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"Dalriada" redirects here. For the neighbouring Irish kingdom sometimes called Dalaradia, seeDál nAraidi.For other uses, seeDalriada (disambiguation).

Dál Riata
498–850
Satellite image of Scotland and Northern Ireland showing the approximate greatest extent of Dál Riata (shaded). The mountainous spine which separates the east and west coasts of Scotland can be seen.
Satellite image of Scotland and Northern Ireland showing the approximate greatest extent of Dál Riata (shaded). The mountainous spine which separates the east and west coasts of Scotland can be seen.
CapitalDunadd
Common languagesOld Gaelic
Religion
Christianity
Ancient Celtic religion
Demonym(s)Scoti
GovernmentMonarchy
King
• 498–501
Fergus Mór(first)
• 841–850
Cináed mac Ailpin(last)
Historical eraEarly Middle Ages
• Established
498
• Disestablished
850
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Ulaid
Kingdom of Scotland
Kingdom of the Isles
Today part of

Dál RiataorDál Riada(alsoDalriada) (/dælˈriːədə/) was aGaelickingdomthat encompassed thewestern seaboardofScotlandand north-easternIreland,on each side of theNorth Channel.At its height in the 6th and 7th centuries, it covered what is nowArgyll( "Coast of the Gaels" ) in Scotland and part ofCounty AntriminNorthern Ireland.[1]After a period of expansion, Dál Riata eventually became associated with the GaelicKingdom of Alba.[2][3]

In Argyll, it consisted of four mainkindredsortribes,[4]each with their own chief: theCenél nGabráin(based inKintyre), theCenél nÓengusa(based onIslay), theCenél Loairn(who gave their name to the district ofLorn)[2]and theCenél Comgaill(who gave their name toCowal).[2]ThehillfortofDunaddis believed to have been its capital. Other royal forts includedDunollie,DunavertyandDunseverick.Within Dál Riata was the important monastery ofIona,which played a key role in the spread ofCeltic Christianitythroughout northern Britain, and in the development ofinsular art.Iona was a centre of learning and produced many important manuscripts. Dál Riata had a strongseafaringculture and a large naval fleet.

Dál Riata is said to have been founded by the legendary kingFergus Mór(Fergus the Great) in the 5th century. The kingdom reached its height underÁedán mac Gabráin(r. 574–608). During his reign Dál Riata's power and influence grew; it carried out naval expeditions toOrkneyand theIsle of Man,and assaults on theBrittonickingdom ofStrathclydeandAngliankingdom ofBernicia.However, KingÆthelfrithof Bernicia checked its growth at theBattle of Degsastanin 603. Serious defeats in Ireland and Scotland during the reign ofDomnall Brecc(died 642) ended Dál Riata's "golden age", and the kingdom became a client ofNorthumbriafor a time. In the 730s thePictishkingÓengus Iled campaigns against Dál Riata and brought it under Pictish overlordship by 741. There is disagreement over the fate of the kingdom from the late 8th century onwards. Some scholars have seen no revival of Dál Riatan power after the long period of foreign domination (c.637 toc.750–760), while others have seen a revival underÁed Find(736–778). Some even claim that the Dál Riata usurped the kingship ofFortriu.From 795 onward there were sporadicVikingraids in Dál Riata. In the following century, there may have been a merger of the Dál Riatan and Pictish crowns. Some sources say Cináed mac Ailpín (Kenneth MacAlpin) was king of Dál Riata before becoming king of the Picts in 843, following a disastrous defeat of the Picts by Vikings.[5]The kingdom's independence ended sometime after, as it merged with Pictland to form theKingdom of Alba.

Latinsources often referred to the inhabitants of Dál Riata asScots(Scoti), a name originally used by Roman and Greek writers for the Irish Gaels who raided and colonisedRoman Britain.Later, it came to refer to Gaels, whether from Ireland or elsewhere.[6]They are referred to herein asGaelsor asDál Riatans.[7]

Name[edit]

The nameDál Riatacomes fromOld Irishand means "the portion of Riata".[8]Dális part of the names of other Irish territories, such asDál FiatachandDál gCais.Riatais thegenitiveof a tribal name or deity name.[8]Bedewrote that the kingdom was named after its founder, a man called Reuda.[8]Some Old Gaelic texts say that the kingdom was named after the Corcu Réti, descendants ofDomangart Réti.[9]Another legend says that it was named after oneCairbre Riata.[8]

TheDalradiangeological series, a term coined byArchibald Geikiein 1891, was named after Dál Riata because its outcrop has a similar geographical reach to that of the former kingdom.[10]

People, land and sea[edit]

Ulster and the Hebrides
Dunadd Hillfort.

Dál Riata spanned the North Channel and included parts of western Scotland and north-eastern Ireland. In Scotland, it corresponded roughly toArgyll(fromAirer Goídel,"coast of the Gaels" ) and later grew to includeSkye.In Ireland, it took in the north-east ofCounty Antrim,roughly corresponding to thebaroniesofCaryandGlenarm.[11]

The modern human landscape of Dál Riata differs a great deal from that of the first millennium. Most people today live in settlements far larger than anything known in early times, while some areas, such asKilmartin,and many of the islands, such asIslayandTiree,may well have had as many inhabitants as they do today. Many of the small settlements have now disappeared so that the countryside is far emptier than was formerly the case, and many areas that were formerly farmed are now abandoned. Even the physical landscape is not entirely as it was: sea levels have changed, and the combination of erosion and silting will have considerably altered the shape of the coast in some places, while the natural accumulation of peat and human-made changes from peat-cutting have altered inland landscapes.[12]

As was normal at the time, subsistence farming was the occupation of most people.Oatsandbarleywere the main cereal crops.Pastoralismwas especially important, andtranshumance(the seasonal movement of people with their livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures) was the practice in many places. Some areas, most notably Islay, were especially fertile, and good grazing would have been available all year round, just as it was in Ireland. Tiree was famed in later times for its oats and barley, while smaller, uninhabited islands were used to keep sheep. The area, until lately, was notable for its inshore fisheries, and for plentiful shellfish, therefore seafood is likely to have been an important part of the diet.[13]

TheSenchus fer n-Albanlists three main kin groups in Dál Riata in Scotland, with a fourth being added later:[14]

The Senchus does not list any kindreds in Ireland, but does list an apparently very minor kindred called Cenél Chonchride in Islay descended from another son of Erc, Fergus Becc. Another kindred, Cenél Báetáin ofMorvern(laterClan MacInnes), branched off from Cenél Loairn about the same time that Cenél Comgaill separated from its parent kindred. TheMorverndistrict was formerly known as Kinelvadon, after the Cenél Báetáin.[17]The Cenél Loairn may have been the largest of the "three kindreds", as the Senchus reports it being divided further into Cenél Shalaig, Cenél Cathbath, Cenél nEchdach, Cenél Murerdaig. Among the Cenél Loairn it also lists theAirgíalla,although whether this should be understood as being Irish settlers or simply another tribe to whom the label was applied is unclear. Bannerman proposes a tie to theUí Macc Uais.[18]The meaning of Airgíalla 'hostage givers' adds to the uncertainty, although it must be observed that only one grouping in Ireland was apparently given this name and it is therefore very rare, perhaps supporting the Ui Macc Uais hypothesis. There is no reason to suppose that this is a complete or accurate list.[19]

Four sites in Dál Riata may have had royal associations:Dunadd,Dunollie,DunavertyandTarbert.[20]Among them,Dunaddappears to have been the most important. It has been partly excavated, and weapons,quern-stonesand many moulds for the manufacture of jewellery were found in addition to fortifications. Other high-status materials included glassware and wineamphoraefromGaul,and in larger quantities than found elsewhere in Britain and Ireland. Lesser centres includedDun Ollaigh,seat of the Cenél Loairn kings, andDunaverty,at the southern end of Kintyre, in the lands of the Cenél nGabráin.[21]The main royal centre in Ireland appears to have been atDunseverick(Dún Sebuirge).[22]

Dál Riata had a strongseafaringculture,[23]which wastribalandpiratic.[4]It was anarchipelagowith many islands andpeninsulas.This, and the difficulty of overland travel, meant that travel by sea was the easiest means of moving any distance. As well as long-distance trade, local trade must also have been significant.[24]Currachswere probably the most common seagoing craft, and on inland watersdugoutsandcoracleswere used. Large timber ships, called "long ships", perhaps similar to theVikingships of the same name,are attested to in a variety of sources.[25]Dál Riata had a largewar fleetmanned by skilled sailors, capable of undertaking far-reaching expeditions. It had an organised system for manning the fleet. Houses were grouped into twenties for the purpose of naval recruitment, with each group having to provide a quota of 28oarsmen.[26]

Religion and art[edit]

9th-century St Martin's Cross onIona.
Saint Matthew, folio 28v in theBook of Kells

No written accounts exist for pre-Christian Dál Riata, and the earliest-known records come from the chroniclers ofIonaand Irish monasteries. During the time ofSaint Patrick,Dál Riata kings thought they were descended fromCeltic gods,and pagans in the region viewed certainspringsand "spirit-inhabitedgrovesof trees "assacred groves.[4]

Adomnán'sLife of StColumbaimplies a Christian Dál Riata.[27]Whether this is true cannot be known. The figure of Columba looms large in any history of Christianity in Dál Riata. Adomnán'sLife,although useful as a record, was not intended to serve as history, but rather ashagiography.Because the writing of the lives of the saints in Adomnán's day had not reached the stylised formulas of theHigh Middle Ages,theLifecontains a great deal of historically valuable information. It is also a vital linguistic source indicating the distribution of Gaelic and P-Celtic placenames in northern Scotland by the end of the 7th century. It famously notes Columba's need for a translator when conversing with an individual on Skye.[28]This evidence of a non-Gaelic language is supported by a sprinkling of P-Celtic placenames on the remote mainland opposite the island.[29]

Columba's founding Iona within the bounds of Dál Riata ensured that the kingdom would be of great importance in the spread of Christianity in northern Britain, not only to Pictland, but also to Northumbria, viaLindisfarne,toMercia,and beyond. Although the monastery of Iona belonged to theCenél Conaillof the Northern Uí Néill, and not to Dál Riata, it had close ties to the Cenél nGabráin, ties which may make the annals less than entirely impartial.[30]

If Iona was the greatest religious centre in Dál Riata, it was far from unique.Lismore,in the territory of the Cenél Loairn, was sufficiently important for the death of its abbots to be recorded with some frequency.Applecross,probably in Pictish territory for most of the period, andKingarthon Bute are also known to have been monastic sites, and many smaller sites, such as onEiggand Tiree, are known from the annals.[31]In Ireland,Armoywas the main ecclesiastical centre in early times, associated withSaint Patrickand withSaint Olcán,said to have been the first bishop at Armoy. An important early centre, Armoy later declined, overshadowed by the monasteries at Movilla (Newtownards) andBangor.[32]

As well as their primary spiritual importance, the political significance of religious centres cannot be dismissed. The prestige of being associated with the saintly founder was of no small importance. Monasteries represented a source of wealth as well as prestige. Additionally, the learning and literacy found in monasteries served as useful tools for ambitious kings.[33]

Theilluminated manuscriptBook of Kellswas probably at least begun at Iona, although not by Columba as legend has it, as it dates from about 800 A.D.[34][35](It may have been commissioned to mark the bicentennial of Columba's death in 597).[36]Whether it was or not, Iona was certainly important in the formation ofInsular art,which combined Mediterranean,Anglo-Saxon,Celticand Pictish elements into a style of which the book of Kells is a late example.[citation needed]

For other arts, a number of sculptures remain to give an impression of Dál Riatan work. The St. Martin's Cross on Iona is the well-preservedhigh cross,probably inspired by Northumbrian free-standing crosses, such as theRuthwell Cross,although a similar cross exists in Ireland (Ahenny,County Tipperary). TheKildalton Crosson Islay is similar. A sculpted slab atArdchattanappears to show strong Pictish influences, while theDupplin Cross,it has been argued, shows that influences also moved in the opposite direction. FineHiberno-Saxonmetalwork such aspenannular broochesis believed to have been created at Dunadd.[37]

In addition to the monastic sites, a considerable number of churches are attested, not only from archaeological evidence, but also from the evidence of place names. The element "kil", from Gaeliccill,can be shown in many cases to be associated with early churches, such as at Kilmartin by Dunadd.[38]

History[edit]

Origins[edit]

Footprint (replica[39]) used in king-making ceremonies, Dunadd

The 11th-centuryDuan Albanach(Song of the Scots) tells that the three sons ofErc—Fergus Mór,Loarnand Óengus—conqueredAlba(Scotland) in around 500 AD. The 8th-century writerBedeoffers another, and probably older, account wherein Dál Riata was conquered by Irish Gaels led by a certainReuda.Old Irishdálmeans 'portion' or 'share', and is usually followed by the name of aneponymousfounder.[40]Bede's tale may come from the same root as the Irish tales of Cairpre Riata and his brothers, theSíl Conairi(sons/descendants ofConaire CóemandConaire Mór).[41]The story of Dál Riata moves fromfoundation mythto something nearer to history with the reports of the death ofComgall mac Domangairtaround 540 and of his brotherGabránaround 560.[42]

The version of history in theDuan Albanachwas long accepted, although it is preceded by the fictional tale ofAlbanusandBrutusconquering Britain. Traditionally, the presence of Gaelic in Scotland has been seen as the result of either a migration from Ireland,[43]or a takeover by Irish Gaelic elites. However, in his academic paperWere the Scots Irish?,archaeologist DrEwan Campbellsays that there is no archaeological or placename evidence of a migration or takeover.[44]This lack of archaeological evidence was previously noted by ProfessorLeslie Alcock.[44]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 theHighlands,historically called theDruim Alban.[44]This hypothetical separation allowed a shared language to be maintained through the centuries; Argyll remained Gaelic-speaking while the rest of Scotland spoke eitherPictishor anotherBrittonic language.[44]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.[44]Although this view of the medieval accounts is shared by other historians,[44]his theory has been challenged.[45][46]

Irish scholarEoin MacNeillpostulated 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 theend of Roman rule.Later, as these settlements became economically and politically more significant than the home territory, its rulers moved from Ireland to Argyll.[47]

The time in which Dál Riata arose was one of great instability in Ulster, following theUlaid's loss of territory (including the ancient centre of Emain Macha) to theAirgíallaand theUí Néill."The thriving of Dalriada", pp. 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 prehistoricIverniandDarini,suggesting kinship with the Ulaid and a number of shadowy kingdoms in distantMunster.TheRobogdiihave also been suggested as ancestral.[48]Ultimately, the Dál Riata, according to the earliest genealogies, are descendants ofDeda mac Sin,a prehistoric king or deity of theÉrainn.

Druim Cett to Mag Rath[edit]

Map of Dál Riata at its height, c. 580–600.Pictishregions are marked in yellow.

By the mid-6th century, the Dál Riata in Scotland came under serious threat fromBridei I,king of the Picts,whilst the Irish portion faced hostility from theDál nAraidiofUlaid,resulting in their seeking the aid of the IrishNorthern Uí Néill.[49][50]Dál Riata reached its greatest extent in the reign of Áedán mac Gabráin, who was said to have been consecrated by Columba,[51]to whom Áedán granted the island ofIonaoff the coast of Scotland. Columba, who was also aCenél Conaillprince, 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 nearLimavady.[49][52]In attendance were Columba, Áedán mac Gabráin, andÁed mac Ainmuirech,king of the Northern Uí Néill andHigh 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;[50]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;[26]the removal of Dál Riata from Ulaid's overlordship, allowing it to concentrate on extending its Scottish domain.[49]What is certain is that both parties had the Dál nAraidi as a common foe.[50]

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 asOrkneyand lands of theMaeatae,on theRiver Forth.Áedán appears to have been very successful in extending his power, until he faced theBerniciankingÆthelfrithatDegsastanc.603. Æthelfrith's brother was among the dead, but Áedán was defeated, and the Bernician kings continued their advances in southern Scotland. Áedán diedc.608 aged about 70. Dál Riata did expand to includeSkye,possibly conquered by Áedán's son Gartnait.

It has been suggested thatFiachnae mac Báetáin(died 626), Dál nAraidi over-king of Ulaid, was overlord of both parts of Dál Riata. Fiachnae campaigned against the Northumbrians, and besiegedBamburgh,and the Dál Riatans are thought to have fought in this campaign.[53]

In 629, the Dál Riata suffered significant losses at the battle of Fid Euin where the Dál nAraidi, led byCongal 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.[50]That same year the Cenél Conaill defeated Congal Cáech at the battle of Dún Ceithirn.[50]

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.[52]In an attempt to have himself installed asHigh King of Ireland,Congal made alliances with Dál Riata andStrathclyde,which resulted in the disastrousBattle of Magh Rathin 637, which saw Congal slain by High KingDomnall mac Áedoof the Northern Uí Néill and resulted in Irish Dál Riata losing possession of its Scottish lands.[54]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.[55]Domnall Brecc's policy appears to have died with him in 642, at his final, and fatal, defeat byEugein map Beliof Strathclyde atStrathcarron,for as late as the 730s, armies and fleets from Dál Riata fought alongside the Uí Néill.[56]

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.[52]By the 10th century, the Irish lands of Dál Riata were under the control of theUí Tuirtri,and their clients, the Fir Lí.[52]

Mag Rath to the Pictish conquest[edit]

It has been proposed that some of the more obscure kings of Dál Riata mentioned in the Annals of Ulster, such asFiannamail ua DúnchadoandDonncoirce,may have been kings of Irish Dál Riata.[57]

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 thePictishkingBruide mac BilidefeatedEcgfrith of NorthumbriaatDun Nechtainin 685. It is not certain that this subjection ended in 685, although this is usually assumed to be the case.[58]However, it appears thatEadberht Eatingmade some effort to stop the Picts underÓengus mac Fergusacrushing 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.[59]

Since it has been thought that Dál Riata swallowed Pictland to create theKingdom of Alba,the later history of Dál Riata has tended to be seen as a prelude to future triumphs.[60]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 asFerchar Fota,his sonSelbach,and grandsonsDúngalandMuiredachare 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[edit]

Áed Findmay appear in 768, fighting against the Pictish king ofFortriu.[61]At his death in 778, Áed Find is called "king of Dál Riata", as is his brotherFergus mac Echdachin 781.[62]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.[63]A number of kings are named in theDuan 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".[64]

It is unlikely that Dál Riata was ruled directly by Pictish kings, but it is argued thatDomnall,son ofCaustantín mac Fergusa,was king of Dál Riata from 811 to 835. He was apparently followed by the last named king of Dál RiataÁed mac Boanta,who was killed in the greatPictish defeat of 839at the hands of theVikings.[65]

In the 9th century, the Picts were becomingGaelicised,and it is suggested that there was a merger of the Dál Riatan and Pictish kingships.[66]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 theHouse of Alpin,Dál Riata and Pictland merged to form theKingdom of Albaor Scotland.[67]

From Dál Riata to the Innse Gall[edit]

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 thekingdom of the Sudreys,traditionally founded byKetill Flatnose(Caitill Findin Gaelic) in the middle of the 9th century. TheFrankishAnnales Bertinianimay record the conquest of theInner Hebrides,the seaward part of Dál Riata, by Vikings in 847.[68]

Alex Woolfhas suggested that there occurred a formal division of Dál Riata between theNorse–GaelicUí Ímairand 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 termsAirer GaedelandInnse Gall,respectively, "the coast of the Gaels" and the "Islands of the foreigners".[69]

Under the House of Alpin[edit]

Woolf has further demonstrated that, by the time ofMalcolm II,the leadingcenelaof 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 theGreat Glento occupyMoray,the former and sometimes stillFortriu,one branch of Cenel nGabhrain occupying the district known asGowrieand another the district ofFife,Cenel nOengusa giving its name toCircinnasAngus,Cenel Comgaill occupyingStrathearn,and another lesser-known kindred, Cenel Conaing, probably moving toMar.[70]

In fiction[edit]

InRosemary Sutcliff's 1965 novelThe Mark of the Horse Lord,the Dál Riada undergo an internal struggle for control of royal succession, and an external conflict to defend their frontiers against theCaledones.

In Rosemary Sutcliff's historical adventure novelThe Eagle of the Ninth(1954), a young Roman officer searches to recover the lost Roman eagle standard of his father's legion in the northern part of Great Britain. The story is based on theNinth Spanish Legion's supposed disappearance in the Scottish Highlands near the end of the Roman occupation. The novel was adapted byJeremy Brockinto the filmThe Eagle(2011).

In the Kushiel novels (a series, beginning withKushiel's Dart,2001), byJacqueline Carey,the Dalriada of theKingdom of Albafigure prominently in a Royal marriage and subsequent alliance with France (known in the series as "Terre d'Ange" ).

InJulian May'sSaga of Pliocene Exileseries, the non-born Aiken Drum's homeworld is an ethnic Scottish planet called Dalriada.

In theLost Girltelevision series, the pub where the Light Fae and the Dark Fae mingle is called the Dal Riata, named after the ancient kingdom.

In Jules Watson's Dalriada Trilogy (2006–2008), three centuries are chronicled during the time ofthe Roman Invasion of Britain.

A feature-length fantasy film previously namedDalriata's King,later namedThe Gaelic Kingwas made in Scotland, with a story based loosely on the first king of the Scots. It was released to home media in 2017.[71][72]

Dál Riata is a playable nation inParadox Interactive's4Xvideo gameCrusader Kings II.At the earliest start date, 769 with theCharlemagneDLC,they are anIrish Catholicindependentpetty kingdomruled byÁed Find,comprising the Hebrides andArgyll.The game will also use Dál Riata to refer to the Duchy of the Isles whenever the realm's top liege is Irish

Dalriada is the name of a Hungarian folk metal band,Dalriada.

The Dalriada is the name of a raid introduced inFinal Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^abClancy, Thomas Owen, "Philosopher King: Nechtan mac Der Ilei," SHR 83 (2004): 135–149
  2. ^abcOxford Companion to Scottish Historypp. 161–162, edited by Michael Lynch, Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-923482-0.
  3. ^Laing, Lloyd Robert (2006).The Archaeology of Celtic Britain and Ireland c. AD 400–1200.Cambridge University Press. p. 324.ISBN978-0521838627.The inhabitants of what is now Co. Antrim, Ireland, were known as the Scots, a name they transported to what is now Argyll and the adjacent islands where they established the kingdom of Dál Riata.
  4. ^abcSchama, Simon(2003).A History of Britain 1: 3000 BC-AD 1603 At the Edge of the World?(Paperback 2003 ed.). London:BBC Worldwide.p. 47.ISBN978-0-563-48714-2.
  5. ^Smyth—and Bannerman,Scottish Takeover—present this case, arguing that Pictish kings fromCiniod son of UuredechandCaustantínonwards were descendants ofFergus mac Echdachand Feradach, son ofSelbach mac Ferchair.Broun'sPictish Kingsoffers an alternative reconstruction, and one which has attracted considerable support, e.g. Clancy, "Iona in the kingdom of the Picts: a note", Woolf,Pictland to Alba,pp. 57–67.
  6. ^Charles-Edwards,Early Christian Ireland,pp. 159–160, considers whether the Latin termsScottiandAtacottirefer to the confederations in Ulster andLeinster,respectively. The etymology ofScotti,and its Gaelic roots, if any, are uncertain. The term in late Classical sources is either specifically linked to raiders from Ireland, or is geographically ambiguous. In sharp contrast, no clear reference pointing to Scotti in Scotland in the Roman period has been found. Despite several references listing different combinations of Picti, Scotti, Hiberni, Attecotti and Saxons together as later Roman Britain's archetypal enemies, it is worth noting that 'Scotti' and 'Hiberni' are never listed together, confirming that they were then, as they were later, alternative names for the Irish or confederations of the Irish. Regardless of the original sense, or its modern popularity, to use the term "Scot" in this context invites confusion.
  7. ^See1066 And All That,p. 5, for a parody of the confusion the word "Scot" engenders in this context.
  8. ^abcdLaing, Lloyd (2006).The Archaeology of Celtic Britain and Ireland: c.AD 400-1200.Cambridge University Press. p. 324.
  9. ^Fraser, James (2009).From Caledonia to Pictland: Scotland to 795.Edinburgh University Press. p. 145.
  10. ^"Grampian Highlands: geological foundations".NatureScot.Retrieved27 September2022.
  11. ^Boyd, Hugh Alexander.Irish Dalriada.The Glynns: Journal of The Glens of Antrim Historical Society.Volume 76 (1978).
  12. ^See McDonald,Kingdom of the Isles,pp. 10–20, for a short discussion of the geography of Dál Riata in Scotland.
  13. ^Campbell,Saints and Sea-kings,pp. 22–29; Foster,Picts, Gaels and Scots,pp. 49–59.
  14. ^The Senchus is translated in Bannerman,Studies,pp. 47–49; previously published inCeltica,vols. 7 (1966) – 9 (1971); earlier translations in Anderson,ESSH,vol. 1, pp. cl–cliii and Skene,Chronicles of the Picts and Scots.
  15. ^Broun, "" Dál Riata ", notes that the Senchus treats the Cenél Loairn differently. In fact, it lists the three (actually four) thirds of the Cenél Loairn as the Cenél Shalaig (or Cenél Fergusa Shalaig), Cenél Cathbath, Cenél nEchdach and Cenél Muiredaig. Even the compiler of the Senchus doubts whether theireponymousfounders Fergus Shalaig, Cathbad, Eochaid and Muiredach were all sons of Loarn mac Eirc.
  16. ^Bannerman,Studies,p. 110, dates the separation of the Cenél Comgaill from the Cenél nGabráin to around 700.
  17. ^Watson,Celtic Place-names of Scotland,p. 122.
  18. ^Bannerman,Studies,pp. 115–118. See also Bannerman,Studies,pp. 120 & 122, noting that theTripartite LifeofSaint Patrickappears to refer to a "Cenél nÓengusa" in Antrim.
  19. ^The Annals of Ulster,s.a. 670, refer to the return of thegenus Gartnaith,i.e. the Cenél Gartnait, from Ireland to Skye. This Gartnait is presumed to be a son of Áedán mac Gabraín: see Broun, "Dál Riata". Bannerman,Studies,pp. 92–94, identifies this Gartnait as a son of Áedán, whom he sees as the same person asGartnait,king of the Picts. No such son is named by Adomnán, in the annals, or by the Senchus. See also Adomnán,Life,II, 22, and note 258, where a certain Ioan mac Conaill mac Domnaill is said to have belonged to "the royal lineage of Cenél nGabráin". See also the discussion of the Cenél Loairn above.
  20. ^L. Alcock, "Early historic fortifications in Scotland",inGuilbert (ed) 1981, pp. 150–180.
  21. ^Bannerman,Studies,pp. 111–118; Campbell,Saints and Sea-kings,pp. 17–28; Foster,Picts, Gaels and Scots,pp. 65–68.
  22. ^T. M. Charles-Edwards,Early Christian Ireland(2000), pp. 57–61.
  23. ^Marcus, G. J.The Conquest of the North Atlantic.Boydell & Brewer, 2007 [1980]. p. 21
  24. ^See Adomnán,Life,note 72, where a trading fleet of 50 ships is mentioned; see also Bannerman,Studies,pp. 148–154 for an analysis of Adomnán's reports, and those in the annals, dealing with maritime matters.
  25. ^Adomnán,Life,note 297; Foster,Picts, Gaels and Scots,pp. 99–100.
  26. ^abDuffy, Seán.Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia.Routledge, 2005. p. 586
  27. ^Markus, "Iona"; Markus, "Conversion".
  28. ^As well as Sharpe's translation of Adomnán'sLife of St Columba,Broun & Clancy (eds.),Spes Scotorum,is essential reading on Columba, Iona and Scotland.
  29. ^W.F.H. Nicolaisen,Scottish Placenames: Their study and significance(1976).
  30. ^See, for example, Broun, "Dál Riata"; for the evidence of place-names as an indicator of Ionan influence, see Taylor, "Iona abbots".
  31. ^Clancy, "Church institutions".
  32. ^Charles-Edwards,Early Christian Ireland,pp. 58–60.
  33. ^Foster,Picts, Gaels and Scots,pp. 42–44, 94–95 & 104–106.
  34. ^Kearney, Martha (26 April 2016)."The Book of Kells: Medieval Europe's greatest treasure?".BBC Home.Retrieved22 March2024.
  35. ^"The Book of Kells".National Trust for Scotland.4 May 2022.Retrieved22 March2024.
  36. ^Henry, Francoise (1988).The Book of Kells: reproductions from the manuscript in Trinity College, Dublin.New York, USA: Alfred A. Knopf. p. 221.ISBN0-394-56859-1.
  37. ^Laing & Laing,The Picts and the Scots,pp. 136–137, deals with Dál Riatan arts at greater length; see also Ritchie, "Culture: Picto-Celtic".
  38. ^Markus, "Religious life".
  39. ^Revealed: carved footprint marking Scotland's birth is a replica,The Herald, 22 September 2007.
  40. ^Bede, HE, Book I, Chapter 1.
  41. ^Bannerman,Studies,pp. 122–124.
  42. ^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.
  43. ^See Mackie,A History of Scotland,pp. 18–19. Neither Smyth nor Laing & Laing accept the migration theory without reservation.
  44. ^abcdefCampbell, Ewan. "Were the Scots Irish?"inAntiquityNo. 75 (2001). pp. 285–292.
  45. ^Wolfe, A. (2012) "Ancient Kindred? Dál Riata and the Cruthin" [Internet] In: academia.edu. Available fromhttps://www.academia.edu/1502702/Ancient_Kindred_Dal_Riata_and_the_Cruthin
  46. ^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.
  47. ^Dumville, David(1999).Saint Patrick.Boydell Press. p. 187.
  48. ^see O'Rahilly's historical model
  49. ^abcBardon, p. 17.
  50. ^abcdeFraser (2007), pp. 316–9.
  51. ^Adomnán,Life of St Columba,Book III, Chapter 6.
  52. ^abcdMcSparron, p. 109.
  53. ^For Báetan and Fiachnae see Byrne,Irish Kings and High-Kings,pp. 109–112, and Ó Cróinín,Early Medieval Ireland,pp. 48–52.
  54. ^Bardon, pp. 20–21.
  55. ^See Cumméne's "Life of Columba" quoted in Sharpe's edition of Adomnán, Book III, Chapter 5, and notes 360, 362.
  56. ^Byrne,Irish Kings and High-Kings,p. 114; Annals of the Four Masters, s.a. 728.
  57. ^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.
  58. ^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.
  59. ^Continuation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History (trans. Sellar), s.a. 740;Historia Regum AnglorumofSymeon of Durham,s.a. 740; also theAnglo-Saxon Chronicle,manuscript D, which reports the burning of York, see also 741.
  60. ^The titles alone of John Bannerman's "The Scottish Takeover of Pictland" and Richard Sharpe's "The thriving of Dalriada" tell their own story.
  61. ^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."
  62. ^Dates from the Annals of Ulster. TheAnnals of the Four Mastersreport the deaths of Abbots ofLismore,but nothing of Dál Riata except reports of the death of Áed, s.a. 771, and of his brother Fergus, s.a. 778.
  63. ^See the discussion in Broun, "Pictish Kings", where another theory is advanced.
  64. ^Woolf, "Ungus (Onuist), son of Uurguist."
  65. ^Broun, "Pictish Kings", passim; Clancy, "Caustantín son of Fergus (Uurguist)."
  66. ^Harris, Bob.Scotland: The Making and Unmaking of the Nation, c.1100–1707.Dundee University Press, 2006, p. 3
  67. ^Woolf, Alex.From Pictland to Alba, 789-1070.Edinburgh University Press, 2007. pp. 95–96
  68. ^Woolf,Pictland to Alba,pp. 99–100 & 286–289; Anderson,Early Sources,p. 277.
  69. ^Woolf, Alex. "Age of Sea-Kings", pp. 94–95.
  70. ^Woolf, Alex.From Pictland to Alba,pp. 226–230
  71. ^"Fellowship Film - Scottish Independent Film Production Company".
  72. ^The Gaelic King,10 July 2017,retrieved10 June2019

References[edit]

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  • Anderson, Alan Orr,Early Sources of Scottish History A.D. 500–1286,volume 1. Reprinted with corrections. Paul Watkins, Stamford, 1990.ISBN1-871615-03-8
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  • Bardon, Jonathan (2005).A History of Ulster.The Black Staff Press.ISBN978-0-85640-764-2.
  • McSparron, Cormac; Williams, Brian; Bourke, Cormac (2009).The excavation of an Early Christian rath with later medieval occupation at Drumadoon, Co. Antrim.Royal Irish Academy.
  • Broun, Dauvit,"Aedán mac Gabráin" in Michael Lynch (ed.),The Oxford Companion to Scottish History.Oxford UP, Oxford, 2001.ISBN0-19-211696-7
  • Broun, Dauvit, "Dál Riata" in Lynch (2001).
  • Broun, Dauvit, "Pictish Kings 761–839: Integration with Dál Riata or Separate Development" in Sally M. Foster (ed.),The St Andrews Sarcophagus: A Pictish masterpiece and its international connections.Four Courts, Dublin, 1998.ISBN1-85182-414-6
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  • Markus, Fr. Gilbert, O.P., "Religious life: early medieval" in Lynch (2001).
  • Markus, Fr. Gilbert, O.P., "Conversion to Christianity" in Lynch (2001).
  • Mac Néill, Eoin,Celtic Ireland.Dublin, 1921. Reprinted Academy Press, Dublin, 1981.ISBN0-906187-42-7
  • Nicolaisen, W.F.H.,Scottish Place-names.B.T. Batsford, London, 1976. Reprinted, Birlinn, Edinburgh, 2001.ISBN0-85976-556-3
  • Ó Corráin, Donnchadh, "Vikings in Ireland and Scotland in the ninth century" inPeritia12 (1998), pp. 296–339.Etext (pdf)
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  • Oram, Richard,"Rural society: medieval" in Lynch (2001).
  • Owen, Olwyn,The Sea Road: A Viking Voyage through Scotland.Canongate, Edinburgh, 1999.ISBN0-86241-873-9
  • Rodger, N.A.M.,The Safeguard of the Sea. A Naval History of Great Britain, volume one 660–1649.Harper Collins, London, 1997.ISBN0-00-638840-X
  • Ross, David,Scottish Place-names.Birlinn, Edinburgh, 2001.ISBN1-84158-173-9
  • Sellar, W.D.H., "Gaelic laws and institutions" in Lynch (2001).
  • Sharpe, Richard, "The thriving of Dalriada" in Simon Taylor (ed.),Kings, clerics and chronicles in Scotland 500–1297.Four Courts, Dublin, 2000.ISBN1-85182-516-9
  • Smyth, Alfred P.,Warlords and Holy Men: Scotland AD 80–1000.Edinburgh UP, Edinburgh, 1984.ISBN0-7486-0100-7
  • Taylor, Simon, "Seventh-century Iona abbots in Scottish place-names" in Broun & Clancy (1999).
  • Taylor, Simon, "Place names" in Lynch (2001).
  • Woolf, Alex,"Age of Sea-Kings: 900–1300", in Donald Omand (ed.),The Argyll Book.Birlinn, Edinburgh, 2004.ISBN1-84158-253-0
  • Woolf, Alex, "Nobility: early medieval" in Lynch (2001).

External links[edit]

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