Ui Uaid
(- threads, 5 posts)
...
 The Story of the Ui Uaid
|
|
Origins of the surname, MacUaid, and its septs.
In the beginning of the 4th century three warlike princes, called the Three Collas, sons of Eochy Doimhlein, son of Cairbre Lifeachar, legendary High King of Ireland, of the race of Eremon, made a conquest of a great part of Ulster, which they wrested from the old possessors, princes of the race of Ir, called the Clanna Rory, or Rudericians.
The Three Collas in the great Battle of Achadh Leithdheirg in Fearmuighe (also Fearnmhagh), in Dalaradia, on the borders of Down and Antrim, 331, defeated the forces of Fergus Foga, king of Ulster, who was slain; and the victors burned to the ground Eamhain Macha or Emania, (near the present city of Armagh,) the famous palace of the Ultonian kings, which had stood for six centuries, and had been long celebrated by the Irish bards. The place where this battle was fought is called also Carn Achy-Leth-Derg, and is now known as the parish of Aghaderg, in the barony of Iveagh, county of Down, where there still remains a huge Carn of loose stones near Loughbrickland. The sovereignty of Ulster thus passed from the race of Ir to the race of Eremon.
The names of the three chiefs were Colla Uais, or Colla the noble, Colla Meann, or Colla the famous, and Colla da Chroich, or Colla of the two territories. Colla Uais became monarch of Ireland 327, and died in 332. The territory conquered by the three Collas comprised the present counties of Louth, Monaghan, and Armagh.
The new kingdom was given the name Oirgíalla. The over-kingdom of Oirgíalla was itself composed of nine sub-kingdoms, named after their ruling dynasties. They were the Ui Thuirtri; Ui Meic Cairthinn; Ui Fhiachrach Arda Sratha; Ui Moccu Uais; Ui Chremthainn; Ui Meith; Ind Airthir; Mugdorna; Ui Cruinn. The most powerful among them was the Ui Moccu Uais; one of the lesser Oirgíalla was its offshoot, the Ui Meic Cairthinn. However in general it can be shown that the origin legend was composed in the second quarter of the 8th century to seal their alliance with the Uí Néill. It has since being shown that the Oirgíalla were not a kindred but a federation, whose members were of diverse origins, resulting in the kingship of the kingdom passing from one unrelated dynasty to another. The name Mac Uaid first appears in Monaghan, having its origins tied in with one of these nine dynasties. The earliest common ancestor was a man, Uaid mac Bhuidhe. Through him, the Ui Uaid are linked with The Oirgialla. During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries the Ui Uaid held lands in Fermanagh, Monaghan, Antrim, and adjacent portions of Armagh while serving as "erenagh" (hereditary custodians) of lands owned by the Catholic Church. However, in 1264, during the reign of Eochaid mac Mathgahamna meic Neill, the Maguire princes pressured the Ui Uaid out of much of their holdings and restricted them to Monaghan. The Kingdom of Oirgíalla persisted until the reign of Aodh Ruadh mac Airt, when in 1590 the ruling dynasties (primarily Mac Mahons and O’Neills) were dispossessed of their lands by the invading Anglo-Normans. In the 17th century England founded the Ulster Plantation and uprooted many of Ulster's traditional Gaelic landholders. The Ui Uaid were no exception and the clan broke into several septs, many moving south and dropping roots in Longford and Limerick.
Most sources indicate that the name, “Uaid”, originated with the Normans, a Scandinavian tribe which settled in northwestern France (Normandy) and then invaded Ireland in the 12th and 13th centuries. The Norman name from which the family name sprang was Walter, which was derived from the Norman "wald", meaning "rule", and "theri", meaning "army". Thus Walter was "ruler of the army." The Norman invaders were completely and thoroughly adsorbed by the mostly native population of Ireland and "Walter" evolved into the Gaelic given name "Wat", which was pronounced "wait." "Wat" in turn evolved into "Mac Uaid", son of Wat. The transition from "Wat" to "Uaid" is somewhat of a mystery, but the name as it is found in present-day Ireland and America is usually McQuaid, McQuade, and in some cases, just Quade or Quaid. In Monaghan, “McWade” was sometimes used by the Gaelic Mac Uaid Sept instead of the more usual MacQuaid..
THE KINGS OF OIRGIALLA
Dunchad mac Ultan, k. 677 ?
Mael Fothartaig mac Mael Dubh, alive 697
Ua Baoigheallain, killed 1087.
Aodh Ua Baoigheallain
Niall (mac Donnchada?) fl. 1196x1208-????
Donnchad ua Anluain
Ardghal Ó hAnluain
Gilla-Patraig Ua Anluain
Murchadh O'hAnluain
Cu-Uladh Ua hAnluain
Eachmarcach Ua Anluain
Cu-Ulad O'Anluain
Niall O'hAnluain
Magnus O hAnluain
Niall O hAnluain
Eochaid mac Mathgahamna meic Neill ????-1273
Brian mac Eochada 1283-1311
Ralph/Roolb mac Eochada 1311-1314
Mael Sechlainn mac Eochada? 1314-????
Murchad Mor mac Briain ????-1331
Seoan mac Maoilsheachlainn 1331-1342
Aodh mac Roolb 1342-1344
Murchadh Og mac Murchada 1344-1344
Maghnus mac Eochadha 1344-1357
Pilib mac Rooilbh 1357-1362
Brian Mor mac Aodh 1362-1365
Niall mac Murchadha 1365-1368
Brian Mor mac Aodh 1368-1371
Pilib Ruadh mac Briain 1371-1403
Ardghal mac Briain 1403-February 1416
Brian mac Ardghail 1416-1442
Buaidhri mac Ardghail 1442-1446
Aodh Ruadh mac Ruaidhri 1446-31st March 1453
Feidhlimidh mac Briain 1453-1466
Eochan mac Ruaidhri 1466-1467
Reamonn mac Ruaidhri 1467-November 1484
Aodh Og mac Aodha Ruaidh 1485-16th September 1496
Brian mac Reamoinn 1496-1497
Rossa mac Maghnusa 1497-1513
Reamonn mac Glaisne 1513-c.1st April 1521
Glaisne Og mac Reamoinn 1521-1551?
Art Maol mac Reamoinn 1551-1560
Aodh mac Briain 1560-1562
Art Ruadh mac Briain 1562-1578
Sir Rossa Buidhe mac Airt 1579-August 1589
Aodh Ruadh mac Airt 1589-September/October 1590.
Created by: * Glaisne Niall, May 27, 2007 - 10:13
