One of the conflicts between Clan Donald tradition and other historical sources, heretofore unresolved, is the actual paternal ancestry of Somhairle MacGillebruide, progenitor of our Clan who was assassinated at Paisley in Renfrewshire on orders of Alexander 1 of Scots in 1164. Was he descended from Norse jarls, as implied in the Norse Sagas and other sources, or was he Gaelic in the male line and a direct male descendant of Colla Uais, 5th Century King of Airgialla, as asserted by Clan Donald tradition? (Note: Irish and Alban society were matrilineal until Christianity established marriage and patrilineal descent as institutions sometime after the 6th Century. Handfast (temporary) marriages were still practiced in Scotland as late as the 19th Century.)
Dalriada was dominated by the Alban Gael between 643 and 778 and the seannachaidh claim that the MhiccDhomhnuil line had passed through a younger son of Fergus II called Eacime, whose descendants were local chiefs in Argyll. Godfruich was said to be Eacime’s son, followed by Niallghusa, Suibhne, Echmarcach, Solmund, Gilladamnan, Gillebruide and finally Somhairle. This conjectural line is unsupported by documentary evidence, but it is claimed that they became removed from the dynastic conflict between the Scots and Alban Gael, since their patrimony was confined to a minor area on the western coast, separated from the center of affairs by the Drium Alban.
Hailes, in his “Annals,” related that, in 973, Marcach, King of the Isles; Kenneth, King of the Scots and Malcolm, King of the Cambri, entered into a bond for mutual defense. They were said by Hailes to have been followed by Gilladamnan who was driven from the Isles by the Scandinavians and died in Ireland, where he had taken refuge. Gilladamnan’s son, Gillebruide, who had gone to Ireland with his father, is said to have obtained the help of the Irish of the Cineal Cholla and, landing in Argyll, made a gallant attempt to expel the invaders. The Norsemen defeated him and Gillebruide was compelled to hide in the woods and caves of Morvern somewhere on the shore of Loch Linnhe. Hence, he is known among the Gael as “Gillebruide Na HÚaimh” (Brutal Boy of the Cave), sometimes mistranslated as “Gillebride” (Bridget’s Boy), although he is best known as the father of Somhairle.
“The Great Book of Leccan,” containing about 600 pages, was assembled for his own use by “Giolla Íosa Mór Mac Firbhsigh” (Gilla-Isa-Mor MacFirbis), who headed a school for seannachaidh at Sligo between 1390 and 1416. It was primarily a comprehensive genealogy of the Irish nobility. Ranald’s son, Echmarcach, the “Imergi” of the MacFirbis genealogy of Cineal ua Dhomhnuil, was King of Dublin, was defeated in Man in 1061 and died on pilgrimage to Rome in 1065. It is suggested by the MacFirbis genealogy that Solmund was Echmarcach’s son, was Somhairle’s great-grandfather and probably married into the Kindred of Saint Columba. This is the closest to a contemporary document extant supporting a theory of Somhairle’s Gaelic lineage, it does not assert a direct Gaelic male line of descent, and it is three hundred years after the fact. It could be the correct authority but, again, is contradicted by the Norse Sagas.
But, in addition to the Norse and Icelandic sagas, there is other evidence that Gillebruide was the Earl Gilli who was the son-in-law of the Viking Sigurd The Strong, Earl of Orkney, and was appointed by him as his governor of the Hebrides, bringing the accuracy of Hailes’ account into question. Furthermore, the name Somhairle is the Gaelic equivalent of a common Norse name, Sumarlidi (Summer Sailor). It was only after the death of Thorfinn The Mighty, King of Orkney and the Isles in 1064, that Cineal Cholla regained their independence.
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Although, from a genealogical perspective, this study is relevant only to feudal apologists who seek preference over their kinsmen by reliance on primogeniture to establish their superiority, the answer, if it can be found, would not only add to our knowledge of our heritage, but would also shed important light on all of the history of The British Isles, from the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, so important in Irish history, to the Battle of Hastings in 1066, which established the course of England's future. The alliances which made up the different constituencies in these conflicts, and later ones as well, could tell us much about who we are. But, we should not forget that our descent from a daughter of King Alpine, from a daughter of An Cineal n'Eoghan, and possibly also from a daughter of An Cineal Loarn are not contested, and whatever our DNA shows about our male line of descent, Srioghail ar dhream! (Our blood is royal!) and it is Gaelic!
Clan Donald Society, USA's
Genetic Project, which has
been underway for some time
now, seeks to solve the
mystery. For particulars,
see Roots Web.com's website.
If you have no significant
skeletons in your closet
(DNA can be used for a
variety of purposes), if you
are satisfied that the
information will be used for
the purpose stated in an
appropriate manner, and if
you fit the criteria
described in Mr. Mark
MacDonald's press release,
it would be good to
establish as large and valid
a data base as possible.
The Roots Web pages
offer some insight into the
character and personalities
of the parties involved,
their purpose, as well as
some negative comments. We
suggest you read these pages
before submitting your DNA.
Within a few days after I
wrote an e-mail to Mark
MacDonald, which was not
answered, suggesting that
his DNA project could help
to resolve the paternity of
Marcach MacOengus Ogh,
progenitor of the Leinster
MacDonnells, he discontinued
his e-mail address. Could it
be that Sleate MacDonalds
only wish to know the truth
when it serves their
purpose? I would hope that
all MacDonnells are better
than that. But whatever the
facts, MacDonnells should
know the truth.
September, 2005 Comment