Flaithbertach Ua Néill
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Flaithbertach Ua Néill (before 978–1036) was
king of Ailech The Kings of Ailech were the over-kings of the medieval Irish province of Ailech in north-western Ireland. It encompassed the territories of the Cenél nEógain and Cenél Conaill. After the battle of Cloítech in 789 its kings were exclusively ...
, 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 (Flaithbertach of the
Pilgrim's staff The pilgrim's staff is a walking stick used by Christian pilgrims during their pilgrimages, like the Way of St. James to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela in Spain or the Via Francigena to Rome. The pilgrim's staff has a strong association wit ...
). Following the death of his son Áed in 1033, Flaithbertach left his retirement and resumed the leadership of the
Northern Uí Néill The Northern Uí Néill is any of several dynasties in north-western medieval Ireland that claimed descent from a common ancestor, Niall of the Nine Hostages. Other dynasties in central and eastern Ireland who also claimed descent from Niall we ...
.


Background

Flaithbertach, a grandson of
Domnall ua Néill Domhnall ua Néill (old spelling: ''Domnall ua Néill''; anglicised as Donal O'Neill) (died 980) 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 nE ...
, belonged to the northern
Cenél nEógain Cenél is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Cenél Conaill, the name of the "kindred" or descendants of Conall Gulban, son of Niall Noígiallach defined by oral and recorded history * Cenél nEógain (in English, Cenel Eogan) i ...
branch of the
Northern Uí Néill The Northern Uí Néill is any of several dynasties in north-western medieval Ireland that claimed descent from a common ancestor, Niall of the Nine Hostages. Other dynasties in central and eastern Ireland who also claimed descent from Niall we ...
. The later
O'Neill The O'Neill dynasty (Irish: ''Ó Néill'') are a lineage of Irish Gaelic origin, that held prominent positions and titles in Ireland and elsewhere. As kings of Cenél nEógain, they were historically the most prominent family of the Northern ...
(Irish ''Ua Néill'') kindred,
kings of Tír Eógain This article lists the rulers of Tyrone (Irish: ''Tír Eoghain'') from 1185 to 1616. They are listed from their date of accession to date of death, unless otherwise stated. Prior to this, the ruling dynasty - the Cenél nEógain - were most of th ...
and later
earls of Tyrone The Earl of Tyrone is a title created three times in the Peerage of Ireland. It was first created as part of the Tudor attempt to establish a uniform social structure in Ireland by converting the Gaelic kings and chiefs into hereditary nobles of t ...
, descended from Flaithbertach's branch of Cenél nEógain, and were named for his great-great-grandfather
Niall Glúndub Niall Glúndub mac Áeda (Modern Irish: ''Niall Glúndubh mac Aodha'', "Niall Black-Knee, son of Áed"; died 14 September 919) was a 10th-century Irish king of the Cenél nEógain and High King of Ireland. Many Irish kin groups were members of th ...
. The rival
Meic Lochlainn The Meic Lochlann, also spelt as Mic Lochlainn, and Mac Lochlainn, were a leading branch of the Cenél nEógain, who were in turn a segment of the Uí Néill. The Meic Lochlainn descended from Domnall Dabaill (died 915), son of Áed Findliath. An ...
branch of Cenél nEógain, which would be important in the generations after Flaithbertach's lifetime probably descended from Niall Glúndub's brother
Domnall mac Áeda Domnall mac Áeda (died 915), also known as Domnall Dabaill, was a King of Ailech. He was a son of Áed Findliath mac Niall, High King of Ireland. Domnall was a half-brother of Niall Glúndub mac Áeda, a man with whom he shared the kingship of ...
. Most of the province of
Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...
, from the
River Bann The River Bann (from ga, An Bhanna, meaning "the goddess"; Ulster-Scots: ''Bann Wattèr'') is one of the longest rivers in Northern Ireland, its length, Upper and Lower Bann combined, being 129 km (80 mi). However, the total lengt ...
in the east to the River Foyle in the west, was ruled by Cenél nEógain and their many clients, of whom the Airgíalla were the most important. Their own lands included much of modern County Londonderry and
County Tyrone County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. It is no longer used as an administrative division for local government but retai ...
, which bears their name, extending from Lough Neagh to Lough Foyle and northwards to
Inishowen Inishowen () is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland. The Inishowen peninsula includes Ireland's most northerly point, Malin Head. The Grianan of Aileach, a ringfort ...
. To the east lay the kingdom of Ulster, reduced to little more than modern County Down and southern
County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...
; to the west,
Tír Conaill Tyrconnell (), also spelled Tirconnell, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Donegal, which has sometimes been called ''County Tyrconnell''. At times it also included parts of County Fermanagh, Cou ...
(modern
County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconn ...
) was divided among the branches of another Uí Néill kindred,
Cenél Conaill Cenél is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Cenél Conaill, the name of the "kindred" or descendants of Conall Gulban, son of Niall Noígiallach defined by oral and recorded history * Cenél nEógain (in English, Cenel Eogan) i ...
; and to the south the
kingdom of Breifne Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
and the
kingdom of Mide Meath (; Old Irish: ''Mide'' ; spelt ''Mí'' in Modern Irish) was a kingdom in Ireland from the 1st to the 12th century AD. Its name means "middle," denoting its location in the middle of the island. At its greatest extent, it included all o ...
.Duffy, ''Atlas of Irish History'', pp. 26–31. The Cenél nEógain
kings of Ailech The Kings of Ailech were the over-kings of the medieval Irish province of Ailech in north-western Ireland. It encompassed the territories of the Cenél nEógain and Cenél Conaill. After the battle of Cloítech in 789 its kings were exclusively ...
were based originally in Inishowen. By the 9th century, however, Cenél nEógain power had extended eastwards, into lands which had once belonged to the kingdom of Ulster and the Airgíalla, and kings were inaugurated at Tulach Óg (
Tullyhogue Fort Tullyhogue Fort, also spelt Tullaghoge or Tullahoge (from Middle Irish ''Tulach Óc'' meaning "hill of youth" or "mound of the young warriors"), is a large mound on the outskirts of Tullyhogue village near Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Irela ...
,
County Tyrone County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. It is no longer used as an administrative division for local government but retai ...
) and buried at Armagh. While not directly under the control of the kings of Ailech, Armagh was subject to their influence and it is recorded that the kings kept a house there. Although the Ecclesiastical Province of Armagh was divided at Synod of Kells-Mellifont in 1152, its authority over the churches of the north and centre of Ireland in Flaithbertach's time was much greater, as shown by the earlier boundaries between provinces established at the Synod of Ráith Bressail in 1111, which divided Ireland between Armagh and Cashel. Armagh was not only Saint Patrick's city, it was also in some measure the city of Cenél nEógain. Other major churches in the region, those established as sees following the 12th-century reforms, included the Columban churches of Derry and Raphoe, and the Patrician churches of
Louth Louth may refer to: Australia *Hundred of Louth, a cadastral unit in South Australia * Louth, New South Wales, a town * Louth Bay, a bay in South Australia **Louth Bay, South Australia, a town and locality Canada * Louth, Ontario Ireland * Cou ...
,
Maghera Maghera (pronounced , ) is a small town at the foot of the Glenshane Pass in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Its population was 4,220 in the 2011 Census, increasing from 3,711 in the 2001 Census. It is situated within Mid-Ulster Distri ...
and Connor.


Before Clontarf

The date of Flaithbertach's birth is not certainly known, but his father Muirchertach was killed in 977 by Amlaíb Cuarán. A late addition to the '' Annals of Ulster'' claims that Flaithbertach was born that same year. His mother was Cres Cumal of the Uí Maine.Duffy, "Flaithbertach". His grandfather Domnall ua Néill, High King of Ireland, died in 980, and the kingship of Ailech passed first to Fergal mac Domnaill meic Conaing, who perhaps abdicated in 989 and died in 1001. Fergal was followed, perhaps after an interval of some years, by Flaithbertach's uncle Áed mac Domnaill, who is said to have been but 29 years of age and in the 10th year of his reign at his death in 1004. The first report of Flaithbertach is in 1005 when he led a raid on
Leth Cathail Lecale (, ) is a peninsula in the east of County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies between Strangford Lough and Dundrum Bay. In the Middle Ages it was a district or ''túath'' in the Gaelic Irish kingdom of Ulaid, then became a county in the Angl ...
, part of the kingdom of Ulster, where the king of Leth Cathail, Áed mac Tommaltaig, was killed. Flaithbertach raided Leth Cathail again in 1007, killing Áed's successor Cú Ulad, and undermining the settlement imposed in 1005 when Brian Bóruma came to Armagh with a great army and received Flaithbertach's submission. Brian returned in 1006 and again in 1007, on which occasion he removed some of the hostages Flaithbertach had obtained from Ulster into his own keeping, by force according to the ''
Annals of Innisfallen Annals ( la, annāles, from , "year") are a concise historical record in which events are arranged chronologically, year by year, although the term is also used loosely for any historical record. Scope The nature of the distinction between ann ...
''. Perhaps at about this time Flaithbertach married Brian's daughter Bé Binn; their children included Áed and Domnall. Flaithbertach continued to act aggressively towards his neighbours. He had a king of Cenél Conaill blinded and put to death in 1009, and raided the midlands as far as the lower reaches of the
River Boyne The River Boyne ( ga, An Bhóinn or ''Abhainn na Bóinne'') is a river in Leinster, Ireland, the course of which is about long. It rises at Trinity Well, Newberry Hall, near Carbury, County Kildare, and flows towards the Northeast through C ...
later in the year. These actions brought Brian back north in 1010, again receiving Flaithbertach's submission and taking hostages from Cenél nEógain back home to Kincora. Cenél Conaill was invaded in 1011, this time Flaithbertach acting as Brian's ally, his army accompanying those of Brian's sons Domnall and Murchad. A second expedition by Brian himself late in the year received the submission of Cenél Conaill. Flaithbertach, however, had returned to his old ways and again attacked Ulster, capturing Dún Echdach (Duneight, south of Lisburn) and receiving the submission of the Ulster over-king Niall mac Duib Tuinne. He attacked Ulster and Cenél Conaill again in 1012. In 1013 Flaithbertach raided into the
kingdom of Mide Meath (; Old Irish: ''Mide'' ; spelt ''Mí'' in Modern Irish) was a kingdom in Ireland from the 1st to the 12th century AD. Its name means "middle," denoting its location in the middle of the island. At its greatest extent, it included all o ...
, ruled by former High King
Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill ( ga, Maolsheachlann mac Domhnaill), also called Máel Sechnaill Mór or Máel Sechnaill II (949 – 2 September 1022), was a King of Mide and High King of Ireland. His great victory at the Battle of Tara aga ...
. The two armies met near Kells, but Máel Sechnaill withdrew his army without fighting. This seemingly minor event appears to have led Máel Sechnaill's neighbours to believe him weak and vulnerable, and a war with
Leinster Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of ...
and
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
followed. The war ended at the
battle of Clontarf The Battle of Clontarf ( ga, Cath Chluain Tarbh) took place on 23 April 1014 at Clontarf, near Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland. It pitted an army led by Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, against a Norse-Irish alliance comprising the for ...
on 23 April 1014, where Brian Bóruma was killed, although his armies and Máel Sechnaill's defeated the Leinstermen and Dubliners.


After Clontarf

With Brian dead, Máel Sechnaill and Flaithbertach embarked on a series of campaigns which reestablished Máel Sechnaill as High King. According to the '' Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh'', a work of propaganda composed in the time of Brian's great-grandson Muirchertach, in 1002, shortly before Brian replaced Máel Sechnaill as High King, Máel Sechnaill had offered to resign the High Kingship in favour of Áed mac Domnaill, Flaithbertach's uncle and predecessor as king of Ailech in return for aid against Brian. The ''Cogadh'' states that Áed refused and that no help came to Máel Sechnaill from Cenél nEógain and the north, only from
Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Del ...
. What caused Flaithbertach to support Máel Sechnaill where his uncle had not is unknown. Máel Sechnaill died in 1022. Flaithbertach campaigned in the midlands in 1025 and received the submission of Dublin, but
Donnchad mac Briain Donnchadh () is a masculine given name common to the Irish and Scottish Gaelic languages. It is composed of the elements ''donn'', meaning "brown" or "dark" from Donn a Gaelic God; and ''chadh'', meaning "chief" or "noble". The name is also written ...
did likewise in 1026, and Flaithbertach also that same year. But Dublin appears to have been easy prey for
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, d ...
, the king of Ulster, also raided Dublin in 1026. That year Ulster was raided, and Cenél Conaill the next. Flaithbertach was by this time over 50 years old. His son Domnall died in 1027 and in 1030 he went on pilgrimage to Rome, returning home in 1031. From this he obtained his
byname An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...
, Flaithbertach an Trostáin, that is Flaithbertach of the Pilgrim's staff. That year Niall mac Eochada raided Telach Óg while Flaithbertach's son Áed undertook a raid in reprisal. Also in 1031 Flaithbertach and Áed raided the south part of Cenél Conaill. At about this time Flaithbertach abdicated, being succeeded as king of Ailech by Áed, but Áed died on 30 November 1033. Flaithbertach left his retirement and became king again, the ''Annals of Innisfallen'' say: "Flaithbertach Ua Néill took Ailech again, and the north of Ireland submitted to him on account of seniority." However, it may be that it was not the death of Áed which led to Flaithbertach's recall as the southern ''
Annals of Innisfallen Annals ( la, annāles, from , "year") are a concise historical record in which events are arranged chronologically, year by year, although the term is also used loosely for any historical record. Scope The nature of the distinction between ann ...
'' place this event only after the death of Domnall Ua Maíl Doraid of Cenél Conaill. Flaithbertach's second reign was seemingly uneventful. He died in 1036 as king of Ailech. Flaithbertach is not included in modern lists of High Kings. Nonetheless, some medieval writers identified him with a king included in the list of High Kings in ''
Baile in Scáil Conn Cétchathach (; "of the Hundred Battles"), son of Fedlimid Rechtmar, was a semi-legendary High King of Ireland and the ancestor of the Connachta, and, through his descendant Niall Noígiallach, the Uí Néill dynasties, which dominated Irel ...
'', and it may be that he is included in the verse history of Irish and Scottish kings in prophetic style called the ''
Prophecy of Berchán In religion, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a ''prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or pre ...
''. Both of these sources are problematic and neither is generally relied upon for Irish king lists, unlike the much earlier ''
Baile Chuind Baile ("dance" in Spanish) may refer to: * Baile (Spanish play), a Spanish dramatic form * Baile funk, a type of dance music from Rio de Janeiro * Baile, the Irish Gaelic word for a town, usually anglicized as "bally" or "balla" * Baile, the Sco ...
'', on which they are modelled. Perhaps most conclusively, the historical poems of Flaithbertach's contemporary
Flann Mainistrech Flann Mainistrech (died 25 November 1056) was an Irish poet and historian. Flann was the son of Echthigern mac Óengusso, who had been lector at the monastery of Monasterboice (modern County Louth), in Irish ''Mainistir Buite'', whence Flann's by ...
and the compilers of the pro-Uí Néill chronicles at Armagh do not recognise him as a High King. Following Flaithbertach's death, his descendants were eclipsed by their Meic Lochlainn cousins. The last of the family was recorded in the annals in the 1080s, after which they disappear. Because of this, several Irish academics such as
Francis John Byrne Francis John Byrne (1934 – 30 December 2017) was an Irish historian. Born in Shanghai where his father, a Dundalk man, captained a ship on the Yellow River, Byrne was evacuated with his mother to Australia on the outbreak of World War II. ...
believe the true O'Neill descendants of Niall Glundubh no longer held any power anywhere in Ireland, and that their alleged 12th-century descendant,
Áed in Macáem Tóinlesc Áed in Macáem Tóinlesc or Aodh an Macaoimh Tóinleasg (died 1177) was a 12th-century ruler of Tulach Óc and Tír Eogain. He was the first of his family to play a significant role in the high politics of northern Ireland, following the deat ...
was of unknown ancestry and only adopted the surname. Indeed, Áed was a puppet king installed by
Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair Ruaidrí mac Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair ( Modern Irish: Ruairí Ó Conchúir; anglicized as Rory O'Conor) ( – 2 December 1198) was King of Connacht from 1156 to 1186, and High King of Ireland from 1166 to 1198. He was the last High King o ...
who partitioned Cenél nEógain between the Meic Lochlainn and Áed in 1167.Flanagan, "Ua Conchobair, Ruaidrí". Most current bearers of the surname O'Neill claim Áed as their ancestor such as the Scottish Clan MacNeill.


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ua Neill, Flaithbertach 10th-century births 1036 deaths Kings of Ailech People from County Tyrone 11th-century Irish monarchs O'Neill dynasty Gaels