Uladh, Ullagh, Ulaid and Ulidia were ancient names for the territory in the modern Irish province of Ulster, related in particular to the eastern portion of the province. The Dal nAriade and the Dal Fiatach were the ruling dynasties for much of Uladh's history. By the 4th and 5th centuries much of the western and central portions of Ulster began to be dominated by the tribes of the northern Uí Neill and the Oirghialla.

The Annals and the early genealogies cite many of the Kings of Ulaid back through the mists and myths of time, with some of the early Monarchs of Ireland in descent from Ir and from Heremon, sons of Milesius. Numerous events with connections to early Ulster are cited in the Annals of the Four Masters.

• Attacks from the midland kingdom of Mide led to Ulster's disintegration in the 4th and 5th centuries.
• Ulster was an ancient province of northeast Ireland, named after one of its Chief inhabitants, the Ulaid (Voluntii). Other early peoples included the Pictish tribe of the Robogdii, the Cruithin and the Darini. Later there were the Dál Riata, Dál nAraide and the Dál Fiatach. Ulster had its ancient druidic capital at Emain Macha, near the modern city of Armagh.
• The province subsequently split into the three kingdoms of
  • Airgialla (in central Ulster)
  • Aileach, (in western Ulster: Donegal and Armagh)
  • the kingdom of Ulaid (in eastern Ulster)
• By the 8th century the island's clans had grouped themselves into five provinces, of which Ulster under the Uí Néill dynasty was the leading one until the 11th century.

The ancient Uladh genealogies cite Clann Conaill Cernaich , of the line of Ir, a quo Dál n-Araide, and the Úi Echach Ulad, and the Conaille Murthemni, and the Laígsi Laigen (of Leinster), and the Sogaine (of Connacht). The Dál Fiatach (Clan Con Ruí, probably named from Fiatach Finn) and the Dál Riata (named from Cairbre Riada) are cited in the line of Heremon.

Ptolemy also mentions the country of the Darnii, or Darini, possibly in the present county of Derry, prior to the rise of the O'Cathains, a branch and tributary to the O'Nialls (Northern Uí Neill). By the beginning of the 9th century the Cenél Eóghain were the dominant Northern dynasty, as they spread their influence east into modern county Derry, pushing aside the Cruithin east of the river Bann, gaining control over the Ciannachta of mid-Derry, and steadily encroaching on the Airgiallan tribes of Ui Macc Uais.

The Úí Eochadha, later anglicized as Haughey, O'Hoey and Hoy, were noted Chiefs of Uladh (Ulster) in the 10th century. The ancestors of the Úí Eochadha were Lords in the county Down and south Antrim area for many centuries. It is interesting to review the extensive list of the kings and Lords of Uladh (Ulidia) over many centuries.

By the time of the Norman Invasion in the late 12th century the Mac Mac Duinnshléibhe (MacDonlevy) sept, named for their late 11th century ancestor Donn Slébhe Ua h-Eochadha, were Chiefs of Uladh. The end of many centuries of Ulidian power, although dramatically reduced in the 4th and 5th centuries, came with the defeat of the MacDonlevys by John de Courcy in 1177.

The Magennis (MacGuinness) sept, Lords of Iveagh, are stated to be descended from the Dál Araidhe. Their lineage cites ancestry from Saran, a 5th century Chief of Dál Araidhe during the time of St. Patrick, and continues through the line of the Eathach Cobha of the Iveagh area of County Down.

Other names included on the list of Ulster Kings were referenced as Ua Mathghamhna and Ua Flaithrí.

• The folklore of early Uladh (eastern Ulster) is recorded in many of the early Irish Annals, which include such volumes as the Annals of Ulster, the Annals of the Four Masters, etc. This folklore cites Ir, the fifth son of King Milesius (from Spain), as progenitor of some of the earliest tribes of Ulster. Ir and his brothers, Heber and Heremon, were claimed to arrive in Ireland with an expeditionary force from anywhere between the 17th to the 6th centuries B.C., and to have spawned many of the noble families of Ireland. Thus is one of the earliest and more enduring of Irish legends, that of the Milesian race.
  
  The Leabhar na gCeart [Book of Rights] describes Uladh originally including the whole province of Ulster, from Bun Drobhais, the river Drowse, county Donegal, to Inbher Colpa, the mouth of the river Boyne, but after the destruction of Eamhain Macha by the 3 Collas, A.D. 332, it was restricted to the territory east of the river Bann, Lough Neagh, and the Newry river.
  
  Other than the tribes of Uladh, the central and western portions of the province of Ulster were, by about the 4th and 5th centuries, held by the clans of the Airghialla, as well as the powerful northern Úí Neill clans of the Cenél Éoghain and Cenél Conaill, among others in this group. This page will focus on the eastern portion of the province of Ulster, often referred to as the territory of the Ulaid and Cruithne(Pictland).
  
  An ancient cultural center for the Ulaid was at Emhain Macha, in modern county Armagh, before being driven east by the incursion of the three Collas. An ancient territory in Ulster, referred to in these texts as Uladh, Ulaid and Ulidia, was noted to be the home of the Ulaid and the Cruithne tribes, among others;

• the Dál Fiatach A later center for the Dál Fiatachwas established at or near modern Downpatrick in county Down.
• Dál Araidhe
• Uí Eathach Cobha
• Conaille Muirtheimhne
• Leth Cathail
• Dál Riada

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 Ptolemy/ Uladh (Ulster Region)

Some of the early "references" of tribal names in Ulster come to us from scholars translating the map of Ireland that Ptolemy provided in the middle of the 2nd century. Little is known of these tribal names, or exactly where and if they existed under these names. For purposes of sharing one version of these translations the following paragraph is drawn from Samuel Lewis in the early 19th century.

About the time of Ptolemy (c.150 AD) the tribes of the Vennicnii and the Rhobogdii are translated to be near the modern county of Donegal, prior to the arrival of the sons of Niall in the 4th century, that is

• Eoghan of Cenél Eóghain(Ó Neill)
• Conall Gulban of Cenél Conaill (Ó Neill)
• Enda of Cenél nEnnae
• Cairbe of Cenél Cairpre

Ptolemy also mentions the country of the Darnii, or Darini, possibly in the present county of Derry, prior to the rise of the O'Cathains, a branch and tributary to the O'Nialls (Northern Úí Neill). In the present county of Antrim the Darnii or Darini are also inferred from Ptolemy, prior to the rise of the Dál Riata in that area. In the present county of Tyrone, the Scoti and sometimes the Erdini are said to be translated from Ptolemy's early map, prior to the rise of power of the Cineal Eoghain (Tir Owen, Tyrone).The present county of Down and southern Antrim has traditionally been known under the name Ulagh, with the Voluntii or Uluntii inferred from Ptolemy, prior to the rise of the Dál Fiatach and Dál nAraide branches of Ulidia.

The Uí Eathach Cobha were also prominent in Down in descent from the Dal nAriade. Modern county Armagh, the home of the ancient capitol of Ulidia (Uladh), that is Emhain Macha, was mentioned by Ptolemy as home to the Vinderii and Voluntii, prior to the establishment of Oirgialla by the three Collas in the 4th century. It has also been translated from Ptolemy that the Scoti inhabited modern county Monaghan, and that the Erdini (Ernaigh) may have inhabited modern counties Fermanagh and Cavan.

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Keating in his History gives the following placenames in Ulaid Greater or Lesser:

• Aenach Alti
• Árd Bó
• Árd Mic Nascai
• Árd Srátha
• Bennchor
• Bruden Blai Briuga
• Cassán Linne
• Cell Aedáin
• Cell Duinsige
• Cell Lomchon
• Cell Ruaidh in Dál Araide
• Cell Sléibe
• Ciannachta Glinne Geimin
• Conaille Muirtheimne
• Daire Dachonna Dál mBuachalla
• Dál mBuinne
• Doire Luráin
• Druim Bó
• Druim Niad
• Dún Dá Lethglas [Downpatrick]
• Enach Elte
• Fir Manach
• Iubar Cind Tráchta
• Lann Abaich
• Latharna Maige Molt [Larne]
• Leth Cathail, Liathros
• Loch Cuan
• Loch n-Echach
• Loch Láig
• Mag Deisitin
• Maginis
• Nóindruim
• Ráith Colptha
• Saball
• Sliab Cuilenn
• Tech Eóin
• Úi Echach

• Index
• 4-Leaf Pages