Dál Fiatach was a

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...

dynastic-grouping and the name of their territory in the north-east of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

. It was part of the over-kingdom of

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 ...

, and they were its main ruling dynasty for most of Ulaid's history. Their territory lay in eastern

County Down County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 531,665. It borders County Antrim to th ...

. Their capital was Dún Lethglaise (

Downpatrick Downpatrick () is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the Lecale peninsula, about south of Belfast. In the Middle Ages, it was the capital of the Dál Fiatach, the main ruling dynasty of Ulaid. Its cathedral is said to be the b ...

) and from the 9th century their main religious site was

Bangor Abbey Bangor Abbey was established by Saint Comgall in 558 in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland and was famous for its learning and austere rule. It is not to be confused with the slightly older abbey in Wales on the site of Bangor Cathedral. Hist ...

Description

The Dál Fiatach are claimed as being descended from Fiatach Finn mac Dáire, a legendary

King of Ulaid The King of Ulster (Old Irish: ''Rí Ulad'', Modern Irish: ''Rí Uladh'') also known as the King of Ulaid and King of the Ulaid, was any of the kings of the Irish provincial over-kingdom of Ulaid. The title rí in Chóicid, which means "king of ...

and

High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ga, Ardrí na hÉireann ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and later sometimes assigned an ...

, and are thought to be related to both the

Voluntii 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 ...

and

Darini The Darini (Δαρῖνοι) (manuscript variant: Darnii �άρνιοι were a people of ancient Ireland mentioned in Ptolemy's 2nd century '' Geography'' as living in south Antrim and north Down. Their name implies descent from an ancestor calle ...

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...

's ''

Geographia The ''Geography'' ( grc-gre, Γεωγραφικὴ Ὑφήγησις, ''Geōgraphikḕ Hyphḗgēsis'', "Geographical Guidance"), also known by its Latin names as the ' and the ', is a gazetteer, an atlas, and a treatise on cartography, com ...

''. They are also perhaps more directly related to the pre-historic

Dáirine The Dáirine (Dárine, Dáirfine, Dáirfhine, Dárfine, Dárinne, Dairinne), later known dynastically as the Corcu Loígde and associated, were the proto-historical rulers of Munster before the rise of the Eóganachta in the 7th century AD. They ...

, and the later

Corcu Loígde The Corcu Loígde (Corcu Lóegde, Corco Luigde, Corca Laoighdhe, Laidhe), meaning Gens of the Calf Goddess, also called the Síl Lugdach meic Itha, were a kingdom centred in West County Cork who descended from the proto-historical rulers of Mun ...

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 t ...

. Kinship with the

Osraige Osraige (Old Irish) or Osraighe (Classical Irish), Osraí (Modern Irish), anglicized as Ossory, was a medieval Irish kingdom comprising what is now County Kilkenny and western County Laois, corresponding to the Diocese of Ossory. The home o ...

is also supported, and more distantly with the

Dál Riata Dál Riata or Dál Riada (also Dalriada) () was a Gaelic kingdom that encompassed the western seaboard of Scotland and north-eastern Ireland, on each side of the North Channel. At its height in the 6th and 7th centuries, it covered what is n ...

. The

, of which the Dál Fiatach at times were the ruling dynasty, are further associated with the so-called

Érainn The Iverni (, ') were a people of early Ireland first mentioned in Ptolemy's 2nd century ''Geography'' as living in the extreme south-west of the island. He also locates a "city" called Ivernis (, ') in their territory, and observes that this se ...

. The Dál Fiatach claimed kinship with the legendary Cú Roí mac Dáire and the

Clanna Dedad Deda mac Sin (Deda, son of Sen) was a prehistoric king of the Érainn of Ireland, possibly of the 1st century BC. Variant forms or spellings include Ded, Dedu, Dedad, Degad, Dega, Dego, Deguth and Daig, with some of these occurring as genitives ...

.Dobbs 1921, pp. 330–1 The Dál Fiatach are considered by scholars to be the true historical Ulaid (< ''*Uluti''), but after the fortunes of the dynasty declined in the 7th century, the legendary heroes of the

Ulster Cycle The Ulster Cycle ( ga, an Rúraíocht), formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the Ulaid. It is set far in the past, in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly coun ...

were in fact claimed as ancestors by the rival and unrelated

Dál nAraidi Dál nAraidi (; "Araide's part") or Dál Araide, sometimes Latinised as Dalaradia or Anglicised as Dalaray,Boyd, Hugh AlexanderIrish Dalriada ''The Glynns: Journal of The Glens of Antrim Historical Society''. Volume 76 (1978). was a Cruthin ki ...

or Cruthin, claiming for political reasons to be the "true Ulaid" themselves and descendants of

Rudraige mac Sithrigi Rudraige mac Sithrigi ( ga, Ruairí; en, Rory mac Sitric), was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. The son of Sitric, he took power after killing his predecessor, Crimthann Coscrach, and ruled f ...

through

Conall Cernach Conall Cernach (modern spelling: Conall Cearnach) is a hero of the Ulaid in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He had a crooked neck and is said to have always slept with the head of a Connachtman under his knee. His epithet is normally transla ...

. The legendary Ulaid, a people presumably related in some way to the ancestors of the Dál Fiatach, although this is not clearly preserved in the later genealogical traditions, are sometimes called the Clanna Rudraige. However, rather than contesting the quite false claims of the Cruthin to their ancient glory, the Dál Fiatach appear to have chosen to stress their kinship with the Clanna Dedad of Munster, fearsome rivals of the Clanna Rudraige. Thus with their own ancestors appropriated by the Dál nAraidi, the Dál Fiatach apparently had no choice but to transform themselves into descendants of their nearest kin they could remember. While kinship with the Dáirine and/or Clanna Dedad (Érainn) is not contested by scholars, it can be assumed the early generations of the Dál Fiatach pedigree are quite corrupt. This is also true for the pedigree of the Dáirine and Corcu Loígde. Their natural kinship with the Munster dynasties can only be reconstructed in studies of Ptolemy's Ireland and by linguistics. Every known king of Dál Fiatach became

King of Ulster The King of Ulster (Old Irish: ''Rí Ulad'', Modern Irish: ''Rí Uladh'') also known as the King of Ulaid and King of the Ulaid, was any of the kings of the Irish provincial over-kingdom of Ulaid. The title rí in Chóicid, which means "king of ...

(Ulaid), but they did not monopolise the kingship as the Dál nAraidi supplied a number of powerful kings. Among the more influential Dál Fiatach kings were: *

Muiredach Muinderg Muiredach Muinderg mac Forggo (died 489) was a king of Ulaid from the Dál Fiatach. He was the son of Forgg mac Dalláin. His sobriquet means ''red-necked''. His death date is given in the ''Annals of Tigernach'' in 489. The ''Book of Leinster'' ...

(d. 489) *

Báetán mac Cairill Báetán mac Cairill (died 581) was king of the Dál Fiatach, and high-king of Ulaid, from c. 572 until his death. He was the son of Cairell mac Muiredaig Muinderg (died 532) and brother of Demmán mac Cairill (died 572), previous Kings of Ulaid. ...

(d. 581) *

Fiachnae mac Demmáin Fiachnae mac Demmáin (died 627) was King of Ulaid from 626 to 627. He sometimes was called Fiachnae Dubtuinne. He was a member of the Dal Fiatach and nephew of Baetan mac Cairill (died 581) of Ulaid. He was the son of Demmán mac Cairell (died 5 ...

(d. 627) *

Bécc Bairrche mac Blathmaic Bécc Bairrche mac Blathmaic (died 718) was king of Ulaid from 692 to 707 from the Dál Fiatach clan. He was the son of Blathmac mac Máel Cobha (died 670), a previous king. His byname Bairrche refers to the region of the Mourne Mountains in sou ...

(d. 718) *

Fiachnae mac Áedo Róin Fiachnae mac Áedo Róin (died 789) was a Dál Fiatach ruler of the over-kingdom of Ulaid in Ireland. He reigned from 750 to 789. He was the son of Áed Róin (died 735) and brother of Bressal mac Áedo Róin (died 750), previous kings. This famil ...

(d. 789) *

Niall mac Eochada Niall mac Eochada (died 1063), Benjamin T. Hudson, ‘Niall mac Eochada (d. 1063)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 200accessed 18 April 2008/ref> was king of Ulaid from 1016. His father, Eochada mac Ardgair, di ...

(d. 1063), Benjamin T. Hudson, 'Niall mac Eochada (d. 1063)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 200
accessed 18 April 2008
/ref> A junior branch of the Dál Fiatach ruled Lecale, the peninsula south of the Dál Fiatach capital, Dún Lethglaise (modern-day

). Dún Lethglaise itself, already the royal centre of the Dál Fiatach would become a prestigious monastic site. In later times, from the 9th century, Bangor, originally controlled by the neighbouring Dál nAraidi, became the main religious site patronised by the kings.

Tribes

Below are a list of some of the tribes that were part of or claimed descent from the Dál Fiatach: *

Dál mBuinne Dál mBuinne, alias Dál mBuain, meaning the "portion of Buinne", was a medieval Irish Cruthin petty-kingdom that was part of Dál nAraidi of Magh Line in the over-kingdom of Ulaid. Their eponymous ancestor was Buinn, son of the legendary Ulaid k ...

, also known as the Muintir Branáin located near Moylinny, County Antrim. An Ulaid tribe, their name is preserved in the medieval deanery of Dalboyn. * Leth Cathail, an offshoot of the Dál Fiatach, located in and around the modern barony of Lecale, County Down. *

Uí Blathmaic Blathewyc or Blathewic () is the name of several historical territorial divisions in what is now County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the anglicised name of an ancient Irish ''túath'', ruled by the ''Uí Blathmaic'', later becoming a barony, bail ...

, whose territory was located in the northern part of the barony of

Ards Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a type of respiratory failure characterized by rapid onset of widespread inflammation in the lungs. Symptoms include shortness of breath (dyspnea), rapid breathing (tachypnea), and bluish skin color ...

and part of Castlereagh. Their name was preserved in the medieval deanery and county of

Blathewyc Blathewyc or Blathewic () is the name of several historical territorial divisions in what is now County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the anglicised name of an ancient Irish ''túath'', ruled by the ''Uí Blathmaic'', later becoming a barony, bail ...

. *

Uí Echach Arda Ards () is the name of several different historical territorial divisions all located on the Ards Peninsula in modern-day County Down, Northern Ireland. Early history Ards was once an ancient Irish district that was possessed by a tribe known as ...

, based in the

Ards peninsula The Ards Peninsula () is a peninsula in County Down, Northern Ireland, on the north-east coast of Ireland. It separates Strangford Lough from the North Channel of the Irish Sea. Towns and villages on the peninsula include Donaghadee, Mi ...

. * Mac Duinnshléibhe, meaning "brown mountain", anglicised as MacDonlevy,

Dunleavy Donlevy is a firstname and surname of Irish origin. Also spelt as MacDonlevy, Donleavy, Dunleavy, MacAleavey, and McAlevey, it derives from the Irish ''Mac Duinnshléibhe'', meaning "son of Donn of the mountain". ''Ó Duinnshléibhe'' is a variant ...

, MacAleavey amongst other variations. * Ó hEachaidh'', meaning "son of Aghy", Anglicised variants include Haughey, MacGaughey, MacGahey, Hoey and

Hoy Hoy ( sco, Hoy; from Norse , meaning "high island") is an island in Orkney, Scotland, measuring – the second largest in the archipelago, after Mainland. A natural causeway, ''the Ayre'', links the island to the smaller South Walls; the two ...

. Also recorded as a ''Mac'' name as well as a branch of the ''Mac Duinnshléibhe''.

Pedigree variations

* Sen mac Rosin **

Dedu mac Sin Deda mac Sin (Deda, son of Sen) was a prehistoric king of the Érainn of Ireland, possibly of the 1st century BC. Variant forms or spellings include Ded, Dedu, Dedad, Degad, Dega, Dego, Deguth and Daig, with some of these occurring as genitives ...

a quo Clanna Dedad ***

Íar mac Dedad Íar mac Dedad (Íar, son of Deda mac Sin) was a legendary King of Munster. He is the father, or in some sources more distant ancestor, of Eterscél Mór, and grandfather (or great-grandfather) of the famous Conaire Mór, both High Kings of Ireland ...

****

, etc. ***

Dáire mac Dedad Dáire mac Dedad (Dáire, son of Dega) is the eponymous ancestor of the Dáirine of Munster and father of the legendary Cú Roí mac Dáire. These further associate him with the prehistoric Darini of Ulster. He is probably identical with Dáire Do ...

/ Dairi Sirchrechtaig /

Dáire Doimthech Dáire Doimthech (Dáire "poor house"), alias Dáire Sírchréchtach ("the ever-wounded"), son of Sithbolg, was a legendary King of Tara and High King of Ireland, and one of the eponymous ancestors of the proto-historical Dáirine and historical ...

**** Cú Roí mac Dáire *****

Lugaid mac Con Roí :''See Lugaid for other figures of the same name, and Lug for the god the name derives from.'' In the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, Lugaid mac Con Roí was the son of Cú Roí mac Dáire. He was also known as Lugaid mac Trí Con ("son of thr ...

***** Fuirme mac Con Roí ****** (F)iatach Find ******* Dál Fiatach ****

*****

*** Conganchnes mac Dedad *** Conall Anglonnach mac Dedad **** Conaille Muirtheimne ** Eochaid (Echdach/Echach) mac Sin *** Deitsin/Deitsini **** Dlúthaich/Dluthaig ***** Dáire/Dairi ****** Fir furmiLaud ******* Fiatach Finn / Fiachach Fir Umai ******** Dál Fiatach

Further alternatives

A third (fourth) pedigree is given in

Rawlinson B 502 Oxford, Bodleian Library, Rawlinson B 502 is a medieval Irish manuscript which presently resides in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. It ranks as one of the three major surviving Irish manuscripts to have been produced in pre-Norman Ireland, the tw ...

at ¶689: ''Fiatach Find m. Dáre m. Forgo a quo Dál Fiatach rí h-Érenn. iii. co torchair la Fiachaich Fidfholaid m. Feradaich''. Dáire mac Forgo is listed as an early king of Emain Macha at ¶1481: ''Dáre m. Forgo m. Feideilmid (m. h-Uamunchinn) (m. Corráin m. Caiss m. Argatmáir)''. As Feideilmid is also the father of

Fachtna Fáthach Fachtna Fáthach ("the wise"), son of Cas (or Ross), son of Rudraige, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He came to power when he defeated the previous High King, Dui Dallta Dedad, in the bat ...

according to this particular scheme, Forgo is thus an uncle of

Conchobar mac Nessa Conchobar mac Nessa (son of Ness) is the king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Emain Macha (Navan Fort, near Armagh). He is usually said to be the son of the High King Fachtna Fáthach, although in some stories hi ...

. Elsewhere Fachtna is a son of Cas, son of

(a quo Clanna Rudraige), (son of Sithrig), son of Dub, son of Fomor, son of Airgetmar. However, Forgo (Forggo) also appears as an ancestor of Deda mac Sin at ¶1696: ''Dedad m. Sin m. Roshin m. Triir m. Rothriir m. Airnnil m. Maine m. Forggo m. Feradaig m. Ailella Érann m. Fiachach Fir Mara m. Óengusa Turbich Temra''. A Forgo later appears in the line of the historical kings of Dál Fiatach as the father of

:from Laud, ed. Meyer, pp. 336–7 ''Eochu m. Ardgair m. Matudáin m. Áeda m. Eochucain m. Áeda m. Echdach (qui habuit filios. xii.) m. Fíachnai m. Áeda Roín m. Béce Bairche m. Blaithmeic m. Máile Coba m. Fíachnai Duib Tuile m. Demmáin m. Cairill (qui credit Patricio) m. Muiredaigh Mundeirg m. Forgo m. Dallaín m. Dubthaig m. Miennaig m. Ludgach m. Óengusa Find m. Fergusa Dubdhétaig (Móen ingen Chuind Chétchthaig máthair na trí Fergus a ndochersat i cath Crinna) m. Imchado m. Findchado m. Fíatach Find (a quo Dál Fíatach) m. Fir furmi m. Dáiri m. Dlúthaig m. Deitsini m. Echach m. Sín m. Rosin m. Treín m. Rothrein m. Rogein m. Arndil m. Mane Mair m. Forgo''.

Notes

References

* Byrne, Francis John, ''Irish Kings and High-Kings.''

Four Courts Press Four Courts Press is an independent Irish academic publishing house, with its office at Malpas Street, Dublin 8, Ireland. Founded in 1970 by Michael Adams, who died in February 2009, its early publications were primarily theological, notably t ...

. 2nd revised edition, 2001. * Charles-Edwards, Thomas, ''Early Christian Ireland''.

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press in the world. It is also the King's Printer. Cambridge University Pr ...

. 2000. * Connolly, S.J, ''The Oxford companion to Irish history.''

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print book ...

. 2nd edition, 2007. * Dobbs, Margaret E.
The History of the Descendants of Ir
in ''

Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie The ''Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie'' is an academic journal of Celtic studies, which was established in 1897 by the German scholars Kuno Meyer and Ludwig Christian Stern.Busse, Peter E. "''Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie''." In ''Ce ...

13'' (1921): 308–59; continued in ''Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie 14'' (1923): 44–144. * Dobbs, Margaret E.
Side-lights on the Táin age and other studies
Dundalk: WM. Tempest. 1917. * Duffy, Seán (ed.), ''Atlas of Irish History.'' Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. 2nd edition, 2000. * MacNeill, Eoin, ''Celtic Ireland''. Academy Press. 1981 (reissue with new intro. and notes by

Donnchadh Ó Corráin Donnchadh Ó Corráin (28 February 1942 – 25 October 2017) was an Irish historian and Professor Emeritus of Medieval History at University College Cork. He earned his BA in history and Irish from that institution, graduating in 1964. He was ...

of original Martin Lester Ltd edition, 1921). * MacNeill, Eoin
"Early Irish Population Groups: their nomenclature, classification and chronology"
in ''Proceedings of the

Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier learned society and one its leading cultural ...

(C) 29'' (1911): 59–114 * Meyer, Kuno (ed.)
"The Laud Genealogies and Tribal Histories"
in ''Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie 8'' (1912): 291–338. * O'Brien, Michael A. (ed.) with intr. by John V. Kelleher, ''Corpus genealogiarum Hiberniae''. DIAS. 1976. / partial digital edition:

(ed.)
Genealogies from Rawlinson B 502
University College, Cork
Corpus of Electronic Texts
1997. * O'Rahilly, Thomas F., ''Early Irish History and Mythology''.

Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) ( ga, Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a statutory independent research institute in Ireland. It was established in 1940 on the initiative of the Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera, in Dub ...