Annals of Ulster - Content

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Kings
Several kings are mentioned throughout the Annals of Ulster. The Annals tend to follow the lives of the kings, including important battles, raids, and their ultimate death. Between the years of 847 and 879, three different kings are highlighted. For example: Mael Sechnaill mac Maele Ruanaid, the king of the southern Ui Neill clan from 846-862:

  • 839.6 – First mentioned in the Annals of Ulster having killed Crunnmael son of Fiannamail.
  • 841.2 – Kills Diarmait
  • 843.1 – Mael Sechnaill’s father, Mael Ruanaid, dies
  • 845.7 – Kills his brother Flann
  • 845.8 – Takes Tuirgéis prisoner
  • 846.7 – Suffers heavy losses at hands of Tigernach
  • 847.2 – Begins his reign.
  • 847.3 – Destroys the Island of Loch Muinremor
  • 848.4 – defeats Vikings at Forach
  • 849.12 – conducts siege in Crupat
  • 850.3 – Cinaed, king of Cianacht, with help from foreign forces rebels against Mael Sechnaill
  • 851.2 – kills Cinaed, king of Cianacht
  • 851.5 – attends conference in Ard Macha
  • 854.2 – took hostages from Mumu at Inneóin na nDéise
  • 856.2 – took hostages from Mumu at Caisel
  • 856.3 – battle against the Vikings
  • 858.4 – marched against Mumu, took hostages from them and traveled with them “from Belat Gabráin to Inis Tarbnai off the Irish coast, and from Dún Cermna to Ára Airthir.”
  • 859.3 – attends conference at Ráith Aeda Meic Bric “to make peace and amity between the men of Ireland”
  • 860.1 – leads army into the north, attacked, but hold position
  • 862.5 – Dies and is described as “king of all Ireland”


The same pattern is followed for Aed mac Neill, the king of the northern Ui Neill clan. Aed mac Neill appears in the following entries in the Annals of Ulster: 855.3, 856.5, 860.1, 861.1, 862.2, 862.3, 863.2, 864.1, 864.3, 866.4, 868.4, 870.2, 874.4, and finally 879.1

The final entry ends with the entry about his death and includes a poem. It reads “Aed son of Niall, king of Temair, fell asleep on the twelfth of the Kalends of December 20 Nov. at Druim Inasclainn in the territory of Conaille.
1. (Twelve days before the melodious Kalends
Of December—a harsh company—
A wonderful person died to your loss(?),
Aed of Ailech, over-king of the Irish.

2. A generous prudent man of shields
Who brought plenty to landed Temair,
Against iron-tipped spears a buckler
From the forge-fire of the land of the sons of Mil.)”


Just as with the Irish kings, the Annals of Ulster follow the lives of the Viking kings of Dublin. For example, Amlaib Conung (Olaf Konung) is mentioned in the following entries: 853.2, 857.1, 859.2, 863.4, 864.2, 866.1, 867.8, 869.6, 870.6, 871.2, and 875.4

The final entry deviates from the Irish kings and instead tells of the death of Amlaib’s son, Oistín and reads: “Oistín son of Amlaíb, king of the Norsemen, was deceitfully killed by Albann.”


Places
Along with kings and kingdoms, the entries in the Annals of Ulster focus on important places of Ireland such as Armagh, the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland which appears several times throughout the text. Dublin for example, referred to in the text as either Áth Cliath or Duiblinn, is described in the Annals of Ulster with entries ranging from the settlement of Dublin by Vikings (“The heathens still at Duiblinn” in 842.2 and “An encampment of the foreigners of Áth Cliath at Cluain Andobuir” in 845.12) to deaths of notable names (“Carlus son of Conn son of Donnchad was killed in Áth Cliath” in 960.2) to Dublin being ruled by the Irish (“The foreigners returned to Áth Cliath and gave hostages to Brian” in 1000.4).

The town appears 66 different times in the Annals of Ulster and can be found in the following entries: 770.1, 790.2, 841.4, 842.2, 842.7, 845.12, 851.3, 870.2, 871.2 893.4, 895.6, 902.2, 917.4, 919.3, 920.5, 921.5, 921.8, 924.3, 926.6, 927.3, 930.1, 936.2, 938.5, 938.6, 939.1, 942.3, 942.7, 944.3, 945.6, 946.1, 947.1, 950.7, 951.3, 951.7, 956.3, 960.2, 961.1, 978.3, 980.1, 994.6, 995.2, 999.8, 1000.4, 1013.12, 1013.13, 1014.2, 1018.2, 1021.1, 1022.4, 1031.2, 1035.5, 1070.2, 1075.1, 1075.4, 1084.8, 1088.4, 1094.2, 1095.4, 1100.5, 1103.5, 1105.3, 1115.4, 1118.6, 1121.7, 1126.7, and 1128.6

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