The Cruithni (Cruithin) of ancient Ulidia were said to occupy an area of south Antrim and north Down, athough they are generally referred to as an early indigenous population located in various parts of eastern Ulster. The Cruithin were noted to have been driven east of the river Bann by the encroachment of the Cenél Eóghain beginning in the 6th century. Their name is given as the Q-Celtic version of Pritani (Welsh Prydyn). As such they are often cited as an ancient people with ties to the Picts, of Ireland and Scotland, although it is not strictly correct to talk of the Ulster Cruthin as Picts since the latter followed a matrilinear regnal succession, as opposed to the Irish derbfhine system. The dynasty of Dál n-Araidhe whose kings resided east of Antrim town in Mag Line emerged as a dominant group among the Cruithne. Cuailgne- or Cuailnge According to the Leabhar na gCeart the kings of Ulaid at one time paid stipends to the kings of Cuailgne, Araide, Coba and Muirthemne. Cuailgne is remembered in the parish of Cooley in county Louth according to the Lebor na hUidre, an area around and between Carlingford lough and Dundalk. O'Donovan places the mountains of Cuailgne near Carlingford, and in his notes mentions the Uí -Meath-Mara, seated in Cualigne. Muirthemne, Cuailgne and Cobra (leg. Coba) were "the three provinces of which Eogain Mac Conaill was King" ( Codex Salmanticensis). K. Dál n-Araidhe - referred anciently with the Cruithne of southern Co. Antrim and northern Co. Down. Dalaradia, considered a part of ancient Ulidia, was the name of the territory in southern County Antrim (and part of Down) where St. Patrick was held as a slave during his young manhood. Other tribes in Ireland with genealogical connection to the Dál n-Araidhe included the Loígis of Leinster, and the Sogain of Connacht. Northern branches of the Dál n-Araidhe included those of Eilne on the western side of the river Bann in co. Antrim. They were encroached upon by the Airghialla as the Uí Thuitre were pushed to expand their territory east of the Bann by the rise of the Uí Neill, beginning in the 7th & 8th centuries. By the 10th century the Uí Thuitre had acquired the territory of the Eilne branch of Dál n-Araidhe. The Dál n-Araidhe in co. Antrim included the Ua Loingsig kings who ruled Magh Line (Moylinny) from Lisnalinchy. Magh Line is described the Circuit of Ireland, by Muirchertach in the barony and county of Antrim, from Lough Negh to near Carrickfergus.

 

Dál Fiatach - the Ulaid Their territory appears to have been along the coast of modern County Down from about the 6th century. They contended for the kingship of Uladh (Ulidia) with the Dál n-Araidhe for many centuriesThe Dál Fiatach are cited in descent from clainn Con Ruí, son of Dáire, son of Dedaed. Further citation gives the lineage from Fiatach Find, son of Dáre, son of Dluthaigh (Forgo), a quo Dál Fiatach, an early king of Ireland The Dal Fiatachwho were also known as Ulaid Dal nAraide also known as the Cruithne Cruithne is also the name applied to the ancient Picts of Scotland (Pictland) The Dál Fiatach and the Dál nAraide were constantly warring with one another over the rulership of their territory (in Ulster) with the Kingship falling into the hands of which ever one was the most powerful at the timeThe portion of Dál Riata that remained in Ireland (County Antrim) allied themselves to the Dál nAraide, helping to make them more powerful, while Cairpre Riata led the rest of his people across the water to the land of the Picts Prior to the rise of the sept of Mac Donnsleibhe (MacDonlevy) at the end of the 12th century, the sept of O hEochaidh (Haughey or O'Hoey) were styled kings of UlidiaSome early Chiefs of Dál Fiatach Fergus Dubdétach mac Imchada Fiachu Find Eochu Gunnat mac Féicc Daig Muiredach Muinderg mac Forgo Cairell Baítán Laígsi Laigen The early genealogy of the Laígsi Laigen cite Lugaid Loígsech son of Conaill Cernaich. From the Laígsi are said to descend the O'More Chiefs of County Leix (Laios) in Leinster. Tribes of Laigin (Leinster)

In the Appendix to Vol.II., a sketch of the history of ancient Oriel is given under the heading "The Clan Colla;" there mentioned the O'Carrolls were princes of Oriel down to the Anglo-Norman invasion. Amongst the other Chief clans who possessed Louth were those of
MacCann
MacCartan
O'Kelly	The Four Tribes of Tara   The Seven Septs of Leix
O'Moore	The Seven Septs of Leix
O'Callaghan
O'Carragher
MacColman
MacCampbell
MacArdle
MacKenny, or MacKenna
O'Devin
O'Markey
O'Branagan
MacScanlan
and others

In the reign of King John, A.D. 1210, Louth was formed into a county; and acquired its name from the town of Louth, in Irish Lugh Mhagh, which signifies the "Plain of Lugh or Lugaid"--and which probably was so called after some ancient Chief.

Seven Septs of Laois Ui Laoighis Loigis

The Loígis, Laígsi or Laoighisi, were mercenary tribes of the Laigin and possibly of Cruithin (Pict) origin. The Loígis claim descendancy from Lugaid Loígsech, son of Conall Cernach. From Conall's line also descend the Dál n-Araide of Ulster. Beginning in the 11th century, the Annals cite the Ua Mórdha (O'More, Moore) as Chiefs of Laíghisi. They are later represented by the 'Seven Septs of Leix', i.e.After the arrival of the Anglo-Normans, the Leix (Laois) County was divided among seven Septs or Clans: O'Moore; In ancient times the O'Moore tribe-name of Ui Laoighis was applied to their territory, this name being derived from a famous Ulster ancestor named Lughaidh Laoigheseach, descendant of the renowned Conall Cearnach, Chief of the Red Branch Knights of Ulster. The territory consisted of the present Baronies of East and West Maryborough, Stradbally and Cullenagh, to which in after years were annexed the Baronies of Ballyadams and Slievemargy. O'Kelly O'Deevy O'Doran O'Lalor O'Dowling McEvoy County Louth or Ancient Oriel; Principal Families of Ulster This confederation began after the 3rd century CE, when the family group that would become the O'Mores came from Ulster to Leinster under the leadership of Laoighseach Cean More, son of Connall Cearnach of the Red Branch, and helped to defend Leinster under the kingship of Cuchorb, and expelled the Munster forces from the region They continued to hold principality over what became Leix (Laois), so named after Laoighseach, and this confederation continued through the Elizabethian wars of the 1500's, when the military and political power of the families were broken and the clans dispossessed and relocated Of these seven clans, the O'Mores were the leading family, holding the position and title of Kings, and then Princes of Leix, as well as the Marshell's and treasurers of Leinster since the 3rd century. Loigis  Non-Laiginian Tribes The Loígis (O'More), the Benntraige (O'Coskry), the Fotharta Fea (O'Nolan), the Fotharta in Chairn (O'Larkin), are considered to have non-Laigin origins I n the 9th century the Chief dynasties which controlled all of the southern and central regions of Laigen were the Úí Cheinnselaig, the Úí Dega, and the Úí Dróna. Enna Nia, son of Bressal Bélach, son of Fiachu Baicced, son of Cathir Mor, was the progenitor of the northern Leinster septs of the Úí Dúnlainge, the Úí Briúin Cuallan (e.g. Cosgrave), and the Úí Fergusa   Benntraige Benntraige is cited by Alfred P. Smyth on the plain of western County Wexford, an area which included Clann Cosgraigh (O'Coskry, Cosgry, Coskerry, Cosgrave) in the mid-12th century.