0102Airgialla

��traditional home of the S�l Daimini branch of Airgialla. Similarly Armagh diocese was given the Cenel Eogain kingdom of Telach �e, because it was in the territory of the old Airgialla kingdom of U� Tuirtre. As a result of this arrangement the term �Bishop of Cenel Eogain� came to be applied to a prelate whose rule was confined to what had been Cenel Eogain territory prior to 900AD, but whose diocese did not include what was now the centre of Cenel Eogain power at all. Armagh was the obvious choice as the episcopal see of the eastern diocese, and its two chief constituent parts, Airthir and Tealach �e, became two rural deaneries. In the western diocese, Clogher, which had been the traditional home of U� Cremthainn, was chosen as the episcopal see in preference to the many other illustrious churches. This choice was not an equally happy one. Although made with an eye on its past associations it ignored the fact that the centre of power among the western kingdoms of Airgialla had long since shifted from the Clogher region to the kingdom of Fernmag at the opposite end of the diocese. The way was thus prepared for the later transfer of the see to the southern portion of the diocese, which was accomplished with the inclusion of Co Louth in Clogher during the reign of Donnchad Ua Cerbaill.

As the group-kingdom of U� Cremthainn embraced a number of septs of varying importance, and as some of these developed into independent states from the 9th century on, a more detailed discussion of their individual location, inter-relations and subsequent history is necessary for a proper understanding of the political situation in western Airgialla.
Our most convenient starting-point is Cairpre Damargait, who ruled all Airgialla from his stronghold near Clogher in the early 6th century. It is not surprising that with reference to such an early period the genealogical tracts are not in agreement as to the number and names of Cairpre�s sons. However they all agree in including in his family three sons named Cormac, Daimine and Nadsluag. From these three sons came the three main branches of the U� Cremthainn dynasty, subsequently called from their ancestors Clann Cormaic, S�l Daimini and U� Nadsluaig. As a rough indication of their future power it may be stated that the territories of Clann Cormaic lay in the modern Co Fermanagh, those of S�l Daimini in the modern Co Tyrone, and those of U� Nadsluaig in the modern Co Monaghan. A more detailed discussion of them in this order may now be attempted.

Cormac, the eponymous ancestor of Clann Cormaic, is assigned two sons, named Elganach and Aed, in the genealogies. The descendants of the former never seemed to have attained a position of outstanding importance. The most prominent group among them went under the name of Muinter Pheodachain, a sobriquet which they derived from Peodachan, grandson of Elganach. As the name Muinter Pheodachain is used in medieval times to designate an extensive territory west of Lower Loch Erne, it must be supposed that some later descendants of the sept succeeded in establishing themselves as rulers there. Their newly won territory included much of the modern baronies of Magheraboy and Clanawley, and had earlier been under the control of a sept of the southern U� N�ill. It would seem, however, that their supremacy west of the Erne was short-lived, because throughout most of the medieval period members of the Mac Gilla Fhinnein family appear in the annals as chieftains of Muinter Pheodachain. The origins of this well-known Fermanagh family are not at all certain. Most of the early genealogical tracts treat them as descendants of the Cenel Conaill, while the Fermanagh Genealogies published in Analecta Hibernica 3 surprisingly identify them with a branch of the Munster Eoganachta. In view of the many attempts made by T�r Chonaill kings to extend their influence into North Connacht, the Cenel Conaill ancestry of the Mac Gilla Fhinnein family is not at all unlikely. One point at least is agreed upon by all the genealogies; they were not in the direct line of descent from the Muinter Pheodachan whose territory they came to rule. We must assume therefore that the latter sank into obscurity, and that nothing except their name remained to recall this first expansion of the Airgialla sept west of the Erne.

The descendants of Aed, the other son of Cormac, were destined to be much more illustrious. Fifth in the direct line from Aed to Lugan, from whom this branch of Clann Cormaic is more usually known as Clann Lugan. The latter�s son Cernach is allotted three sons, who were all ancestors of distinguished families. From one of this trio, Caeman, came the sept known as Muintr Caeman whose lands lay on the confines of the modern Fermanagh and Tyrone. From a second son Fergal (c 900) came the Clann Fergaile, represented later by the family of Mac Tigernain. The third son Odar was the progenitor of the two most illustrious royal families of Fermanagh, those of Ua hEicnig and Mag Uidir. It must be noted however that the latter family did not derive their name from this particular Odar but from one of their later ancestors of the same name. An Odar mac Cernaig appears in the pedigree about 900AD. His son Dalach was father of Eicnech mac Dalaig, king of Airgialla, who died in 963. From this Eicnech the family which provided many kings of Fir Manach and Airgialla down to the eve of the Norman invasion took its name. Eicnech�s own son died as king of Airgialla in 999; his grandson Gilla Coluim Ua hEicnig died as king of Airgialla in 1048. Even as late as 1127 Gillacrist Ua hEicnig appears in the annals as R� Fermanach & Ard R� Airgiall, while an Ua hEicnig still struggles for his ancient patrimony in 1201. A second son of the 900 Odar named Stefan appears in the genealogies as ancestor of �Muinter Steabhain an Mhachaire�. Their name is still preserved in the modern Fermanagh barony of Magherastephana. As the name Stefan is obviously of Romance origin and probably came to Ireland with the Normans, it is questionable if the junction of �Muinter Steabhain� with the main regal line of Fir Manach at this particular point is not a fiction of the genealogist. Through a third son of the 900 Odar named Irgalach was descended the family of Mag Uidir. Surprisingly enough this family does not come into prominence until the 13th century, which is the precise point at which the family of Ua hEicnig disappears from the annals. From that on their spread was both rapid and effective. Members of various branches of the family were kings of Fermanagh and chieftains of Muinter Peodachan, Clann Fergaile etc during subsequent centuries, while other families which branched off from the main line, such as Mac Magnusa, Mac Gothraid, MacGafraid and Mac Amlaim, attained a considerable amount of local prominence. As no individual of the name Mag Uidir appears in the annals prior to the Norman invasion and as their subsequent ramifications can be worked out from the appended genealogical table, it will not be necessary to discuss them here at further length.

The second main branch of U� Cremthainn was known to history as S�l Daimini. Their eponymous ancestor, Daimin or Daimine, son of Cairpre Damargait, must have flourished during the first half of the 6th century, and is probably to be identified with �Daimin Daimairgit� whose obit occurs in the Annals of Ulster 564. Since Clogher came to be known as �Clochar mac nDaimini� it is obvious that the South Tyrone district continued to be the headquarters of the sept during the lifetime of Daimine�s sons, as it had been in the time of his father Cairpre. One of these sons was the famous Conall Ga�derg, whose obit occurs in the Annals of Ulster and A.T s.a 608. Another, named Tuathal, was progenitor of S�l Tuathail an Tuaiscirt, otherwise called Fir Lemna. The latter name emphasises their Clogher associations, since the level country around Clogher was known as Mag Demna. Fourth in descent from Tuathal was Cellach, eponymous ancestor of Clann Cellaig, whose name still lives, affixed to the barony of Clankelly in East Fermanagh.

                                              We are indebted to the Trustees of the
Cardinal Tom�s � Fiaich Library And Archive, 15 Moy Road, Armagh BT61 7LY, Ireland
                                         for their kind permission to reproduce this article.