Royal House of O'Neill : Ynglings?

Royal House of O'Neill : Ynglings?

by M.A.O'Neill

Niall Glundubh MacAedo,was the 10th century Irish king of the Cenél, and is recognized, as the progenitor of the O’Neill clan by all genealogists and historical experts, and not the Irish mythical king Niall of the Nine Hostages. Historians have his mother as Máel Muire, daughter of Kenneth MacAlpin, King of Scots, and father named Aedh Finnliath mac Neill, who succeeded his brother Domhnall mac Áedo as King of Aileach upon his death in 911.He was slain in September 14, 919 bySihtric Cáech.Why would Symeon of Durham a monk of the priory of Durham and chronicler describe Sihtric Cáech, the Norse King of Dublin and Northumbria, as the brother of King Neill? There was only one King Neill or Niall and that was King Niall Glundubh mac Áedo the progenitor of the Royal O’Neill’s.The Annals of Ulster records the arrival of two Viking fleets in Ireland in 917, one led by Ragnall and the other by Sihtric. This would mean Sihtric Cáech brother Néill, or Niall was already born in Ireland? During the early 860’s Aedh Finnliath mac Neill was one of the first among the Ui Neill to establish alliances with the Norse in Ireland. The two Norse were Amlaid and Imar, they were also in alliance with Máel Sechlainn and Aedh Finnliath in the 850’s. During this time Amlaid recorded to be married to the daughter of Aedh Finnliath Mac Neill and is described to be the son in law of Aedh Finnliath. The question is was Niall Glundubh mac Áedo the son of Aedh Finnliath? Or was Niall the possible son of the Viking Amlaíb Conung? Then this would mean that Niall Glundubh mac Áedo is of the House of Ivar, and not, of the Ui Neill.

Niall Glundubh, i.e., black-knee, the 170th Monarch of Ireland, for three years, had many conflicts with the Danes, wherein most commonly he had the better, at last making up a great army in order to besiege Dublin. A battle was fought between them wherein the Monarch lost his life, and after a great slaughter on both sides, his army routed, A.D. 917.From him the surname O'Neill or Clanna Neill took beginning. He had a brother Domhnall, King of Aileach, ancestor to the family of MacLochlainn, some of whom were monarchs of Ireland. - O'Ferrall's Linea Antiqua ca. 1709 

Ultimately Niall Glundubh MacAedo would be of the Ynglings bloodline, one of the oldest known Scandinavian dynasty, or also known as the Scylfings, the semi-legendary royal Swedish clan. The Annals of the Four Masters record in 860 that “Aedh Finnlaith son of Niall Caille and Flann son of Conang went with the lord of the foreigners to plunder Meath”, and the Annals of Ulster record in 863 that "Three kings of the foreigners, Amlaib and Imar and Auisle plundered the land of Flann, son of Conaing, and Lorcan son of Cathal king of Mide was with them in this". There is no dispute that alliances and marriages happened among the Vikings and the Irish in these times. Then things get interesting when the son of the man that killed Niall Glundubh mac Áedo, Amlaíb mac Sihtric is the brother in law of Domhnall Ardmacha Ua Neill, who was the High King of Ireland from 956 to 980, and was the son of Muirchertach mac Neill, and the grandson of Niall Glundubh mac Áedo, and the MRCA of the MacLochlainns and Royal O’Neill’s. He is believed to have been the first to use O’Neill as a surname, for those who do not knowAmlaíb mac Sihtric,he was born circa 927 died circa 981; also known as Óláfr Sigtryggsson, Óláfr kváran, but commonly called Amlaíb Cuarán, was a 10th century Norse-Gael who was king of Northumbria and king of Dublin. He had a son named Glúniairn Járnkné (“Iron Knee"), son of his wife Dúnlaith, daughter of Muirchertach mac Néill, and sister of Domhnall Ardmacha Ua Neill.

 Annals of Ulster 861.1

  Mide was invaded by Aed son of Niall with foreigners.

 Annals of Ulster 862  

Aed son of Niall went with the kings of the foreigners into Mide, and plundered Mide with Flann son of Conaing.

 Annals of Ulster 866 

 Aed son of Niall plundered all the strongholds of the foreigners i.e. in the territory of the North, both in Cenél Eógain and Dál Araidi, and took away their heads, their flocks, and their herds from camp by battle (?). A victory was gained over them at Loch Febail and twelve score heads taken thereby.

Áedh Finnliath died on November 20, 879. The King of Ireland 862-875, was the MRCA of MacLochlainns and Royal O'Neill’s. Áedh Finnliath has been described as one of the Irish high-kings who most effectively fought the Norse expansion in Ireland. But also one who had his family intermarried with the Vikings and sought alliances with them. Áedh’sthird known wife was Máel Muire she died in 913; she wasthe daughter of Cináed mac Ailpín (Kenneth MacAlpin), the king of the Picts in Britain. As we already knowMáel Muire was the mother of Niall Glúndubh. Just like in the reign of Aedh Finnliath, the reign of Kenneth also saw an increased degree of Norse settlement in Shetland, Orkney, Caithness, Sutherland, the Western Isles and the Isle of Man, and part of Ross were settled.

Annals of Ulster 919.3

The heathens won a battle against the Irish at Duiblinn in which fell Niall Glúndub son of Aed, king of Ireland, in the third year of his reign, on the fourth feria, the eighteenth of the Kalends of October 14 Sept., and here fell also Aed son of Eochucán, king of Conchobor's Province, and MaelMithig son of Flannacán, king of Brega, and Conchobor grandson of Mael Sechnaill, heir designate or king of Temair, and Flaithbertach son of Domnall, heir designate of the North, and the son of Dub Sínaig, i.e. MaelCraibe, king of Airgialla, and many other nobles.—The battle of Áth Cliath won by the foreigners.

 Anglo-Saxon Chronicles A.D. 921

 This year King Edward repaired the town of Gladmouth; and the same year King Sihtric slew Neil his brother.

·         Sihtric Cáech (Sigtrygg 'Squint-eyed’) died in 927; he was the Norse King of Dublin who later reigned as King of York.

Niall Glundubh MacAedo had 4 children:

Muirchertach ‘of the Leather Cloaks’ mac Neill, on March 26, 943; slain in the battle of Ath-Fhirdiath.

Conaig mac Neill died circa 937.

 The Annals of the Four Masters record that “Conaing son of Niall and the foreigners of Loch Eathach” won a battle “over the province of Ulidia” in 931.

 The Annals of Inisfallen record the death in 937 of "Conaing son of Niall”.

 The Annals of Ulster record the death in 937 of "Conaing son of Niall, heir designate of Ireland”.

(Conaing had a wife name unknown and they had one child named Fergal died circa 937 A.D.  The Annals of Inisfallen record the death in 937 of "Ferga son of Conaing, king of Ailech”.)

Mael Muire died circa 966.

The Annals of Ulster record the death in 966 of "Mael Muire daughter of Niall son of Aed”.

Njalsdatter born circa 875 A.D. married a man named GudrodIversson.

Niall Glundubh mac Áedo married Land Verch Echach, the daughter of King Eochaid of Scotland, the son of Run Macarthagail, King of Strathclyde.

Annals of Ulster 977

 Muirchertach, son of Domhnall Ua Neill, and Congalach, son of Domhnall, two royal heirs of Ireland, were killed by Amlaíb, son of Sihtric. Gilla-Coluim Ua Canannain was killed by Domhnall Ua Neill. 

This is a very interesting account that in 977, with basically no known circumstances, DomhnallUa Néill's sons Congalach and Muirchertach were killed by Amlaíb mac Sihtric, yetDomhnall made no effort to avenge theirdeaths, and just retired a monastery at Armagh where he died in 980. This looks to be a power play of internal family politics. Amlaíb bykilling two of DomhnallUa Néill's sons just cleared the way for his stepson Máel Sechnaill to take power.Soon after the death of High King DomhnallUa Néill, Amlaíb’s stepson Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill claimed the title of High King of Ireland. Are there people out there just too naïve to believe that Amlaíb mac Sihtric did not leave descendants among the O’Neill clan?Or that these ancient bloodlines of Vikings create NPE among the O’Neill’s? And is it possible that Aodh Athlaman was the last of this bloodline? And from then on the Royal O’Neill’s were just a small select group of descendants from Niall Glundubh mac Áedo?

This would exclude the majority of the O’Neill’s that are the currently tested and only 3 would fit this theory:

1. SNP L21/S145/M529: R1b1a2a1a1b4 4,000 ybp is found strongly among the English and Irish populations.

2. SNP S28/U152: R1b1a2a1a1b3 3,500 ybp.

3. SNP M222: R1b1a2a1a1b4b 3,000 ybp is found in Northwestern Ireland and it’s associated with the Ui Neill dynasty.

4. SNP P312/S116: R1b1b2a1b 5,300 ybp.

5. SNP L2/S139: R1b1a2a1a1b3c 2,500 years old.

6. SNP M405/S21/U106: R1b1a2a1a1a 3,500 years old. Possible origins are unknown but it’s associated with a Germanic origin.

7. SNP L48/S162: R1b1a2a1a1a5c only found among the O’Neill’s of Puerto Rico the descendants of Don Juan O’Neill the last of a long bloodline with only a certain few people that match mutations on their Haplotype are from origins in Yorkshire, England. 

 

8. SNP I2b1a1:

9. SNP S176/R-193: R1b1a2a1a1b4g an estimated 2,000 years old.

10. SNP R-L226/S168: R1b1a2a1a1ab4h Also known as the Irish Type III it’s associated with the Dál gCais kindred.

Annals of Ulster 943.2

Muirchertach son of Niall, i.e. Muirchertach of the Leather Cloaks, king of Ailech and the Hector of the western world, was killed by the heathens, i.e. by Blacair son of Gothfrith, king of the foreigner, at Glas Liatháin beside CluainChaín, in Fir Rois, on the first feria, fourth of the Kalends of March 26 Feb.. ArdMacha was plundered by the same foreigners on the following day, the third of the Kalends of March.

·         Muirchertach ‘of the Leather Cloaks’ mac Neill,the son of Niall Glundubh mac Aedo and Gormlaith, and King of the Ailech, died on February 26, 943 in battle versus Blácaire mac Gofrith the King of the Dublin.

 “A king also came there, named Sigtrygg, from Ireland. He was the son of Olaf Kváran, and his mother name was Kormold. She was a very beautiful woman, but her best qualities were those over which, but her best qualities were those over which she had no control, and it was commonly said that her character was evil in so far as she control over it.” – Njal’s Saga

Blácaire mac Gofrith (Blákári Guðrøðsson) died in 948 was King of Dublin, and the son of Gofraid Ua Ímair, and the great-grandson of Ímar.

Annals of Ulster 948.1Blacair son of Gothfrith, king of the foreigners, was killed by Congalach son of MaelMithig, and sixteen hundred were also killed or taken captive.