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Meic Torcaill

April 10, 2024

The Meic Torcaill,[1] also known as the Meic Turcaill,[2] the Mac Torcaill dynasty,[3] the Mac Turcaill dynasty,[4] and the Mac Turcaill family,[5] were a leading Norse-Gaelic family in mediaeval Dublin. The kindred produced several eminent men and kings of Dublin before the Norman conquest of the kingdom in 1170. Afterwards the family fell from prominence, losing possession of their extensive lands in the region. In time the Meic Torcaill lost precedence to other Dublin families, such as the Harolds and Archbolds.

Norse-Gaelic Dublin edit

Simplified family tree illustrating one of several possible lines of descent of the Meic Torcall kings of Dublin.
Torcall
(fl. 1133)
Ragnall
King of Dublin		Brodar
King of Dublin
unnamed
(died 1138)		Ragnall
(fl. 1167)		Ascall
King of Dublin
 
Locations of significant Norse-Gaelic settlements, including the Kingdom of Dublin, and major Irish kingdoms.

The origins of the Meic Torcaill are uncertain.[6] A possible family predecessor may have been a certain Torcall mac Éola, whose slaying in Wales in 1093 is recorded by the Annals of Inisfallen.[7] It is possible that this man was the eponymous ancestor of the family.[8] A son of his may have been the Torfind mac Torcaill whose death in 1124 is recorded by both the Annals of Ulster, and the Annals of Loch Cé.[9] Torcall mac Éola may have also been related to a certain twelfth-century Manx bishop, "Hamondus filius Iole", recorded by the Chronicle of Mann.[10]

Whatever their precise origins, the Meic Torcaill can certainly be traced back to an early twelfth century. The first member of the family is a certain Torcall, whose rise to power appears to have occurred by 1133, as evidenced by the Annals of Loch Cé, at about a time when Dublin was closely aligned with Diarmait Mac Murchada, King of Leinster (died 1171).[11] The latter lost control of the Dublin in 1141, however, as the Annals of the Four Masters reveals that the town was seized and held by Conchobar Ua Briain, King of Munster (died 1142).[12] Following Conchobar's ousting, the same source indicates that the Dubliner's installed a certain Islesman, Ottar mac meic Ottair (died 1148), as King of Dublin in 1142.[13] The head of the Meic Torcaill during this period appears to have been Torcall's son, Ragnall (died 1146).[14] The Annals of the Four Masters records that the son of an unnamed member of the Meic Torcaill was slain in 1138,[15] and it is possible that this man was in fact a son of Ragnall. If so, his death may well have weakened the family, and allowed the Meic Ottair to seize power.[16]

Two years after Ottar's installation, he and an unnamed member of the Meic Torcaill (who may well have been Ragnall himself), and an unnamed son of a certain Erulb, are noted in the context of mercenary operations in Wales by the thirteenth- and fourteenth-century texts Brenhinedd y Saesson, Brut y Tywysogyon, and the "B" and "C" versions of the eleventh- to thirteenth-century Annales Cambriæ.[17]

In 1146, several sources, such as the Annals of Tigernach, Chronicon Scotorum, and Mac Carthaigh's Book, record the slaying of the aforesaid Ragnall, styling him King of Dublin.[18] If these sources are to be believed, Ragnall's reign would appear to begin at some point after the aforesaid operations in Wales, and interrupted the reign of Ottar, who died as king in 1148.[19] The Annals of the Four Masters, however, accord Ragnall the title mórmáer, which could indicate that he was merely a subordinate within Ottar's regime.[20] Although Ottar may well have enjoyed the cooperation of the Meic Torcaill in the early part of his reign, the Annals of Tigernach and Chronicon Scotorum reveal that they were responsible for his slaying in 1148.[21]

The next Meic Torcaill monarch was Ragnall's brother, Brodar (died 1160), whose slaying in 1160, at the hands of the Meic Gilla Sechnaill of South Brega, is revealed by the thirteenth-century Cottonian Annals, the Annals of the Four Masters, the Annals of Ulster, and the Annals of Tigernach.[22]

Following Diarmait's acquisition of dominance over Dublin in 1162, Diarmait is reported to have made several grants to churches in Fine Gall. One such grant, to Áed Ua Cáellaide, Bishop of Louth, dating between 1162 and 1166, concerned the lands of Baldoyle, and was witnessed by several members of the Meic Torcaill: a certain Echmarcach and Aralt.[23]

The last King of Dublin was Ragnall's son, Ascall (died 1171).[24] In 1167, the Annals of the Four Masters record that a certain Ragnall mac Ragnaill, styled tigerna Gall ("lord of the foreigners"), attended a great assembly convened by Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair, King of Connacht (died 1198).[25] The latter's name and title suggest that he was either an otherwise unattested brother of Ascall, or else an annalist's mistake for Ascall himself.[26] Whatever the case, according to Expugnatio Hibernica, Ascall was driven from the kingship in 1170 by the forces of Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke.[27] The following year he was finally defeated in an attempt to retake Dublin. Although a multitude of Irish sources—such as the Annals of the Four Masters, the Annals of Ulster, the Annals of Loch Cé, the Annals of Tigernach, and Mac Carthaigh's Book — place his death in the context of the military defeat,[28] Expugnatio Hibernica and the twelfth- to thirteenth-century La Geste des Engleis en Yrlande reveal that he was publicly executed.[29]

Diminishment edit

 
Ruinous mediaeval church of Tully, near Cabinteely. This religious house, and its surrounding lands, were once possessions of the Meic Torcaill.

The power of the Meic Torcaill before the fall of Dublin is apparent in the lands associated with them.[30] A charter post-dating Ascall's fall reveals that he granted the church of St Brigid and the surrounding lands to the Church of the Holy Trinity.[31] Another member of the family, a man named Sitric, is also stated to have granted the church and lands of Tully to the Church of the Holy Trinity.[32] With the fall of the last Meic Torcaill monarch, and the consolidation of the English control of Dublin, the family's territories were evidently declared forfeit.[33] Lands lost by the family at this point include a tract from Tully to Bray, stretching to Glencullen, granted to Walter de Ridlesford.[34] Walter's grant included a significant part of the territory in Uí Briúin Chualann and much of the lands named "Odurchill" in the Latin charter, a reference to Meic Torcaill territories in what is today south Dublin and north-east County Wicklow.[35] Other Meic Torcaill lands included holdings in north Dublin at Portrane, Malahide, Portmarnock, and Kilbarrack.[36] Furthermore, Richard is recorded to have granted lands, formerly possessed by the Meic Torcaill, to the abbey of St Mary at Dublin.[33]

Not all losses were final, however, as a certain Hamund Mac Torcaill, and his brothers, are recorded to have been confirmed in their Kinsealy lands in 1174.[37] This partial restoration of family lands is one part of a process in which leading Dublin families were incorporated into the new English regime, and it is probable that this was also about the time of that the Harold family was also 'rehabilitated'.[36]

In time, the Harolds and Archbolds began to fill the vacuum of the diminished Meic Torcaill.[38] A certain "G. Mactorail" is recorded to have witnessed a grant of Thomas, Abbot of Glendalough to Lorcán Ua Tuathail, Archbishop of Dublin (died 1180) between 1172 and 1181. Another grant, to St Mary's Abbey, Dublin between 1172 and 1181, was witnessed by a certain Alan Mac Torcaill.[39]

The Meic Torcaill may well be remembered in several Irish place names. For example, the earthwork of Rathturtle, located near Blessington,[40] appears to be derived from the Irish Rath Torcaill, and therefore may refer to a member of the family. Whether the hilltop was the site of a Norse fortress is uncertain, however, since the site has not been excavated, and appears to be similar to an Anglo-Norman ringwork.[41]

Another name seemingly referring to a member of the Meic Torcaill is that of the townslands Curtlestown Upper (Baile Mhic Thorcail Uachtarach) and Curtlestown Lower (Baile Mhic Thorcail Íochtarach), located near Powerscourt.[42]

Citations edit

  1. ^ O'Byrne (2003).
  2. ^ O'Byrne (2004); Duffy (1993).
  3. ^ O'Keeffe (1998).
  4. ^ Naismith (2017).
  5. ^ French (2015).
  6. ^ Downham (2013), pg. 165; Etchingham (1994), pg. 129; Duffy (1992), pg. 122 n. 146.
  7. ^ Downham (2013), pg. 168 n. 59; Annals of Inisfallen (2010) § 1093.5; Annals of Inisfallen (2008) § 1093.5; Etchingham (1994), pg. 129; Duffy (1993), pp. 10, 41, 41 n. 53.
  8. ^ Duffy (1993), pg. 10.
  9. ^ The Annals of Ulster (2017) § 1124.1; Annals of Loch Cé (2008) § 1124.1; The Annals of Ulster (2008) § 1124.1; Annals of Loch Cé (2005) § 1124.1; Duffy (1993), pg. 41 n. 53; Duffy (1992), pg. 122 n. 146.
  10. ^ Byrne (2008a), pp. 871–872; Duffy (1993), pg. 41 n. 53; Duffy (1992), pg. 122 n. 146; Munch; Goss (1874), pp. 114–115.
  11. ^ Downham (2013), pp. 165, 178; Annals of Loch Cé (2008) § 1133.2; Annals of Loch Cé (2005) § 1133.2; Duffy (1992), pg. 120 n. 135.
  12. ^ Annals of the Four Masters (2013a) § 1141.8; Annals of the Four Masters (2013b) § 1141.8; Downham (2013), pg. 165; Byrne (2008b), pg. 26.
  13. ^ Annals of the Four Masters (2013a) § 1142.13; Annals of the Four Masters (2013b) § 1142.13; Downham (2013) pp. 165–167; Duffy (1993), pg. 40.
  14. ^ Duffy (1992), pg. 122.
  15. ^ Annals of the Four Masters (2013a) § 1138.10; Annals of the Four Masters (2013b) § 1138.10; Duffy (1993), pg. 41 n. 53; Duffy (1992), pg. 122.
  16. ^ Duffy (1993), pg. 41 n. 53; Duffy (1992), pg. 122.
  17. ^ Gough-Cooper (2015a) § b1166.1; Gough-Cooper (2015b) § c464.1; Downham (2013), pg. 159 nn. 13–14, 166 n. 46, 173; Wyatt (2009), pg. 366, 366 n. 124; Wyatt (1999), pg. 615; Duffy (1993), pg. 41; Duffy (1992), pg. 122, 122 n. 148; Jones; Williams; Pughe (1870), pg. 676; Williams Ab Ithel (1860), pp. 164–165.
  18. ^ Mac Carthaigh's Book (2016a) § 1145–7.1; Mac Carthaigh's Book (2016b) § 1145–7.1; Downham (2013), pg. 166 n. 46; Chronicon Scotorum (2012) § 1146; Chronicon Scotorum (2010) § 1146; The Annals of Tigernach (2010) § 1146.9; Byrne (2008a), pg. 871; Annals of Tigernach (2005) § 1146.9; Duffy (1993), pg. 41; Duffy (1992) pp. 122–123, 122 n. 149.
  19. ^ Downham (2013), pg. 166 n. 46.
  20. ^ Annals of the Four Masters (2013a) § 1146.3; Annals of the Four Masters (2013b) § 1146.3; Byrne (2008a), pg. 871; Duffy (1993), pg. 41; Duffy (1992), pp. 122–123, 123 n. 150.
  21. ^ Downham (2013), pg. 166, 166 n. 47; Chronicon Scotorum (2012) § 1148; Chronicon Scotorum (2010) § 1148; The Annals of Tigernach (2010) § 1148.3; Annals of Tigernach (2005) § 1148.3; Duffy (1993), pg. 41.
  22. ^ The Annals of Ulster (2017) § 1160.5; Annals of the Four Masters (2013a) § 1160.12; Annals of the Four Masters (2013b) § 1160.12; Downham (2013), pp. 166, 178; The Annals in Cotton MS (2010) § 1160; The Annals of Tigernach (2010) § 1160.5; The Annals of Ulster (2008) § 1160.5; Downham (2007), pp. 40, 43 ill. 1; Annals of Tigernach (2005) § 1160.5; Duffy (1992), pg. 125 n. 159.
  23. ^ Duffy (1993), pp. 45, 61; Duffy (1992), pp. 128–129; Butler (1845), pp. 50–51 § 69.
  24. ^ Naismith (2017), pg. 325; Downham (2013), pg. 178.
  25. ^ Annals of the Four Masters (2013a) § 1167.10; Annals of the Four Masters (2013b) § 1167.10; Flanagan (1997), pg. 64; Duffy (1992), pg. 131.
  26. ^ Duffy (1992), pg. 131, 131 n. 182.
  27. ^ Downham (2013), pg. 157 n. 1; Wright; Forester; Hoare (1905), pp. 213–215 § 17.
  28. ^ The Annals of Ulster (2017) § 1171.2; Mac Carthaigh's Book (2016a) § 1171.2; Mac Carthaigh's Book (2016b) § 1171.2; Annals of the Four Masters (2013a) § 1171.17; Annals of the Four Masters (2013b) § 1171.17; Downham (2013), pg. 157 n. 1; The Annals of Tigernach (2010) § 1171.7; Annals of Loch Cé (2008) § 1171.2; The Annals of Ulster (2008) § 1171.2; Annals of Loch Cé (2005) § 1171.2; Annals of Tigernach (2005) § 1171.6.
  29. ^ Downham (2013), pg. 157 n. 1; Song of Dermot and the Earl (2010) p. 181 §§ 2465–2472; Song of Dermot and the Earl (2011), pg. 181 §§ 2465–2472; O'Byrne (2004), pg. 115; Wright; Forester; Hoare (1905), pp. 219–221 § 21; Dimock (1867), pp. 263–265 § 21.
  30. ^ McMahon; Collins; Buckley et al. (2002), pg. 69.
  31. ^ Edmonds (2014), pg. 54; McMahon; Collins; Buckley et al. (2002), pg. 69; The Twentieth Report (1888), pp. 102–104 § 364.
  32. ^ Corlett; Condit (2013); Ó Néill (2006), pg. 86; O'Byrne (2003), pg. 230; Etchingham (1994), pg. 130; The Twentieth Report (1888), pp. 102–104 § 364.
  33. ^ a b O'Byrne (2003), pg. 235.
  34. ^ French (2015), pg. 29; O'Byrne (2004), pg. 115; O'Byrne (2003), pg. 235; Sweetman (1875), pg. 53 § 355.
  35. ^ Etchingham (1994), pp. 128–129; Price (1954); Mills (1894), pp. 163–165; Rotulorum Patentium (1828), pg. 4 § 52.
  36. ^ a b O'Byrne (2004), pg. 115; O'Byrne (2003), pg. 235.
  37. ^ French (2015), pg. 29; O'Byrne (2004), pg. 115; O'Byrne (2003), pg. 235; Duffy (1993), pg. 61.
  38. ^ French (2015), pg. 29; O'Byrne (2004), pg. 115; O'Byrne (2003), pg. 235.
  39. ^ Duffy (1993), pg. 61.
  40. ^ Russell; Harrison; Nicholls et al. (2007), pg. 27; O'Keeffe (1998), pg. 192; Etchingham (1994), pg. 123.
  41. ^ Russell; Harrison; Nicholls et al. (2007), pg. 27.
  42. ^ Etchingham (1994), pg. 130; Price (1954); Baile Mhic Thorcail Íochtarach (n.d.); Baile Mhic Thorcail Íochtarach (n.d.).

References edit

Primary sources edit

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  • "Annals of Loch Cé". Corpus of Electronic Texts (13 April 2005 ed.). University College Cork. 2005. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
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  • "Annals of the Four Masters". Corpus of Electronic Texts (3 December 2013 ed.). University College Cork. 2013a. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  • "Annals of the Four Masters". Corpus of Electronic Texts (16 December 2013 ed.). University College Cork. 2013b. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  • "Annals of Tigernach". Corpus of Electronic Texts (13 April 2005 ed.). University College Cork. 2005. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  • Butler, R, ed. (1845). Registrum Prioratus Omnium Sanctorum juxta Dublin. Dublin: Irish Archæological Society. OL 23221596M.
  • "Chronicon Scotorum". Corpus of Electronic Texts (24 March 2010 ed.). University College Cork. 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
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  • Dimock, JF, ed. (1867). Giraldi Cambrensis Opera. Rerum Britannicarum Medii Ævi Scriptores. Vol. 5. London: Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer.
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  • Munch, PA; Goss, A, eds. (1874). Chronica Regvm Manniæ et Insvlarvm: The Chronicle of Man and the Sudreys. Vol. 1. Douglas, IM: Manx Society.
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  • "The Annals of Ulster". Corpus of Electronic Texts (29 August 2008 ed.). University College Cork. 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  • "The Annals of Ulster". Corpus of Electronic Texts (6 January 2017 ed.). University College Cork. 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  • The Twentieth Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records and Keeper of the State Papers in Ireland. Dublin: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1888.
  • Williams Ab Ithel, J, ed. (1860). Brut y Tywysigion; or, The Chronicle of the Princes. Rerum Britannicarum Medii Ævi Scriptores. London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts. OL 24776516M.
  • Wright, T; Forester, T; Hoare, RC, eds. (1905). The Historical Works of Giraldus Cambrensis. London: George Bell & Sons.

Secondary sources edit

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  • "Baile Mhic Thorcail Uachtarach". Placenames Database of Ireland. n.d. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  • Byrne, FJ (2008a) [2005]. "Ireland and Her Neighbours, c.1014–c.1072". In Ó Cróinín, D (ed.). Prehistoric and Early Ireland. New History of Ireland. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 862–898. ISBN 978-0-19-821737-4.
  • Byrne, FJ (2008b) [1987]. "The Trembling Sod: Ireland in 1169". In Cosgrove, A (ed.). Medieval Ireland, 1169–1534. New History of Ireland. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 1–42. ISBN 978-0-19-821755-8.
  • Corlett, C; Condit, E (2013). Tully Church, Laughanstown, Co. Dublin. Archaeology Ireland Heritage Guide. Wordwell. ISSN 0790-892X. JSTOR 41981920.
  • Downham, C (2013). "Living on the Edge: Scandinavian Dublin in the Twelfth Century". No Horns on Their Helmets? Essays on the Insular Viking-Age. Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, and Scandinavian Studies. Aberdeen: Centre for Anglo-Saxon Studies and The Centre for Celtic Studies, University of Aberdeen. pp. 157–178. ISBN 978-0-9557720-1-6. ISSN 2051-6509.
  • Duffy, S (1992). "Irishmen and Islesmen in the Kingdoms of Dublin and Man, 1052–1171". Ériu. 43: 93–133. eISSN 2009-0056. ISSN 0332-0758. JSTOR 30007421.
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April 10, 2024
meic, torcaill, also, known, meic, turcaill, torcaill, dynasty, turcaill, dynasty, turcaill, family, were, leading, norse, gaelic, family, mediaeval, dublin, kindred, produced, several, eminent, kings, dublin, before, norman, conquest, kingdom, 1170, afterward. The Meic Torcaill 1 also known as the Meic Turcaill 2 the Mac Torcaill dynasty 3 the Mac Turcaill dynasty 4 and the Mac Turcaill family 5 were a leading Norse Gaelic family in mediaeval Dublin The kindred produced several eminent men and kings of Dublin before the Norman conquest of the kingdom in 1170 Afterwards the family fell from prominence losing possession of their extensive lands in the region In time the Meic Torcaill lost precedence to other Dublin families such as the Harolds and Archbolds Contents 1 Norse Gaelic Dublin 2 Diminishment 3 Citations 4 References 4 1 Primary sources 4 2 Secondary sourcesNorse Gaelic Dublin editSimplified family tree illustrating one of several possible lines of descent of the Meic Torcall kings of Dublin Torcall fl 1133 RagnallKing of DublinBrodarKing of Dublinunnamed died 1138 Ragnall fl 1167 AscallKing of Dublin nbsp Locations of significant Norse Gaelic settlements including the Kingdom of Dublin and major Irish kingdoms The origins of the Meic Torcaill are uncertain 6 A possible family predecessor may have been a certain Torcall mac Eola whose slaying in Wales in 1093 is recorded by the Annals of Inisfallen 7 It is possible that this man was the eponymous ancestor of the family 8 A son of his may have been the Torfind mac Torcaill whose death in 1124 is recorded by both the Annals of Ulster and the Annals of Loch Ce 9 Torcall mac Eola may have also been related to a certain twelfth century Manx bishop Hamondus filius Iole recorded by the Chronicle of Mann 10 Whatever their precise origins the Meic Torcaill can certainly be traced back to an early twelfth century The first member of the family is a certain Torcall whose rise to power appears to have occurred by 1133 as evidenced by the Annals of Loch Ce at about a time when Dublin was closely aligned with Diarmait Mac Murchada King of Leinster died 1171 11 The latter lost control of the Dublin in 1141 however as the Annals of the Four Masters reveals that the town was seized and held by Conchobar Ua Briain King of Munster died 1142 12 Following Conchobar s ousting the same source indicates that the Dubliner s installed a certain Islesman Ottar mac meic Ottair died 1148 as King of Dublin in 1142 13 The head of the Meic Torcaill during this period appears to have been Torcall s son Ragnall died 1146 14 The Annals of the Four Masters records that the son of an unnamed member of the Meic Torcaill was slain in 1138 15 and it is possible that this man was in fact a son of Ragnall If so his death may well have weakened the family and allowed the Meic Ottair to seize power 16 Two years after Ottar s installation he and an unnamed member of the Meic Torcaill who may well have been Ragnall himself and an unnamed son of a certain Erulb are noted in the context of mercenary operations in Wales by the thirteenth and fourteenth century texts Brenhinedd y Saesson Brut y Tywysogyon and the B and C versions of the eleventh to thirteenth century Annales Cambriae 17 In 1146 several sources such as the Annals of Tigernach Chronicon Scotorum and Mac Carthaigh s Book record the slaying of the aforesaid Ragnall styling him King of Dublin 18 If these sources are to be believed Ragnall s reign would appear to begin at some point after the aforesaid operations in Wales and interrupted the reign of Ottar who died as king in 1148 19 The Annals of the Four Masters however accord Ragnall the title mormaer which could indicate that he was merely a subordinate within Ottar s regime 20 Although Ottar may well have enjoyed the cooperation of the Meic Torcaill in the early part of his reign the Annals of Tigernach and Chronicon Scotorum reveal that they were responsible for his slaying in 1148 21 The next Meic Torcaill monarch was Ragnall s brother Brodar died 1160 whose slaying in 1160 at the hands of the Meic Gilla Sechnaill of South Brega is revealed by the thirteenth century Cottonian Annals the Annals of the Four Masters the Annals of Ulster and the Annals of Tigernach 22 Following Diarmait s acquisition of dominance over Dublin in 1162 Diarmait is reported to have made several grants to churches in Fine Gall One such grant to Aed Ua Caellaide Bishop of Louth dating between 1162 and 1166 concerned the lands of Baldoyle and was witnessed by several members of the Meic Torcaill a certain Echmarcach and Aralt 23 The last King of Dublin was Ragnall s son Ascall died 1171 24 In 1167 the Annals of the Four Masters record that a certain Ragnall mac Ragnaill styled tigerna Gall lord of the foreigners attended a great assembly convened by Ruaidri Ua Conchobair King of Connacht died 1198 25 The latter s name and title suggest that he was either an otherwise unattested brother of Ascall or else an annalist s mistake for Ascall himself 26 Whatever the case according to Expugnatio Hibernica Ascall was driven from the kingship in 1170 by the forces of Richard de Clare Earl of Pembroke 27 The following year he was finally defeated in an attempt to retake Dublin Although a multitude of Irish sources such as the Annals of the Four Masters the Annals of Ulster the Annals of Loch Ce the Annals of Tigernach and Mac Carthaigh s Book place his death in the context of the military defeat 28 Expugnatio Hibernica and the twelfth to thirteenth century La Geste des Engleis en Yrlande reveal that he was publicly executed 29 Diminishment edit nbsp Ruinous mediaeval church of Tully near Cabinteely This religious house and its surrounding lands were once possessions of the Meic Torcaill The power of the Meic Torcaill before the fall of Dublin is apparent in the lands associated with them 30 A charter post dating Ascall s fall reveals that he granted the church of St Brigid and the surrounding lands to the Church of the Holy Trinity 31 Another member of the family a man named Sitric is also stated to have granted the church and lands of Tully to the Church of the Holy Trinity 32 With the fall of the last Meic Torcaill monarch and the consolidation of the English control of Dublin the family s territories were evidently declared forfeit 33 Lands lost by the family at this point include a tract from Tully to Bray stretching to Glencullen granted to Walter de Ridlesford 34 Walter s grant included a significant part of the territory in Ui Briuin Chualann and much of the lands named Odurchill in the Latin charter a reference to Meic Torcaill territories in what is today south Dublin and north east County Wicklow 35 Other Meic Torcaill lands included holdings in north Dublin at Portrane Malahide Portmarnock and Kilbarrack 36 Furthermore Richard is recorded to have granted lands formerly possessed by the Meic Torcaill to the abbey of St Mary at Dublin 33 Not all losses were final however as a certain Hamund Mac Torcaill and his brothers are recorded to have been confirmed in their Kinsealy lands in 1174 37 This partial restoration of family lands is one part of a process in which leading Dublin families were incorporated into the new English regime and it is probable that this was also about the time of that the Harold family was also rehabilitated 36 In time the Harolds and Archbolds began to fill the vacuum of the diminished Meic Torcaill 38 A certain G Mactorail is recorded to have witnessed a grant of Thomas Abbot of Glendalough to Lorcan Ua Tuathail Archbishop of Dublin died 1180 between 1172 and 1181 Another grant to St Mary s Abbey Dublin between 1172 and 1181 was witnessed by a certain Alan Mac Torcaill 39 The Meic Torcaill may well be remembered in several Irish place names For example the earthwork of Rathturtle located near Blessington 40 appears to be derived from the Irish Rath Torcaill and therefore may refer to a member of the family Whether the hilltop was the site of a Norse fortress is uncertain however since the site has not been excavated and appears to be similar to an Anglo Norman ringwork 41 Another name seemingly referring to a member of the Meic Torcaill is that of the townslands Curtlestown Upper Baile Mhic Thorcail Uachtarach and Curtlestown Lower Baile Mhic Thorcail Iochtarach located near Powerscourt 42 Citations edit O Byrne 2003 O Byrne 2004 Duffy 1993 O Keeffe 1998 Naismith 2017 French 2015 Downham 2013 pg 165 Etchingham 1994 pg 129 Duffy 1992 pg 122 n 146 Downham 2013 pg 168 n 59 Annals of Inisfallen 2010 1093 5 Annals of Inisfallen 2008 1093 5 Etchingham 1994 pg 129 Duffy 1993 pp 10 41 41 n 53 Duffy 1993 pg 10 The Annals of Ulster 2017 1124 1 Annals of Loch Ce 2008 1124 1 The Annals of Ulster 2008 1124 1 Annals of Loch Ce 2005 1124 1 Duffy 1993 pg 41 n 53 Duffy 1992 pg 122 n 146 Byrne 2008a pp 871 872 Duffy 1993 pg 41 n 53 Duffy 1992 pg 122 n 146 Munch Goss 1874 pp 114 115 Downham 2013 pp 165 178 Annals of Loch Ce 2008 1133 2 Annals of Loch Ce 2005 1133 2 Duffy 1992 pg 120 n 135 Annals of the Four Masters 2013a 1141 8 Annals of the Four Masters 2013b 1141 8 Downham 2013 pg 165 Byrne 2008b pg 26 Annals of the Four Masters 2013a 1142 13 Annals of the Four Masters 2013b 1142 13 Downham 2013 pp 165 167 Duffy 1993 pg 40 Duffy 1992 pg 122 Annals of the Four Masters 2013a 1138 10 Annals of the Four Masters 2013b 1138 10 Duffy 1993 pg 41 n 53 Duffy 1992 pg 122 Duffy 1993 pg 41 n 53 Duffy 1992 pg 122 Gough Cooper 2015a b1166 1 Gough Cooper 2015b c464 1 Downham 2013 pg 159 nn 13 14 166 n 46 173 Wyatt 2009 pg 366 366 n 124 Wyatt 1999 pg 615 Duffy 1993 pg 41 Duffy 1992 pg 122 122 n 148 Jones Williams Pughe 1870 pg 676 Williams Ab Ithel 1860 pp 164 165 Mac Carthaigh s Book 2016a 1145 7 1 Mac Carthaigh s Book 2016b 1145 7 1 Downham 2013 pg 166 n 46 Chronicon Scotorum 2012 1146 Chronicon Scotorum 2010 1146 The Annals of Tigernach 2010 1146 9 Byrne 2008a pg 871 Annals of Tigernach 2005 1146 9 Duffy 1993 pg 41 Duffy 1992 pp 122 123 122 n 149 Downham 2013 pg 166 n 46 Annals of the Four Masters 2013a 1146 3 Annals of the Four Masters 2013b 1146 3 Byrne 2008a pg 871 Duffy 1993 pg 41 Duffy 1992 pp 122 123 123 n 150 Downham 2013 pg 166 166 n 47 Chronicon Scotorum 2012 1148 Chronicon Scotorum 2010 1148 The Annals of Tigernach 2010 1148 3 Annals of Tigernach 2005 1148 3 Duffy 1993 pg 41 The Annals of Ulster 2017 1160 5 Annals of the Four Masters 2013a 1160 12 Annals of the Four Masters 2013b 1160 12 Downham 2013 pp 166 178 The Annals in Cotton MS 2010 1160 The Annals of Tigernach 2010 1160 5 The Annals of Ulster 2008 1160 5 Downham 2007 pp 40 43 ill 1 Annals of Tigernach 2005 1160 5 Duffy 1992 pg 125 n 159 Duffy 1993 pp 45 61 Duffy 1992 pp 128 129 Butler 1845 pp 50 51 69 Naismith 2017 pg 325 Downham 2013 pg 178 Annals of the Four Masters 2013a 1167 10 Annals of the Four Masters 2013b 1167 10 Flanagan 1997 pg 64 Duffy 1992 pg 131 Duffy 1992 pg 131 131 n 182 Downham 2013 pg 157 n 1 Wright Forester Hoare 1905 pp 213 215 17 The Annals of Ulster 2017 1171 2 Mac Carthaigh s Book 2016a 1171 2 Mac Carthaigh s Book 2016b 1171 2 Annals of the Four Masters 2013a 1171 17 Annals of the Four Masters 2013b 1171 17 Downham 2013 pg 157 n 1 The Annals of Tigernach 2010 1171 7 Annals of Loch Ce 2008 1171 2 The Annals of Ulster 2008 1171 2 Annals of Loch Ce 2005 1171 2 Annals of Tigernach 2005 1171 6 Downham 2013 pg 157 n 1 Song of Dermot and the Earl 2010 p 181 2465 2472 Song of Dermot and the Earl 2011 pg 181 2465 2472 O Byrne 2004 pg 115 Wright Forester Hoare 1905 pp 219 221 21 Dimock 1867 pp 263 265 21 McMahon Collins Buckley et al 2002 pg 69 Edmonds 2014 pg 54 McMahon Collins Buckley et al 2002 pg 69 The Twentieth Report 1888 pp 102 104 364 Corlett Condit 2013 o Neill 2006 pg 86 O Byrne 2003 pg 230 Etchingham 1994 pg 130 The Twentieth Report 1888 pp 102 104 364 a b O Byrne 2003 pg 235 French 2015 pg 29 O Byrne 2004 pg 115 O Byrne 2003 pg 235 Sweetman 1875 pg 53 355 Etchingham 1994 pp 128 129 Price 1954 Mills 1894 pp 163 165 Rotulorum Patentium 1828 pg 4 52 a b O Byrne 2004 pg 115 O Byrne 2003 pg 235 French 2015 pg 29 O Byrne 2004 pg 115 O Byrne 2003 pg 235 Duffy 1993 pg 61 French 2015 pg 29 O Byrne 2004 pg 115 O Byrne 2003 pg 235 Duffy 1993 pg 61 Russell Harrison Nicholls et al 2007 pg 27 O Keeffe 1998 pg 192 Etchingham 1994 pg 123 Russell Harrison Nicholls et al 2007 pg 27 Etchingham 1994 pg 130 Price 1954 Baile Mhic Thorcail Iochtarach n d Baile Mhic Thorcail Iochtarach n d References editPrimary sources edit Annals of Inisfallen Corpus of Electronic Texts 23 October 2008 ed University College Cork 2008 Retrieved 13 June 2015 Annals of Inisfallen Corpus of Electronic Texts 16 February 2010 ed University College Cork 2010 Retrieved 13 June 2015 Annals of Loch Ce Corpus of Electronic Texts 13 April 2005 ed University College Cork 2005 Retrieved 13 June 2015 Annals of Loch Ce Corpus of Electronic Texts 5 September 2008 ed University College Cork 2008 Retrieved 13 June 2015 Annals of the Four Masters Corpus of Electronic Texts 3 December 2013 ed University College Cork 2013a Retrieved 13 June 2015 Annals of the Four Masters Corpus of Electronic Texts 16 December 2013 ed University College Cork 2013b Retrieved 13 June 2015 Annals of Tigernach Corpus of Electronic Texts 13 April 2005 ed University College Cork 2005 Retrieved 13 June 2015 Butler R ed 1845 Registrum Prioratus Omnium Sanctorum juxta Dublin Dublin Irish Archaeological Society OL 23221596M Chronicon Scotorum Corpus of Electronic Texts 24 March 2010 ed University College Cork 2010 Retrieved 13 June 2015 Chronicon Scotorum Corpus of Electronic Texts 14 May 2012 ed University College Cork 2012 Retrieved 13 June 2015 Dimock JF ed 1867 Giraldi Cambrensis Opera Rerum Britannicarum Medii AEvi Scriptores Vol 5 London Longmans Green Reader and Dyer Gough Cooper HW ed 2015 Annales Cambriae The B Text From London National Archives MS E164 1 pp 2 26 PDF September 2015 ed via Welsh Chronicles Research Group Gough Cooper HW ed 2015 Annales Cambriae The C Text From London British Library Cotton MS Domitian A i ff 138r 155r PDF September 2015 ed via Welsh Chronicles Research Group Jones O Williams E Pughe WO eds 1870 The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales Denbigh Thomas Gee OL 6930827M Mac Carthaigh s Book Corpus of Electronic Texts 21 June 2016 ed University College Cork 2016a Retrieved 8 May 2018 Mac Carthaigh s Book Corpus of Electronic Texts 21 June 2016 ed University College Cork 2016b Retrieved 8 May 2018 Munch PA Goss A eds 1874 Chronica Regvm Manniae et Insvlarvm The Chronicle of Man and the Sudreys Vol 1 Douglas IM Manx Society Rotulorum Patentium et Clausorum Cancellariae Hiberniae Calendarium Vol 1 pt 1 Dublin His Majisty King George IV 1828 Song of Dermot and the Earl Corpus of Electronic Texts 27 April 2010 ed University College Cork 2010 Retrieved 14 June 2015 Song of Dermot and the Earl Corpus of Electronic Texts 24 February 2011 ed University College Cork 2011 Retrieved 14 June 2015 Sweetman HS ed 1875 Calendar of Documents Relating to Ireland Preserved in Her Majesty s Public Record Office London 1171 1251 London Longman amp Co The Annals in Cotton MS Titus A XXV Corpus of Electronic Texts 13 February 2010 ed University College Cork 2010 Retrieved 13 June 2015 The Annals of Tigernach Corpus of Electronic Texts 8 February 2016 ed University College Cork 2016 Retrieved 8 May 2018 The Annals of Ulster Corpus of Electronic Texts 29 August 2008 ed University College Cork 2008 Retrieved 13 June 2015 The Annals of Ulster Corpus of Electronic Texts 6 January 2017 ed University College Cork 2017 Retrieved 8 May 2018 The Twentieth Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records and Keeper of the State Papers in Ireland Dublin Her Majesty s Stationery Office 1888 Williams Ab Ithel J ed 1860 Brut y Tywysigion or The Chronicle of the Princes Rerum Britannicarum Medii AEvi Scriptores London Longman Green Longman and Roberts OL 24776516M Wright T Forester T Hoare RC eds 1905 The Historical Works of Giraldus Cambrensis London George Bell amp Sons Secondary sources edit Baile Mhic Thorcail Iochtarach Placenames Database of Ireland n d Retrieved 12 June 2015 Baile Mhic Thorcail Uachtarach Placenames Database of Ireland n d Retrieved 12 June 2015 Byrne FJ 2008a 2005 Ireland and Her Neighbours c 1014 c 1072 In o Croinin D ed Prehistoric and Early Ireland New History of Ireland Oxford Oxford University Press pp 862 898 ISBN 978 0 19 821737 4 Byrne FJ 2008b 1987 The Trembling Sod Ireland in 1169 In Cosgrove A ed Medieval Ireland 1169 1534 New History of Ireland Oxford Oxford University Press pp 1 42 ISBN 978 0 19 821755 8 Corlett C Condit E 2013 Tully Church Laughanstown Co Dublin Archaeology Ireland Heritage Guide Wordwell ISSN 0790 892X JSTOR 41981920 Downham C 2013 Living on the Edge Scandinavian Dublin in the Twelfth Century No Horns on Their Helmets Essays on the Insular Viking Age Celtic Anglo Saxon and Scandinavian Studies Aberdeen Centre for Anglo Saxon Studies and The Centre for Celtic Studies University of Aberdeen pp 157 178 ISBN 978 0 9557720 1 6 ISSN 2051 6509 Duffy S 1992 Irishmen and Islesmen in the Kingdoms of Dublin and Man 1052 1171 Eriu 43 93 133 eISSN 2009 0056 ISSN 0332 0758 JSTOR 30007421 Duffy S 1993 Ireland and the Irish Sea Region 1014 1318 PhD thesis Trinity College Dublin hdl 2262 77137 Edmonds F 2014 Saints Cults and Gaelic Scandinavian Influence Around the Cumberland Coast and North of the Solway Firth In Sigurdsson JV Bolton T eds Celtic Norse Relationships in the Irish Sea in the Middle Ages 800 1200 The Northern World North Europe and the Baltic c 400 1700 AD Peoples Economics and Cultures Leiden Brill pp 39 63 ISBN 978 90 04 25512 8 ISSN 1569 1462 Etchingham C 1994 Evidence of Scandinavian Settlement in Wicklow In Hannigan K Nolan W eds Wicklow History amp Society Dublin Geography Publications ISBN 0 906602 30 0 OL 8293110M Flanagan MT 1997 1996 Irish and Anglo Norman Warfare in Twelfth Century Ireland In Bartlett T Jeffrey K eds A Military History of Ireland Cambridge Cambridge University Press pp 52 75 ISBN 0 521 41599 3 French NE 2015 Dublin 1160 1200 Part One Dublin Historical Record 68 1 21 35 ISSN 0012 6861 JSTOR 24616064 McMahon M Collins B Buckley L Butler V 2002 Early Medieval Settlement and Burial Outside the Enclosed Town Evidence From Archaeological Excavations at Bride Street Dublin Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 102C 4 67 135 doi 10 3318 PRIC 2002 102 1 67 eISSN 2009 0048 ISSN 0035 8991 JSTOR 25506170 Mills J 1894 The Norman Settlement in Leinster The Cantreds near Dublin The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 4 2 160 175 ISSN 0035 9106 JSTOR 25508127 Naismith R 2017 Naismith Rory ed Medieval European Coinage Vol 8 Cambridge Cambridge University Press doi 10 1017 CBO9781139031370 ISBN 9780521260169 O Byrne E 2003 A Much Disputed Land Carrickmines and the Dublin Marches In Duffy S ed Medieval Dublin Vol 4 Dublin Four Courts Press pp 229 252 ISBN 1 85182 743 9 O Byrne E 2004 Cultures in Contact in the Leinster and Dublin Marches 1170 1400 In Duffy S ed Medieval Dublin Vol 5 Dublin Four Courts Press pp 111 148 ISBN 1 85182 801 X O Keeffe T 1998 The Fortifications of Western Ireland AD 1100 1300 and Their Interpretation Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society 50 184 200 ISSN 0332 415X JSTOR 25550202 o Neill J 2006 Excavation of Pre Norman Structures on the Site of an Enclosed Early Christian Cemetery at Cherrywood County Dublin In Duffy S ed Medieval Dublin Vol 7 Dublin Four Courts Press pp 66 88 ISBN 1 85182 974 1 Price L 1954 The Grant to Walter de Ridelesford of Brien and the Land of the Sons of Turchil The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 84 1 72 77 ISSN 0035 9106 JSTOR 25509159 Russell IR Harrison SH Nicholls J Kinsella J McNamara S O Hare N 2007 Woodstown 6 Supplementary Research Project PDF Archaeology Consultancy Services Limited Wyatt D 1999 Gruffudd ap Cynan and the Hiberno Norse World The Welsh History Review 19 4 595 617 eISSN 0083 792X hdl 10107 1083764 ISSN 0043 2431 Wyatt D 2009 Slaves and Warriors in Medieval Britain and Ireland 800 1200 The Northern World North Europe and the Baltic c 400 1700 AD Peoples Economics and Cultures Leiden Brill ISBN 978 90 04 17533 4 ISSN 1569 1462 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Meic Torcaill amp oldid 1180099613, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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