The Ui Enechglaiss were a

dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...

attested in 5th-century Ireland, who provided some of the early kings of

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 ...

Background

The dynasty were initially based on the plains of

Kildare Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 10,302, making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. It is home to Kildare Cathedral, historically the site of an important abbey said to have been founded by Saint ...

around

Naas Naas ( ; or ) is the county town of County Kildare in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In 2022, it had a population of 26,180, making it the largest town in County Kildare (ahead of Newbridge, County Kildare, Newbridge) and the List of urban ar ...

, (Devane, 2005, believes that they were based at Carbury Hill) but were forced east over the

Wicklow Mountains The Wicklow Mountains (, archaic: '' Cualu'') form the largest continuous upland area in Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into the counties of Dublin, Wexford and Carlow. Where the mountai ...

by the invasions and conquests by 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 ...

in the first half of the 6th century. An

ogham Ogham (also ogam and ogom, , Modern Irish: ; , later ) is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write the early Irish language (in the "orthodox" inscriptions, 4th to 6th centuries AD), and later the Old Irish language ( scholastic ...

stone from south of Slane in County Meath points to a connection with that area. They became a politically unimportant people, situated between the Dal Messin Corb and the Ui Dega, on the coast of

County Wicklow County Wicklow ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606 in Ireland, 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the Provinces ...

, based around

Arklow Arklow ( ; ; ) is a town in County Wicklow on the southeast coast of Ireland. The town is overlooked by Ballymoyle Hill. It was founded by the Vikings in the ninth century. Arklow was the site of one of the Battle of Arklow, bloodiest battles ...

. In the 11th century, their rulers adopted the surname Ua Fiachraige, now rendered as O'Fieghraie, O'Feary and Feary.

Heartland

Devane (p. 187, 2005) believes that ''"the heartland of Ui Enechglaiss asin Carbury, Co. Kildare, before dislocation either by Coirpre, son of Niall, or by his sons in the late 5th/early 6th century."'' She goes on to state that, by inference of the sources, ''"the Dál Messin Corb (a branch of the Uí Enechglaiss) was, in fact, dominant in north Leinster in the 5th century and was to the fore in the defence of the province against Coirpre and Ui Neill. This view is supported by the 'Vita Tripartia', in which

Saint Patrick Saint Patrick (; or ; ) was a fifth-century Romano-British culture, Romano-British Christian missionary and Archbishop of Armagh, bishop in Gaelic Ireland, Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Irelan ...

, or more likely Palladius, encountered members of the Uí Garrchon soon after his arrival in Ireland. The meeting took place in the vicinity of

, which is situated in Mag Liphi (the Liffy Plain), then heartland of political power in north Leinster."''

Notables

Mac Cairthinn mac Coelboth Mac Cairthinn mac Coelboth (?-446?-530?) was an Uí Enechglaiss King of Leinster. Background Mac Cairthinn is one of the very earliest verifiable Irish kings. Though not listed in any extant Irish genealogies, the Annals of Innisfallen record h ...

, who was killed at the battle of Fremen in 446, was King of Leinster and one of the earliest historically attested Irish kings. The

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

Dubhthach moccu Lughair was a native of Gorey, though he lived some sixty years prior to the dynasty's removal to the area.

Septs

A number of

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 of the Ui Enechglais were the following: * Ui Chuanach - descended from Cuanu mac Mael Aithgean, a gr.gr.gr.-grandson of Finchad mac Breasal Enechglas * Ui Thairmeisc - descended from Tairmesc mac Scandlan, gr.gr.gr.-grandson of Finchad mac Breasal Enechglas * Ui Muirenaig - descended from Emmal mac Breasal Enechglas * Sil nDiocolla meic Eogain - from Dicuill mac Eogan, gr.gr.gr.-grandson of Nath I mac Breasal Enechglas * Ui Meic Fhirithe - from Daurthecht mac Breasal Enechglas * Ui Ailella - also descended from Daurthecht * Ui Fergnae - from Nannaid mac Breasal Enechglas * Ui Fiachrach - from Fiachra mac Finsnechta, fl. 984

Ui Enechglais genealogy

Ui Enechglais , , Cathair mar , , Bressal Enechglas , , ______________________________________________ , , , , , , , , , , Finchad Emmal Nath I Daurthecht Nannaid

Ua/O Feary genealogy

Dicuill mac Eogan m. Berach m. Muiredach m. Amlagaid m. Nath I m. Bressal Enechglas , Mael Doborchon , ________________________ , , Tuaimmin Cu Dobur , , Dungalach Conmael , , Dunlang Dub da Leithe , , Dunchad Rudgus , , Fiachra Dungalach , , Cathal Cinaed , Cinaed, died 917 , Finsnechta , Fiachra, fl. 984, a quo Ua/O Fiachraige , Dunlang , Gilla Coemgin , Cu Mara , Gilla Coemgin

References

* ''Irish Kings and High Kings'',

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 ...

, Dublin, 1973; 3rd edition, 2001 * ''Kings, Saints and Sagas'', Alfred P. Smyth, in ''Wicklow:History and Society'',

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, 1994. p. 42, 43, 47, 99. * ''Carbury, Co. Kildare - topographical and onomastic hypotheses'', Caitriona Devane, in ''Above and beyond:Essays in memory of Leo Swan'', pp. 187–122, edited by Tom Condit and Christiaan Corlett, Wordwell, 2005. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Ui Enechglaiss Gaelic-Irish nations and dynasties History of County Kildare History of County Wicklow Laigin