The Fortúatha were "kingdoms not ruled directly by members of the dominant dynasty of a province". They have also been described as "in effect, people belonging to a different stock from that of the rulers of the territory", T. F. O'Rahilly, ''Early Irish History and Mythology'', p. 27 yet sometimes enjoying a position of favour with the ruling people.

Fortúatha groups

Population-groups classed as ''fortúatha'' included the Calraige, Ciarraige,

Corca Fhir Trí The Corca Fhir Trí were an Irish people located in the kingdom of Gailenga (later the barony of Gallen, County Mayo), Luighne Connacht and Corann (baronies of Leyney and Corann, County Sligo) in Gaelic Ireland. Two kings of the Corca, Dobha ...

Delbhna The Delbna or Delbhna were a Gaelic Irish tribe in Ireland, claiming kinship with the Dál gCais, through descent from Dealbhna son of Cas. Originally one large population, they had a number of branches in Connacht, Meath, and Munster in Ireland. ...

Déisi The ''Déisi'' were a social class in Ireland between the ancient and early medieval period. The various peoples listed under the heading ''déis'' shared a similar status in Gaelic Ireland, and had little or no actual kinship, though they were ...

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. Fr ...

, Grecraige, Luighne, Masraige and

Setantii The Setantii (sometimes read as ''Segantii'') were a possible pre- Roman Briton people who apparently lived in the western and southern littoral of Lancashire in England. It is thought likely they were a sept or sub-tribe of the Brigantes, who ...

. The status of each population-group could differ from one part of the island to another, with some fortúatha being class as aithechtúatha in other regions. In

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

, some reckoned among the fortúatha had previously held the provincial kingship. These were the

Dál Messin Corb The Dál Messin Corb were a ruling dynasty of Leinster along with the Dál Chormaic. Descended from Chú Chorb's son Messin Corb, they were the last of the Dumnonians. In the fifth and sixth centuries they were ousted and driven from their seat ...

and its principal

sept A sept () is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used both in Scotland and in Ireland, where it may be translated as Irish , meaning "progeny" or "seed", and may indicate the descendants of a person ...

s, the

Uí Garrchon The Uí Garrchon were the principal sub-sept of the Dál Messin Corb, who were the ruling dynasty of Leinster, Ireland for much of the fifth century. Their main opponents outside of Leinster were the nascent Uí Néill. Their known kings include: ...

and the

Uí Enechglaiss The Ui Enechglaiss were a dynasty attested in 5th-century Ireland, who provided some of the early kings of Laigin. Background The dynasty were initially based on the plains of Kildare around Naas, (Devane, 2005, believes that they were based at ...

People

Among the early medieval Irish were many notable people whose population-group were classed as fortúatha. They included: *

Brigid of Kildare Saint Brigid of Kildare or Saint Brigid of Ireland (; Classical Irish: ''Brighid''; ; ) is the patroness saint (or 'mother saint') of Ireland, and one of its three national saints along with Patrick and Columba. According to medieval Irish ...

( 451–525) - of the Fortuatha

Laigin The Laigin, modern spelling Laighin (), were a Gaelic population group of early Ireland. They gave their name to the Kingdom of Leinster, which in the medieval era was known in Irish as ''Cóiced Laigen'', meaning "Fifth/province of the Leinste ...

* Brendan () - of the Altraige of Ciarraige Luachra *

Iarlaithe mac Loga Iarlaithe mac Loga (; ''fl.'' 6th century), also known as Jarlath, was an Irish priest and scholar from Connacht, remembered as the founder of the monastic School of Tuam and of the Archdiocese of Tuam, of which he is the patron saint. No me ...

Tuam Tuam (; , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midland Region, Ireland, midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. The town is in a civil parishe ...

(fl. 6th century) - a member of the

Conmaicne The Conmaicne (; ) were a people of early Ireland, perhaps related to the Laigin, who dispersed to various parts of Ireland. They settled in Connacht and Longford, giving their name to several Conmaicne territories. T. F. O'Rahilly's assertion ...

Suibne moccu Fir Thrí Suibne moccu Fir Thrí ''Suibne moccu Urthrí, Suibhne Iwas the sixth abbot of Iona (652–657). His abbacy is obscure, and he appears not to have been from the same kindred, Cenél Conaill, as Columba and most other early Ionan abbots. His abbac ...

(died 11 January 657) - possibly of the

Neide mac Onchu Neide or ''variant'', may refer to: People * Neide Van-Dúnem (aka ''Neide'', born 1986) female Angolan singer * Neide Barbosa (born 1980) female Angolan handball player * Neide Dias (born 1987) female Angolan runner * Neide Sá (born 1940) fem ...

(fl. 800) - a member of the

* Martan of Clonmacnoise (died 868) - a member of the

Dartraighe Dartraighe (older spelling: Dartraige), anglicised as ''Dartree'', ''Dartry'' or '' Dartrey'', was an Irish territory or tuath in medieval Ireland which stretched north to Clones and south to the Dromore River. It was later incorporated into C ...

Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig Brian Boru (; modern ; 23 April 1014) was the High King of Ireland from 1002 to 1014. He ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill, and is likely responsible for ending Viking invasions of Ireland. Brian Boru is me ...

, ( 941 – 23 April 1014) -

Dál gCais The Dalcassians ( ) are a Gaels, Gaelic Irish clan, generally accepted by contemporary scholarship as being a branch of the Déisi Muman, that became very powerful in Ireland during the 10th century. Their genealogies claimed descent from Tál ...

* Vilbaldr DufÞakrsson (fl. 980) - of the

Osraighe 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 Roman Catholic Diocese of Ossory, ...

Cúán úa Lothcháin Cúán úa Lothcháin was an Irish poet from Tethba, now in County Meath. He was the Chief Ollam of Ireland and died in 1024. He was part of the Ó Lóthcháin sept of Gailenga Móra - part of either the Connachta or Uí Néill. Born in the r ...

(died 1024) - of the

Tethba Tethbae (; also spelled ''Tethba'', often anglicised ''Teffia'') was a confederation of túatha in central Ireland in the Middle Ages. It was divided into two distinct kingdoms, north Tethba, ruled by the Cenél Coirpri, and south Tethba, ruled ...

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 ...

(died 25 November 1056) - of the

Ciannachta The Ciannachta were a population group of early historic Ireland. They claimed descent from the legendary figure Tadc mac Céin. Modern research indicates Saint Cianán and his followers may have been the origin behind the tribal name as it is ...

Brega Brega , also known as ''Mersa Brega'' or ''Marsa al-Brega'' ( , i.e. "Brega Seaport"), is a complex of several smaller towns, industry installations and education establishments situated in Libya on the Gulf of Sidra, the most southerly point of ...

Ruaidrí Ó Gadhra Ruaidrí Ó Gadhra (died 1256) was an Irish king of Sliabh Lugha and Chief of the Name. During Ruaidrí's lifetime the territory of Sliabh Lugha was conquered by the Sheriff of Connacht, Jordan de Exeter (died 1258), ancestor of the Clan Mac Si ...

(died 1256) - of the

Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...

Annalistic references

All quotes from the

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 ...

, unless otherwise stated. * 423: Máel Calland mac Fergal, king of the Fortuatha. (

Fragmentary Annals of Ireland The ''Fragmentary Annals of Ireland'' or ''Three Fragments'' are a Middle Irish combination of chronicles from various Irish annals and narrative history. They were compiled in the kingdom of Osraige, probably in the lifetime of Donnchad mac Gill ...

) * 774: ''The battle of Cill Coice, in which Fearghal, son of Dunghal, son of Faelchu, lord of Fortuatha Laighean, was slain by the king Donnchadh.'' * 776: ''The battle of Righ (the Ryewater river) was gained by the men of Breagh over the Leinstermen, on the day of Allhallows (Nov. 1) precisely, wherein were slain Cucongalt (king of Ui Garchon at Arklow), lord of Rath Inbhir, and Fearghal, son of Ailell, lord of Cinel Ucha.'' * 783: ''Domnall son of Ceithernach, king of Uí Garrchon.'' (

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� ...

) * 825: ''The destruction of Dun Laighen, at Druim, by the Pagans (Vikings), where Conaing, son of Cuchongelt, lord of the Fortuatha, was slain, with many others.'' * 827: ''An encampment of the Laigin was overwhelmed by the heathens, and Conall son of Cú Chongalt, king of the Fortuatha, and countless others fell there.'' (

) * 972: ''Finnsnechta, son of Cinaedh, lord of Fortuatha-Laighean, died.'' * 983: ''Fiachra, son of Finnshneacta, chief of Fortuatha-Laighean.'' * 1014: ''Domhnall, son of Ferghal, king of the Fortuatha.'' (

Chronicon Scotorum ''Chronicon Scotorum'', also known as ''Chronicum Scotorum'', is a medieval Irish chronicle. Overview According to Nollaig Ó Muraíle, it is "a collection of annals belonging to the ' Clonmacnoise group', covering the period from prehistoric ...

) * 1039: ''Domhnall, son of Donnchadh, lord of Ui-Faelain, was slain by Domhnall Ua Fearghaile, lord of the Fortuatha.'' * 1043: ''Domnall ua Fergaile, king of the Fortuatha of Laigin, was killed by the son of Tuathal (his own people).'' (

) * 1072: ''Gillaphadraig O'Fearghaile, lord of the Fortuatha, was killed.'' * 1095: ''Domnall Dubh Ua Fearghaile, lord of Fortuatha-Laighean, died.'' * 1170: ''Murchadh Ua Fearghail, lord of the Fortuatha, was slain by Ua Fiachrach, lord of Ui-Fineachlais.''

References

* ''Early Christian Ireland'', p. 14, 99, 102, 104, 116, 236, 534, 576, 674, 676, 678, 684, 685, 690, 693, 695, 705, by

Thomas Charles-Edwards Thomas Mowbray Owen Charles-Edwards (born 11 November 1943) is an emeritus academic at the University of Oxford. He formerly held the post of Jesus Professor of Celtic and is a Professorial Fellow at Jesus College. Biography He was educated ...

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

, 2000. * ''Irish Kings and High Kings'', p. 45,

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. A ...

, 3rd edition, Dublin, 2001. * ''Early Irish Saints’ Cults and their Constituencies'', pp. 72–102, ''

Ériu In Irish mythology, Ériu (; ), daughter of Delbáeth and Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was the eponymous matron goddess of Ireland. The English name for Ireland comes from the name Ériu and the Germanic languages, Germanic (Old Norse or ...

'' 54, T.M. Charles-Edwards, 2004. * ''Ireland, 400-800'',

Dáibhí Ó Cróinín Dáibhí Iarla Ó Cróinín (born 29 August 1954) is an Irish historian and authority on Hiberno-Latin texts, noted for his significant mid-1980s discovery in a manuscript in Padua of the "lost" Irish 84-year Easter table. Ó Cróinín was Pro ...

, pp. 98,in ''A New History of Ireland'', volume one, 2005. * ''Medieval Ireland: Territorial, Political and Economic Divisions'', Paul MacCotter, Four Courts Press, 2008.

External links

* http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~irlkik/ihm/province.htm {{DEFAULTSORT:Fortuatha Historical Celtic peoples Gaelic-Irish nations and dynasties History of County Armagh History of County Donegal History of County Kildare History of County Meath History of County Wexford History of County Wicklow Tribes of ancient Ireland