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Gaelic Kingdoms
Kingdoms of Ireland
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Kings
of Laigin / Leinster (Gaels of Ireland)
Incorporating the Concani/Gangani
There exists a very small window through which to view the early tribes of
Gaelic Ireland (those
which largely pre-date the
Roman
presence in
Britain).
Ptolemy's Geographia recorded the tribes of Ireland some time in the
second century AD, seemingly the first person to do so. Shortly after this,
between the second and fourth centuries AD, most of Ireland shifted from
tribal naming to descent naming. The shift was so complete by around AD 400
that it is almost impossible to link many of the early tribal names to the
later descent names. Within the territory that later formed Leinster dwelt
the Concani (or Gangani) tribe.
The Concani appear to have been divided between Ireland and Britain, and in
the latter they were called the
Gangani. It seems possible that they were a sea-mobile tribe. These had a
tendency to travel by water, which would explain their presence in both
Ireland and two areas along the coast of North Wales. If they were indeed
sea-mobile, there was a good chance they were third wave Celtic arrivals,
similar to the
Belgic
tribes in the south and east of Britain (notably the
Atrebates,
Belgae,
Cantii, and
Catuvellauni). Once
settled in Ireland, part of the tribe migrated again, to the Lleyn Peninsula.
It seems that after this, perhaps only shortly before the Roman invasion into
the country, the Gangani in Lleyn appear to have divided yet again, with a
splinter group heading eastwards. This group came to be known as the Deceangli,
and sooner or later they found the
Ordovices tribe intruding
between them and their brothers in Lleyn. The Concani in Ireland also appear
to have migrated again, possibly en masse. They ended up on the west coast
by the second century AD, in the later territory of
Thomond. This is how both parts
of the tribe were ordered and settled when the Romans came across them.
Although no direct link between the first century AD Concani and the later,
descent-named 'Laigin' can be proven. Laigin is the older form of Leinster,
and it also seems to be the source from which derives 'Lleyn' of the Lleyn
Peninsula. That may be enough to show at least a tenuous direct link from
Concani to Leinster. The '-ster' appendage to the later form of the name is
a sign of
Danish
influence on the Irish from the Viking kingdom in
Dublin. Curiously, the presence
of Lagore Caibre near the coast, and also Loegaire just above that could be
notable. They look remarkably like a slightly different pronunciation of the
Welsh word for the
English-occupied east of
Britain: Lloegr. In Gaelic it seems to come from 'laogh', meaning 'calf',
and appears as Early Irish 'lóeg', Welsh 'llo', Cornish 'loch', Breton 'leué',
and Middle Breton 'lue'. It can also be found in other
Indo-European languages, including
Lithuanian
and Sanskrit, showing the importance of calves early in history, quite
naturally. But could it also be some sort of affectionate term for land
in Celtic and
Italic?
Note that
Italy is
named after the
Itali tribe and their name which refers to a small (young) bull, ie. a
bull calf.
From an early date the Laigin had an interest in Tara, the seat of the high
kings of Ireland. This probably became a thing of the past when the Southern
Uí Neill clan (dominant in Ulster)
took over the area known as Brega in which Tara lies, probably in the fifth
century AD. In doing this they apparently pushed back the old Leinster
descent-named tribe known as the Laigin to the area south of the River
Liffey.
(Additional information by Edward Dawson, from Geography, Ptolemy,
and from the BBC documentary series, The Normans, first broadcast
4 August 2010, and The Oxford History of England: Roman Britain,
Peter Salway.) |
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3rd century BC |
It is
likely that the Concani Celts or
Belgae
arrive in eastern
Ireland around this time. The
Belgae are migrating en masse into northern Gaul and the Low Countries at this time,
while others of their number are diverting to the south-east of
Britain.
The Concani settle in territory that later becomes part of Laigin. |
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1st century BC |
Elements of the Concani tribe probably migrate to the Lleyn Peninsula in Wales from
Ireland around this time. They
force out the original inhabitants, who may be related to the
Ordovices, and quickly split into
two bodies. The first settles in the peninsula where retains its name (becoming
altered as Gangani), while the second body, perhaps larger in size, migrates eastwards
into the area that is now Clwyd and becomes known as the
Deceangli. At some point
after this, but before the middle of the second century AD, the Concani in
Ireland migrate again, ending up on Irelands west coast in the later
territory of Thomond. |
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AD 78 - 79 |
Fresh from inflicting a final defeat and almost complete destruction upon the
Ordovices, the
Roman
Governor, Julius Agricola,
continues his campaign by attacking the warlike
Deceangli in Mona (Anglesey).
The tribe is duly defeated and for the most part settles down to life under Roman
rule. Elements of the tribe apparently flee
Britain
and find refuge with their possible relatives in
Ireland. |
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5th century? |
The Laigin interest in Tara, the seat of the high kings of
Ireland, probably
becomes a thing of the past when the Southern Uí Neill clan (whose northern
kin have become dominant in
Ulster) take over the area known
as Brega in which Tara lies, probably in this century. In doing this they
apparently push back the old Leinster descent-named tribe known as the
Laigin to the area south of the River Liffey. |
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fl 902 |
Cerball |
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902 |
The
combined forces of Leinster and the Southern Uí Neill of Brega expel the
Vikings of Dublin. The Vikings
are left searching for a new base of operations, which they find in 907 when
Æthelred and Æthelflaed of
Mercia re-found
the city of Chester and settle a Viking army on the Wirral to guard the
approach. More Vikings arrive along the Mersey, setting up further colonies
and creating the origins of Liverpool (see feature link, right). |
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1002 - 1014 |
Leinster is under the direct control of the high kings of
Ireland. |
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1022 - 1064 |
Leinster is under the direct control of the high kings of
Ireland. |
1064 - 1072 |
Diarmait MacMáil na mBó |
High King, and
king of Dublin (1070-1072). |
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Murchad |
Died in 1070. |
1072 - 1119 |
Leinster is under the direct control of the high kings of
Ireland. |
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Donnchad |
Died in 1115. |
1121 - 1135 |
Leinster is under the direct control of the high kings of
Ireland. |
? - 1126 |
Tiorrdelbach
Ua Conchobhair |
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1126 |
An army is formed by Tiorrdelbach Ua Conchobhair, so he gives the vassal
kingdoms of Dublin and Laigin to
his own son, Conchobair. Then he marches south to defeat Cormac Mac
Carthaigh in battle, before burning his camp at Sliabh-un-Caithligh. |
1126 - ? |
Conchobair mac Tiorrdelbach |
Son. |
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1141 - 1150 |
Leinster is under the direct control of the high kings of
Ireland. |
? - 1166 |
Dermot Mac Murrough |
Throne usurped. |
1166 - 1170 |
The
kingdom is under the direct control of the
High King after Dermot Mac
Murrough is forcibly ejected. He flees to Bristol and then
Normandy
where he gains the support of the
English
king, Henry II, and Norman allies with which to return to Ireland. The main
invasion takes place in 1169 at Bannow Bay with the arrival of the first
army of Norman mercenaries to enter Ireland, totalling thirty knights, sixty
men-at-arms, and three hundred archers under the Fitzgeralds, marcher lords
of Wales.
Leinster is quickly regained following the Battle of Baginbun. A hundred
Normans break 3,000 Irish by driving cattle through them to shatter their
formation. Then the better armed and equipped Normans slaughter many of the
Irish, and take a large number of prisoners from the rest. The Norman
commander, Richard de Clare, earl of Pembroke (nicknamed Strongbow), marries
Dermot's daughter and is named his heir. |
1170 - 1171 |
Dermot Mac Murrough |
Restored. Died
the following year. |
1171 |
Richard de Clare
'Strongbow' |
Norman
son-in-law. |
1171 |
Richard de Clare, earl of Pembroke, or Strongbow, becomes king of Leinster
far quicker than expected. This development of
Norman
lords taking control of Irish
kingdoms without being under the authority of the king concerns Henry II of
England so
much that he arrives to take personal control of what is becoming the invasion of
Ireland. He is the first king of England to set foot on Irish shores, arriving
with a huge army of 400 ships, 4,000 soldiers, and 5,000 knights. In the event
it is a bloodless invasion. The Irish kings know that it is pointless to resist
such a vast force. Strongbow also capitulates and his short-lived independence
as a Norman king of Leinster is ended. Henry leaves a representative in Ireland
to ensure his control and a new colonial mentality is born amongst the Normans.
Gerald of Wales
subsequently portrays the Irish as being backward and barbaric, ignorant of Christ
and of civilisation, thereby justifying the colonisation of Ireland. |
1175 |
Much
of Ireland, including Leinster,
now falls under the control of the kings of
England. |
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