Ciannachta
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The Ciannachta were a population group of early historic Ireland. They claimed descent from the legendary figure
Tadc mac Céin Tadc mac Céin, in medieval Irish historical tradition, was the grandson of Ailill Aulom and Sadb, daughter of Conn Cetcathach. He is the putative ancestor of the Ciannachta, the Gailenga, and the Luigni. These peoples were settled, in the Middl ...
. Modern research indicates Saint
Cianán St. Cianán, or Kenan, (died 24 November 489) was a Bishop of Duleek in Ireland. He was descended from the royal blood of the kings of Munster. His feast day is 24 November. Life He was a pupil of the monk Nathan. As a youth, he was one of th ...
and his followers may have been the origin behind the tribal name as it is a late construction similar in form to
Eóganachta The Eóganachta or Eoghanachta () were an Irish dynasty centred on Cashel which dominated southern Ireland (namely the Kingdom of Munster) from the 6/7th to the 10th centuries, and following that, in a restricted form, the Kingdom of Desmond, an ...
and
Connachta The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King Conn Cétchathach (Conn of the Hundred Battles). The modern western province of Connacht (Irish ''Cúige Chonnacht'', province, literally "f ...
. They first appear in historical sources in the 6th century, and were found in several parts of the island, including in
Brega Brega , also known as ''Mersa Brega'' or ''Marsa al-Brega'' ( ar, مرسى البريقة , i.e. "Brega Seaport"), is a complex of several smaller towns, industry installations and education establishments situated in Libya on the Gulf of Sidra, ...
and Airgialla. The Ciannachta groups were absorbed over time.


Background

The Ciannachta claimed descend from
Tadc mac Céin Tadc mac Céin, in medieval Irish historical tradition, was the grandson of Ailill Aulom and Sadb, daughter of Conn Cetcathach. He is the putative ancestor of the Ciannachta, the Gailenga, and the Luigni. These peoples were settled, in the Middl ...
, a member of "the possibly legendary early
Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...
dynasty, who was said to be a grandson of
Ailill Aulom Ailill Ollamh (or Oilill Olum) in Irish traditional history was the son of Mug Nuadat and was a king of the southern half of Ireland, placed in the 3rd century by early modern Irish genealogy. Sadb ingen Chuinn, daughter of Conn of the Hundred Bat ...
. Tadc was also the putative ancestor of Luigni and
Gailenga Gailenga was the name of two related peoples and kingdoms found in medieval Ireland in Brega and Connacht. Origins Along with the Luighne, Delbhna, Saitne and Ciannachta, the Gailenga claimed descent from Tadc mac Cein mac Ailill Aulom. Franci ...
—peoples which were located in a number of centres in the midlands and the west of Ireland". The acquisition, by Tadc, of the territory held by his descendants in Brega is related in the possibly late-9th-century saga, ''Cath Crinna''. The fortunes of the historical Ciannachta can to an extent be traced via the
Irish annals A number of Irish annals, of which the earliest was the Chronicle of Ireland, were compiled up to and shortly after the end of the 17th century. Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days. Over t ...
. Ciannachta Breg occupied the coastal area between
Annagassan Annagassan ()"Annagassan" A Dictionary of British Place-Names. A. D. Mills. Oxford University Press, 2003. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Solihull Libraries. 16 April 2008 is a village in the townland of Ballynagassan, County ...
and
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
. They are first recorded ''sub anno'' 535 when they were defeated in battle at Luachair Mór (between the rivers
Nanny A nanny is a person who provides child care. Typically, this care is given within the children's family setting. Throughout history, nannies were usually servants in large households and reported directly to the lady of the house. Today, modern ...
and Boyne), near
Duleek Duleek (; ) is a small town in County Meath, Ireland. Duleek takes its name from the Irish word ''daimh liag'', meaning house of stones and referring to an early stone-built church, St Cianán's Church, the ruins of which are still visible in Du ...
, by
Túathal Máelgarb Túathal mac Cormaic (died 544), called Túathal Máelgarb, (''Túathal'': "ruler of the people") 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 wh ...
. The Ciannachta kept their independence into the 9th century. A devastating seaborne attack by
Ecgfrith of Northumbria Ecgfrith (; ang, Ecgfrið ; 64520 May 685) was the King of Deira from 664 until 670, and then King of Northumbria from 670 until his death in 685. He ruled over Northumbria when it was at the height of its power, but his reign ended with a dis ...
in June 684,Koch, John T., ''Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia, Volume 1'' (ABC-CLIO, 2006). which resulted in the seizing of a large number of slaves and the sacking of many churches and monasteries in Brega, was followed in 688 by the battle of Imblech Pich (Emlach, near Kells) an important defeat, inflicted upon them by King Niall mac Cernaigh,
king of Brega The Kings of Brega were rulers of Brega, a petty kingdom north of Dublin in medieval Ireland. Overview Brega took its name from ' ('), meaning "fine plain", in modern County Meath, County Louth and County Dublin, Ireland. They formed part of th ...
. After this, they lost their independence south of the Boyne and north of the Nanny Water, and from this point on were referred to as Ard Ciannachta, reflecting their loss of territory in south-east Brega. The area taken over became important to the
Síl nÁedo Sláine Síl nÁedo Sláine () are the descendants of Áed Sláine (Áed mac Diarmato), 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 ...
and included both Duleek and the place called ''Cerne, Cernae or Cerna'', noted as the principal burial site for the men of east Midhe and
Brega Brega , also known as ''Mersa Brega'' or ''Marsa al-Brega'' ( ar, مرسى البريقة , i.e. "Brega Seaport"), is a complex of several smaller towns, industry installations and education establishments situated in Libya on the Gulf of Sidra, ...
(''Cernoi nominatur, al. Cernai .i. coernia daiġ is ann atá primreilec Airthir Midi ocus Breaġ''), near to the townlands of Carnes. This included both '' síd Cerna'' and ''Cnoc Cerna'', the hill of Cerna, noted in the Metrical Dindshenchus as holding the bodies of the sons and grandsons of Áed Slaine. These were located at the western end of
Bellewstown Bellewstown () is a village located 8 km south of Drogheda, on the Hill of Crockafotha in County Meath in Ireland. It takes its name from the Anglo-Irish Bellew family, who were the dominant local landowners from the thirteenth to the s ...
ridge to the south of Duleek close to the famous
Lia Ailbhe Lia is a feminine given name. In the Spanish-speaking world, it is accented Lía. In America, the name may be a variant of Leah or Lea. Lia may be a diminutive of various names including Julia, Cecilia, Amelia, Talia, Cornelia, Ophelia, Rosali ...
, the standing stone described as 'the chief monument of Brega' (príomh-dindgnai Maighi Bregh) in 999, when it fell and was made into four millstones by Máelaschlainn the high king". In 742 the Síl nÁedo Sláine king of North Brega,
Conaing mac Amalgado Conaing mac Amalgado (died 742) was a King of Brega from the Uí Chonaing sept of Cnogba (Knowth) of the Síl nÁedo Sláine branch of the southern Ui Neill. He was the son of Amalgaid mac Congalaig (died 718), a previous king. He ruled from 728 t ...
, began using the title ''king of Ciannachta'', the first of seven North Brega kings to do so. In time, the Uí Chonaing conquered and assimilated it into Brega, while retaining use of the title for themselves. Byrne 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 Ciannachta Breg from mid-8th 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 Monasterboice_.html" ;"title="Monasterboice.html" ;"title="Monasterboice">Monasterboice ">Monasterboice.html" ;"title="Monasterboice">Monasterboice in 733. Another member of the Ciannachta Breg, Ioseph ua Cernae, acceded to the abbacy of the same church in 790 ... Flann Mainistrech ... 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
Brega Brega , also known as ''Mersa Brega'' or ''Marsa al-Brega'' ( ar, مرسى البريقة , i.e. "Brega Seaport"), is a complex of several smaller towns, industry installations and education establishments situated in Libya on the Gulf of Sidra, ...
(between the Liffey and the Boyne), later conquered by the
Síl nÁedo Sláine Síl nÁedo Sláine () are the descendants of Áed Sláine (Áed mac Diarmato), 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 ...
*
Cianachta Glenn Geimin Keenaght () is a barony in the mid-northerly third of County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It connects to the north-Londonderry coastline, and is bordered by four other baronies: Coleraine to the east; Loughinsholin to the south-east; Tirkeera ...
– now the barony of Keenaght in
County Londonderry County Londonderry ( Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry ( ga, Contae Dhoire), is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty two counties of Ireland and one of the nine counties of Ulster. B ...
* Ard Ciannachta – barony of
Ferrard Ferrard () is a barony in County Louth, Republic of Ireland. Etymology Ferrard derives its name from ''Fera Arda Ciannachta'', "men of the high Ciannachta", referring to the uplands around Mount Oriel. Location Ferrard is found in south Co ...
,
County Louth County Louth ( ; ga, An Lú) is a coastal county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of Meath to the south, Monaghan to the west, Armagh to the north and Down to the ...
(see
Conaille Muirtheimne Conaille Muirthemne was a Cruithin kingdom located in County Louth, Ireland, from before 688 to after 1107 approximately. Overview The Ulaid according to historian Francis John Byrne 'possibly still ruled directly in Louth as far as the Boyne in ...
)


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
Connachta The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King Conn Cétchathach (Conn of the Hundred Battles). The modern western province of Connacht (Irish ''Cúige Chonnacht'', province, literally "f ...
, Eoganachta and Ciannachta. He states that,
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
Ulaid Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or Ulaidh (Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include Ulidia, which is the Latin form of Ulaid, and in ...
.
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, the founder of
Duleek Duleek (; ) is a small town in County Meath, Ireland. Duleek takes its name from the Irish word ''daimh liag'', meaning house of stones and referring to an early stone-built church, St Cianán's Church, the ruins of which are still visible in Du ...
. ... Cianan is, of course, a diminutive 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 tenants 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." The townland of Keenoge south of Duleek may indicate a place of origin. 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 The ''Annals of Ulster'' ( ga, Annála Uladh) are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, ...
as dying in 489, four years before
Saint Patrick Saint Patrick ( la, Patricius; ga, Pádraig ; cy, Padrig) was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the other patron saints be ...
. No life is extant, but various anecdotes survive, particularly in the medieval commentary on the martyrology Félire Óengusso. The territorial extent of Ciannachta Breg prior to its conquest is uncertain, but believed to have been reasonably large. Byrnes, Ard Ciannachta, pp. 130–131.


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 Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' ( ga, Annála Uladh) are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, ...
incorrectly refer to him as of Glinne Gaimen, whereas he was of the Ciannachta Breg. * Gerthide – probably son of the above, king in 594, 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 662. Apparently killed at the battle of Oghamain in that year * Ultan mac Eraine – styled king of the Ciannachta, killed at Oghamain in 662 * Mael Fuataich mac Eraine – brother of above, also styled king, died 662 * Doir mac Mael Duib – styled ''king of the Ciannachta'', 674 * Dub da Inber – styled ''king of Ardda Ciannachta'' in the
Annals of Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' ( ga, Annála Uladh) are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, ...
in 688 * Dub da Chrich – died in 722, apparently king of Ard Ciannachta * Ailill mac Cenn Faelad – died 702. Had sons Eodus and Oengus, both kings. * Oengus mac Ailillo – king of Ard Ciannachta in 737 * Ailill mac Duib da Chrich – a descendant of Cenn Faelad, apparently king of Ard Ciannachta at his death in 749 * Cellach mac Cormac mac Aiillo – king of Ard Ciannachta, died 786 * Muiredach – king of Ard Ciannachta, died 855. His son, Tigernach mac Muiredach, is described as ''episcopus, princepas Droma Inasclainn'' on his death in 879.


Other kings

* 974 – Tadhg Ua Ruadhrach, lord of Cianachta, was slain in Ulidia.


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * * *


External links


Clan Cian
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ciannachta Gaelic-Irish nations and dynasties History of County Louth History of County Meath History of County Dublin History of County Londonderry Eóganachta