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Ulaid
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ulaid[1] (pron. /'ʊləɣ′/) were a people of early north-eastern Ireland, who gave their name to the modern province of Ulster: modern Irish Cúige Uladh (pron. /'kuːiɡə 'ʊləɣ/), "Province" (literally "fifth") "of the Ulaid"; English "Ulster" derives from Ulaid plus Old Norse stadr, "place" or "territory". An earlier form of their name appears as Voluntii in Ptolemy's 2nd century Geographia.[2]
Their capital was traditionally at Navan Fort, (Irish Eamhain Mhacha) near Armagh. At their height, Ulaid territory extended south as far as the River Boyne and as far west as County Leitrim. By early Christian times the northern Uí Néill (a branch of the Connachta) has pushed the Ulaid into to eastern County Down where they became known as the Dál Fiatach and the Dál nAraidi.
According to the Annals of the Four Masters, the reduction of the Ulaid began in AD 331, when the Three Collas defeated their king Fergus Foga in the Battle of Achadh Leithdheirg in County Monaghan. They seized all their territory west of the Newry River and Lough Neagh, and burned Emain Macha.[3] After that, Emain was abandoned, and Fergus Foga was the last Ulaid king to rule there.
The Dál Fiatach held on as kings of Ulster against further attacks by the Uí Néill, and were still ruling part of County Down, based at Downpatrick, until they were overwhelmed by the Normans in 1177. The Normans established the short-lived earldom of Ulster which was superseded after 1333 by the Clandeboye O'Neills.
T. F. O'Rahilly believed the Ulaid were a branch of the Érainn.[4] Their ruling dynasty claimed descent from the legendary king Rudraige.
The Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology concerns the heroes of the Ulaid and their wars against Connacht around the time of Christ. However, the name "Connacht" in this context appears to be an anachronism. Connacht is usually supposed to have taken its name from the Connachta, the descendants of Conn Cétchathach, who is supposed to have lived several centuries later than the events of the Ulster Cycle. Cóiced Ol nEchmacht is sometimes given as an earlier name of the province.
- ^ Old Irish spelling Ulaid (nominative singular, genitive plural Ulad); modern Irish spelling Ulaidh (nominative singular, genitive plural Uladh)
- ^ Ptolemy, Geographia 2.1
- ^ Annals of the Four Masters M331
- ^ T. F. O'Rahilly, Early Irish History and Mythology, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1946, p. 81