Domhnall mac Raghnaill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Domhnall mac Raghnaill
Domhnall's apparent name as it appears on folio 47v of British Library Cotton MS Julius A VII (the Chronicle of Mann): "Dofnaldus"
Successor	Aonghus Mór
Noble family	Clann Somhairle
Issue	Aonghus Mór, Alasdair Mór
Father	Raghnall mac Somhairle

Domhnall mac Raghnaill was an important leader in the Hebrides (islands off Scotland's west coast) during the late 1100s and early 1200s. He is known as the founder of Clan Donald, one of Scotland's most famous clans. His name, Domhnall, is where the "Donald" in Clan Donald comes from.

Even though he's a very important figure for Clan Donald, there isn't much information about him from his own time. Most of what we know comes from stories and family records written much later. Some historians even question if he truly existed exactly as described.

Who Was Domhnall's Family?

Domhnall was said to be the son of Raghnall. Raghnall was the son of Somhairle, a powerful leader who died in 1164.

Raghnall, Domhnall's father, was a very strong leader in Argyll and the Hebrides. He was sometimes called 'King of the Isles' or 'Lord of the Hebrides'. His family was so important that both Clann Ruaidhrí and Clan Donald came from him.

Clues About Domhnall's Life

Historians have found a few old writings that might mention Domhnall, even though they don't always use his name directly.

Battles in the Annals

The Annals of Ulster are old Irish historical records. They mention some events that might involve Domhnall:

• In 1209, the "sons of Raghnall, son of Somhairle," fought against people from the Isle of Skye. They suffered a defeat.
• In 1212, the "sons of Raghnall, son of Somhairle," joined a raid on the Irish city of Derry. They used 76 ships and caused a lot of damage.

It's possible Domhnall was one of these "sons of Raghnall." His older brother, Ruaidhrí mac Raghnaill, was also involved in some of these raids.

A Poem for Domhnall

A poem from the 1600s, called Domhnall mac Raghnaill, Rosg Mall (meaning "Domhnall mac Raghnaill, of the Stately Gaze"), might have been written for him. The poem doesn't give many details about his life, but it connects him to The Lennox area and mentions his ancestors. It also talks about his "Gall" stewards, which might refer to people from the Hebrides or those with Norse (Viking) backgrounds.

A Miracle Story from Mann

The Chronicle of the Kings of Man tells a story from 1249 that might be about Domhnall. After the King of Mann died, the new ruler treated one of the old king's trusted older friends badly. This friend was named Dofnaldus (which is Domhnall).

Domhnall and his young son were put in prison. But, thanks to what was believed to be a miracle from St Mary, they escaped! They then went to the Rushen Abbey to give thanks and share their amazing story.

A Possible Old Document

There's an old document, called a charter, that supposedly came from Domhnall. It was found in the records of Paisley Abbey. In this document, Domhnall is described simply as "Domhnall, son of Raghnall, son of Somhairle."

However, some historians think this document might not be real. They believe the monks at Paisley Abbey might have copied a real document from Domhnall's son, Aonghus Mór, to make it seem like Domhnall himself had approved their land rights.

When Did Domhnall Die?

We don't know for sure when Domhnall died. Some old MacDonald stories say he died in 1289, but most modern historians think this is too late.

One idea is that he might have died in 1247 at the Battle of Ballyshannon in Ireland. An old record mentions a "Mac Somhairle, king of Argyll" who died there. However, other historians think this "Mac Somhairle" was more likely Domhnall's older brother, Ruaidhrí.

It's most likely that Domhnall died or retired before 1256. By that year, his son Aonghus Mór was already making land grants as "Lord of Islay," which suggests Domhnall was no longer in charge.

Domhnall's Lasting Impact

Domhnall's biggest legacy is being the founder of the famous Clan Donald. Even though he might not have been the most powerful leader during his own lifetime, his name became the symbol for this huge and important family.

Later stories from Clan Donald sometimes said Domhnall was a "Lord of the Isles," like his descendants. They even claimed that the King of Scotland asked Domhnall to hold the Isles for him instead of the King of Denmark (who ruled Norway at the time). However, historians believe this story doesn't quite fit with what was happening back then.

Even so, Domhnall seems to have left his son, Aonghus Mór, a good amount of land around Islay. His other son, Alasdair Mór, also received lands in Kintyre. A poem for Alasdair said that the land he inherited from Domhnall included "every house from Mull to Kintyre." This shows that Domhnall's family had a strong base in the Hebrides.

Images for kids

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  Domhnall's name in an old book