According to traditional Irish and Scottish pedigrees, several Scottish families share a common descent with the O'Neills of Ulster: The families in question are the MacSweeneys of Donegal in Ireland and in Scotland, the Maclachlans, Lamonts, MacSorleys, MacEwens of Otter, and included by some authorities, the MacNeills of Barra. These families have come to be called the Anradan kindred, because their pedigrees are deduced from a common ancestor named Anradan, said to be the son of Aedh Athlaman, the King of Aileach in northern Ireland, who died in 1033 A.D.

The earliest recorded pedigrees mentioning this descent appear in the Books of Ballymote and Lecan, both dated to about. 1390 A.D.

Pedigree of the MacSweeneys (Book of Ballymote)

The Book of Lecan ca. 1400 AD

The pedigrees are identical in both manuscripts. We might note as well that there is no Duinnsleibhe in the pedigrees, a name which surfaces in later versions. In both manuscripts the MacSweeney pedigree follows that of the O'Neills of Ulster, to which it is linked in the person of Aedh Athlaman. The pedigree of the O'Neills also makes its first appearance in these two manuscripts.

Prior to the Books of Lecan and Ballymote, no pedigrees of Scottish clans except the line of the King of Scotland appear in Irish manuscripts. After the disastrous battle of Druim-derg (Downpatrick) in 1260, in which the native irish forces were overwhelmed by the superior weaponry and armor of the Normans, the Irish chieftains across Ireland began importing gallowglasses (merceneries) from Scotland. Among these were the MacSweeneys and Lamonts from Scotland, who first came to the attention of the Irish annalists a few years after this battle.

1267 Annals of Ulster

1305 A.D. Annals of Ulster

1351 Annals of Ulster

The O’Donnells of Donegal had known connections to the western isles of Scotland during this period. . Donal oge O’Donnell (c. 1258 ) was married first to the daughter of a MacSweeney and secondly to a daughter of MacDonald of Scotland.An annal entry in 1258 mentions his return from Scotland after the death of Gofraidh O’Donnell. He may have been fostered there although the entry does not state this explicitly. A later entry in 1291 states that his son Torlogh (whose mother was a MacDonald) was assisted by the power of the tribe of his mother and many other gallowglasses in a battle of dynstic succession with his brother Aedh..

Sometime after 1300 the MacSweeneys were awarded for their service to the O Donnells with the territory of Fanad in Donegal and afterwards held other territories in the same county. Other branches of the family served as gallowglasses in the south and west of ireland. The Lamonts (Mag Buirrce) also appear as gallowglasses to O’Rourke in Connacht in a later entry.

1346 A.D. Annals of Ulster

There is little doubt the MacSweeneys were a Scottish clan. They appear in Scottish records in a series of charters involving churchlands in Kintire.and the The strongholds of the family of Swene were Castle Sween in Knapdale and Castle Skipness in Kintrye.

Memorials of Argylshire

A history of the Campbells states that Iver, ancestor of the MacIver Campbells, was 'begotten on the daughter of a great man called Swineruo [Suibhne roe] he was the owner of Castle Sween in Knapdale and was Thane of Knapdaill and Glassrie' And the MacSweeneys are said to have “possessed the upper half of Kintrye and all Knapdale, embracing the parishes of Kileal- monel, Skipness, South and North Knapdale, extending on the south across from Rudhnahaorain, on the west to Cour on the east, and on the north from Crinan on the west to Lochgilp on the east”

Most Irish historians believe the MacSweeney pedigree was faked after their settlement in Donegal to provide them with a pedigree linkied to the northern Ui Neill amongst whom they settled.

F.J. Byrne is the highly respected author of "Irish Kings and High Kings," (1973) an influential study of the early Kings and kingdoms of Ireland. He was Emeritus Professor of Early Irish History at University College, Dublin

Skene’s Ms. 1467

Our next source for the Anradan kindred is to be found in a Scottish manuscript discovered in the early 1800’s by William Forbes Skene, an influenitial Scottish antiquarian. Skene translated the pedigrees himself and saw them printed in the "Collectanea de Rebus Albanicis," edited by the Iona club, first published in 1839. Notably lacking in Skene's manuscript is a pedigree for Clan Suibhne (MacSweeneys of Ireland); but it does include pedigrees for the Maclachlans, MacEwens of Otter, MacSorleys and Lamonts, all said to be descendants of Anradan, the same Anradan appearing in the pedigree of the MacSweeneys in the slightly earlier Irish manuscripts. The MacNeills of Barra are often included in this group due to a major mistranslation of the texts by Skene. This error also found its way into his “Highlanders of Scotland” but was corrected in “Celtic Scotland. much later in his career.

The following pedigrees are found in Skene's MS. 1467.

MacEwen of Otter

Maclachlan of Scotland

MacSorley

Skene's Mistake

Skene’s mistake in translation, alluded to above, occured in the following line taken from the pedigree of the Maclachlans.

Skene renders the end of this line as "Henry [Anradan] from whom are descended also the clan Niell, whereas it should read "Anradan, where the line converges with clann Nial naoigiallaigh, or Nial 'of the Nine Hostages.' Skene interpreted "clanna Neill" to refer to the Clann Neill or MacNeills of Scotland. It does not. The line properly refers to the descendants of Nial 'of the Nine Hostages' in Ireland, the Ui Neill, from whom descend the line of the Kings of Aileach in Ulster (O Neills and MacLochlainns) as well as the Cinel Conaill (O’Donnells) in Donegal.

This mistake by Skene and repeated in his "Highlanders of Scotland" (vol. 2, Highland Clans) has led many Scottish writers over the centuries to mistakenly include the MacNeills of Barra and Gigha in the Anradan kindred. Skene corrected this error in his later "Celtic Scotland," but no one seems to have noticed.

All of the above pedigrees end in either Anradan (MacEwen, Maclachlan) or Buircce (MacSorley). Based on these alone we do not know exactly how the line continued, except we may infer they somehow connected to the line of Nial 'of the Nine Hostges' (Maclachlan pedigree). And this (in the case of the Maclachlans) would appear to be a definite link to the earlier Irish pedigress for MacSweeney in the Books of Ballymote and Lecan..

Skene made another mistake in the ms. 1467, identifying a pedigree of the MacLennons for that of the Lamonts (Genelach ic Gillalament). He seems to have realised this mistak fairly quickly; but he never did find a pedigree for the Lamonts in his ms. 1467 and doesn't mention them in connection with the Anradan kindred in his "Highlanders of Scotland."

In the original issue of Collectanea de Rebus Albanicis, Skene omitted an entire column of pedigrees, which he said could not be read.. He later subjected the manuscript to some form of chemical treatment, which brought out the script enough for him to read the missing pedigrees. These pedigrees he included in a later issue of the same journal. Included among them is a pedigree for the Lamonts, which Skene did not recognise at the time, translating the title as "Clan Ladus." But a comparison of this Clan Ladus pedigree with existing pedigrees of Lamont in Irish manuscripts proves that it is a Lamont pedigree.

Skene did not realise this was a pedigree of the Lamonts until much later. In his “Highlanders of Scotland,” he refers to a mysterious Clan Maclaisrichs as part of the Anradan kindred, possibly deduced from this pedigree.

In this pedigree we find the same Anradan, Buirc, Dunsleibhe and Ferchair that we have already seen in the MacSweeney pedigree and in the previously published pedigrees for the Anradan kindred in Skene’s ms. 1467. But here Anradan is said to be a son of . Gilleabeirt, King of the Western isles. The pedigree terminates in a Nialgusa of Lochaber, most likely the same Nialgusa of the MacDonald pedigree in the same manuscript..

Here we find a major contradiction. The MacDonald pedigree goes back to Colla Uais, King of the Airgiallaigh in Ireland, not to Nial 'of the Nine Hostages. Yet the same string of names appears in both. One of them must be wrong.

The Leabhar Chlainne Suibhne 16th century

Our next source in the series of Anradan legends may be found in an Irish manuscript called "Leabhar Chlainne Suibhne" or the "Book of Clan Sweeny," written in the early 16th century in Ireland by two Irish scribes at slightly different periods (Ciothruadh Mac Fhionnghail, 1513-14; and Tadhg Mac Fithil, 1532-44) for Mary MacSweeney of Fanad. An old translation probably by O’Donovan is inserted in the manuscript (MS. 24 P 25, Royal Irish Academy) between folio 66 and 67 (recto):

“Here begins a small portion of the land conquests and victories of the Clann Suibhne, and of thir genealogical ramifications also. Aedh Athlaman son of Flatihbertach an Trostan [O'Neill, d. 1036], son of Muirchertach Midheach son of Domhnall of Ard Macha, had two sons, i.e., Domhnall, who was called the Ogdamh, and Anradhan, and Domhnall was older than Anrathan but the strength of power of Anradhan acceeded Domhnall's, and when their father, Aedh Athlamhan died, all the territories came to Anradan and they desired to make him lord in the place of his father, and Domhhnall came to them, and said this is setting aside the senior to appoint Anrdhan said he. It is verily said Anradhan's people for he is the most noble, and the most illustrious, and the man of most strength and power. "My curse be upon you after this." said Domhnall, "since I have no other power over you." We will not accept of this from you said Anradhan, for we will give you the lordship, and we ourselves shall not remain in Ireland, as long as you shall enjoy the lordship.And Domhnall I prefer ceding you the lordship in preference to your leaving Erin. Anradhan did not accept of this; but he styled Domhnall lord, and indeed all the territories to be obedient to him; and he proceeded himself, with spirit and highmindedness to the harbour where his ships and barks were, and we shall not give a long account of his passage over the seas here, but shall pursue a brief narrative. But however they made no delay until they reached the beautfful fair coasts of Alban, and they took the half of Alban, and one ballyl besides, by force, so that their might and power extended far and wide. And after they had been for some time in the east they acquired great wealth and much influence; and extended their sway over all the territories, and they made peace and formed an alliance with the King of Scotland, i.e, Anradhan married the daughter of the King of Scotland and she brought forth children, for him of whose race are all the Clann Suibne from that time to the present. And this was the fist invasion of Alban ever made by Clann Suibhne. And now son to this Anradhan was Aedh the Comely mac Anradhan, and son to Aedh the comely was Dunnsleibhe, and son of Dunnsleibhe was Suibne from whom the Clann Suine are called, and he was the noblest and the most illustrious of twelve sons whom this Dunnsleibhe had, and it was by him Caislen [castle] Suibhne was built in Alban. And son to this SUibhne was Maelmuire of the Purse and this Maelmuire is the stipres of the three Clann Suibhne. And this Maelmuire had a fairy leman, and it was she that gave him the famous purse which we have mentioned before. And these were the virtues of this purse viz. a small pinginn and a shilling said to be found in it every time it wsa opened. And Maelmuire spent a long time in this manner [with his leman] but his people thought it time to give him a wife, and the wife they contemplated for him ws the daughter of O'Conchobar aine Benmidhe daughter of Toirdelbhach after and they proceeded with a large fleet to Erin and makde no delay till they reached Sligech [Sligo] and they were two nights in the town. and took the woman with them.

One night afterwards as Maelmuire was at Caislen Suibhne, the Benshee whom we have mentioned, prompted to come to him with her child, and she had told him to be awake on her arrival, but she arrival there was no one awake in the house except the daughter of O'Concohbair, and she sat at the fire of the house , and asked if Mac Suibne was awake, and the daughter of O'Conchobair answered the he was not, and the daughter of O'Concobhair offered her clothes for the child, but she did not accept of them and she said that that sleep would do great injury to Mac Suibhne and his descedants and she went away angrily and was not seen from that time forth; and that son of hers was Ferfedha, is never seen except when he comes to relieve the Clann SUibne in time of battle or lordship”

This tale of Anradan in the Leabhar Clann Suibhne is non-historical; and the references to curses, magic purses that never are empty and fairies should gives us pause as well . According to the Clan Sweeney, after the death in 1033 of Aedh Athlaman, the King of Aileach, the territories and kingship eventually went to his son Domhnall an t-Ogdamh, or ‘the young ox, ancestor of the O’Neills of Ulster, after Anradan agreed to to leave Ireland The annals tell quite a different story.

Flaithbertach an trostain died after his son in 1036. It is here that we should find some mention of Domhnall ‘the young oxe’ and his brother Anradan in the annals; but neither man is named nor is any other O’Neill in the line that would later become Lords of Ulster. Instead the annals mention another son of Flaithbertach an trostain named Muirdach who was killed in 1039 and in 1044 a Nial son of Maelsechlainn is named the King of Aileach. This Nial was in the line of Domhnall, brother of Nial glundubh, called Clan Domhnall in the pedigrees. In 1045 a Muirchertach Ua Neill appears, but he is also not in the line of the oater O’Neills of Ulster. He may be another son of Flaithbertach an trostain, or perhaps in the line of Aedh of Craeb Tulcha, slain in 1004.

In 1051 Ardgar MacLochlainn is named as King of Telach oge, a minor sub-kingdom of the overkingdom of Aileach, an area later strongly associated with the O’Neills. In 1064 Ardgar MacLochlainn, the King of Aileach died and a Muirchertach Ua Neill is named King of Telach oge. This Muirchertach cannot be associated with the line of the later O'Neills of Ulster either.

The annals normally are full of references to various claimants to the throne after the death of a King of Aileach, and indeed they are well represented in these years, except for the line of Aedh Athlaman and the later O’Neill kings of Ulster. This is a strange situation in that both Aedh Ahlaman and his father were Kings of Aileach; yet no identifiable son of Aedh Athlaman appears as a claimant to the throne after his death. And history certainly does not agree with the statement of the Clan Suibhne that Domhnall became "Lord" of the territories after the death of his father.

We must therefore conclude that the history of Domhnall 'the young oxe" and his brother Anradan, as presented by the Leabhar Chlainne Suibhne, is a fabrication, based soley on the earlier pedigrees. Far from attaining the Lordship after the death of his father, Domhnall 'the young oxe" appears to have been King of nothing in these years, not even the minor sub-kingdom of Telach-oge. So there was no kingdom and no territories for Domhnall and his brother Anradan to quarrel over in the first place.

O Ceallaigh "Gleanings from Ulster history") throws further doubt on the dubious story of Domhnall and his brother Anradan. He mentions a curious line in the Leabhar Eoghanach concerning Aedh Athlaman. “For six generations in sequence the family depends upon a single individual to maintain the succession; no brothers or uncles are mentioned, and L.E. expressly states that Aodh was the last of his race.”

It is not clear why this statement appears in the Lebor Eoghanach since both Domhnall ‘the young oxe’ Ua Neill and Anradan are supposed to be sons of Aedh Athlaman. But O Ceallaigh is a careful writer and there is no reason to doubt his word. A pedigree in Rawlinson B.502 written c. 1120 would seem to agree that Aedh Athlaman had no sons.

Under Clann Neill (para. 1014) we find a pedigree for the MacLochlainns, followed by a pedigree for Clan Domhnall. Then in paragraph 1016 under the heading “item” we find:

This pedigree lists only Neill as a son of Flaithbertach an trostain; and a grandson of his named Aedh. It does not mention Aedh Athlaman at all; and no sons of Aedh Athlaman. We’ll return a little later to the pedigree of the O’Neills but suffice it to say for now that something is seriously wrong with both the pedigrees of the O’Neills and the Anradan kindred.

Buchanan of Auchmar 1723

William Buchanan of Auchmar, in his “An Historical and Genealogical Essay upon the Family and Surname of Buchanan” also included sections on the Maclachlans, MacNeills and Lamonts (among others) at the end of his history. He was one of the earliest Scottish writers to attempt a comprehensive history of the Highland Clans.

Maclachlan

Comments in italics

"The surname of McLauchlan hath been of a long time reputed one of our ancient clans, being originally descended of the surname of the O Lauchlans of Ireland, the principal person of whom, according to Mr. Walsh, and other Irish historians, was in the second century of the Christian epoch, provincial King of the province of Meath, which dignity his successors enjoyed for many descents, till some little time before the English conquest, the family of O'Rourke obtained that principality. This surname is asserted to be of the Milesian stem, or that of the ancient kings of Ireland, and the progenitor thereof to have come to Scotland with the first who from Ireland planted Argyle-shire.”

Buchanan here is referring to the McLaughlins of Donegal, kinsmen to the O’Neills of Ulster. In early annal entries they are referred to as both Ua Lochlain (O’Loughlin) and MacLochlainn (McLaughlin).. Buchanann, relying here on the authority of Irish historians, states the Maclachlans of Scotland were descended from the McLaughlins of Ulster. This of course disagrees with every pedigree we’ve examined so far and is complete nonsense. The principal person referred to may be Nial ‘of the Nine Hostages’ who would have held the kingship of Meath along with the kingship of Ireland; but the second century of the Christian epoch would seem to preclude this identification. It may be a reference to an earlier ancestor of Nial, perhaps Tuathal Teachtmar, who is said to have gone to Scotland.

MacNeill of Barra

Connents in italics

"This surname of M'Neil being one of the most ancient of our Scottish Clans, is originally descended rom that once potent and flourishing Surname of the Oneils of Ireland. These Oneils were divided into Two great Tribes, the One termed the North4ern and the other the Southern Oneils. The first of these for a great many Ages, untill the English Conquest, were Provincial Kings of North Ulster."

Buchanan is making a serious error in this passage; he is clearly confounding the tribe name Ui Neill with the surname O’Neill, two different things entirely. Ui Neill refers to the descendants of Nial ‘of the Nine Hostages;’ the surname O’Neill refers only to those descendants of Nial glundubh (d. 191) who took that specific surname in his honor. That he is confusing the two can be seen in the second sentence, when he states the Oniels were divided into two great tribes, northern and southern. He should be using the term Ui Neill here (the tribe name) and not the surname.

"The McNeils of Scotland, a branch of those of Ireland, are reported to have come here with the first Scots, who from Ireland planted Argyle-Shire, and the Western Isles, being for some Ages bypast divided into to considerable Families, these of Barra and Taynish...."

Here he’s saying that the MacNeills (a branch of the Ui Neill of Ireland) came to Scotland with the first Scots who came from Ireland to Scotland. It’s unclear exactly what he means by the “first Scots” to come to Argyleshire and the western isles but he is probably referring to the migration of the sons of Erc, king of the Irish Dal Riate in NW Ireland, who are said to have come to Scotland in 403 A.D.

"Mr. Martine Composer of the History of the Western Isles, asserts, that McNeil of Barra can produce Evidents for Thirty Six Descents, of his Familie's Possession of that Isle, bsides a great many old charters, most of which are not legible."

Next he mentions that there have been 36 generations between the first of the MacNeills to come to Scotland to the present day (1723). This old family history is not talking about the O’Neills of Ulster. He reckons the ancestor of the MacNeills among the early Scots (Dal Riata) who first came to Scotland in 403 A.D

Nialgusa
    |____________________
    |                    |
Suibne                  Gilleabeirt (now Gillebride)
    |                    |
Mearshaige              Anradan

MacDonalds              Lamonts