Primary Website:
I in starting this site up with one thing in mind! That the WHOLE of the Family
can and will be involved in as much as they want to have with this site and to give them the
chance to enter information about their direct lines themselves. With the opportunity to see the
rest of our tree at the same time.
I will be trying to lay out a complete as possible Family Tree
with a complete trace of our Royal Linage in Direct line! AS always, my heart goes out to all with
losses in the family and also wish them peace and Gods richest blessings! Carl R Bradley
The sons of Niall of the Nine Hostages included Eoghan and Conall Gulban, the progenitors of the
Cenél Eóghain and Cenél Conaill dynasties of northwest Ulster. Referred to in Irish history as
chief dynasties of the northern Uí Neill, the Cenél Eóghain and Cenél Conaill shared a common
heritage as early sovereigns (cerimonial High Kings) of Ireland along with their cousins in the
middle kingdoms of Midhe and Brega, i.e., the southern Uí Neill.
There are many notable northern Uí Neill clans which included the various families of Ó Brolcháin or Bradley, O'Neill, O'Donnell, MacLoughlin, O'Donnelly, O'Doherty, O'Cannon, O'Muldory, O'Kane, O'Gallaghers, O'Gormley, O’Flaherty or O’Laverty, O'Hamill, O'Lunney, O'Carolan of Clan Diarmada, among many others.
The sons of Niall of the Nine Hostages, Eoghan, Conall [Gulban], and Enda, travelled north from
the kingdom of Connacht into the western and northern regions of the kingdom of Ulster (county
Donegal). It was here in the 5th century that the Cenél Eóghain and Cenél Conaill began to
establish themselves as overlords in northwestern Ulster.
The Cenél Eóghain established them power base at Inishowen and their capital at Aileach. The Cenél Conaill centered themselves around the rich area of Magh Ithe, in the valley of the river Finn. The two clans alternated as kings of the North up to the 8th century. The Northern Ui Neill also alternated with their southern cousins
as so-called 'sovereigns of Ireland' into the 10th century.
In the 8th century a series of victories were gained by the Cenél Eóghain over the Cenél Conaill
in Magh Ithe (east Co. Donegal), splitting their power between the territories of Fanad, in the
north, and Tir nAeda, in the south. 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 dominance of the Cenél Eóghain continued as they drove further south, subjugating other Airghiallan tribes, and by the 11th century the Cenél Eóghain had moved their power base from Aileach to that near Tullahogue in
modern day county Tyrone (named from Tir Eóghain, or Tir Owen).
By the 12th century much of the area of Magh Ithe, and later that of Inishowen, was taken by the O'Donnells and O'Dohertys of Cenél Conaill. By the mid 13th century, a leading family of the Cenél Eóghain, the Mac Lochlainn
(McLoughlin), began to lose prominence to their kinsmen, the Ó Neill.
There are many notable northern Uí Neill clans which included Ó Brolcháin or Bradley, O'Neill, O'Donnell, MacLoughlin, O'Donnelly, O'Doherty, O'Cannon, O'Muldory, O'Kane, O'Gallagher, O'Gormley, O’Flaherty or
O’Laverty, O'Hamill, O'Lunney, O'Carolan of Clan Diarmada, O'Quin, O'Hagan of Tullahogue, O'Devlin
of Munterdevlin, among many others. Click here for a Physical Map of the Ulster region.
We are Direct Line Descendants of:
Suibne Menn
(or Suibne mac Fiachnai, "Suibne the Stammerer, son of Fiachnae"; died AD 628) was an Irish king who is counted as a High King of Ireland. Suibne belonged to the junior branch of the Cenél nEógain kindred of the northern Uí Néill, the Cenél Feredaig, named for his grandfather Feredach, a great-grandson of Niall of the Nine Hostages.
The kingship of Cenél nEógain had been dominated by the Cenél maic Ercae, descendants of Feradach's brother Muirchertach mac Ercae. Neither Suibne's father Fiachnae, nor his grandfather, had been kings of Cenél nEógain.
Áed Uaridnach of the Cenél maic Ercae died in 612, and the kingship of the Uí Néill passed to the rival northern Cenél Conaill in the person of Máel Coba mac Áedo.
Máel Coba was killed by Suibne in 615, apparently in the midlands of Ireland, whereupon Suibne took power. It is suggested that Suibne Menn's control of the kingship rested on an alliance with another minor Uí Néill kindred, the southern Clann Cholmáin. According to the Irish annals, Óengus, head of Clann Cholmáin, was High King at his death in 621, so that Suibne may have granted Óengus the kingship before assuming it himself.
In 628 Máel Coba's brother Domnall attacked Suibne, but was defeated and fled. Suibne, however, was killed later that year by the king of Ulster, Congal Cáech, who installed himself as High King. Charles-Edwards supposes that this surprising outcome was achieved "perhaps by some form of surprise attack".
Although the Cenél nEógain did not again hold the High Kingship until the 8th century, his descendants, and not the rival Cenél maic Ercae, held the kingship of Cenél nEógain until the death of his great-grandson Fland mac Máele Tuile c. 700.
Imperial Letters Patent:
PRINCELY HOUSE OF BRADLEY
H.M.S.H. Prince and General Flann Adag O'Brolchain, a Native of Northern Ireland and Prince of the Holy Roman Empire. For his heroism with the Austrian Army in the Seven Years' War, by Imperial Letters Patent Dated: 12 March 1764, by Emperor Francis I. (Most Sovereign Hereditary Prince of The Holy Roman Empire).