View source for Senchus fer n-Alban

{{Short description|10th-century Old Irish text}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
The '''''Senchus fer n-Alban''''' (''The History of the men of Scotland'') is an [[Old Irish language|Old Irish]] medieval text believed to have been compiled in the 10th century. It provides [[genealogy|genealogies]] for [[List of Kings of Dál Riata|kings]] of [[Dál Riata]] and a [[census]] of the kingdoms which comprised Dál Riata.

==Description==
The ''Senchus'' exists in a number of manuscripts, of which the most important belonged to [[Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh]] and then to [[Edward Lhuyd]]. This, Ms. H.2.7 held by [[Trinity College Dublin]], was compiled in the 14th century by [[Lúcás Ó Dalláin]], probably working with [[Seán Mór Ó Dubhagáin]] (died 1372), the chief poet and historian of the [[Uí Maine]]. This manuscript was once thought to have formed part of the ''[[Book of Uí Maine]]'', but this is no longer considered plausible. Other examples are found in the ''[[Book of Ballymote]]'' (1384x1406), the ''Book of Lecan'' (before 1418), and in Mac Fhirbhisigh's 17th-century genealogical compilations.<ref>Bannerman, ''Studies'', pp. 27&ndash;34.</ref> 
It may have been derived from earlier documents of the 7th century which are presumed to have been written in [[Latin language|Latin]].<ref>Bannerman, ''Studies in the History of Dalriada'' (Edinburgh, 1974), p. 39.</ref>

The ''Senchus'' is a relatively short document, around 70 or 80 lines of type depending on the variant used. To it is appended the ''Genelaig Albanensium'' which contains genealogies of [[Máel Coluim mac Cináeda]] and [[Causantín mac Cuilén]], kings of [[Alba]], and of [[Ainbcellach mac Ferchair]] and other Dál Riata kings.

Most versions of the ''Senchus'' follow the late myth of the Dál Riata origins by beginning with Eochaid Muinremar and the sons of Erc, [[Fergus Mór]] among them.<ref>Bannerman, ''Studies'', 47.</ref> Mac Fhirbhisigh's own version of the ''Senchus'' traces Dál Riata to the [[Síl Conairi]] and Cairpre Riata (Rígfhota), son of [[Conaire Mór]] and/or [[Conaire Cóem]], who may be the ''Reuda'' of [[Bede]]'s ''[[Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum]]''.<ref>Bannerman, ''Studies'', p. 44 & pp. 122&ndash;124; Bede, ''Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum'', I, c. 1.</ref> The ''Genelaig Albanensium'', and the similar genealogies in the [[Rawlinson B 502]] manuscript, make Cairpre Riata an ancestor in the tenth or fifteenth generation of Fergus Mór mac Eirc.<ref>Bannerman, ''Studies'', p. 65: tenth generation if Cairpre is correctly placed, fifteenth generation if Conaire Mor is correctly placed.</ref>

The historical value of the ''Senchus'' rests largely in its later sections, which include historical kings of Dál Riata &mdash; myth may end and history begin in the reign of [[Conall mac Comgaill]] in the middle of the 6th century.<ref>Sharpe, "The thriving of Dalriada", p.51.</ref> The last king who can be identified in the genealogies contained in the ''Senchus'' proper is [[Conall Crandomna]], who died around 660.<ref>Bannerman, ''Studies'', pp. 103&ndash;104.</ref>

The ''Senchus'' lists the divisions of Dál Riata&mdash;the [[Cenél nGabráin]], the [[Cenél Loairn]], and the [[Cenél nÓengusa]]&mdash;and their obligations for military service, apparently at a time when the [[Cenél Comgaill]] remained part of the Cenél nGabráin.<ref>Bannerman, ''Studies'', p. 110.</ref> These divisions need not be of great antiquity,<ref>Sharpe, "The thriving of Dalriada", p. 59, presumes that such (re)segmentation of lineages did not occur.</ref> and the lists provided are not without problems.<ref>Bannerman, ''Studies'', pp. 108ff.</ref> The Senchus lists no kindreds or military obligations for the Irish lands, if any, which may have formed part of Dál Riata. One curious feature of the Senchus is the presence of [[Airgíalla]] in the lands of the Cenél Loairn. It is not apparent whether these represent settlers from Ireland, or simply people to whom the label "additional clients" was applied.<ref>Bannerman, ''Studies'', pp. 115&ndash;118.</ref>

The ''Senchus'' lists what is believed to be the oldest reference to a naval battle in the British Isles. There is a brief record of an engagement between rival Dalriadan groups in 719.<ref>Rodger (1997) p. 5.</ref>

==See also==
* [[The Prophecy of Berchán]]
* [[Duan Albanach]]
* [[Pictish Chronicle]]
* [[Chronicle of the Kings of Alba]]
* [[Deda mac Sin]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
* [[Alan Orr Anderson|Anderson, Alan Orr]], ''Early Sources of Scottish History A.D. 500  to 1286, volume one.'' Reprinted with corrections, Stamford: Paul Watkins, 1990. {{ISBN|1-871615-03-8}}
* [[John Bannerman (historian)|Bannerman, John]], ''Studies in the History of Dalriada.'' Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1974. {{ISBN|0-7011-2040-1}} 
* N. A. M. Rodger (1997) ''The Safeguard of the Sea: A Naval History of Britain. Volume One 660-1649''. London: HarperCollins. 
* Sharpe, Richard, "The thriving of Dalriada" in Simon Taylor (ed.), ''Kings, clerics and chronicles in Scotland 500–1297.'' Dublin: Four Courts, 2000. {{ISBN|1-85182-516-9}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* Lucius Gwynn, [https://www.jstor.org/pss/30007892 "De Síl Chonairi Móir"], in ''[[Ériu (journal)|Ériu]] 6'' (1912): 130–43. [https://web.archive.org/web/20081007001117/http://www.hastings.edu/academic/english/Kings/De_Shil_Chonairi.htm Summary by Dan M. Wiley]
* Michael A. O'Brien (ed.) with intro. by John V. Kelleher, ''Corpus genealogiarum Hiberniae''. [[Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies|DIAS]]. 1976. / partial digital edition: [[Donnchadh Ó Corráin]] (ed.), [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G105003/index.html Genealogies from Rawlinson B 502]. [[University College Cork]]: [http://celt.ucc.ie/ Corpus of Electronic Texts]. 1997.
* [[Donnchadh Ó Corráin]] (ed.), '''''Genealogies (H.2.7)''''' ([http://www.ucc.ie/celt/irllist.html still unpublished])
* [[T. F. O'Rahilly]], ''Early Irish History and Mythology''. [[Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies]]. 1946.
{{refend}}

{{italic}}
[[Category:Scotland in the Early Middle Ages]]
[[Category:Geography of Scotland]]
[[Category:Society of Scotland]]
[[Category:Demographics of Scotland]]
[[Category:10th century in Ireland]]