Conaille Muirtheimne

Cuid de ríogacht na nUladh ab ea Conaille Muirtheimhne tráth, agus d'fhan siad ina chomhghuaillí acu ar feadh an chuid is mó dá stair. I Leabhar na gCeart, faightear an Conaille i measc "na gcríoch a íocann a rí cáin dosna hUlaid." Mar chúiteamh, d'íocfadh rí na nUlad do "Rí Laochta Mhuirthemhne - sé chruach chruinne lán de leann, deich long ó Laoch Ealga, deich n-each agus deich bhfallaing gheala."

Creidtear gur géag na gCruithne is ea iad. Deir Dubhaltach Mac Firbhisigh: "Mar bhaill Chruithne na hÉireann tá an Dál nAraidi, na seacht Laighsi na Laighean, na seacht Soghain na hÉireann, ach gach Conall na hÉireann." Mhol Eoin Mac Néill gur de chlann na nUlad agus na nÉarann ab ea Conaille Muirtheimne, de shliocht Chonaill Anglonnaigh, mac Deda mhic Shin.^[1]

Is amhlaidh, áfach, gur toradh cumadóireachtaí níos déanaí é an nasc leis na Cruithne.

Is é Dícuill mac Ossénié an chéad bhall den ríora faighte sna hannála, luaite mar rex san Vita S. Romani.^[2]

In gcaitheamh a gcuid staire, bhí an Conaille i mbun cogaidh in éadan Oirialla agus Uí Néill, agus scataí lena comhghuaillí na nUlad féin.

Fuair rí dearanach an Chonaille bás sa bhliain 1081, ach sa bhliain 1107, deirtear gur "maraíodh Fearghas, mac rí Chonaille, i mbun catha in éadan Uí Breasail Mhacha", is amhlaidh mar sin go raibh a cuid neamhspleáchais acu fós. Is léir áfach, gur éirigh Oirialla i gceannas orthu am éigin ina dhiaidh sin, is dócha c. 1130 ag Donnchad Ua Cerbaill, rí Oirialla. Sa bhliain 1153, "chreach ... agus dhóigh abb t-Ard Rí Domhnall Mac Lochlainn Conaille."

I measc sloinnte haois leis an dream seo, tá b'fhéidir Uí Chonghaile agus/nó Uí Chonghalaigh.^[3][3]

Faightear an cur síos a leanas ar Conaille Muirthemne anseo:

Until it fell under the control of the Uí Chairbhil in the twelfth century, what is now Contae Lú was divided between three minor kingdoms. In the south lay that of Ciannachta Fhear Ard (whence barúntacht Fir Arda); ... In the east and centre of the present county was the Airgiallan kingdom of Fir Roise, and in the north was that of the Conaille Muirtheimne ... The territory of Conaille Muirtheimne was associated with Mag Muirtheimne, ...the core area of the kingdom appears to have been roughly equivalent to the barúntacht Dún Dealgan Uachtarach, plus the parish of Droim Ineasclainn. The regions to the south-west and north-east (Cuaille), were of uncertain or perhaps fluctuating status.

Ríthe ón mbliain 688 go dtí 1107.^[2]

1. Uarcraide mac Dícuill mac Osseni, bás 688
2. Amalgaid mac Cathasaig, bás 741,
3. Fagall (Fallach) Finn mac Oengusa, bás 743
4. Foidmenn mac Fallaig/Fallomain, bás 752
5. Uargal (Uargalach mac Uachtbrain mhic Uarcraide), bás 765
6. Sluagadach mac Uargalaig, ceathrú mac Uargail, bás 789
7. Fiachain, bás 792
8. Spelan mac Sluagadaig, bás 824
9. Mael Brigte mac Spelain, bás 869; d'fhuadaigh na Lochlannaigh é féin agus a dheartháir Canannán sa bhliain 831; b'fhéidir é gur éirigh sé as roimh 850.
10. Gairbith mac Mail Brigte, chéad mhac Mail Brigte, bás 878, bhain Uí Echach a cheann de
11. Ciblechan mac Mail Brigte, dara mac Mhaoil Bhríde, bás 890
12. Mael Morda mac Gairbitha, chéad mhac Gairbith, bás 891, bhain Cellach mac Flannicáin a cheann de
13. Conglach mac Gairbitha, ceathrú mac^[4] Gairbith, bás 913, maraithe ag a dheartháir, Domhnall. Sa bhliain 912, mharaigh sé mac Gairbith Mael Morda
14. Dommnall mac Gairbitha, cúigiú mac Gairbith, bás 914
15. Mael Brigte mac Ciblechain, bás 914 i mbun catha
16. Spelan mac Congalaig, mac Conglaigh mhic Gairbitha is dócha, bás 923, maraithe d'fheall, ag a mmhuintir féin b'fhéidir
17. Crongilla mac Cuilennain, bás 937, chéad mhac den tríú mhac Cuilennain Mael Brigte
18. Mac Etig mac Cuilennain, bás 951, tríú mac Cuilennain mac Mael Brigte
19. Cinaed mac Crongilla, bás 970, mac Crongilla mac Cuilennain
20. Congalach mac Meic Etig, bás 988, mac Mac Etig mac Cuilennain
21. Matudan mac Cinaeda, bás 996, mac Cinaed mac Crongilla
22. Gilla Crist ua Cuilennain, bás 999, is dócha mac Mac Etig mac Cuilennain
23. Muiredach, bás 1005, mac Congalach mac Meic Etig
24. In Gercce, bás 1005, nó mac Muiredach, or we have a single person Muiredach In Gercc mac Congalaig
25. Crinan mac Gormlada, bás 1012
26. Cinaed mac In Geircce, bás 1029, mac Muiredach In Gercc mac Congalaig
27. Domnall mac Gilla Christ, bás 1052; he is not the grandson of Cuilennain but descends by the line of the last son, Mail Forthardaig, of Cuilennain mac Mael Brigte
28. Cinaed mac meic Odormaic, bás 1066
29. Mac Ui Threodain, bás 1078
30. Mac In Geircce, bás 1081, either a son of (Muiredach) In Gercc mac Congalaig or another descendant of Muiredach
31. Rí Chonaille neamh-ainmnithe, beo 1107.

• Ríthe Éireann

• Eoin Mac Néill (1911). "Early Irish Population Groups: their nomenclature, classification and chronology". Imeachtaí Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann 29: 59–114. 
• David E. Thornton (1997). "Early Medieval Louth: The Kingdom of Conaille Muirtheimne". Journal of the County Louth Archaeological and Historical Society 24 (1): 139–150. County Louth Archaeological and History Society. JSTOR 27729814. 
• "Conaille-Muirthemhne" in Feilscribhin Eoin O'Neill, Baile Átha Cliath, 1940.