The Senchus Fer n'Alban

At some time during the 10th Century, Anno Domini, an ancient text, attributed to the 7th Century, AD was transcribed by a Christian monastic scribe. That text, titled Senchus Fer n'Alban, (i.e. Census/History Of The Men Of Alba), provided a genealogical history of the sons of the Scot King, Eochaid Muinremor. It included the names of the grandsons of Eochaid Muinremor who crossed over the North Channel of the Irish Sea to establish the settlement of the Scottish Dalriada on the west coast of Argyll in Alba, present-day Scotland.

The name Scot is believed, by some historians, to have been derived from a gaelic word, scuit, which meant 'raider'. But that interpretation is confuted by the Oxford English Dictionary, which states that: "There is no evidence that it represents the native name of any Gaelic-speaking people (the Irish Scot, an Irishman, pl Scuit, appears to be a learned word from Latin), nor does it exist in Welsh, though Welshmen in writing Latin have from the earliest times used Scoti as the rendering of Gwyddel (Gaels). It may possibly be an adoption of a name bestowed at an early period by Britons or Gauls on a Gaelic people (cf. The Gaulish personal names Scottos, Scottios)".

The name Dal Riata was primarily a place name for the region of northeastern Ireland that is known today as County Antrim. The Celtic tribe of Scots who resided in Dal Riata were often called the Dalriada, referring to their place of origin, in the same way that people residing in the United States of America are often called Americans without distinguishing between and referring to their unique cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The name is often spelled Dal Riada, and the two words are sometimes combined to form the word Dalriada. The combined form of Dalriada generally refers to the settlement made by the Scots in Argyll, in present-day Scotland.

Senchus Fer N'Alban

A statement of the history of the men of Scotland begins here.

Two sons of Eochaid Munremar i. Ere and Olchu. Erc, moreover, had twelve sons i. six of them took possession of Scotland i. two Loarnds i. Loarnd Bee and Loarnd Mor, two Mac Nisses i. Mac Nisse Becc and Mac Nisse Mor, two Ferguses i. Fergus Bee and Fergus Mor. Six others in Ireland i. Mac Decill, Oengus, whose seed, however, is in Scotland, Enna, Bresal, Fiachra, Dubhthach. Others say that this Erc had another son who was called Muredoch.

Olchu, son of Eochaid Munremar, had, moreover, eleven sons who live in Murbolc in Dal Riata, Muredach bolc, Aed, Dare, Oengus, Tuathal, Anblomaid, Eochaid, Setna, Brian, Oinu, Cormac.

Fergus Mor, son of Erc, another name for Mac Nisse Mor, had one son i. Domangart. Domangart, moreover, had two sons i. Gabran and Comgell, two sons of Fedelm, daughter of Brion, son of Eocho Mugmedon. Comgell had one son i. Conall. Conall, moreover, had seven sons, i. Loingsech, Nechtan, Artan, Tuatan, Tutio, Corpri. Gabran, moreover, had five sons i. Aedan, Eoganan, Cuildach, Domnall, Domangart. Aedan had seven sons i. two Eochaids i. Eocho Bude and Eochaid Find, Tuathal, Bran, Baithine, Conaing, Gartnait. Eocho bude, son of Aedan, had, moreover, eight sons i. Domnall brecc and Domnall Dond, Conall Crandomna, Conall Becc, Connad Cerr, Failbe, Domangart, Cu-cen-mathair.

Eochaid Find, moreover, had eight sons, i. Baetan, Predan, Pledan, Cormac, Cronan, Feradach, Fedlimid, Capleni. These are the sons of Conaing, son of Aedan i. Rigallan, Ferchar, Artan, Artur, Dondchad, Domungart, Nechtan, Nem, Crumine. Four sons of Gartnait, son of Aedan, i….. two sons of Tuathal, son of Morgand, son of Eochaid Find, son of Aedan, son of Gabran.

Fergus Bec, moreover, son of Erc; his brother killed him. He had one son i. Setna, from whom are the Cenel Conchride in Islay i. Conchriath son of Bolc, son of Setna, son of Fergus Bec, son of Erc, son of Eochaid Munremar.

Oengus Mar and Loarnd and MacNisse Mar, these are the three sons of Erc.

Oengus Mar, son of Erc, had two sons, i. Nadsluaig and Fergna. Fergna had seven sons i. Thathal, Aed, Letho, Rigan, Fiacha, Guaire, Cantand, Eochu. Nadsluaig, moreover, had two sons i. Barrfhind and Caplene. Two sons of Barrfhind i. Nem and Tulchan. Tulchan had four sons i. Cronan, Breccan, Daman, Conmend. Others say that this same Barrfhind son of Nadsluaig had four sons, i. Aedan, Luagaid, Crumine, Gentene, who is also called Nem. Barrfhind, son of Nadsluaig, had three sons, Lugiad, Conall, Galan, a Cruthnech his mother. It is they who divided land in Islay.

Oengus Becc, moreover, son of Erc, had one son i. Muridach.

A cet treb in Islay, twenty houses, Freg a hundred and twenty houses, Rois sixty houses, ros Deorand thirty houses, Ard hEs thirty houses, Loch Rois thirty houses, Ath Cassil thirty there, Cenel nOengusa
thirty houses, Callann.... But small are the feranna of the houses of the Cenel nOengusa i. thirty-one feranna. The expeditionary force, moreover, for sea-voyaging, two seven-benchers from them in an
expedition.

They are the three thirds of Dal Riata i. Cenel nGabrain, Cenel nOengusa, Cenel Loairnd Moir.

These are the sons of Loarnd Mor i. Eochaid, Cathbad, Muredach, Fuindenam, Fergus Salach, Dau, Maine. Others say that Loarnd had only three sons i. Fergus Salach, Muredach, Maine. They are the three thirds of the Cenel Loairnd i. Cenel Shalaig, Cenel Cathbath, Cenel nEchdach, Cenel Murerdaig.

Cenel Fergusa Shalaig has sixty houses. The expeditionary force of the Cenel Loairnd, seven hundred men, but the seventh hundred is from the Airgialla. If it be an expeditionary force, moreover, for sea-voyaging, two seven-benchers from every twenty houses of them. Five sons of Fergus Salach i. Coildub has thirty houses, Eogan Garb has thirty houses, his wife is Crodu, daughter of Dallan, son of Eogan, son of Niall, Fergna has fifteen houses, Eogan has five houses, Baltan has five houses.

Muredach, son of Loarnd, had two sons, i. Cathdub and eochaid. Eochaid, son of Muredach, moreover, had five sons, i. Ferdalach has twenty houses, Baotan has twenty houses, cormac has twenty houses, Bledan and Cronan twenty houses between them. Three sons of Cathbad, moreover, i. Brenaind, Ainmire, Cronan.

A hundred and fifty men, the ship expedition, went forth with the sons of erc, the third fifty was Corpri with his people.

This is the Cenel nGabrain, five hundred and sixty houses, Kintyre and Crich Chomgaill with its islands, two seven-benchers every twenty houses in a sea expedition.

Cenel nOengusa has four hundred and thirty houses, two seven-benchers every twenty houses in a sea expedition.

Cenel Loairnd has four hundred and twenty houses, two seven-benchers every twenty houses in a sea expedition.

It is thus throughout the three thirds of the Dal Raidda.

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