Editing Dál Riata (section)

==History==

===Origins===
[[File:Scotland Dunadd 1.jpg|thumb|Footprint (replica<ref>''[http://www.heraldscotland.com/revealed-carved-footprint-marking-scotland-s-birth-is-a-replica-1.827928 Revealed: carved footprint marking Scotland's birth is a replica]'', The Herald, 22 September 2007.</ref>) used in king-making ceremonies, Dunadd]]
The 11th-century ''[[Duan Albanach]]'' (Song of the Scots) tells that the three sons of [[Erc of Dalriada|Erc]]—[[Fergus Mór]], [[Loarn mac Eirc|Loarn]] and Óengus—conquered ''Alba'' (Scotland) in around 500. The 8th-century writer [[Bede]] offers another, and probably older, account wherein Dál Riata was conquered by Irish Gaels led by a certain ''Reuda''. [[Old Irish]] ''dál'' means 'portion' or 'share', and is usually followed by the name of an [[eponym]]ous founder.<ref name="bede1">Bede, HE, Book I, Chapter 1.</ref> Bede's tale may come from the same root as the Irish tales of Cairpre Riata and his brothers, the [[Síl Conairi]] (sons/descendants of [[Conaire Cóem]] and [[Conaire Mór]]).<ref>Bannerman, ''Studies'', pp. 122–124.</ref> The story of Dál Riata moves from [[Myth of origins|foundation myth]] to something nearer to history with the reports of the death of [[Comgall mac Domangairt]] around 540 and of his brother [[Gabrán mac Domangairt|Gabrán]] around 560.<ref>[[Annals of Ulster]], death of Comgall s.a. 538, also s.a. 542, s.a. 545, death of Gabrán s.a. 558, s.a. 560.</ref>

The version of history in the ''Duan Albanach'' was long accepted, although it is preceded by the fictional tale of [[Albanactus|Albanus]] and [[Brutus of Troy|Brutus]] conquering Britain. Traditionally, the presence of Gaelic in Scotland has been seen as the result of either a migration from Ireland,<ref>See Mackie, ''A History of Scotland'', pp. 18–19. Neither Smyth nor Laing & Laing accept the migration theory without reservation.</ref> or a takeover by Irish Gaelic elites. However, in his academic paper ''Were the Scots Irish?'', archaeologist Dr [[Ewan Campbell]] says that there is no archaeological or placename evidence of a migration or takeover.<ref name=ewancampbell>Campbell, Ewan. "[http://www.electricscotland.com/history/articles/scotsirish.htm Were the Scots Irish?]" in ''Antiquity'' No. 75 (2001). pp. 285–292.</ref> This lack of archaeological evidence was previously noted by Professor [[Leslie Alcock]].<ref name=ewancampbell/> Campbell suggests that Argyll and Antrim formed a "maritime province", united by the sea and isolated from the rest of Scotland by the mountains of the [[Scottish Highlands|Highlands]], historically called the ''Druim Alban''.<ref name=ewancampbell/> This hypothetical separation allowed a shared language to be maintained through the centuries; Argyll remained Gaelic-speaking while the rest of Scotland spoke either [[Pictish language|Pictish]] or another [[Brittonic languages|Brittonic language]].<ref name=ewancampbell/> Campbell suggests that the medieval accounts were a kind of dynastic propaganda, constructed to bolster a dynasty's claim to the throne and to bolster Dál Riata claims to territory in Antrim.<ref name=ewancampbell/> Although this view of the medieval accounts is shared by other historians,<ref name=ewancampbell/> his theory has been challenged.<ref>Wolfe, A. (2012) "Ancient Kindred? Dál Riata and the Cruthin" [Internet] In: academia.edu. Available from https://www.academia.edu/1502702/Ancient_Kindred_Dal_Riata_and_the_Cruthin</ref><ref>Campbell, ''Saints and Sea-kings'', pp. 8–15; Foster, ''Picts, Gaels and Scots'', pp. 9–10; Broun, "Dál Riata"; Clancy, "Ireland"; Forsyth, "Origins", pp. 13–17.</ref>

Irish scholar [[Eoin MacNeill]] postulated that Scottish Dál Riata came about in two stages. He conjectured that Irish settlements were founded in Argyll at the time of Irish raids on Britain, during the [[End of Roman rule in Britain|end of Roman rule]]. Later, as these settlements became economically and politically more significant than the home territory, its rulers moved from Ireland to Argyll.<ref>{{cite book |last=Dumville |first=David |author-link=David Dumville |title=Saint Patrick |date=1999 |publisher=Boydell Press |page=187}}</ref>

The time in which Dál Riata arose was one of great instability in Ulster, following the [[Ulaid]]'s loss of territory (including the ancient centre of Emain Macha) to the [[Airgíalla]] and the [[Uí Néill]]. "The thriving of Dalriada", pp.&nbsp;47–50, notes a later conquest of Irish Dál Riata from Scotland, in the period after the fall of Emain Macha.

Linguistic and genealogical evidence associates ancestors of the Dál Riata with the prehistoric [[Iverni]] and [[Darini]], suggesting kinship with the Ulaid and a number of shadowy kingdoms in distant [[Munster]]. The [[Robogdii]] have also been suggested as ancestral.<ref>see O'Rahilly's historical model</ref> Ultimately, the Dál Riata, according to the earliest genealogies, are descendants of [[Deda mac Sin]], a prehistoric king or deity of the [[Érainn]].

===Druim Cett to Mag Rath===
[[File:Dalriada.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Map of Dál Riata at its height, c. 580–600. [[Picts|Pictish]] regions are marked in yellow.]]
By the mid-6th century, the Dál Riata in Scotland came under serious threat from [[Bridei I]], [[king of the Picts]], whilst the Irish portion faced hostility from the [[Dál nAraidi]] of [[Ulaid]], resulting in their seeking the aid of the Irish [[Northern Uí Néill]].<ref name="Bardon17"/><ref name="Fraser2007pg316-9"/> Dál Riata reached its greatest extent in the reign of Áedán mac Gabráin, who was said to have been consecrated by Columba,<ref>Adomnán, ''[http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/columba-e.html Life of St Columba]'', Book III, Chapter 6.</ref> to whom Áedán granted the island of [[Iona]] off the coast of Scotland. Columba, who was also a [[Cenél Conaill]] prince, negotiated an alliance between Dál Riata and the Cenél Conaill, who were the ruling dynasty of the Northern Uí Néill, in 575 at the Convention of Druim Cett near [[Limavady]].<ref name="Bardon17"/><ref name="McSparron109"/> In attendance were Columba, Áedán mac Gabráin, and [[Áed mac Ainmuirech]], king of the Northern Uí Néill and [[High King of Ireland]].

What was actually discussed at Druim Cett is a matter of debate, with various suggestions that it was: to determine the constitutional status of both parts of Dál Riata; to determine the status of Irish Dál Riata only with it having its own king; that Dál Riata was to become independent of the High King of Ireland;<ref name="Fraser2007pg316-9"/> that the Irish part of Dál Riata would pay tribute to the High King and support him with land forces, and that the Scottish part would be independent but support the High King with its fleet when needed;<ref name="duffy586"/> the removal of Dál Riata from Ulaid's overlordship, allowing it to concentrate on extending its Scottish domain.<ref name="Bardon17"/> What is certain is that both parties had the Dál nAraidi as a common foe.<ref name="Fraser2007pg316-9"/>

This pact between the Dál Riata and Cenél Conaill was successful, first in defeating Báetan mac Cairill, king of the Dál nAraidi, then in allowing Áedán to campaign widely against his neighbours, as far afield as [[Orkney]] and lands of the [[Maeatae]], on the [[River Forth]]. Áedán appears to have been very successful in extending his power, until he faced the [[Bernicia]]n king [[Æthelfrith of Northumbria|Æthelfrith]] at [[Battle of Degsastan|Degsastan]] {{c.}} 603. Æthelfrith's brother was among the dead, but Áedán was defeated, and the Bernician kings continued their advances in southern Scotland. Áedán died {{c.}} 608 aged about 70. Dál Riata did expand to include [[Skye]], possibly conquered by Áedán's son Gartnait.

It has been suggested that [[Fiachnae mac Báetáin]] (died 626), Dál nAraidi over-king of Ulaid, was overlord of both parts of Dál Riata. Fiachnae campaigned against the Northumbrians, and besieged [[Bamburgh]], and the Dál Riatans are thought to have fought in this campaign.<ref>For Báetan and Fiachnae see Byrne, ''Irish Kings and High-Kings'', pp. 109–112, and Ó Cróinín, ''Early Medieval Ireland'', pp. 48–52.</ref>

In 629, the Dál Riata suffered significant losses at the battle of Fid Euin where the Dál nAraidi, led by [[Congal Cáech|Congal Cáech mac Scandláin]], killed the Dál Riata king as well as three grandsons of Áedán mac Gabráin. It is suggested to have been an achievement that Dál Riata itself survived this battle.<ref name="Fraser2007pg316-9"/> That same year the Cenél Conaill defeated Congal Cáech at the battle of Dún Ceithirn.<ref name="Fraser2007pg316-9"/>

Dál Riata remained allied with the Northern Uí Néill until the reign of [[Domnall Brecc]], who was persuaded by the king of Dál nAraidi, [[Congal Cáech]], to renounce this alliance.<ref name="McSparron109"/> In an attempt to have himself installed as [[High King of Ireland]], Congal made alliances with Dál Riata and [[Kingdom of Strathclyde|Strathclyde]], which resulted in the disastrous [[Battle of Magh Rath]] in 637, which saw Congal slain by High King [[Domnall mac Áedo]] of the Northern Uí Néill and resulted in Irish Dál Riata losing possession of its Scottish lands.<ref name="Bardon20-1"/> A battle had also taken place at sea at Sailtír, off Kintyre, in 637. This defeat was then attributed as divine retribution for Domnall Brecc turning his back on his prior alliance.<ref>See Cumméne's "Life of Columba" quoted in Sharpe's edition of Adomnán, Book III, Chapter 5, and notes 360, 362.</ref> Domnall Brecc's policy appears to have died with him in 642, at his final, and fatal, defeat by [[Eugein I of Alt Clut|Eugein map Beli]] of Strathclyde at [[River Carron, Forth|Strathcarron]], for as late as the 730s, armies and fleets from Dál Riata fought alongside the Uí Néill.<ref>Byrne, ''Irish Kings and High-Kings'', p. 114; Annals of the Four Masters, s.a. 728.</ref>

This defeat shattered the power of Dál Riata as well as that of Dál nAraidi, allowing the Northern Uí Néill to become the dominant force in the north of Ireland.<ref name="McSparron109"/> By the 10th century, the Irish lands of Dál Riata were under the control of the [[Uí Tuirtri]], and their clients, the Fir Lí.<ref name="McSparron109"/>

===Mag Rath to the Pictish conquest===
It has been proposed that some of the more obscure kings of Dál Riata mentioned in the Annals of Ulster, such as [[Fiannamail ua Dúnchado]] and [[Donncoirce]], may have been kings of Irish Dál Riata.<ref>See Bannerman, "Scottish Takeover", pp. 76–77. If Charles-Edwards and Byrne are correct as to the loss of lands in Antrim after Mag Rath, it is not obvious how Bannerman's thesis can be accommodated.</ref>

The after-effect of the Battle of Moira (Mag Rath) in regards to Scottish Dál Riata appears to have resulted in its becoming tributary to Northumbrian kings, which lasted until the [[Pictish]] king [[Bridei son of Beli|Bruide mac Bili]] defeated [[Ecgfrith of Northumbria]] at [[Battle of Dun Nechtain|Dun Nechtain]] in 685. It is not certain that this subjection ended in 685, although this is usually assumed to be the case.<ref>Adomnán, ''Life of St Columba'', notes 360, 362; Broun, "Dál Riata"; Smyth, ''Warlords and Holy Men'', pp. 116–118; Sharpe, "The thriving of Dalriada", pp. 60–61.</ref> However, it appears that [[Eadberht of Northumbria|Eadberht Eating]] made some effort to stop the Picts under [[Óengus I|Óengus mac Fergusa]] crushing Dál Riata in 740. Whether this means that the tributary relationship had not ended in 685, or if Eadberht sought only to prevent the growth of Pictish power, is unclear.<ref>Continuation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History (trans. Sellar), s.a. 740; [[Historia Regum Anglorum]] of [[Symeon of Durham]], s.a. 740; also the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'', manuscript D, which reports the burning of York, see also 741.</ref>

Since it has been thought that Dál Riata swallowed Pictland to create the [[Kingdom of Alba]], the later history of Dál Riata has tended to be seen as a prelude to future triumphs.<ref>The titles alone of John Bannerman's "The Scottish Takeover of Pictland" and Richard Sharpe's "The thriving of Dalriada" tell their own story.</ref> The annals make it clear that the Cenél Gabraín lost any earlier monopoly of royal power in the late 7th century and in the 8th, when Cenél Loairn kings such as [[Ferchar Fota]], his son [[Selbach mac Ferchair|Selbach]], and grandsons [[Dúngal mac Selbaig|Dúngal]] and [[Muiredach mac Ainbcellaig|Muiredach]] are found contesting for the kingship of Dál Riata. The long period of instability in Dál Riata was only ended by the conquest of the kingdom by Óengus mac Fergusa, king of the Picts, in the 730s. After the third campaign by Óengus in 741, Dál Riata then disappears from the Irish records for a generation.

===The last century===
[[Áed Find]] may appear in 768, fighting against the Pictish king of [[Fortriu]].<ref>Annals of Ulster, s.a. 768: "A battle in Foirtriu between Aed and Cinaed." It is assumed that Áed Find is the "Aedh" in question, but cf. the Annals of the Four Masters, s.a. 763—corresponding with anno 768 in the Annals of Ulster—where it is reported: "A battle was fought between the Leinstermen themselves, namely, between Cinaech, son of Flann, and Aedh, at Foirtrinn, where Aedh was slain."</ref> At his death in 778, Áed Find is called "king of Dál Riata", as is his brother [[Fergus mac Echdach]] in 781.<ref>Dates from the Annals of Ulster. The [[Annals of the Four Masters]] report the deaths of Abbots of [[Lismore, Scotland|Lismore]], but nothing of Dál Riata except reports of the death of Áed, s.a. 771, and of his brother Fergus, s.a. 778.</ref> The Annals of Ulster say that a certain Donncoirche, "king of Dál Riata" died in 792, and there the record ends. Any number of theories have been advanced to fill the missing generations, none of which are founded on any very solid evidence.<ref>See the discussion in Broun, "Pictish Kings", where another theory is advanced.</ref> A number of kings are named in the ''Duan Albanach'', and in royal genealogies, but these are rather less reliable than we might wish. The obvious conclusion is that whoever ruled the petty kingdom of Dál Riata after its defeat and conquest in the 730s, only Áed Find and his brother Fergus drew the least attention of the chroniclers in Iona and Ireland. This argues very strongly for Alex Woolf's conclusion that Óengus mac Fergusa "effectively destroyed the kingdom".<ref>Woolf, "Ungus (Onuist), son of Uurguist."</ref>

It is unlikely that Dál Riata was ruled directly by Pictish kings, but it is argued that [[Domnall mac Caustantín|Domnall]], son of [[Causantín mac Fergusa|Caustantín mac Fergusa]], was king of Dál Riata from 811 to 835. He was apparently followed by the last named king of Dál Riata [[Áed mac Boanta]], who was killed in the great [[Battle of 839|Pictish defeat of 839]] at the hands of the [[Vikings]].<ref>Broun, "Pictish Kings", passim; Clancy, "Caustantín son of Fergus (Uurguist)."</ref>

In the 9th century, the Picts were becoming [[Gaelicised]], and it is suggested that there was a merger of the Dál Riatan and Pictish kingships.<ref>Harris, Bob. ''Scotland: The Making and Unmaking of the Nation, c.1100–1707''. Dundee University Press, 2006, p. 3</ref> Traditionally, this is attributed to Cináed mac Ailpín ([[Kenneth MacAlpin]]), who became king of the Picts in about 843. Some sources say that Cináed was king of Dál Riata for two years before this. Under the [[House of Alpin]], Dál Riata and Pictland merged to form the [[Kingdom of Alba]] or Scotland.<ref>Woolf, Alex. ''From Pictland to Alba, 789-1070''. Edinburgh University Press, 2007. pp. 95–96</ref>

===From Dál Riata to the Innse Gall===
If the Vikings had a great impact on Pictland and in Ireland, in Dál Riata, as in Northumbria, they appear to have entirely replaced the existing kingdom with a new entity. In the case of Dál Riata, this was to be known as the [[Kingdom of the Isles|kingdom of the Sudreys]], traditionally founded by [[Ketill Flatnose]] (''Caitill Find'' in Gaelic) in the middle of the 9th century. The [[Francia|Frankish]] ''[[Annales Bertiniani]]'' may record the conquest of the [[Inner Hebrides]], the seaward part of Dál Riata, by Vikings in 847.<ref>Woolf, ''Pictland to Alba'', pp. 99–100 & 286–289; Anderson, ''Early Sources'', p. 277.</ref>

[[Alex Woolf]] has suggested that there occurred a formal division of Dál Riata between the [[Norse–Gaels|Norse–Gaelic]] [[Uí Ímair]] and the natives, like those divisions that took place elsewhere in Ireland and Britain, with the Norse controlling most of the islands, and the Gaels controlling the Scottish coast and the more southerly islands. In turn, Woolf suggests that this gave rise to the terms ''Airer Gaedel'' and ''Innse Gall'', respectively, "the coast of the Gaels" and the "Islands of the foreigners".<ref>Woolf, Alex. "Age of Sea-Kings", pp. 94–95.</ref>

===Under the House of Alpin===

Woolf has further demonstrated that, by the time of [[Malcolm II of Scotland|Malcolm II]], the leading ''cenela'' of Dál Riata had moved from the south-west of the region (north of the Firths) to the north, east and north-east, with Cenel Loairn moving up the [[Great Glen]] to occupy [[Province of Moray|Moray]], the former and sometimes still [[Fortriu]], one branch of Cenel nGabhrain occupying the district known as [[Gowrie]] and another the district of [[Mormaerdom of Fife|Fife]], Cenel nOengusa giving its name to [[Circinn]] as [[Earl of Angus|Angus]], Cenel Comgaill occupying [[Earl of Strathearn|Strathearn]], and another lesser-known kindred, Cenel Conaing, probably moving to [[Earl of Mar|Mar]].<ref>Woolf, Alex. ''From Pictland to Alba'', pp. 226–230</ref>