Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: King of Keenaught
• Appointments / Titles: Prince of Limavady
• House: Founder of Clan Connor
• FSID: G4VB-V6G
• Residence: Donegal, Ireland; Moy-Ith

Notes:

Moy-Ith

Once upon a time a Milesian chieftain called Ith set out from Spain in search of the 'Isle of the West.' In a storm he was a driven up Lough Swilly and landed in the Lagan Valley where he found that the language spoken was the same as his own so that he was able to talk to the people. They were very suspicious of him because he talked in high terms about their climate and fertile soil.
Fearing that he was going to take their land they attacked him and his followers. Ith was mortally wounded and was carried back to Spain dead. Afterwards the place where the battle was fought was called "Moy-Ith".

The royal clans of Ulster, O'Neill and McLaughlin, were descended from Murdock Mac-Earca. O'Devlins and O'Donnellys probably sprang from a grandson of this Murdock Mac-Earca. An important point in the descent from Murdock Mac-Earca comes with Hugh Allen, king of Ireland, who distinguished himself by a series of victories over the descendants of Conall from Donegal. This king, Hugh
Allen, had two brothers, Niall Frossach and Connor, whose descendants afterwards came into prominence. From Niall Frossach through Hugh Finlay were descended both the McLaughlins and O'Neills-the O'Neills taking their surname from Niall Glundubh (Niall Black-knee). The McLaughlin and O'Neill stocks provided vigorous leaders and kings for the Owen clans in Ulster, as well as reaching at times the position of high king of Ireland. Murdock's line, from which kings were promised, provided an ample fulfillment. From the other brother of Hugh Allen-Connor there arose certain strong clans by whose combined power these northern kings were supported and maintained. It is from the descendants of Connor, the Clan Connor, that the second important thrust from the Owen Clan came. This clan is often known as Clan Connor Magh Ithe, or the Fir Magh Ithe (men of Magh Ithe). Magh Ithe is the rich countryside stretching southward from Inishowen, later known as the Laggan district in east Donegal. According to the O'Clery book of genealogies, Connor had twelve sons, from one of which called Drughan were descended the O'Cahans (O'Kanes). The O'Mullans were also descended from Connor. The McCloskeys, later prominent in County Derry, were descended from a Blosky O'Cahan mentioned the Annals under the year 1196.

It will be remembered that in earlier advances the hard core of resistance in County Derry formed by the Cianachta had been bypassed. The Cianachta, whose leading sept was the O'Connors af Glengiven in the Roe Valley, had held their position for many centuries. The overthrow of the Cianachta and the O'Connors came oddly enough from their namesakes, the Clan Connor. Between the years A.D. 900 and 1000, according to Dr. Kelly's reckoning, the families of Clan Connor moved out from the cramped territory of Magh Ithe, and eventually established themselves in the whole of the territory from the Foyle to the Bann in County Derry. No express record of the conquest of Cianachta exists, and the method of the conquest is a fascinating problem to which we must later turn. When the process of conquest ends, we find various septs of Clan Connor firmly settled in County Derry, the Clan Dermot and its chief family O'Carrolan south of the Faughan river, and the O'Cahans, O'Mullans and McCloskeys scattered elsewhere over North Derry. This intermittent expansion of the Owen clans, which has been described in the present chapter, occupied several centuries. Consequent upon this expansion, and concurrent with it, various other changes took place. These changes centre around the quest for power, and for a place from which the power obtained might be competently exercised.

Family/Spouse: Frasach, Lady Gruagan O'Neill. Gruagan was born in 740 in Ireland; died in 772 in Ireland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Frasach, Gruagan Druagain O'Neill was born in 772 in Ireland; died in DECEASED in Ireland.

Other Events and Attributes:

• House: 9th Chief of Clan MacNeil
• House: Cenél nEógain sept of the northern Uí Néill.
• Nickname: The White Gale
• FSID: GQMZ-1VT
• Appointments / Titles: Between 700 and 722; King of Ailech
• Appointments / Titles: Between 710 and 722; High King of Ireland
• Military: 711; Battle of Sliab Fuait
• Military: 722; slain at the Battle of Allen by the Leinstermen.

Notes:

Fergal, High King of Ireland was the son of Máel Dúin, King of Ailech and Cacht (?)
He married, firstly, unknown daughter (?), daughter of Congal 'Cennmagair', High King of Ireland.
He married, secondly, Athiocht (?), daughter of Cian, King of Keenaght.
He died in 722, killed leading 21,000 men against the Leinstermen at Allen in Kildare.
He was a member of the House of Cenél nEógain.
In 710 he defeated the southern Ui Neill of Meath in Armagh.
He succeeded as the High King of Ireland in 710.

Children of Fergal and Athiocht:
. Niall 'Frossach', High King of Ireland d. 778
. Conchobhar

Child of Fergal, High King of Ireland and unknown daughter (?)
. Áed Allán, High King of Ireland d. 743
____________________________________________________

Fergal mac Máele Dúin (died 11 December 722) was High King of Ireland. Fergal belonged to the Cenél nEógain sept of the northern Uí Néill. He was the son of Máel Dúin mac Máele Fithrich (died 681), a King of Ailech, and great grandson of the high king Áed Uaridnach (died 612). He belonged to the Cenél maic Ercae branch of the Cenél nEógain and was King of Ailech from 700 to 722.

As King of Ailech Fergal participated in a victory over the men of Connacht in 707 where their king Indrechtach mac Dúnchado was slain. This was in revenge for the defeat and death of the high king Loingsech mac Óengusso in 703 at the Battle of Corann. Loingsech's son Fergal mac Loingsig was one of the participants.
Fergal became High King in 710, on the death of Congal Cendmagair of the Cenél Conaill. He ruled from 710 to 722.

The Cenél nEógain were expanding eastwards into Airgialla territory. In 711 Fergal mac Máele Dúin fought the Battle of Sliab Fuait (in the Fews, modern County Armagh) where the king of Uí Méith, Tnúthach son of Mochloinges, and Cú Raí mac Áedo of the Fir Cúl sept of the Síl nÁedo Sláine of Brega were slain. Hostility to the Síl nÁedo Sláine was evidenced by the expulsion of Fogartach mac Néill (died 724) from the kingship of Brega in 714 who went into exile in Britain. This appears to be the work of Fergalin in conjunction with Murchad Midi (died 715) the King of Uisnech of Clann Cholmáin and Murchad may have been Fergal's deputy ruler in the south.

Fogartach's uncle Conall Grant (died 718) killed Murchad the following year and Fogartach returned in 716. In 717 Fogartach caused some manner of disturbance at the Óenach Tailten—an annual Uí Néill gathering held at Teltown—where two men were killed. Then in 718 Conall Grant won a victory over a coalition of southern Ui Neill kings at the Battle of Cenannas (near Kells) as part of the internal feuds of the Síl nÁedo Sláine. In frustration, Fergal intervened and had Conall killed two months later. This seems to have settled affairs among the southern Uí Néill.

In 719 Fergal began to impose his authority on Leinster and harrying expeditions are recorded. In 721 Cathal mac Finguine, king of Munster (died 742) and Murchad mac Brain Mut (died 727), king of Leinster attacked the lands of the southern Uí Néill and ravaged the plain of Brega. Later that year, Fergal retaliated against Leinster; he invaded and ravaged until the cattle-tribute was accepted and took hostages from the Laigin. A truce was made with Cathal as well. The Leinstermen broke the truce however, and Fergal retaliated by invading again in 722 with a large hosting of both northern and southern Uí Néill forces and their Airgíalla allies. However, on 11 December 722 Fergal and numerous nobles of the Uí Néill were slain at the disastrous Battle of Allen (modern County Kildare) by the Leinstermen. The battle was preserved in the 10th century saga Cath Almaine.

According to the saga Fáistine Fergaile meic Máele Dúin ("Fergal mac Máele Dúin's Prophecy") his son Áed Allán was born by a daughter of the high king Congal Cendmagair in an illicit union while the mother of his son Niall Frossach was of the Ciannachta. Both his sons Áed Allán and Niall Frossach were both later High Kings. Fergal was succeeded as High King by Fogartach mac Néill of the Síl nÁedo Sláine sept of the southern Uí Néill. His son Áed Allán succeeded him as King of Ailech and chief of the Cenél nEógain.

Fergal married O conner, Aithechda. Aithechda was born in 685 in Connaught (Historical), Ireland; died in 775 in Kingdom of Dál Riata, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Queen
• FSID: GHRN-XW2