Book of Ryans - The Middle Kingdom
YearsBook of Ryans - The Middle Kingdom
Years
The puzzle of the Ryan ancestry again appears more confusing because Crundmaehl mac Ronan was a king of the Ui Chennselaigh who was known to be bitterly opposed to the north's intrusion into Leinster affairs. Crundmaehl mac Aedh (of the Ui Dunlainge) sometimes has been confused as a direct ancestor of the Ui Riains, but it was another Crundmael, son of Ronan and early 7th century king of the Ui Chennselaigh, that should be directly associated with the Ryan lineage. Crundmaehl, son of Aedh, was distantly related to Crundmael, son of Ronan, as both claimed descent from Nath I whose progeny created many of the ruling families of the South. Crundmael, son of Aedh, died in 628 at Duma Airhir while attempting to seize control of the Laigin from Faelan, son of Coleman; and similarly Crundmael, son of Ronan, also clashed with Faelan several times, the most noteworthy being in 645. The latter conflict proved inconclusive because the annalists suggest that Faelan remained seated as the king of the Laigin, but according to Laigin tradition Crundmael, son of Ronan, ultimately became the 18th Ui Cheinnselaig ruler and the seventh regional king of Leinster. The records contain little information as to how the succession of power evolved, and it is quite likely that it resulted from Faelan's death. The length of Faelan's reign, if one trusts the interpretations derived from the journals, would have been more than 30 years. There are uncertainties regarding how long he maintained his rule, and this uncertainty was reflected by records which showed the Ui Cheinnselaigh and the Ui Mail sharing the kingship between them until the death of the last Ui Mail king in 715. Crundmael eventually died in 656, and one of his brothers, Cummascach, assumed the commanding role of the Ui Ceinnselaigh. As with many monarchs of the era, few records remain outlining the extent of his involvement in Laigin affairs. The death of Crundmael, son of Ronan, would represent the last time this family would control the Laigin kingship in this century, although one of its subsidiary branches would later produce several rulers. These later kingships flowed through his daughter Ethne's marriage to Failbe, son of Domnall, of the Ui Bairrche. This union produced another daughter that married Cellach Cuallan, 10th ruler of the Laigin, and from this marriage another line of Leinster kings were created.
Crundmaels's son, Aedh Roin (Ron) also governed the Ui Cheinnselaigh as the ancient journals have meticulously recorded, but again little information concerning his activities prevails. Some historians have suggested that he may have actually been the progenitor of the Sil Cormaic (or seed of Cormac), further, this may have been an indication that this family group became more powerful in regional affairs. The name Aedh Ron appeared to have been a popular name during this time, and earlier historians confused him with another Aedh Ron, king of the Ulidians. Aedh Ron of the Ulidians, after suffering a defeat in battle, lost his head on the steps of a north Ireland church; and his thumb was severed and later displayed in the church. Aedh Ron's son Coleman was most likely a minor king of the Ui Chennselaigh, although this is mere speculation. Because Coleman's father and son, Laidcnen, were denoted as kings of Leinster, it is probable that Coleman, by default, must have played a leadership role within this family.
Leinster Divisions
The great Gaels of Ireland
Were the men whom God made mad;
For all their wars were merry,
And all their songs were sad.
from the 'Quest of 3 Abbots' , Brendan Lehane
Leinster was divided into several major dynasties which included the Ui Failge, Ui Dunlainge, Ui Felmeda, Laigse, Ui Drona, Ui Chennselaig and other smaller kingdoms by the 8th century. The Ui Dunlainge in the North and the Ui Chennselaig in the South were the most dominant families in Leinster, and both claimed descent to Bresal Belach, the great-grandson of Cathair Mor. From the 8th century to the middle of the 11th century, the northern Laighen dominated the high kingship of Leinster. The North was able to retain the Leinster kingship because the kingdoms of the Ui Chennselaigh were more fragmented.
The Ui Chennselaig claimed their lands covered what is now present day County Wexford including the lower parts of the Barrow and Slaney. The Ui Chennselaigh traced their origins to Crimthan, and their complete dominance of the Lower Slaney presumably was a slow process of assimilating less powerful tribes into the greater part of the main tribe. One member of the Ui Chennselaig, the Ui Felmeda, dominated the Ui Chennselaig lordship in the 7th century, but was eventually excluded and later developed minor kingships in Carlow and Wexford. By the 8th century, the Sil Maele Uidir and Sil Cormaic dominated the lordships, and they shared the kingship of the Ui Chennselaig between them through the first half of the 9th century. The Sil Cormaic's royal kindred grew populous, and over time they quietly gained control of several neighboring kingdoms. The most prominent tribe outside the main line was the Ui Dega which was bounded by the Sil Cormaic on the East and the River Inch on the North. About the year 800, the Sil Cormaic defeated the Ui Drona, another distant relative, and assumed the title "ri Ui Drona", or king of the Drones, and settled its lands[1] . This takeover was considered to have occurred late in Ui Cheinnselaigh history as most of the major Laigin acquisitions had, by this time, already been secured. The Ui Dega also showed evidence of a similar takeover, but according to tradition this event occurred much earlier in antiquity. The genealogical history of the original rulers of the Ui Dega and Ui Drona showed a common ancestor to Labraid Laidech, father to Enna Ceannselach the progenitor of the Ui Cheinnselaigh. The Ui Dega and Ui Drona traced their lineages to Labraid's sons, Daid and Dron, respectfully, and interpretations of the aristocratic lineages indicates that these tribes were, at best, only distantly related. After the Sil Cormaic's successful conquest of the Ui Drona, the peoples of the Sil Alteni, the alleged descendants of Dron, faded from the annals of Gaelic memory. As the Sil Alteni vanished into the framework of this new dynasty, the descendants of Cormac Camsron relocated their fortress to the kingdom of Ui Drona which was surrounded by the Ui Bairrche and Benntraige tribes in the East. Two other divisions of the Ui Chennselaigh dominated the kingship after the ninth century, the Sil nOnchon and Sil nElothaig, both of which claimed ancestral homes in northwest Wexford. It was from the Sil nOnchon that the MacMurroughs arose, and they would dominate the kingship of Leinster after 1042.
The Sil Cormaic and Ui Dega union dominated South Leinster; however, newer tribes of the North began to emerge as the central authority within the Laigin. The northern clans such as the Ui Failge, Ui Falain and Ui Dunlainge rotated the kingship among themselves over the next several centuries, almost to the exclusion of the Ui Cheinnselaigh and other southern dynastic groups. The southern tribes were more fragmented, and the centuries-old custom of creating small sub-kingdoms for the tanists of the Ui Cheinnselaigh left the more powerful and larger kingdoms of the North in control of the Laigin virtually unopposed. This inability to amalgamate their political strength produced inevitable conflicts as the ancient books frequently documented. Several extraordinary events confirmed the growing tension between the emerging lordships and the aged and disjointed Ui Cheinnselaigh. An entry shown in 724 reflects one such event where the various Leinster tribes fought each other for control of the Laigin.[2]
<724> A battle <was fought> between Dunchadh, son of Murchadh, and Laidhgnen, King of Ui-Cinnselaigh; and Laedhgnen was defeated.
This Laidgnen, sometimes seen as Laidcnen, has been originally linked as an ancestor of Rian, the progenitor of the Ryan name; however, this linkage is inconclusive. Because of the similarity of names and the uncertainty of genealogical lines, this conclusion seems to support evidence that another Laidcnen was a Ryan ancestor. Later records demonstrate that a Laidcnen described in the annals nearly 70 years later was more likely the real Ryan ancestor. He died in 793, either shortly after or before the Sil Cormaic's acquisition of Ui Drona.
Nevertheless, this battle in 724 would have consequences for the peoples of the Ui Cheinselaigh. Dunchad assumed the kingship of the Laigin after the defeat of Laidcnen's army. This was to be temporary as Faelan, son of Murchad, assembled his army with assistance from the men of Osraige and Munster; and marched his armies against Dunchad. This great battle resulted in a defeat for Dunchad, and afterwards Faelan turned his attention to subjecting the Ui Ceinnselaigh. Little is known of its outcome, but later chronicle entries relate that after Laidcnen's death in 727, his brother Aedh assumed the kingship of the Ui Ceinnselaigh, and during his reign he successfully defeated Faelan. This resulted in a peaceful coexistence between the Ui Cheinnselaigh and the Ui Faelan, but Faelan remained bitter about his embarrasing defeat and within a few years both great tribes would find themselves on the battlefield again. The outcome of this battle was not decisive, and it appears that both armies sustained huge losses. The deteriorating relations between the Ui Faelan and the Ui Chennselaigh worsened until Faelan died in 738. These two powerful septs set aside their differences and created a pact which legally divided the kingdom of Leinster into two distinct empires: the southern Laigin ruled by Aed and the northern Lagin controlled by Bran, brother of Faelan. Eoin MacNeill wrote that this relationship was an "amicable one",[3] however, this alliance disintegrated after they joined forces against Aed Allan, high King of Ireland from 734 to 743. He was defeated at the battle of Ath Senaig in 738, and during this battle Aed, son of Colman, died.
Crudmael (d. 656)
Aed Ron Fiachra
Colman Bressal
Laidcnen (d.727) Colcu (Ri Ardda
Lathrann
Aed (d. 738)
Some of the early historians such as Eoin MacNeill traced Aed's origins to Colcu rather than to Laidcnen. The actual lineage may be disputed, however, it is certain that both rulers shared a common ancestry to Crundmael, an antecedent of the Ryan family.