Editing Domnall mac Ailpín (section)

== Reign ==
The [[Chronicle of the Kings of Alba]] says that Domnall reigned for four years, matching the notices in the [[Annals of Ulster]] of his brother's death in February 858 and his own in April 862.<ref>Annals of Ulster, s.a. 858 and 862.</ref> The Chronicle notes:

{{Blockquote|In his time the Gaels with their king made the rights and laws of the kingdom, [that are called the laws] of [[Áed Find|Aed, Eochaid's son]], in [[Forteviot]].<ref>Anderson, ''ESSH'', p. 291, citing [[William Forbes Skene|Skene]].</ref>}}

The laws of Áed Find are entirely lost, but it has been assumed that, like the laws attributed to [[Giric of Scotland]] and [[Constantine II of Scotland|Constantine II]] (Causantín mac Áeda), these related to the church and in particular to granting the privileges and immunities common elsewhere.<ref>Smyth, p. 188.</ref> The significance of Forteviot as the site of this law-making, along with Kenneth's death there and Constantine's later gathering at nearby [[Scone, Perth and Kinross|Scone]], may point to this as being the heartland of the sons of Alpín's support.

The [[Chronicle of Melrose]] says of Domnall, "in war he was a vigorous soldier ... he is said to have been assassinated at Scone."<ref>Anderson, ''ESSH'', p. 291.</ref> No other source reports Domnall's death by violence.

The [[Prophecy of Berchán]] may refer to Domnall in stanzas 123–124:

{{quote|Evil will be Scotland's lot because of [the death of Kenneth MacAlpin]; long will it be till his like will come. A long while till the king takes [sovereignty], the wanton son of the foreign wife (?). He will be three years in the kingdom, and three months (although thou countest them). His tomb-stone will be above [[Loch Awe]]. He dies of disease.<ref>Anderson, ''ESSH'', p. 292, citing Skene.</ref>}}

Although Domnall is generally supposed to have been childless, it has been suggested that [[Giric]] was a son of Domnall, reading his patronym as ''mac Domnaill'' rather than the commonly supposed ''mac Dúngail''.<ref>Smyth, p. 187.</ref> This, however, is not widely accepted.<ref>Compare Duncan, p. 11ff.</ref>

Domnall died, either at the palace of Cinnbelachoir (location unknown), or at ''Rathinveralmond'' (also unknown, and maybe the same place, presumed to be near the junction of the [[River Almond, Perthshire|Almond]] and the [[River Tay|Tay]], near Scone).<ref>Anderson, ''ESSH'', p. 291; Duncan, pp. 10–11.</ref> He was buried on [[Iona]].