Aonghus Óg Mac Domhnaill (died 1314
× 1318/ 1330), or Angus Og MacDonald, was a fourteenth-century Scottish magnate and chief of
Clann Domhnaill. He was a younger son of
Aonghus Mór mac Domhnaill, Lord of Islay
In Irish mythology, Aengus or Óengus is one of the Tuatha Dé Danann and probably originally a god associated with youth, love,Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí. ''Myth, Legend & Romance: An encyclopedia of the Irish folk tradition''. Prentice-Hall Press, ...
. After the latter's apparent death, the chiefship of the kindred was assumed by Aonghus Óg's elder brother,
Alasdair Óg Mac Domhnaill.
Most of the documentation regarding Aonghus Óg's career concerns his support of
Edward I, King of England against supporters of
John, King of Scotland
John Balliol or John de Balliol ( – late 1314), known derisively as Toom Tabard (meaning 'empty coat'), was King of Scots from 1292 to 1296. Little is known of his early life. After the death of Margaret, Maid of Norway, Scotland entered an ...
. The latter's principal adherents on the western seaboard of Scotland were
Clann Dubhghaill
Clan MacDougall is a Highland Scottish clan, historically based in and around Argyll. The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in Scotland, issuing new grants of coats of arms, and serving as ...
, regional rivals of Clann Domhnaill. Although there is much uncertainty concerning the Clann Domhnaill
chiefship at this period in history, at some point after Alasdair Óg's apparent death at the hands of Clann Dubhghaill in 1299, Aonghus Óg seems to have taken up the chiefship as
Lord of Islay
Lord of Islay was a thirteenth- and fourteenth-century title borne by the Scottish clan chief, chiefs of Clann Domhnaill before they assumed the title "Lord of the Isles" in the late fourteenth century. The first person regarded to have styled the ...
.
Pressure from Clann Domhnaill and other supporters of the English Crown evidently compelled Clann Dubhghaill into coming onside with the English in the first years of the fourteenth century. However, when
Robert Bruce VII, Earl of Carrick murdered the Scottish claimant
John Comyn of Badenoch
John Comyn III of Badenoch, nicknamed the Red ( 1274 – 10 February 1306), was a leading Scottish baron and magnate who played an important role in the First War of Scottish Independence. He served as Guardian of Scotland after the forced abd ...
in 1306, and subsequently made himself
King of Scotland
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the British cons ...
(as Robert I), Clann Domhnaill seems to have switched their allegiance to Robert I in an effort to gain leverage against Clann Dubhghaill. Members of Clann Domhnaill almost certainly harboured the latter in 1306, when he was doggedly pursued by adherents of the English Crown.
Following Robert I's successful consolidation of the Scottish kingship, Aonghus Óg and other members of his kindred were rewarded with extensive grants of territories formerly held by their regional opponents. According to the late fourteenth-century ''
Bruce
The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been ...
'', Aonghus Óg participated in the
Battle of Bannockburn
The Battle of Bannockburn ( or ) was fought on 23–24 June 1314, between the army of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots, and the army of King Edward II of England, during the First War of Scottish Independence. It was a decisive victory for Ro ...
in 1314, Robert I's greatest victory over the English. It is uncertain when Aonghus Óg died. It could have been before or after the death of an unknown member of the clan at the
Battle of Faughart
The Battle of Faughart (or Battle of Dundalk) was fought on 14 October 1318 between an Anglo-Irish force led by John de Bermingham (later created 1st Earl of Louth) and Edmund Butler, Earl of Carrick, and a Scottish and Irish army command ...
in 1318—a man who seems to have held the chiefship at the time. Certainly,
Eóin Mac Domhnaill—Aonghus Óg's lawful son by Áine Ní Chatháin—held the chiefship by the 1330s, and became the first member of Clann Domhnaill to rule as
Lord of the Isles
Lord of the Isles or King of the Isles
( or ; ) is a title of nobility in the Baronage of Scotland with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It began with Somerled in the 12th century and thereafter the title was ...
.
Familial background
Aonghus Óg was a younger son of
Aonghus Mór mac Domhnaill, Lord of Islay
In Irish mythology, Aengus or Óengus is one of the Tuatha Dé Danann and probably originally a god associated with youth, love,Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí. ''Myth, Legend & Romance: An encyclopedia of the Irish folk tradition''. Prentice-Hall Press, ...
, chief of
Clann Domhnaill. The latter last appears on record in 1293, when he was listed as one of the principal landholders in
Argyll
Argyll (; archaically Argyle; , ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county of western Scotland. The county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975 and most of the area ...
. At about this period, the territories possessed by the clan comprised
Kintyre
Kintyre (, ) is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The peninsula stretches about , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to East Loch Tarbert, Argyll, East and West Loch Tarbert, Argyll, West Loch Tarbert in t ...
,
Islay
Islay ( ; , ) is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Known as "The Queen of the Hebrides", it lies in Argyll and Bute just south west of Jura, Scotland, Jura and around north of the Northern Irish coast. The island's cap ...
, southern
Jura, and perhaps
Colonsay
Colonsay (; ; ) is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, located north of Islay and south of Isle of Mull, Mull. The ancestral home of Clan Macfie and the Colonsay branch of Clan MacNeil, it is in the council area of Argyll and Bute and ...
and
Oronsay
Oronsay (), also sometimes spelt and pronounced ''Oransay'' by the local community, is a small tidal island south of Colonsay in the Scottish Inner Hebrides with an area of .
The island rises to a height of at Beinn Orasaigh and is linked t ...
. Clann Domhnaill was a branch of
Clann Somhairle
Clann Somhairle, sometimes anglicised as Clan Sorley, refers to those Scottish and Irish dynasties descending from the famous Norse-Gaelic leader Somerled, King of Mann and the Isles, son of Gillabrigte (†1164), and ancestor of Clann Do ...
. Other branches included
Clann Dubhghaill
Clan MacDougall is a Highland Scottish clan, historically based in and around Argyll. The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in Scotland, issuing new grants of coats of arms, and serving as ...
—the senior-most—and
Clann Ruaidhrí
Clann Ruaidhrí was a leading medieval clan in the Hebrides and the western seaboard of Scotland. The eponymous ancestor of the family was Ruaidhrí mac Raghnaill, a principal member of Clann Somhairle in the thirteenth century. Members of Clan ...
.
Aonghus Óg's mother was a member of the
Caimbéalaigh
Clan Campbell ( ) is a Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the largest and most powerful of the Highland clans. The Clan Campbell lands are in Argyll and within their lands lies Ben Cruachan. The chief of the clan became Earl of Argyll ...
kindred (the Campbells). According to Hebridean tradition preserved by the seventeenth-century ''
Sleat History'', she was a daughter of
Cailéan Mór Caimbéal, a leading member of the Caimbéalaigh. Aonghus Óg had a sister who married
Domhnall Óg Ó Domhnaill, King of Tír Chonaill
Donald is a Scottish masculine given name. It is derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinterp ...
; another sister who married
Hugh Bisset; an older brother,
Alasdair Óg
Alasdair () is a Scottish Gaelic given name. The name is a Gaelic form of ''Alexander'' which has long been a popular name in Scotland. The personal name ''Alasdair'' is often Anglicised as '' Alistair'', '' Alastair'', and ''Alaster''.''A Dictiona ...
, who appears to have succeeded their father by 1296; and another brother,
Eóin Sprangach, ancestor of the
Ardnamurchan branch of Clann Domhnaill.
In English service against King John Balliol
When
Alexander III, King of Scotland
Alexander III (; Modern Gaelic: ; 4 September 1241 – 19 March 1286) was King of Alba (Scotland) from 1249 until his death. He concluded the Treaty of Perth, by which Scotland acquired sovereignty over the Western Isles and the Isle of Man. H ...
died in 1286, his acknowledged heir was his granddaughter,
Margaret
Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...
. Although this Norwegian girl was accepted by the magnates of the realm, and betrothed to the heir of
Edward I, King of England, she perished on her journey to Scotland, and her death triggered a succession crisis.
The
leading claimants to kingship were
John Balliol, Lord of Galloway and
Robert Bruce V, Lord of Annandale
Robert V de Brus (Robert de Brus), 5th Lord of Annandale (ca. 1215 – 31 March or 3 May 1295), was a feudal lord, justice and constable of Scotland and England, a regent of Scotland, and a competitor for the Scottish throne in 1290/92 in the ...
. By common consent, Edward I was invited to arbitrate the dispute. In 1292, John Balliol's claims were accepted, and he was duly inaugurated as
King of Scotland
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the British cons ...
. Unfortunately for this king, his ambitious English counterpart systematically undermined his royal authority, and John's reign lasted only about four years. In 1296, after John ratified a military treaty with France, and refused to hand over Scottish castles to Edward I's control, the English marched north and
crushed the Scots at Dunbar. Edward I's forces proceeded forward virtually unopposed, whereupon Scotland fell under English control.
The chief of Clann Dubhghaill in the last quarter of the thirteenth century and first decade of the next was
Alasdair Mac Dubhghaill, Lord of Argyll. The wife of this pre-eminent magnate—and mother of
Eóin Mac Dubhghaill, his son and successor—was almost certainly a member of the
Comyn kindred Comyn can refer to:
People
* Clan Cumming also known as Clan Comyn
* Comyn (surname)
Places
* Comyn Ching Triangle, triangular city block in Covent Garden, London
* Comyn, Texas, community located in Comanche County, Texas
* Newbold Comyn, a park ...
, a family closely bound to the Balliol family.
During the short Balliol regime, Alasdair Mac Dubhghaill had been appointed
Sheriff of Lorn
The Sheriff of Lorn/Lorne was historically the royal official responsible for enforcing law and order in Lorne, Scotland and bringing criminals to justice. The sheriffdom was created in 1293 by King John of Scotland in an effort to maintain peace ...
, a position which made him the Scottish Crown's representative throughout much of the western seaboard, including Clann Domhnaill and Caimbéalaigh territories. If tradition preserved by the seventeenth-century ''
Ane Accompt of the Genealogie of the Campbells'' is to be believed, Clann Dubhghaill
overcame and slew Cailéan Mór in the 1290s. Certainly, Alasdair Mac Dubhghaill came into bloody conflict with his Clann Domhnaill counterpart during the decade.
This Clann Somhairle infighting appears to have stemmed from Alasdair Óg's marriage to an apparent member of Clann Dubhghaill, and seems to have concerned this woman's territorial claims. Although the opposing chiefs swore to postpone their disagreement in 1292, and uphold the peace in the "isles and outlying territories", the struggle continued throughout the 1290s.
Clann Dubhghaill authority along the western seaboard was seriously threatened by about 1296, when Alasdair Óg was acting as Edward I's royal representative in the region. Certainly, Alasdair Óg appealed to the English king regarding Alasdair Mac Dubhghaill's ravaging of Clann Domhnaill territories in 1297, and may well be identical to the like-named Clann Domhnaill dynast who was recorded slain against Alasdair Mac Dubhghaill two years later. If this identification is indeed correct, this could have been the point when Aonghus Óg succeeded Alasdair Óg as chief.
Shift of allegiance to the Bruce cause
In February 1306,
Robert the Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against Kingdom of Eng ...
, a claimant to the Scottish throne, killed his chief rival to the kingship,
John Comyn of Badenoch
John Comyn III of Badenoch, nicknamed the Red ( 1274 – 10 February 1306), was a leading Scottish baron and magnate who played an important role in the First War of Scottish Independence. He served as Guardian of Scotland after the forced abd ...
. Although Bruce was crowned King of Scots by March, the English Crown immediately struck back, defeating his forces in June. By September, Robert was a fugitive, and escaped into the Hebrides. There is no certain record of Aonghus Óg between 1301 and 1306.
[ McDonald (1997) p. 171.] According to the highly reliable fourteenth-century poem ''
The Brus
''The Brus'', also known as ''The Bruce'', is a long narrative poem, in Early Scots, of just under 14,000 octosyllabic lines composed by John Barbour which gives a historic and chivalric account of the actions of Robert the Bruce and Sir ...
'', Aonghus Óg played an instrumental part in Robert's survival and was ever loyal to the Bruce. Specifically, this source relates that, after Robert was
defeated at Methven and
Dalrigh
Dalrigh is a hamlet in Scotland near Tyndrum. The name means "The King's Field" in Scottish Gaelic.
The origin of the name stems specifically from the Battle of Dalrigh which was fought there in 1306, when King Robert I of Scotland
Robe ...
in the summer of 1306, the king fled into the mountains and made for the coast of Kintyre, where he was protected by Aonghus Óg himself at Dunaverty Castle. Although the ''Bruce'' maintains that Aonghus Óg harboured the king at
Dunaverty Castle
Dunaverty Castle is located at Southend at the southern end of the Kintyre peninsula in western Scotland. The site was once a fort belonging to the Clan Donald (MacDonald). Little remains of the castle, although the site is protected as a sched ...
, contemporary evidence reveals that Robert I's men were already in possession of the fortress by March, having acquired it from a certain
Malcolm le fitz l'Engleys. In fact, in the immediate aftermath of John Comyn's death, Robert secured control of several western fortresses (including that of Dunaverty), seemingly in an effort to keep a lane open for military assistance from Ireland or the Hebrides.

Penman's speculation is at odds with sources that speak of the Turnberry Band in 1286 that bound the Macdonalds to the Bruces and the long-standing friendship of Angus Og and Robert Bruce, as a result of which Angus Og fought with Robert Bruce in many of his battles from 1306 to Bannockburn.
According to the ''Bruce'', Robert I stayed at the castle for three days before fleeing to
Rathlin Island
Rathlin Island (, ; Local Irish dialect: ''Reachraidh'', ; Scots: ''Racherie'') is an island and civil parish off the coast of County Antrim (of which it is part) in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's northernmost point. As of the 2021 ...
. There is reason to suspect that this account instead masks an historical incident in which the king fled from Kintyre to a Clann Domhnaill castle on Islay—perhaps
Dunyvaig Castle
Dunyvaig Castle (, Anglicised ''Fort of the galleys'', also known as ''Dunnyveg'') is located on the south side of Islay, in Argyll, Scotland, on the shore of Lagavulin Bay, from Port Ellen. The castle was once a naval base of the Lord of the I ...
—the next northernmost island. If the account of Rathlin given by the ''Bruce'' actually refers to Islay, it is still uncertain if Aonghus Óg played any part in the king's salvation.
In any case, contemporary sources reveal that Dunaverty Castle succumbed to an English-backed
siege
A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...
in September. Quite where Robert I fled after leaving Kinytre is uncertain. He could have spent time in the Hebrides, Ulster, or Orkney. Certainly, the fourteenth-century ''
Gesta Annalia II'' states that the king was assisted by
Cairistíona Nic Ruaidhrí
Christina of the Isles (fl. 1290–1318) was a fourteenth-century Scottish noblewoman. She was the daughter of Ailéan mac Ruaidhrí and a leading member of Clann Ruaidhrí. Although Ailéan had two sons, Lachlann Mac Ruaidhrí, Lachlann and Rua ...
—an heiress with Hebridean connections—and it is possible that the king indeed set sail for a Clann Ruaidhrí or Clann Domhnaill island. Moreover, Edward I himself thought that Robert I was hidden somewhere amongst the islands on the western seaboard.
The catalyst behind Clann Domhnaill's shift of allegiance from Edward I to Robert I likely lies in local Hebridean politics as well as Scottish patriotism and loyalty to Robert Bruce. Whilst Edward I's destruction of the Balliol regime in 1296 resulted in Clann Dubhghaill finding itself out of favour with the English regime, Clann Domhnaill seems to have sided with the English Crown in an effort to earn royal support in its localised power struggle with Clann Dubhghaill. To the leading clans on the western seaboard, internecine rivalries appear to have been more of a concern than the greater war over the Scottish Crown. Aonghus Óg's documented service to the English Crown in the years after Alasdair Óg's apparent death was almost certainly undertaken in the context of pursuing his kindred's struggle against Clann Dubhghaill.
Pressure from Clann Domhnaill and other supporters of the English Crown evidently compelled Clann Dubhghaill into coming onside with the English in the first years of the fourteenth century. Whilst Robert I's subsequent murder of John Comyn undoubtedly galvanised Clann Dubhghaill's new-found alignment with Edward I, it also precipitated Clann Domhnaill's realignment of support from the English Crown to the
Bruce
The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been ...
cause. Although Edward I ordered Hugh and
John Menteith
Sir John Menteith of Ruskie and Knapdale (c. 1275 – c. 1329) was a Scottish nobleman during the Wars of Scottish Independence. He is known for his capture of Sir William Wallace in 1305 and later joined with King Robert I of Scotland and rece ...
to sweep the western seaboard with their fleets in 1307, the evanescent Scottish monarch remained at large, seemingly harboured by Clann Domhnaill and Clann Ruaidhrí.
[ Brown (2004) p. 262.]
Rewarded service to the Scottish Crown, and a contested chiefship
In 1307, at about the time of Edward I's death in July, Robert I mounted a remarkable return to power, first striking into
Carrick in about February. By 1309, Robert I's opponents had been largely overcome, and he held his first parliament as king. Clann Domhnaill clearly benefited from their support of the Bruce cause. Although no royal charters associated with the kindred exist from this period, there are seventeenth-century charter indices that note several undated royal grants. For instance, Aonghus Óg was granted the former Comyn lordship of
Lochaber
Lochaber ( ; ) is a name applied to a part of the Scottish Highlands. Historically, it was a provincial lordship consisting of the parishes of Kilmallie and Kilmonivaig. Lochaber once extended from the Northern shore of Loch Leven, a distric ...
and the adjacent regions of
Ardnamurchan
Ardnamurchan (, ) is a peninsula in the ward management area of Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, noted for being very unspoiled and undisturbed. Its remoteness is accentuated by the main access route being a single track road for much of its l ...
,
Morvern
Morvern ( ; "the sea-gap"), historically also spelt Morven, is a peninsula and traditional district in the Highlands, on the west coast of Scotland. It lies south of the districts of Ardgour and Sunart, and is bounded on the north by Loch Su ...
,
Duror
Duror (, meaning hard water), occasionally Duror of Appin, is a small, remote coastal village that sits at the base of Glen Duror, in district of Appin, in the Scottish West Highlands, within the council area of Argyll and Bute in Scotland. ...
, and
Glencoe; whilst a certain Alasdair of the Isles received the former Clann Dubhghaill islands of
Mull
Mull may refer to:
Places
*Isle of Mull, a Scottish island in the Inner Hebrides
** Sound of Mull, between the Isle of Mull and the rest of Scotland
* Mount Mull, Antarctica
* Mull Hill, Isle of Man
* Mull, Arkansas, a place along Arkansas Highwa ...
and
Tiree
Tiree (; , ) is the most westerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The low-lying island, southwest of Coll, has an area of and a population of around 650.
The land is highly fertile, and crofting, alongside tourism, and fishing are ...
.
Although the indices fail to note any Clann Domhnaill grants concerning Islay and Kintyre it is not inconceivable that the kindred received grants of these territories as well. Later in the fourteenth century, Aonghus Óg's son,
Eóin Mac Domhnaill, was granted the territories of
Ardnamurchan
Ardnamurchan (, ) is a peninsula in the ward management area of Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, noted for being very unspoiled and undisturbed. Its remoteness is accentuated by the main access route being a single track road for much of its l ...
,
Colonsay
Colonsay (; ; ) is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, located north of Islay and south of Isle of Mull, Mull. The ancestral home of Clan Macfie and the Colonsay branch of Clan MacNeil, it is in the council area of Argyll and Bute and ...
,
Gigha
Gigha ( ; ; ) or the Isle of Gigha (and formerly Gigha Island) is an island off the west coast of Kintyre in Scotland. The island forms part of Argyll and Bute and has a population of 163 people. The climate is mild with higher than average suns ...
, Glencoe, Jura, Kintyre,
Knapdale
Knapdale (, ) forms a rural district of Argyll and Bute in the Scottish Highlands, adjoining Kintyre to the south, and divided from the rest of Argyll to the north by the Crinan Canal. It includes two parishes, North Knapdale and South Knapdale. ...
,
Lewis
Lewis may refer to:
Names
* Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name
* Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname
Music
* Lewis (musician), Canadian singer
* " Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohe ...
, Lochaber, Morvern, Mull, and
Skye
The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye, is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some o ...
. It is possible that the basis for many of these grants laid in the clan's military support of the Bruce cause, and stemmed from concessions gained from the embattled king in about 1306. If this was indeed the case, the fact that Robert I later granted a significant portion of these territories (Lochaber, Kintyre, Skye, and lands in Argyll) to other magnates suggests that his conceivable concessions to Clann Domhnaill may have been undertaken with some reluctance.
There is reason to suspect that the Clann Domhnaill chiefship was contested during this period. For example, the royal grants to Aonghus Óg and Alasdair of the Isles—a man whose identity is uncertain — could be evidence that these two were competitors. Another apparent claimant to the chiefship, a certain
Domhnall of Islay — whose identity is likewise uncertain—was present at the parliament of 1309. Furthermore, the ''Bruce'' states that when Robert I fled to Dunaverty Castle in 1306 he was fearful of treason during his stay. One possibility is that this statement preserves a record of the king's vulnerability to competing regional factions. Although the ''Bruce'' specifies that the Clann Domhnaill dynast to whom the king owed his salvation was Aonghus Óg, there is reason to question this claim.
If Robert I indeed found protection at a Clann Domhnaill fortress—like Dunyvaig Castle—the attestations of Domhnall of Islay could indicate that it was he who assisted the king.
The ''Bruce'' was certainly influenced by later political realities, and was composed during the reign of
Robert II, King of Scotland (reigned 1371–1390), the father-in-law of Eóin Mac Domhnaill. The fact that this son of Aonghus Óg ruled as chief when the poem was composed could account for the remarkably favourable light in which Aonghus Óg is portrayed. If the account of Rathlin Island given by the ''Bruce'' actually refers to Islay and Dunyvaig Castle, the description of the island's reluctant inhabitants being forced to assist the king could indicate that he did not trust the Clann Domhnaill lord.
Furthermore, the claim that Aonghus Óg was
Lord of Kintyre
The Lord of Kintyre is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created in 1626.
Early lords of Kintyre
*Somhairle mac Giolla Brighde (died 1164)
*Raghnall mac Somhairle (died 1191/1192–c.1210/1227)
*Ruaidhrí mac Raghnaill (died 1247?)
*Malcolm Mac ...
during this period could stem from the fact that, by the time the ''Bruce'' was composed, Eóin Mac Domhnaill was married to a daughter of the Robert II, and had gained this contested lordship by way of her
tocher.
Seemingly in 1310, whilst in the service of the English Crown, Aonghus Óg inquired of
Edward II, King of England
Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...
as to whether Alasdair Mac Dubhghaill was within the king's peace, and entreated the king on behalf of several unnamed members of Clann Ruaidhrí—men were then aiding Aonghus Óg's English-aligned forces—to grant these Clann Ruaidhrí clansmen
feu of their ancestral lands. An indication of the military might at Clann Dubhghaill's disposal may be Aonghus Óg's expressed opinion that, if he were able to join forces with Alasdair Mac Dubhghaill, Edward II would have nothing to fear from his enemies. The fact that Aonghus Óg styled himself "of Islay" in his letter could be evidence that he was indeed acting as chief at this point. Another letter—this one from Hugh to Edward II — reveals that Hugh,
Eóin Mac Suibhne, and Aonghus Óg himself, were engaged in maritime operations on behalf of the English Crown, and were enquiring of the king about the status of Alasdair Mac Dubhghaill.
Participation in the Battle of Bannockburn
In the summer of 1313, Robert I's brother, Sir Edward Bruce, made an agreement with Sir Philip Mowbray, the English commander at Stirling Castle, that gave the English one year to relieve the English garrison or they would surrender the castle. In consequence of this agreement, Edward II announced a massive invasion of Scotland. On 23–24 June, the English and Scottish royal armies clashed near
Stirling
Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...
at what became known as the
Battle of Bannockburn
The Battle of Bannockburn ( or ) was fought on 23–24 June 1314, between the army of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots, and the army of King Edward II of England, during the First War of Scottish Independence. It was a decisive victory for Ro ...
. Although there are numerous accounts of the battle, one of the most important sources is the ''Bruce'',
[ Gledhill (2015).] which specifies that the Scottish army was divided into several battalions. According to this source, the king's battalion was composed of men from
Carrick, Argyll, Kintyre, the Hebrides (all of Angus Og Macdonald's Islesmen), and the
Scottish Lowlands
The Lowlands ( or , ; , ) is a cultural and historical region of Scotland.
The region is characterised by its relatively flat or gently rolling terrain as opposed to the mountainous landscapes of the Scottish Highlands. This area includes ci ...
. Although the size of the opposing armies is uncertain, the Scottish force was undoubtedly smaller than that of English,
and may well have numbered somewhere between five thousand and ten thousand. The battle resulted in one of the worst military defeats suffered by the English. Amongst the Hebridean contingent, the ''Bruce'' notes Aonghus Óg himself, who commanded the Islesmen and men of Argyll. According to this source, the king's battalion played a significant part in the conflict: for although it had hung back during the onset of hostilities, the battalion engaged the English at critical point in the fray. In any event, just as with the episode at Dunaverty, John Barbour's association of Aonghus Óg with Bannockburn could well be influenced by later political realities. However, John Barbour's account is recognised as highly accurate, and there is no evidence giving a reason to question the point and much to suggest Angus Og's support meant much, as witnessed by the many isles and lands a grateful King Robert bestowed on Angus Og.
Clann Domhnaill's part in the Bruce campaign in Ireland
Aonghus Óg—or at least a close relative—may have played a part in the Scottish Crown's later campaigning against the Anglo-Irish in Ireland.
[ Brown (2008) p. 153; Penman, MA (2014) p. 71; Brown (2004) p. 265.] In 1315, Robert I's younger brother,
Edward Bruce, Earl of Carrick, launched an invasion of Ireland and claimed the
high-kingship of Ireland
High King of Ireland ( ) 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 was later sometimes assigned anachronously or to leg ...
. For three years, the Scots and their Irish allies campaigned on the island against the Anglo-Irish and their allies. Although every other pitched-battle between the Scots and the Anglo-Irish resulted in a Scottish victory, the utter catastrophe at the
Battle of Faughart
The Battle of Faughart (or Battle of Dundalk) was fought on 14 October 1318 between an Anglo-Irish force led by John de Bermingham (later created 1st Earl of Louth) and Edmund Butler, Earl of Carrick, and a Scottish and Irish army command ...
cost Edward his life and brought an end to the Bruce regime in Ireland.
According to the sixteenth-century ''
Annals of Loch Cé
The ''Annals of Loch Cé'' (also ''Annals of Lough Cé'') cover events, mainly in Connacht and its neighbouring regions, from 1014 to 1590. It takes its name from Lough Cé in the kingdom of Moylurg - now north County Roscommon - which was th ...
'', a certain "'" and a "'" were slain in the onslaught. This source is mirrored by several other
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 ti ...
including the fifteenth - to sixteenth-century ''
Annals of Connacht
The ''Annals of Connacht'' (), covering the years 1224 to 1544, are drawn from a manuscript compiled in the 15th and 16th centuries by at least three scribes, all believed to be members of the Clan Ó Duibhgeannáin.
The early sections, commenc ...
'', the seventeenth-century ''
Annals of the Four Masters
The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' () or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' () are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Genesis flood narrative, Deluge, dated as 2,242 Anno Mundi, years after crea ...
'', the fifteenth- to sixteenth-century ''
Annals of Ulster
The ''Annals of Ulster'' () are annals of History of Ireland, 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 Luin� ...
'', and the seventeenth-century ''
Annals of Clonmacnoise
The ''Annals of Clonmacnoise'' () are an early 17th-century Early Modern English translation of a lost Irish chronicle, which covered events in Ireland from prehistory to 1408. The work is sometimes known as ''Mageoghagan's Book'', after its tr ...
''.
[ Barrow (2005) p. 488 n. 104; McLeod (2002) p. 31, 31 n. 24; Murphy (1896) p. 281.] The precise identities of these men are unknown for certain, although they could well have been the heads of Clann Ruaidhrí and Clann Domhnaill. Whilst the slain member of Clann Ruaidhrí seems to have been Ruaidhrí, the identity of the Clann Domhnaill dynast is much less certain. He could have been Alasdair Óg (if this man was not the one who had been killed in 1299), or perhaps a son of Alasdair Óg. Another possibility is that he was Aonghus Óg himself,
or perhaps a son of his. An after-effect of the continued support of Clann Domhnaill and Clann Ruaidhrí to the Bruce cause was the destruction of their regional rivals like Clann Dubhghaill.
[ Brown; Boardman (2005) pp. 73–74; Munro, RW; Munro, J (2004).] In fact, the albeit exaggerated title "King of Argyll" accorded to the slain Clann Domhnaill dynast in many of these annal-entries exemplifies the catastrophic effect that the rise of the Bruce regime had on its opponents like Clann Dubhghaill. By the mid-part of the century, Clann Domhnaill, under the leadership of Aonghus Óg's succeeding son, was undoubtedly the most powerful branch of Clann Somhairle.
Death and descendants
Aonghus Óg died at some point after the Battle of Bannockburn—notwithstanding the Hebridean tradition preserved by the eighteenth-century ''
Book of Clanranald
The Books of Clanranald are two paper manuscripts that date to about the early 18th century. The books are written in Classical Gaelic,. and are best known for their traditional account of the history of Clan Donald.. The manuscripts are commonly ...
'' and the ''Sleat History'' that dates his death to about 1300. Henry Lee, in his "History of the Clan Donald" states that Angus Og died at his castle in Finlaggan on Islay in 1330 and was buried at Iona. One possibility is that he died between 1314 and 1318. This could well have been the case if the slain Clann Domhnaill chieftain at Faughart was indeed his son and successor. After 1330, the Clann Domhnaill lordship seems to have taken up by his son, Eóin Mac Domhnaill.
The political situation in the Hebrides is murky between this man's accession and the disaster at Faughart, and it is possible that an after-effect of this defeat was a period of Clann Ruaidhrí dominance in the region. In 1325, a certain "'", Ruaidhrí of Islay, suffered the forfeiture of his possessions by Robert I. Although this record could refer to a member of Clann Ruaidhrí—perhaps
Raghnall Mac Ruaidhrí
Raghnall Mac Ruaidhrí (died October 1346) was an eminent Scottish magnate and Scottish clan chief, chief of Clann Ruaidhrí. Raghnall's father, Ruaidhrí Mac Ruaidhrí, appears to have been slain in 1318, at a time when Raghnall may have been u ...
—another possibility is that the individual actually refers to a member of Clann Domhnaill—perhaps a son of either Alasdair Óg or Aonghus Óg.
If Ruaidhrí of Islay was indeed a member of Clann Domhnaill, and a son of Alasdair Óg, his expulsion may have marked the downfall of Alasdair Óg's descendants—Clann Alasdair—and may account for the fact that this branch of Clann Domhnaill failed to hold power in Hebrides after this date. As such, Ruaidhrí of Islay's expulsion could well mark the date upon which Clann Alasdair relocated overseas. The eclipse of Alasdair Óg's line—the senior branch of Clann Domhnaill—may explain the rise of Aonghus Óg's line. If Ruaidhrí of Islay indeed represented the line of Alasdair Óg, his forfeiture evidently paved the way for the rise of Eóin Mac Domhnaill. In fact, before the end of Robert I's reign, this son of Aonghus Óg appears to have administered Islay on behalf of the Scottish Crown, and eventually came to be the first Clann Domhnaill dynast to bear the title ' ("
Lord of the Isles
Lord of the Isles or King of the Isles
( or ; ) is a title of nobility in the Baronage of Scotland with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It began with Somerled in the 12th century and thereafter the title was ...
").
If Aonghus Óg was still alive in 1325, he would have witnessed Robert I's apparent show of force into Argyll within the same year. Although Aonghus Óg's tenure as chief is remarkable in regard to his close support of the Bruce cause, the later career of Eóin Mac Domhnaill saw a conspicuous cooling of relations with the Bruce regime—a distancing which may well have contributed to the latter's adoption of the title "Lord of the Isles".
Aonghus Óg married Áine Ní Chatháin, an Irish woman from Ulster. According to the ''Sleat History'', Áine Ní Chatháin's tocher consisted of one hundred and forty men from each
surname
In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...
that dwelt in the territory of her father,
Cú Maighe na nGall Ó Catháin. The ''Book of Clanranald'' numbers the men at eighty. The Uí Catháin of Ciannachta were a major branch of the
Uí Néill
The Uí Néill (; meaning "descendants of Niall") are Irish dynasties that claim descent from Niall Noígíallach (Niall of the Nine Hostages), a historical King of Tara who is believed to have died around c. 405. They are generally divided ...
kindred, and the ' or "train of followers" that is said to have accompanied Áine Ní Chatháin is the most remarkable retinue to have arrived through a marriage from Ireland in Scottish tradition. In any case, this tocher appears similar to an historical one dating almost a century earlier, when a Clann Ruaidhrí bride brought over one hundred and sixty warriors to her Irish husband. The tradition of the Clann Domhnaill–Uí Catháin union is corroborated by the record of an English safe-conduct instrument granted to Áine Ní Chatháin, identified as the mother of Eóin Mac Domhnaill in 1338. At a later date, Áine Ní Chatháin appears to have remarried a member of
Clann Aodha Buidhe, a branch of the
Ó Néill
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 one of the most prominent family of the N ...
kindred.
Aonghus Óg and Áine Ní Chatháin were the parents of Eóin Mac Domhnaill. Another child of the couple may be the Áine Nic Domhnaill noted in the
Clann Lachlainn pedigree preserved by the fifteenth-century manuscript
National Library of Scotland Advocates' 72.1.1
MS 1467, earlier known as MS 1450, is a mediaeval Gaelic manuscript which contains numerous pedigrees for many prominent Scottish individuals and clans. Transcriptions of the genealogies within the text were first published in the early 19th cent ...
(MS 1467). This source reveals that this woman was the wife of Lachlann Óg Mac Lachlainn, and mother of his son, Eóin Mac Lachlainn. Whatever the case, a certain daughter of Aonghus Óg was Máire, a woman who married
William III, Earl of Ross
William (or Uilleam) III, 5th Earl of Ross (d. 1372) was a fourteenth-century Scottish nobleman. He was the fifth O’Beolan earl of Ross, descending from the founder of the line, Fearchar of Ross (or Fearchar MacTaggart).
Biography
William wa ...
. Aonghus Óg appears to have also had another son named
Eóin
Eoin () is a masculine Irish-language given name. The Scottish Gaelic equivalent is Eòin () and both are closely related to the Welsh . It is also cognate with the Irish and English John. In the Irish language, it is the name used for all Bibli ...
, a man from whom descended the
Glencoe branch of Clann Domhnaill.
Although the parentage of Alasdair of the Isles is uncertain, one possibility is that he was another son of Aonghus Óg. Domhnall of Islay could have also been his son.
According to the seventeenth-century ''Macintosh History'', an ancestor of
Clann Mhic an Tóisigh named Fearchar married a daughter of Aonghus Óg named "'". As Fearchar died in 1274, it suggests this source has confused Aonghus Óg and Aonghus Mór. According to the ''Sleat History'', an illegitimate daughter of Aonghus Mór was the mother of an early chiefly ancestor of Clann Mhic an Tóisigh. The father of this ancestor is stated to have fled to Aonghus Mór whilst on the run for committing manslaughter. Having fathered a son with Aonghus Mór's daughter, the man is stated to have campaigned with Edward Bruce in Ireland where he was slain. The ''Sleat History'' also claims that the slain man's son—the ancestor of later Clann Mhic an Tóisigh chiefs—was brought up in Clann Domhnaill territory and endowed by the kindred with lands in
Lochaber
Lochaber ( ; ) is a name applied to a part of the Scottish Highlands. Historically, it was a provincial lordship consisting of the parishes of Kilmallie and Kilmonivaig. Lochaber once extended from the Northern shore of Loch Leven, a distric ...
and
Moray
Moray ( ; or ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland. Its council is based in Elgin, the area' ...
. Alexander Mackintosh Shaw also confirms the father of Moran to be Aonghus Mór; ''"Ferquhard's intercourse with the fair Mora of Isla was at first of an unauthorised character, and that, this being discovered, the lover fled to avoid the wrath of the powerful father. He took refuge in Ireland, but before he had been there long he was recalled, and on his return made Mora his wife."''
Ancestry
In media
Aonghus Óg appears as a character in the 2018 historical drama film ''
Outlaw King
''Outlaw King'' is a 2018 historical action drama film, co-written, produced, and directed by David Mackenzie. Chris Pine stars as Scottish king Robert the Bruce during the Scottish Wars of Independence in 1304–07. The ensemble cast also fe ...
'', where he is portrayed by Scottish actor
Tony Curran
Tony Curran is a Scottish actor who has appeared in the film '' Underworld: Evolution'' (2006), the television series ''Doctor Who'' (2010), the miniseries ''Roots'' (2016), and the Netflix historical drama film ''Outlaw King'' (2018). He appear ...
.
Notes
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Aonghus Og of Islay
Nobility from Argyll and Bute
13th-century Scottish nobility
14th-century Scottish nobility
Clan Donald
Medieval Gaels from Scotland
Scottish clan chiefs
Scottish people of the Wars of Scottish Independence
Year of birth unknown
Year of death unknown