannata Breg from mid-eighth century onwards may have resulted in members of that dynasty transferring their ambitions to the ecclesiastical sphere where one of their kindred, Conmael ua Loichene, took the abbacy of the same church in 733. Another member of the Ciannachta Breg, Ioseph ua Cernae, acceded to the abbacy of the same church in 790 ... Flann MainistrechFlann MainistrechFlann Mainistrech was an Irish poet and historian.Flann was the son Echthigern mac Óengusso, who had been lector at the monastery of Monasterboice , in Irish Mainistir Buite, whence Flann's byname, meaning "of Monasterboice"...
... who died in 1056 is name in the Ciannachta Breg pedigree, as is his son, Echthigern ... who died in 1067.
Locations
Branches of the Ciannachta included:- Ciannachta Breg - found in BregaBregaBrega may refer to:*Brega , an inhabited location in Libya**Marsa Brega Airport, the airport for Brega-People:...
, later conquered by the Síl nÁedo SláineSíl nÁedo SláineSíl nÁedo Sláine is the name of the descendants of Áed Sláine , son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill. Part of the Southern Uí Néill—they were the kings of Brega—they claimed descent from Niall Noígiallach and his son Conall Cremthainne.... - Ciannachta Glinne Geimin - found in Cenél nEógainCenél nEógainCenél nEóġain is the name of the "kindred" or descendants of Eógan mac Néill , son of Niall Noígiallach who founded the kingdom of Tír Eoghain in the 5th century...
, in the barony of Keenaght, County LondonderryCounty LondonderryThe place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists... - Ard Ciannachta - barony of Ferrard, County LouthCounty LouthCounty Louth is a county of Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Louth. Louth County Council is the local authority for the county...
(see Conaille Muirtheimne)
Origin of the name
Admitting that there are significant questions surrounding the tribal name Ciannachta, David Sproule points out that the -acht suffix was used to form only three population-group names in early Ireland, namely the ConnachtaConnachta
The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King Conn Cétchathach...
, Eoganachta
Eóganachta
The Eóganachta or Eoghanachta were an Irish dynasty centred around Cashel which dominated southern Ireland from the 6/7th to the 10th centuries, and following that, in a restricted form, the Kingdom of Desmond, and its offshoot Carbery, well into the 16th century...
and Ciannachta. He states (pp. 31–32)
originally there was one powerful people whose name had that suffix and ... the other two names were formed and adopted in imitation of the first by peoples who wished to emulate them. The original can only have been the Connachta, whose power, position and prestige in the earliest part of the historical period are unquestionable and who loom large in prehistory as the traditional enemies of the UlaidUlaidThe Ulaid or Ulaidh were a people of early Ireland who gave their name to the modern province of Ulster...
.
It does not seem that the word "Connacht" can originally have meant 'the descendants of Conn'; it may have meant 'headship' or 'supremacy' from "cond" or "conn", head, and later have been interpreted as meaning "the descendants of Conn", Conn Cetchathach being derived from the word "Connacht" rather than vice versa. ... the name "Eoganacht" and "Ciannacht" were formed in imitation ...
Paul Byrne accepts this hypothesis, proposing the "conjecture that the source of the tribal name was the patron saint of the Ciannachta Breg, Cianan
Cianán
St. Cianán was a Bishop of Duleek in Ireland. He was descended from the royal blood of the kings of Munster.-Life:According to his acts quoted by Usher, he was a pupil of the religious man, Nathan; and, when a youth, was one of the fifty hostages whom the princes of Ireland gave to king Lóegaire...
, the founder of Duleek
Duleek
Duleek is a town in County Meath, Ireland, close to the Louth border.Duleek takes is name from the Irish word daimh liag, meaning house of stones and referring to an early stone-built church, St Cianan’s Church, the ruins of which are still visible in Duleek today...
. ... Cianan is, of course, a diminuitve form of "Cian." Thus, the name Ciannachta may have been a combination of "Cian" and the suffix "-acht." One may surmise that an ambitious tribe (or grouping of tribes) of relatively insignificant origin based near the church of Duleek - possibly lay tenents of the monastery - decided to forge a new identity based on their adherence to the local founder. Thus they became the "Ciannachta" - 'the people of St Cianan.' fortuitously, the ancestor figure of their neighbours Gailenga and Luigni - Cian mac Ailella Auluimm - would have provided a suitably named ancestor figure when they later sought to construct a new pedigree for themselves."
Cianan was regarded as a very significant figure in very early Irish Christianity, his church at Duleek traditionally stated as the first stone church in Ireland. Cianan himself is reported in the Annals of Ulster
Annals of Ulster
The Annals of Ulster are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years between AD 431 to AD 1540. The entries up to AD 1489 were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, under his patron Cathal Óg Mac Maghnusa on the island of Belle Isle on Lough Erne in the...
as dying in 489, four years before Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland or the Apostle of Ireland, although Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille are also formally patron saints....
. No life is extant, but various anecdotes survive, particularly in Felire Oengusso.
The territorial extant of Ciannachta Breg prior to its conquest is uncertain, but believed to have been reasonably large.
Kings of Ciannachta
- Cronan mac Tigernaich - king of Ciannachta in 571, he killed the joint high-kings Baetan mac Muirchertaich and Eochaid mac Domnaill mac Muirchertaich of the Cenel nEoghain. The Annals of UlsterAnnals of UlsterThe Annals of Ulster are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years between AD 431 to AD 1540. The entries up to AD 1489 were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, under his patron Cathal Óg Mac Maghnusa on the island of Belle Isle on Lough Erne in the...
incorrectly refer to him as of Glinne Gaimen, whereas he was of the Ciannachta Breg. - Gerthide - probably son of the above, king in 594594Year 594 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 594 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Byzantine Empire :* Byzantine Emperor Maurice disposes...
, defeated at the battle of Eudunn Mor in Ciannacht Breg. - Cenn Faelad mac Gerthide - son of the above, referred to as the king of Ard Ciannacht in 662662Year 662 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 662 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* The regent Grimuald usurps the kingship of...
. Apparently killed at the battle of Oghamain in that year - Ultan mac Eraine - styled king of the Ciannachta, killed at Oghamain in 662662Year 662 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 662 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* The regent Grimuald usurps the kingship of...
- Mael Fuataich mac Eraine - brother of above, also styled king, died 662662Year 662 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 662 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* The regent Grimuald usurps the kingship of...
- Doir mac Mael Duib - styled king of the Ciannachta, fl. 674674Year 674 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 674 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* In Korea, Anapji was constructed by order of...
- Dub da Inber - styled king of Ardda Ciannachta in the Annals of UlsterAnnals of UlsterThe Annals of Ulster are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years between AD 431 to AD 1540. The entries up to AD 1489 were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, under his patron Cathal Óg Mac Maghnusa on the island of Belle Isle on Lough Erne in the...
in 688688Year 688 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 688 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Emperor Justinian II of the Byzantine... - Dub da Chrich - died in 722722Year 722 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 722 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Americas :* January 3 – K'inich Ahkal Mo' Naab...
, apparently king of Ard Ciannachta - Ailill mac Cenn Faelad - died 702702Year 702 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 702 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Franconian Duke Hetan II completes the...
. Had sons Eodus and Oengus, both kings. - Oengus mac Ailillo - king of Ard Ciannachta in 737737Year 737 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 737 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming"737" is also known as a commonly celebrated phrase in the...
- Ailill mac Duib da Chrich - a descendant of Cenn Faelad, apparently king of Ard Ciannachta at his death in 749749Year 749 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 749 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* June – Aistulf succeeds his...
- Cellach mac Cormac mac Aiillo - king of Ard Ciannachta, died 786786Year 786 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 786 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- By place :Byzantine Empire* A council is organized in...
- Muiredach - king of Ard Ciannachta, died 855855Year 855 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Louis II succeeds Lothar as Western Emperor...
. His son, Tigernach mac Muiredach, is described as episcopus, princepas Droma Inasclainn on his death in 879879Year 879 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Pope John VIII recognizes the Duchy of Croatia as an independent state....
.