Erc of Dalriada

Ercwas king ofIrishDál Riatafrom 439 until 474, succeedingEochaid Muinremuir.He was the father of three sons:Fergus Mór,Loarnand Oengus. He also may have been the great-grandfather ofMuirchertach mac Muiredaig.Confusion arises from the latter'smatronym,Macc Ercae, said to come from his legendary motherErc ingen Loarn,daughter of Loarn mac Eirc. She marriedMuiredach mac Eógain.According to theDuan Albanachand theSenchus Fer n-Alban,Erc of Dál Riata's father wasEochaid Muinremuir,son ofÁengus 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 ofConaire CóemandSaraid ingen Chuinn.

Erc of Dalriada
King of Dalriada (possibly)
Reign	439 until 474
Died	c.474
Issue	Fergus Mór,Loarnand Oengus.
Father	Eochaid Muinremuir

Suggestions that he was identical with Muiredach mac Eógain and thus belonged to theUí Néillare based on late sources, such as theAnnals of the Four Masters.In fact the Dál Riata are consideredÉrainnorDariniand claimed to be descendants of the famous Érainn kingConaire Mór.It is typical in late genealogies for unrelated peoples or those only related through marriage to be worked into a single genealogical scheme and all be made descendants of the same legendary founder.

Erc is significant as he has been traditionally regarded as the ancestor, through his sonFergus Mor,of the kings ofDalriada,and through them theKings of Scotland,but more recently much of this tradition has been questioned.

References

• Francis John Byrne,Irish Kings and High-Kings.Four Courts Press. 2nd edition, 2001.
• Thomas Charles-Edwards,Early Christian Ireland.Cambridge University Press. 2000.
• Donnchadh Ó Corráin(ed.),Genealogies from Rawlinson B 502,atUniversity College Cork:Corpus of Electronic Texts. 1997.
• John O'Donovan(ed. and tr.),Annála Ríoghachta Éireann. Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters, from the Earliest Period to the Year 1616.7 vols.Royal Irish Academy.Dublin. 1848–51. 2nd edition, 1856.
• John O'Hart,Irish Pedigrees.Dublin. 5th edition, 1892.
• T.F. O'Rahilly,Early Irish History and Mythology.Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.1946.
• Geni, Geni Geni. "Erc Mac Echach, Rí Na Dál Riata." Erc Mac Echach, Rí Na Dál Riata. Geni, 1 Jan. 2016. Web. 2016