The origin of the Dal Riada lies with the Conn, the ancient Iberian-Celtic tribe who gave their name to Lough Conn and to the ancient province of Connaught. By pre-Christian times, they were powerful in North Ulster and had penetrated the Pictish kingdoms on the west coast of Scotland. By Christian times, the tribe had split into an Irish-based Dal Riada and a Scottish-based Dal Riada. The tribe got its name from Cairbre Riata, son of Cormac McArt (227-266). Cairbre was the first to found a settlement of any size in Alba (the west coast of Scotland). His wife was Oileach, a Pict and relations with the Picts were largely peaceful. His son Colla Uais built up the strength of the settlement and gave his name to Clann Colla, his descendants in Alba, and also to the Maguires McConnells and McMahons in Ulster who shared that descent.
Month: October 2017
McAlasdrum – Sir Alasdair McColla Ciotach McDonnell
For the ethnic roots of McAlasdrum, we must go back in time to Irish pre-history and the ancient Ulster kingdom of Dal Riada. The territory of Dal Riada lay along the north and east coasts of Antrim, the Western Isles of Scotland and the west coast of Scotland. It flourished as an independent Gaelic kingdom through to the 12th century when it’s Scottish territories were incorporated into the Kingdom of Scotland. The Antrim territories were in the kingdom of Ireland. Continue reading “McAlasdrum – Sir Alasdair McColla Ciotach McDonnell”
Protestantism in Castlemagner
The first Protestant Church in Castlemagner was converted from the early Roman Catholic church (circa 800) that was attached to the old Gaelic settlement of Munemanarrach (shrubbery of the sheepfold).
The majority of the ruling classes in Cork ignored the reformation in England (1543) even though they had all signed for the Act of Supremacy (1560). They conveniently ignored its contents and openly practised the Roman Catholic religion. Although all the leading families who took part in the unsuccessful Fitzmaurice rebellion in 1579 got the Queen’s pardon, allowing them to hold on to their land, property and titles, they were forced to adopt the Protestant religion. Edmond Magner became the first Protestant vicar of the old Gaelic church which was now for Protestant worship only. Continue reading “Protestantism in Castlemagner”