Uí Dúnlainge

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The Uí Dúnlainge, from the Old Irish "grandsons of Dúnlaing", were an Irish dynasty of Leinster kings who traced their descent from .[1] He was said to be a cousin of Énnae Cennsalach, eponymous ancestor of the rival Uí Chennselaig.

Their claims to the kingship of Leinster were unopposed after the death of Áed mac Colggen in the 738 (19 Aug). The dynasty then divided into three kindreds which rotated the kingship between 750 and 1050.[2] This is unusual in early Irish history as it was the equivalent of "keeping three oranges in the air" (the east Ulster kingdom of Ulaid also rotated the kingship between families). Fourteen kings (later to become the O'Toole family) were based at Mullaghmast/Máistín nine Uí Faelain kings (later to become the O'Byrne family) were based at Naas/Nás na Ríogh and ten Uí Dúnchada kings (later the ) were based at Lyons Hill/ Líamhain nearest to Dublin city.

The Fitzdermots later gave their names to the placenames Dolphin's Barn and Ballyfermot.[3] The influence of the family helped secure place-myths for prominent Kildare landmarks in the heroic and romantic literature such as the Dindeanchas, as one of the "assemblies and noted places in Ireland". After the death of the last Kildare-based King of Laighin, Murchad Mac Dunlainge in 1042, the Kingship of Leinster reverted to the Uí Cheinnselaig kindred based in the south east.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ http://thestewartsinireland.com/hortland%203.html[bare URL][dead link]
  2. ^ "Dublin,Kildare,Kings Counties--Chiefs and Clans". Archived from the original on 2 February 2012.[dead link]
  3. ^ Eoghan Corry and Jim Tancred; Annals of Ardclough (2004).

Further reading[]

  • O'Brien, Michael A., ed. (1962). Corpus Genealogiarum Hiberniae. Vol. 1. Kelleher, John V. (intro. in the reprints of 1976 and 2005). Dublin: DIAS. pp. 12–14. ISBN 0901282316. OCLC 56540733. Genealogies for the Uí Dúnlainge of Leinster{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  • O'Brien, Michael A. "A Middle Irish poem on the Christian kings of Leinster." Ériu 17 (1955). pp. 35–51.


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