Gofraid mac Fergusa facts for kids

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Forms of Gofraid mac Fergusa's name as they appear on folios 313r (image a) and 320v (image b) of the seventeenth-century Dublin Royal Irish Academy C iii 3 (the Annals of the Four Masters).

Gofraid mac Fergusa is a mysterious figure from old Irish records. He is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters and in old family trees. These records say he was an ancestor of powerful families like Clann Somhairle and Clann Domhnaill.

According to these stories, Gofraid was the son of Fergus mac Eirc, a legendary king. He was also said to be a descendant of Colla Uais, another famous Irish king. The old records claim Gofraid was a ruler from Airgíalla (a kingdom in Ireland). They say he helped Cináed mac Ailpín, a Scottish king, in 835. Sixteen years later, he supposedly died as a ruler of the Isles.

However, modern historians believe Gofraid mac Fergusa probably never existed. His place in the family trees doesn't make sense with the timeline. Also, the stories about him in the old records are not supported by any other reliable sources from that time. It seems these stories were added to the records much later, possibly to make the powerful families seem more important.

Historians think Gofraid mac Fergusa might have been created to connect Clann Somhairle to Gofraid Crobán. Gofraid Crobán was a real ruler who founded the Crovan dynasty. This dynasty was very important in the Kingdom of the Isles. Clann Somhairle leaders used their connection to Gofraid Crobán to claim power in the Isles. This connection was highly valued in the 1200s. The made-up link to Fergus mac Eirc and Cináed mac Ailpín likely helped Clann Domhnaill connect themselves to the early history of the Scottish realm.

Who Was Gofraid mac Fergusa?

This image shows an old family tree from the Ó Cianáin Miscellany. It is one of the earliest records to mention Gofraid mac Fergusa.

Many old documents, some from the 1700s, describe the family history of Somairle mac Gilla Brigte. He was the founder of Clann Somhairle, a major family in the Middle Ages. This family had three main branches: Clann Dubhghaill, Clann Ruaidhrí, and Clann Domhnaill. The oldest family tree for Somairle seems to be from the 1300s.

While these old family trees differ, many mention a person named Gofraid mac Fergusa. This means "Gofraid, son of Fergus." His father, Fergus, is usually shown as the son of Erc. This suggests he was linked to the famous Fergus mac Eirc, a legendary king from the 400s. These family trees often go back even further to Colla Uais, a legendary Irish king. Colla Uais was traditionally an ancestor of the Uí Macc Uais family from Airgíalla.

The number of generations between Somairle, Fergus mac Eirc, and Colla Uais is too small to be real. This suggests that Fergus mac Eirc and Colla Uais were added to the family line later. Somairle's family history can only be proven back to his grandfather. The names between his grandfather and Gofraid mac Fergusa also change a lot and include unusual names. Only Colla Uais, Fergus mac Eirc, and Gofraid mac Fergusa are mentioned outside these specific family trees.

Stories in Old Records: Are They True?

This image shows the name of Somairle mac Gilla Brigte in an old book. The record incorrectly states when he died.

Gofraid mac Fergusa is mentioned twice in the Annals of the Four Masters. These are old Irish historical records. One entry is dated 834, and the other 851. The 834 entry says Gofraid mac Fergusa was a chief from Airgíalla. It claims he went to Scotland to help Dál Riata at the request of Cináed mac Ailpín (who died in 858). The 851 entry calls Gofraid mac Fergusa the chief of Innsi Gall (the Islands of the Foreigners) when it reports his death.

There are several reasons to doubt these stories:

• The name Gofraid comes from an Old Norse (Viking) name, while Fergus is a Gaelic name. It's very early for such mixed names among important leaders in the 800s, especially in central Ireland.
• The name Gofraid is not found in any true Irish or Norse records from the 800s.
• No other old source mentions a Gofraid son of Fergus among the Airgíalla.
• King Cináed mac Ailpín didn't rule until 842. The idea that he ruled in 834 appeared much later in other writings.
• The term Innsi Gall (Islands of the Foreigners) wasn't used in the 800s. It first appeared in historical records in the 900s.

Another strange entry in the Annals of the Four Masters concerns Somairle. He was a real king who died in 1164. But the Annals of the Four Masters incorrectly says he died in 1083, eighty-one years earlier.

There's a connection between this incorrect entry and the two about Gofraid mac Fergusa. All three are short sentences added to the end of longer entries. This might mean they were all put into the records at the same time. Also, these three entries seem to be shifted by eighty-one years compared to real historical events. For example:

• The Annals of Ulster says Gofraid ua Ímair (who died in 934) died 230 years before Somairle's death.
• The Annals of the Four Masters places Gofraid mac Fergusa's death 230 years before its incorrect date for Somairle's death.
• The Annals of the Four Masters says Gofraid mac Fergusa died sixteen years after arriving in Scotland from Ireland.
• The Annals of Ulster says Gofraid ua Ímair died sixteen years after he arrived in Britain from Ireland.

This table shows how the dates in the Annals of the Four Masters seem to be shifted:

How the Story of Gofraid mac Fergusa Developed

This image shows the name of Gofraid Crobán in the Chronicle of Mann: "Godredus Crouan".

We don't know exactly how Gofraid mac Fergusa became linked to the real Gofraid ua Ímair. This likely happened between the 1300s and 1600s. The story of Gofraid mac Fergusa probably developed between the 1380s (when Cináed's incorrect start date as king became popular) and the 1630s (when the Annals of the Four Masters was finished).

What we do know is that in the 1100s and 1200s, members of Clann Somhairle claimed the kingship of the Isles. They did this through Somairle's wife, Ragnailt. She was the daughter of Amlaíb mac Gofraid (who died in 1153). Ragnailt and her father belonged to the Crovan dynasty, founded by Gofraid Crobán (who died in 1095).

Gofraid Crobán was a very important figure for both the Crovan dynasty and Clann Somhairle. These two families were rivals for control of the Isles. This suggests that Gofraid Crobán is the "Gofraid" mentioned in the earliest poems about Clann Somhairle's ancestors. These poems, from the 1200s, talk about the "seed" or "race" of Gofraid.

The reasons why Gofraid Crobán might have been changed into Gofraid mac Fergusa are not clear. One idea is that later generations might have felt uneasy about tracing their ancestry through a woman (Ragnailt). So, they might have created a direct male link to a Gofraid. Another reason could be a desire to reject Gofraid Crobán. This might have led them to adopt a link to a similar-sounding historical figure like Gofraid ua Ímair.

Rejecting Gofraid Crobán might have happened if Clann Domhnaill became less proud of their ancestors who were not fully Gaelic. Also, as the clan became more involved with the Scottish realm, they might have wanted a stronger Scottish connection. It's possible that Gofraid mac Fergusa was first introduced during the Wars of Scottish Independence. At that time, Clann Domhnaill strongly supported the Bruce family.

Another idea is that the fake entries in the old records were created as late as the 1600s. This could have been for a legal fight over Rathlin Island. A chief named Randal MacDonnell (who died in 1636) used family history to support his claim.

In any case, the made-up link to Fergus mac Eirc in the family trees, and the fake connection to Cináed mac Ailpín in the old records, show something important. Members of Clann Domhnaill likely wanted to be closely linked to the earliest history of Scotland. This way, they could claim a family history as important as that of the Scottish kings themselves.