Erc ingen Loarn | |
---|---|
Born | c. mid 5th century Scotland |
Died | c. 6th century England [1] |
Spouses | |
Issue | Muirchertach mac Ercae |
Erc ingen Loarn (sometimes Latinized as Erca to distinguish her from her grandfather Eirc mac Eochaid) was a queen consort of Ailech, best known as the eponymic mother of Muirchertach mac Ercae, a High King of Ireland. She is described by Thomas Charles-Edwards as having been "obviously legendary", in part due to a mention of her in the Banshenchas . [2]
Erca was born, along with her sister Pompa, [lower-roman 1] to an unknown mother and Loarn mac Eirc, a possible king of Dál Riata and a brother of Fergus Mór. She was married off to Sarran, a king in Britain, but eloped with Niall Noígíallach's grandson Muiredach mac Eógain, a king of Ailech, to Irish Dál Riata. This left Sarran to take Pompa as his wife; they had four sons, three of whom were saints. [3]
In Ireland, Erca and Muiredach mac Eógain had four sons, including Muirchertach mac Ercae. [4] After the death of mac Eógain, she married Fergus mac Conaill, another grandson of Niall Noígíallach. She gave birth to four sons in their marriage as well, including Feidhlimidh, the father of Saint Columba. [3]
Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh details in his Leabhar na nGenealach Erca's death after a pilgrimage from Irish Dál Riata back to Britain. There she met her son-in-law, Saint Cairneach, who blessed her, told her half of Ireland's future kings would be her descendants, and promised her entry into heaven. [5] Mac Fhirbhisigh writes that after Cairneach performed ecclesiastical ministrations ("friothaileamh eaglurdachta") on her, she died. [1] [6]
The Senchus fer n-Alban is an Old Irish medieval text believed to have been compiled in the 10th century. It provides genealogies for kings of Dál Riata and a census of the kingdoms which comprised Dál Riata.
Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh, also known as Dubhaltach Óg mac Giolla Íosa Mór mac Dubhaltach Mór Mac Fhirbhisigh, Duald Mac Firbis, Dudly Ferbisie, and Dualdus Firbissius was an Irish scribe, translator, historian and genealogist. He was one of the last traditionally trained Irish Gaelic scholars, and was a member of the Clan MacFhirbhisigh, a leading family of northern Connacht. His best-known work is the Leabhar na nGenealach, which was published in 2004 as The Great Book of Irish Genealogies, by Éamonn de Búrca, more than 300 years after it had been written.
Loarn mac Eirc was a possible king of Dál Riata who may have lived in the 5th century. He was buried on Iona. Loarn's main significance is as the eponymous ancestor of Cenél Loairn, a kindred whose name is preserved in Lorne.
Erc was king of Irish Dál Riata from 439 until 474, succeeding Eochaid Muinremuir. He was the father of three sons: Fergus Mór, Loarn and Oengus. He also may have been the great-grandfather of Muirchertach mac Muiredaig. Confusion arises from the latter's matronym, Macc Ercae, said to come from his legendary mother Erc ingen Loarn, daughter of Loarn mac Eirc. She married Muiredach mac Eógain. According to the Duan Albanach and the Senchus Fer n-Alban, Erc of Dál Riata's father was Eochaid Muinremuir, son of Áengus Fert, son of Fedlimid, son of Oengus, son of another Fedlimid, son of Senchormaich, son of Cruitlinde, son of Findfece, son of Archircir, son of Eochaid Antoit, son of Fiacha Cathmail, son of Cairbre Riata, son of Conaire Cóem and Saraid ingen Chuinn.
The Cenél Loairn, the descendants of Loarn mac Eirc, controlled parts of northern Argyll around the Firth of Lorne, most probably centred in Lorne but perhaps including the islands of Mull and Colonsay, Morvern and Ardnamurchan. The boundary to the east was the Druim Alban mountain ridge that separated Dál Riata from Pictland. The chief places of the kingdom appear to have been at Dun Ollaigh, near Oban, and Dunadd, near Crinan. The chief religious site may have been on Lismore, later the seat of the high-medieval bishop of Argyll.
Muirchertach mac Muiredaig, called Mac Ercae, Muirchertach Macc Ercae and Muirchertach mac Ercae, was said to be High King of Ireland in the 6th century. The Irish annals contain little reliable information on his life, and the surviving record shows signs of retrospective modification. The Aided Muirchertaig Meic Erca takes as its theme Muirchertach's supernatural death.
Leabhar na nGenealach is a massive genealogical collection written mainly in the years 1649 to 1650, at the college-house of St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church, Galway, by Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh. He continued to add material until at least 1666, five years before he was murdered in 1671. The original 17th century manuscript was bequeathed to University College Dublin (UCD), by Dublin solicitor Arthur Cox in 1929, and can be consulted in UCD Library Special Collections. The manuscript can be viewed online at Irish Script on Screen, which is available in English, and in Irish. Leabhar na nGenealach, was reprinted, and published in a five volume edition in Dublin in 2004 as The Great Book of Irish Genealogies.
Óengus mac Nad Froích (430-489) was an Eoganachta and the first Christian King of Munster. He was the son of Nad Froich mac Cuirc by Faochan, a British lady. In Geoffrey Keating's History of Ireland Oengus is given a reign of 36 years which would place the start of his reign as early as 453.
Muiredach mac Eógain was a King of Ailech and head of the Cenél nEógain branch of the Northern Uí Néill. He was the son of the founder of this dynasty Eógan mac Néill.
Scandal mac Bécce was a Dal nAraide king of the Cruithne in Ulaid (Ulster). He was the grandson of Fiachra Cáech, the brother of Fiachnae mac Báetáin, a king of all Ulaid.
James Henthorn Todd was a biblical scholar, educator, and Irish historian. He is noted for his efforts to place religious disagreements on a rational historical footing, for his advocacy of a liberal form of Protestantism, and for his endeavours as an educator, librarian, and scholar in Irish history.
Flathróe mac Fiachrach was a Dál nAraidi king of the Cruthin in Ulaid, a medieval over-kingdom in Ireland. He was the son of Fiachra Cossalach, a previous king. He may have belonged to the Eilne branch of the family. He ruled from 749-774.
Cenél is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Muiredach, Muireadhach or Muireach, anglicized variously to Murdoch, Murtagh, Murray, Murdac, Mordacq and other forms, is a Goidelic name popular in Scotland and Ireland in the Middle Ages:
Keenaght is a barony in the mid-northerly third of County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It connects to the north-Londonderry coastline, and is bordered by four other baronies: Coleraine to the east; Loughinsholin to the south-east; Tirkeeran to the west; and Strabane Upper to the south-west. It was the territory of the Cianachta Glengiven from the 5th century until its takeover in the 12th century by the Ó Cathaín's. The largest settlement in the barony is the town of Limavady.
Aodh mac Muirchertach Ua Dubhda was a King of Ui Fiachrach Muaidhe. He ruled in what is present day Ireland, and he perished in 1143 CE.
Dubda mac Connmhach, Eponym and Ancestor of the Clan Ó Dubhda of north Connacht, fl. 9th–10th century.
Ruaidhrí Mear Ua Dubhda was King of Ui Fiachrach Muaidhe.
Duinseach ingen Duach, Queen of Tara, fl. 500.
The Uí Fiachrach were a royal dynasty who originated in, and whose descendants later ruled, the coicead or fifth of Connacht at different times from the mid-first millennium onwards. They claimed descent from Fiachrae, an older half-brother of Niall Noigiallach or Niall of the Nine Hostages. Fiachrae and his two full brothers, Brion and Ailill, were the collective ancestors of the Connachta dynasty that eventually became the new name of the province. Their mother was Mongfind.