The Annals of Tigernach
Returning to the Annals
of Tigernach I have selected the
following entries for discussion:
T505.2 Cath Manand la h-Aedhan mac Gabrain
T506.2 Bass Domanguirt maic Nissi righ Alban.
T537.2 Comgall mac
Domanguirt ri Alban obit
.xxxu. anno reigni súi.
T559.2 Bass
Gabrain maic Domanguirt ríg Alban.
T567.2 Baedan
mac Cairill rí Ulad.
T573.1 Bass
Conaill maic Comgaill, ríg Dal Ríada .xiii. anno regni
sui, qui oferauit
insolam Ia Colaim Cille.
T574.1 Cath
Delgon a Cínd Tire in quo Dunchad mac Conaill, maic Comgaill, et
alii multi de sociis
filiorum
Garbain ceciderunt.
Garbain ceciderunt.
T580.1 Cath Manann, in quo uictor erat Aedhan
mac Gabran.
T585.1 Cath Bhealaig Daethi in quo cecidit
Colman Bec mac Diarmata, ut alii dicunt, caesis .u. milibus per
profetiam Coluim Cilli. Aed mac Ainmirech uictor erat.
T587.5 Fiacha mac Baedan, ri Ulad.
T588.2 Cath Leithrigh la h-Aedhan mac Gabrain
T592.1 Cath
Eudhuind Moir, in quo cecidit Gerthidhe
mac Ronain rí Cianachta. Fiachna mac Baedan uictor erat.
T594.2 Iugulacio
filiorum
Aedan .i. Bran & Domungort & Eochaid Fínd & Artur, i
cath Chirchind in quo uictus est Aedhan, & cath Coraind.
T598.2 Cath Saxonum la h-Aedan, ubi cecidit
Eanfraith frater Etalfraich la Mael Uma mac Baedan, in quo uictus erat.
Translating from Latin is not one of my strengths but
these are my efforts together with interpretations:
In AD 505 was the Battle of Manann won by Aidan mac
Gabran. This is probably an
erroneous entry because it's the wrong time frame for Aidan. A
similar entry for AD 580 is the correct one.
In AD 506 was the death of Domanguirt mac Nissi,
King of Dal Riada ("Alban" an ancient name for Scotland is assumed to be
one and the same as Dal Riada)
In AD 537 was the death of Comgall mac Domanguirt,
King of Dal Riada
In AD 559 was the death of Gabran mac Domanguirt,
King of Dal Riada
In AD 567 Baedan mac Cairill was crowned King of
Ulster. This may well have
co-incided with the synod of Drumceatt attended by St Columba and Aidan
( At that time Aidan was being groomed to succeed Conall) (Catholic
Encyclopaedia - St. Columba) This
provides evidence of a royal alliance between Ulster and Dal
Riada.
In AD 573 Conall mac Comgall, the King of Dal Riada
died.
It was Conall who invited Columba to the island of Iona.
In AD 574 was the Battle of Delgon a
Cind
Tire in which Dunchad mac Conall mac Comgall was defeated by the son of
Gabran (Aidan) and his allies (possibly including his
son Arthur). Even though Aidan had been groomed for the throne by
Columba, he had to fight for it when Conall died. There are some
possible associations with the Arthurian legend here. Perhaps
Aidan was too young to inherit the crown when Gabran died and Conall
mac Comgall took over.
In AD 580 Aidan mac Gabran won the Battle of Manann. There is a
high probability that Arthur fought in this battle.
In AD 585 was the Battle of Bhealaig Daethi in
which Aed mac Ainmirech defeated Colman Bec mac Diarmata on behalf of
Saint Columba. This battle may
have been fought to settle a dispute between St Columba and St Comgall
over who owned the church of Colethem (St
Adamnan: Life of St. Columba) As
Saint Columba crowned King Aiden there is a chance that Arthur fought
in this battle.
In AD 587 Fiachna mac Baedan was crowned King of
Ulster. Confirming that he was
a king at the battle of Eudhind Muir in AD 593
In AD 588 Aidan mac Gabran won the Battle of
Leithrigh. There is a high probability that Arthur fought
in this battle.
In AD 592 was the Battle of Eudhuind Muir in which
Fiachna mac Baedan defeated Gerthidhe mac Ronan king of Connacht. Arthur may have fought in this battle.
In AD 594 the sons of Aidan, namely Bran,
Domungort, Eochaid Find and Arthur were killed in the Battle of
Chirchind. However, Aidan won the battle. Also that year
was the Battle of Coraind. The
Battle of Chirchind is called the Battle of the Miathi by
Adomnan. The "Miathi" was a term used to describe one of the Pict
tribes.
In AD 598 was the "Battle of the Saxons" in which
Aidan defeated Eanfrith brother of Ethelfrith, with Prince Uma mac
Baedan. This confirms that there
was a royal alliance between Ulster and Dal Riada to take on the
Northumbrian Angles (Saxons). This alliance may be significant,
because Arthur as a prince of Dal Riada may well have aided Ulster
Royalty in previous battles. Adomnan's Life of St Columba claims
that Domungort was killed in this battle rather than Churchind.
