The Three Collas were three brothers, sons of Eochaid Doimhlen, son of the High King Cairbre Lifechair. Mide (Meath), the smallest of the five chief divisions (fifths) (cf. Lagin), situated between Uladh and Lagin, with its chief ráth at Tara, ruled over by the árd-rí. Meath came into existence later than the other four provinces. The foundation of Meath is ascribed to Tuathal Techtmar in Irish history.
The three Collas made war with the High King of Ireland, Fiachadh, their uncle and overthrew and killed him in order to sieze the Kingship for Colla Uais, which he enjoyed for four years. Muiredach Tirech, the son of the slain king Fiachadh, overthrew the three Collas and their followers. It was when Muiredeach Tireach, grandson of Carbri of the Liffey, was High King of Ireland, that Ulster was despoiled and broken by his nephews, the three Collas, who, on the ruins of the old kingdom of Uladh, founded a new kingdom - of Oirgialla (Oriel) which was henceforth for nearly a thousand years to play an important part in the history of North Ireland. About the yeare 327 the three Collas were exiled to Alba (Scotland). They were received into their maternal grandfather's court, the court of the Scots and Picts. They went into exile in Alba (Scotland), because their mother was a daughter of the king of Alba.
The Irish Annals record for the yeare of our Lord 331, "The battle of Achadh Leithdheirg, in Fearnmhagh (Farney), was fought by the three Collas against the Ulstermen, in which fell Fearghus Fogha, son of Fraechar Foirtriun, the last king of Ulster, who resided at Eamhain. They afterwards burned the former capital of Ulster at Eamhain [Macha; Navan Fort], the seate of Conchobar mac Nessa in the tales of the Ulster Cycle, and the Ulstermen did not dwell therein since. The administrative capital is in Co. Meath, forming part of Leinster, the location of Kells in 1152.
Historically this province of Meath included all of the current county as well as all of Westmeath and parts of Cavan, Dublin, Kildare, Longford, Louth and Offaly. The High King of Ireland sat at Tara in Meath. The confluence of the River Blackwater flowing south east from Virginia Lake and the famous River Boyne occurs in Navan. Situated in the famous Boyne Valley, bordered by Irish Sea and counties Cavan, Fingal, Kildare, Louth, Monaghan, Offaly and Westmeath. An old stone bridge crosses the River Kells, separating Kells from the adjacent village of Connor, near Ballymena in Co. Antrim. There was no monastic establishment at Connor in the Middle Ages, though there was an Augustinian community at Kells nearby. The Synod of Kells completed the transition of the Roman Catholic Church of Ireland from a monastic church to the diocesan church that continues today. Saint Columba and the Abbey Kells, the Book of Kells was produced by Celtic monks around 800 AD at the time of the Viking invasions, by monks from the monastery at Iona (off the Western coast of Scotland and as far as Iceland.)
The earliest inhabitants of ANTRIM (Aontreibh; single house or habitation), this part of Ireland on record were a race of its ancient Celtic possessors, designated by Ptolemy Darnii or Darini; and it deserves notice that Nennius mentions the "regions of Dalrieda" as the ultimate settlement of the Scythian colony in Ireland. The town of Antrim lies less than a mile from the shores of Lough Neagh and a river, the Six Mile Water, runs through its centre.
In the ancient division of the island the southern and south-western parts of this county were included in the territory called Dalaradiae, or Ulidia, the western and north-western were designated Dalrieda, and the name of the whole was Endrium or Andrium, signifying the "habitation of the waters," and strikingly descriptive of its situation. It was afterwards divided into the three districts of North or Lower Clan Hugh Boy, Claneboy, or Clandeboy; the Glynnes; and the Reuta, Route, or Rowte. North or Lower Clandeboy, now included in the adjacent county of Down, extended from Carrickfergus bay and the river Lagan to Lough Neagh, and consisted of the tract now forming the baronies of Belfast, Massareene, and Antrim.
The Glynnes, so called from the intersection of its surface by many rock dells, extended from Larne, northward along the coast, to Ballycastle, being backed by the mountains on the west, and containing the present baronies of Glenarm and part of that of Carey. The Route included nearly all the rest of the county to the west and north, forming the more ancient Dalrieda. A right of supremacy over the lords of this territory was claimed by the powerful family of the northern O'Nials (now written Ó Neill), who were at length deprived of the southern part of this county, at the time of the arrival of the English, by the family of Savage and other English adventurers. The ruins of Antrim Castle can be found in Antrim Castle Gardens, a water gardens site that dates as far back as the 17th century; one of the earliest of its kind remaining in the British Isles the gardens feature an ancient motte.
The Collas also took from the Ulstermen that part of the province extending from the Righe and Loch nEathach (Neagh) westwards. Six major rivers flow into the Lough while the Lower Bann River provides the exit, carrying water from the north end of the Lough at Toome to the sea on the north coast of North Ireland, drying part of Co. Monaghan. Five of the six counties of North Ireland have shores on the Lough: Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down, and Tyrone. How the Lough was formed when Ireland's legendary giant, Fionn mac Cumhaill or "Finn McCool", scooped up a portion of the land and tossed it at a Scottish rival. He missed, and the chunk of earth landed in the Irish Sea, thus creating the Isle of Man.
Colla Meann fell in this battle. Colla Menn had sons named Mennit Chruthnech and Mugdorn Dub di Ultaib. From Colla Meann descended the Mughdorna and the Dál Mennat. The Collas first went to their kin in Connaught [King Muiredeach] and there gathered a great army for the invasion of Ulster. On the plain of Farney in Monaghan they met the Ulstermen under their king, Fergus, and on seven successive days broke battle upon them, finally slaying Fergus and putting the Ultach (Ulstermen) to complete rout. Of the conquered portion of Ulster, from Louth in the south to Derry in the north, and from Loch Neagh to Loch Erne, Fermanagh the Collas made themselves the new kingdom of Oirgialla (Oriel).
The next ruler of note in Irish history was Conn of the Hundred Battles, son of Feidlimid, son of Tuathal. Conn had to take his throne from a usurper, Cathair Mor. Connacht is named for Conn. Conn was followed by his grandson Connaire II until his own son Art could take the throne. The king after Art was Lugaid until Art's son, Colmac was of age. Colmac's forces, in the yeare 240 AD, successfully invaded and held Alba for Ireland. Colmac was followed by his son Carbri Lifeachar. Carbri's son, Fiacha became King of Connacht. For some years now the stepping stone to Tara where the High King reigned was through the position of King of Connacht. Fiacha was made High King in 300 AD. His son Muiredeach, was doing so well in his father's battles and at court, that another branch of the sept headed by the brothers Colla, plotted to kill Fiacha and Muiredeach to take the throne. The brothers Colla killed Fiacha but were unable to kill Muiredeach, who defeated them after four years of fighting. Muiredeach reigned for 27 years as High King. His son was Eochaid Muighmhedon also seen as Eochidh, Eochay or Eochy Moyvane. He was the 124th king of Ireland.
Ancient Irish tradition tells us that Airghialla (or Oriel) was a territory in north Ireland founded by the three Collas about the 4th century of the Christian Era, and inhabited by their descendants in later centuries. As is the case with much of Irish saga prior to the 6th century keep in mind the line between myth and history is unclear. It was when Muiredeach Tireach, grandson of Carbri of the Liffey, was High King of Ireland, that Ulster was despoiled and broken by his nephews, the three Collas, who, on the ruins of the old kingdom of Uladh, founded a new kingdom - of Oirgialla (Oriel) which was henceforth for nearly a thousand years to play an important part in the history of North Ireland.
It appears from Ptolemy that Louth formed, in his time, part of the territory of the Voluntii, called LOUTH which extended southward to that of the Eblani. It was subsequently included in the independent sovereignty of Orgial, or Argial, called by the English Oriel or Uriel, forming a large part of the province of Meath, including also the counties of Armagh and Monaghan. This principality is stated to have formed the subordinate territory of Conal Muirthemne, called also Hy Conal and Machuire-Conal, in which were the smaller districts if Fera Arda, or Fatharta, the present barony of Ferrard; Hy Segan, or Hy Seanghain, that of Ardee; Fera Lorg, Lorgan, or Lurgin, that of Lower Dundalk; Hy Mac Uais, the country of the Mac Scanlans, that of Upper Dundalk; and Ludha, or Lugha, that of Louth, which last was the country of the O'Carrols, chiefs of Argial. Argial was conquered by John de Courcy in 1183, after which it was divided into Irish Argial and English Uriel.
The Collas first went to their kin in Connaught [King Muiredeach] and there gathered a great army for the invasion of Ulster. On the plain of Farney in Monaghan they met the Ulstermen under their king, Fergus, and on seven successive days broke battle upon them, finally slaying Fergus and putting the Ultach (Ulstermen) to complete rout. Of the conquered portion of Ulster, from Louth in the south to Derry in the north, and from Loch Neagh to Loch Erne, the Collas made themselves the new kingdom of Oirgialla (Oriel).