An difríocht idir athruithe ar: "Oirialla"

In early manuscripts the [[Bishop of Clogher]] was styled ''Bishop of Oirialla.''

 

In the beginning of the 4th century, three warlike brothers, known as the [[Three Collas]], made a conquest of a great part of Ulster, which they wrested from the Ulaid. It was the after the battle of [[Achaidh Leithdeircc|Achadh Leithdheirg]], fought ''c''331, that they founded Airgialla.<ref name="O'Donovan1856">{{cite book|author=John O'Donovan|title=Annala Rioghachta Éireann: Introductory remarks. Annals, to A.D. 902|url=https://archive.org/details/annalarioghachta03ocleuoft|year=1856|publisher=Hodges, Smith, and Company|pages=[https://archive.org/details/annalarioghachta03ocleuoft/page/124 124]–}}</ref><ref name="O'Cleary2003">{{cite book|author=Michael O'Cleary|title=The Annals of Ireland by the Four Masters Translated Into English by Owen Connellan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6WFO3QOU1c0C&pg=PA3|date=1 March 2003|publisher=Irish Roots Cafe|isbn=978-0-940134-77-5|pages=3–}}</ref> In this battle the forces of the [[Three Collas]] defeated the forces of [[Fergus Foga]], [[king of Ulster]], who was slain, and the victors burned to the ground [[Emain Macha]], the ancient capital of Ulaid.

However, in general it can be shown that the origin legend was written (or composed) in the second quarter of the 8th century to seal their alliance with the [[Northern Uí Néill]].{{Attribution needed|date=December 2013}}

 

The earliest reference to the Airgíalla occurs in the Annals of Tigernach under the year 677, where the death of Dunchad mac Ultan, ''"[[Rí]] Oigriall"'', is noted. However, it is suspected of being a retrospective interpolation. On the other hand, the entry in the Annals of Ulster under the year 697 which lists Mael Fothataig mac Mael Dub as ''"Rex na nAirgialla"'' may indeed be genuine. Both Mael Fothatag and his son, Eochu Lemnae (died 704), are listed among the guarantors of the ''"[[Cáin Adomnáin]]"'' in 697. Thus it is believed that the Airgíalla were probably in existence as an entity by then, or certainly by the opening years of the 8th century.