Kings of Ailech
Encyclopedia
Ailech
Ailech was a medieval kingdom in Ireland, roughly centred on modern-day County Tyrone and the Inishowen peninsula in Ulster....
belonged to the northern Uí Néill
Uí Néill
The Uí Néill are Irish and Scottish dynasties who claim descent from Niall Noigiallach , an historical King of Tara who died about 405....
and took their name from the Grianán of Ailech
Grianan of Aileach
The Grianán of Aileach is a group of historic monuments in County Donegal, Ireland built on the hill of Grianán which is 244 metres high. Most writers have identified the site as being the great “royal fort” of Aileach...
, a hillfort on top of Greenan Mountain in modern County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
. The restored fort stands in a commanding position at the base of the Inishowen peninsula overlooking Lough Swilly
Lough Swilly
Lough Swilly in Ireland is a glacial fjord or sea inlet lying between the western side of the Inishowen Peninsula and the Fanad Peninsula, in County Donegal. Along with Carlingford Lough and Killary Harbour it is one of three known glacial fjords in Ireland....
to the west and Lough Foyle
Lough Foyle
Lough Foyle, sometimes Loch Foyle , is the estuary of the River Foyle in Ulster. It starts where the Foyle leaves Derry. It separates the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland from County Londonderry in Northern Ireland.-Transport:...
to the east.
Early Kings (5th-8th Centuries)
Earlier Kings of Cenél nEógainCenél nEógain
Cenél 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...
and Ailech included:
- Eógan mac Néill Noigallach (d.465)
- Muiredach mac EógainMuiredach mac EógainMuiredach mac Eógain was a King of Ailech and head of the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill. He was the son of the founder of this dynasty Eógan mac Néill ....
(d.circa 489) - Muirchertach mac MuiredaigMuirchertach mac MuiredaigMuirchertach mac Muiredaig , called Mac Ercae, Muirchertach Macc Ercae and Muirchertach mac Ercae, was said to be High King of Ireland. The Irish annals contain little reliable information on his life, and the surviving record shows signs of retrospective modification...
(d.534) - Forggus mac MuirchertaigForggus mac MuirchertaigForggus mac Muirchertaig , also called Forrgus mac Maic Ercae, is included in most lists of High Kings of Ireland.Father Muirchertach mac Muiredaig, also called Mac Ercae, brother Domnall Ilchelgach with whom he is said to have ruled jointly...
(d.566) - Domnall IlchelgachDomnall IlchelgachDomnall mac Muirchertaig , called Domnall Ilchelgach and Domnall mac Maic Ercae, was said to be a High King of Ireland....
mac Muirchertaig (d.566) - Báetán mac MuirchertaigBáetán mac MuirchertaigBáetán mac Muirchertaig , also Baetán Bríge, was an Irish king who is included in some lists as a High King of Ireland. He was the son of Muirchertach mac Muiredaig , also considered a high king. He was a member of the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill...
(d.572) - Eochaid mac DomnaillEochaid mac DomnaillEochaid mac Domnaill , also Eochaid Find , was an Irish king who is included in some lists as a High King of Ireland. He was the son of Domnall Ilchelgach and grandson of Muirchertach mac Muiredaig , also considered high kings. He was a member of the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill...
(d.572) - Colcu mac DomnaillColcu mac DomnaillColcu mac Domnaill was a member of the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill. He was the son of Domnall Ilchelgach and grandson of Muirchertach mac Muiredaig and brother of Eochaid mac Domnaill , considered high kings of Ireland...
(d.580) - Colmán RímidColmán RímidColmán Rímid was an Irish king who is included in some lists as a High King of Ireland. Colmán was the son of Báetán mac Muirchertaig , also considered to be a high king, and belonged to the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill...
mac Báetáin (d. 604) - Áed UaridnachÁed UaridnachÁed Uaridnach was an Irish king who was High King of Ireland. He is sometimes also known as Áed Allán, a name most commonly used for the 8th century king of the same name, this Áed's great-great-grandson....
mac Domnaill (d. 612) - Suibne MennSuibne MennSuibne Menn was an Irish king who is counted as a High King of Ireland.Suibne belonged to the junior branch of the Cenél nEógain kindred of the northern Uí Néill, the Cenél Feredaig, named for his grandfather Feredach, a great-grandson of Niall of the Nine Hostages...
mac Fiachnai (d. 628) - Máel Fithrich mac ÁedoMáel Fithrich mac ÁedoMáel Fithrich mac Áedo was a King of Ailech and head of the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill. He was the son of the high king of Ireland Áed Uaridnach...
Uaridnach (d. 630) - Ernaine mac FiachnaiErnaine mac FiachnaiErnaine mac Fiachnai was a King of Ailech and head of the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill. He was the brother of the high king of Ireland Suibne Menn...
(d. 636) - Crundmáel mac SuibniCrundmáel mac SuibniCrundmáel mac Suibni was a King of Ailech and head of the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill. He was the son of the high king of Ireland Suibne Menn...
Menn (d. circa 660) - Ferg mac CrundmaílFerg mac CrundmaílFerg mac Crundmaíl was a King of Ailech and head of the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill. He was the son of Crundmáel mac Suibni and grandson of the high king of Ireland Suibne Menn...
(d. circa 668) - Máel Dúin mac Máele FithrichMáel Dúin mac Máele FithrichMáel Dúin mac Máele Fithrich was a King of Ailech and head of the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill. He was the son of Máel Fithrich mac Áedo and grandson of the high king Áed Uaridnach...
(d. 681) - Fland mac Máele TuileFland mac Máele TuileFland mac Máele Tuile , also Flann Finn or Flann Albus was a King of Ailech and head of the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill...
(d. 700) - Urthuile mac Máele Tuile
Kings between 700 and 1185
The following is a list of their Kings from 700 to 1185. Some were also High Kings of Ireland.- Fergal mac Máele DúinFergal mac Máele DúinFergal mac Máele Dúin was High King of Ireland. Fergal belonged to the Cenél nEógain sept of the northern Uí Néill. He was the son of Máel Dúin mac Máele Fithrich , a King of Ailech, and great grandson of the high king Áed Uaridnach...
700-11 December 722 - Áed AllánÁed AllánÁed Allán was an 8th century Irish king of Ailech and High King of Ireland. Áed Allán was the son of Fergal mac Máele Dúin and a member of the Cenél nEógain, a branch of the Northern Uí Néill....
mac Fergaile 722-743 - Niall FrossachNiall FrossachNiall Frossach was an 8th century Irish king of Ailech, sometimes considered to have been High King of Ireland. Brother of high king Áed Allán , Niall was the son of high king Fergal mac Máele Dúin and a member of the Cenél nEógain, a branch of the Northern Uí Néill...
mac Fergaile 743-770 - Máel Dúin mac Áedo AlláinMáel Dúin mac Áedo AlláinMáel Dúin mac Áedo Alláin was a King of Ailech and head of the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill. He was the son of Áed Allán , a high king of Ireland. He ruled from 770 to 788....
770-788 - Áed Oirdnide mac Néill 788-819
- Murchad mac Máele DúinMurchad mac Máele DúinMurchad mac Máele Dúin was a King of Ailech and head of the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill. He was the son of Máel Dúin mac Áedo Alláin , a previous king and grandson of Áed Allán , a high king of Ireland. He ruled from 819-823.He succeeded to the throne of Ailech upon the death of...
819-823 - Niall Caille mac Áeda 823-846
- Máel Dúin mac Áeda 846-???
- Áed Findliath mac Néill c.855-20 November 879
- Murchad mac Máele Dúin 879-887
- Flaithbertach mac Murchado 887-896
- Domnall mac Áeda 887-915
- Niall GlúndubNiall GlúndubNiall Glúndub mac Áedo was a 10th century Irish king of the Cenél nEógain and High King of Ireland. While many Irish kin groups were members of the Uí Néill, tracing their descent from Niall of the Nine Hostages , the O'Neill dynasty took their name from Niall Glúndub rather than the earlier Niall...
mac Áeda 896-15 September 919 - Flaithbertach mac Domnaill 916-919
- Fergal mac Domnaill 919-938
- Muirchertach mac NéillMuirchertach mac NéillMuirchertach mac Néill , called Muirchertach of the Leather Cloaks , King of Ailech.-Family ramifications:Muirchertach belonged to the Cenél nEógain sept of the northern Uí Néill...
938-26 February 943. - Domnall mac Muirchertaig ua NéillDomnall ua NéillDomhnall ua Néill was High King of Ireland from 956 to 980.Domnall was the son of Muirchertach mac Néill, and grandson of Niall Glúndub, a member of the Cenél nEógain northern Uí Néill. He became co-King of Ailech with his brother Flaithbertach on the death of his father in 943...
943-980 - Flaithbertach mac Muirchertaig meic Néill 943-949
- Flaithbertach mac Conchobair 956-962
- Tadg mac Conchobair 956-962
- Conn mac Conchobair 956-962
- Murchad Glun re Lar mac Flaithbertaigh 962-972
- Fergal mac Domnaill meic Conaing 980-989
- Áed mac Domnaill Ua Néill 989-1004
- Flaithbertach Ua NéillFlaithbertach Ua NéillFlaithbertach Ua Néill was king of Ailech, a kingdom of north-west Ireland. He abdicated in 1030 and undertook a pilgrimage to Rome, for which reason he was known as Flaithbertach an Trostáin...
1004-1031 - Áed mac Flaithbertaig Ua Néill 1031-1033
- Flaithbertach Ua Néill (again) 1033-1036
- Niall mac Máel Sechnaill 1036-1061
- Ardgar mac Lochlainn 1061-1064
- Áed Ua hUalgairg 1064-1067
- Domnall mac Néill 1067-1068
- Áed mac Néill 1068-1083
- Donnchad mac Néill 1083-1083
- Domnall Ua Lochlainn 1083-9 February 1121
- Conchobar mac Domnaill 1121-1128
- Magnus Ua Lochlainn 1128-1129
- Conchobar mac Domnaill 1129-1136
- Muirchertach Mac Lochlainn 1136-1143
- Domnall Ua Gairmledaig 1143-1145
- Muirchertach Mac Lochlainn (again) 1145-1166
- Conchobar mac Muirchertach Mac Lochlainn 1166-1167
- Niall mac Muirchertach Mac Lochlainn 1167-1176
- Aed In Macaem Toinlesc Ua Neill 1167-1177
- Mael Sechlainn mac Muirchertaig Mac Lochlainn 1177-1185
Kings post-1185
From 1185, the Cenél nEógainCenél nEógain
Cenél 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...
ruled as Kings of Tír Eógain
Kings of Tir Eogain
This article lists the Kings of Tír Eoghain or Tyrone from 1185 to 1616. They are listed from their date of accession to date of death, unless otherwise stated....
.
The last to actually be styled King of Ailech was Áed Buide Ua Néill (died 1283).