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The Meic Torcaill,〔O'Byrne (2003).〕 also known as the Meic Turcaill,〔O'Byrne (2004).〕 were a leading Norse-Gaelic family in mediaeval Dublin. The kindred produced several imminent men and kings of Dublin before the English conquest of this Norse-Gaelic kingdom in 1170. Afterwards the family fell from prominence, losing possession of their extensive lands in the region. In time the Meic Torcaill lost precedence to other Dublin families, such as the Harolds and Archbolds. ==Norse-Gaelic Dublin== The origins of the Meic Torcaill are uncertain.〔Downham (2013) p. 165; Downham (2007) p. 39; Etchingham (1994) p. 129; Duffy (1992) p. 122 n. 146.〕 A possible family predecessor may have been a certain Torcall mac Éola, whose slaying in Wales in 1093 is recorded by the ''Annals of Inisfallen''.〔Downham (2013) p. 168 n. 59; ''Annals of Inisfallen'' (2010) § 1093.5; ''Annals of Inisfallen'' (2008) § 1093.5; Etchingham (1994) p. 129.〕 A son of this man may have been the Torfind mac Torcaill whose death in 1124 is recorded by both the ''Annals of Ulster'', and the ''Annals of Loch Cé''.〔''The Annals of Ulster'' (2012) § 1124.1; ''Annals of Loch Cé'' (2008) § 1124.1; ''The Annals of Ulster'' (2008) § 1124.1; ''Annals of Loch Cé'' (2005) § 1124.1; Duffy (1992) p. 122 n. 146.〕 Torcall mac Éola may have also been related to a certain twelfth-century Manx bishop, "''Hamondus filius Iole''", recorded by the ''Chronicle of Mann''.〔Byrne (2008a) pp. 871–872; Duffy (1992) p. 122 n. 146; Munch; Goss (1874) pp. 114–115.〕 Whatever their precise origins, the Meic Torcaill can certainly be traced back to an early twelfth century. The first member of the family is a certain Torcall, whose rise to power appears to have occurred by 1133, as evidenced by the ''Annals of Loch Cé'', at about a time when Dublin was closely aligned with Diarmait Mac Murchada, King of Leinster (died 1171).〔Downham (2013) pp. 165, 178; Downham (2007) p. 39 ''Annals of Loch Cé'' (2008) § 1133.2; Downham (2007) p. 43; ''Annals of Loch Cé'' (2005) § 1133.2; Duffy (1992) p. 120 n. 135.〕 The latter lost control of the Dublin in 1141, however, as the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' reveals that the town was seized and held by Conchobar Ua Briain, King of Munster (died 1142).〔''Annals of the Four Masters'' (2013a) § 1141.8; ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (2013b) § 1141.8; Downham (2013) p. 165; Byrne (2008b) p. 26; Downham (2007) p. 39.〕 Following Conchobar's ousting, the same source indicates that the Dubliner's installed a certain Islesman, Ottar mac meic Ottair (died 1148), as King of Dublin in 1142.〔''Annals of the Four Masters'' (2013a) § 1142.13; ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (2013b) § 1142.13; Downham (2013) pp. 165–167; Downham (2007) p. 39.〕 The head of the Meic Torcaill during this period appears to have been Torcall's son, Ragnall (died 1146).〔Duffy (1992) p. 122.〕 The ''Annals of the Four Masters'' records that the son of an unnamed Meic Torcaill was slain in 1138,〔''Annals of the Four Masters'' (2013a) § 1138.10; ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (2013b) § 1138.10; Duffy (1992) p. 122.〕 and it is possible that this man was in fact a son of Ragnall. If so, his death may well have weakened the family, and allowed the Meic Ottair to seize power.〔 Two years after Ottar's installation, he and an unnamed member of the Meic Torcaill (who may well have been Ragnall himself), and an unnamed son of a certain Erulb, are noted in the context of mercenary operations in Wales by both ''Annales Cambriæ'' and ''Brenhinoedd y Saeson''.〔Downham (2013) pp. 159 nn. 13–14, 166 n. 46, 173; Wyatt (2009) p. 366, 366 n. 124; Downham (2007) pp. 39, 45; Wyatt (1999) p. 615; Duffy (1992) p. 122, 122 n. 148; Williams Ab Ithel (1860a) p. 42 n. 13; Williams Ab Ithel (1860b) pp. 164–165.〕 In 1146, several sources, such as the ''Annals of Tigernach'', ''Chronicon Scotorum'', and ''Mac Carthaigh's Book'', record the slaying of the aforesaid Ragnall, styling him King of Dublin.〔Downham (2013) p. 166 n. 46; ''Chronicon Scotorum'' (2012) § 1146; ''Chronicon Scotorum'' (2010) § 1146; ''Mac Carthaigh's Book'' (2010a) § 1145-7.1; ''Mac Carthaigh's Book'' (2010b) § 1145-7.1; ''The Annals of Tigernach'' (2010) § 1146.9; Byrne (2008a) p. 871; ''Annals of Tigernach'' (2005) § 1146.9; Duffy (1992) pp. 122–123, 122 n. 149.〕 If these sources are to be believed, Ragnall's reign would appear to begun at some point after the aforesaid operations in Wales, and interrupted the reign of Ottar, who died as king in 1148.〔Downham (2013) p. 166 n. 46.〕 The ''Annals of the Four Masters'', however, accord Ragnall the title ''mórmáer'', which could indicate that he was merely a subordinate within Ottar's regime.〔''Annals of the Four Masters'' (2013a) § 1146.3; ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (2013b) § 1146.3; Byrne (2008a) p. 871; Duffy (1992) pp. 122–123, 123 n. 150.〕 Although Ottar may well have enjoyed the cooperation of the Meic Torcaill in the early part of his reign, the ''Annals of Tigernach'' and ''Chronicon Scotorum'' reveal that they were responsible for his slaying in 1148.〔Downham (2013) p. 166, 166 n. 47; ''Chronicon Scotorum'' (2012) § 1148; ''Chronicon Scotorum'' (2010) § 1148; ''The Annals of Tigernach'' (2010) § 1148.3; Downham (2007) p. 39; ''Annals of Tigernach'' (2005) § 1148.3.〕 The next Meic Torcaill monarch was Ragnall's brother, Brodar (died 1160), whose slaying in 1160, at the hands of the Meic Gilla Sechnaill of South Brega, is revealed by the Cottonian Annals, the ''Annals of the Four Masters'', the ''Annals of Ulster'', and the ''Annals of Tigernach''.〔''Annals of the Four Masters'' (2013a) § 1160.12; ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (2013b) § 1160.12; Downham (2013) pp. 166, 178; ''The Annals of Ulster'' (2012) § 1160.5; ''The Annals in Cotton MS'' ... (2010) § 1160; ''The Annals of Tigernach'' (2010) § 1160.5; ''The Annals of Ulster'' (2008) § 1160.5; Downham (2007) pp. 40, 43 illus. 1; ''Annals of Tigernach'' (2005) § 1160.5; Duffy (1992) p. 125 n. 159.〕 The last King of Dublin was Ragnall's son, Ascall (died 1171).〔Downham (2013) p. 178; Downham (2007) p. 43 illus. 1.〕 In 1167, the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' record that a certain Ragnall mac Ragnaill, styled ''tigerna Gall'' ("lord of the foreigners"), attended a great assembly convened by Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair, King of Connacht (died 1198).〔''Annals of the Four Masters'' (2013a) § 1167.10; ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (2013b) § 1167.10; Flanagan (1997) p. 64; Duffy (1992) p. 131.〕 The latter's name and title suggest that he was either an otherwise unattested brother of Ascall, or else an annalist's mistake for Ascall himself.〔Duffy (1992) p. 131, 131 n. 182.〕 Whatever the case, according to ''Expugnatio Hibernica'', Ascall was driven from the kingship in 1170 by the forces of Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke.〔Downham (2013) p. 157 n. 1; Wright; Forester; Hoare (1905) pp. 213–215 § 17.〕 The following year he was finally defeated in an attempt to retake Dublin. Although Irish sources, such as the ''Annals of the Four Masters'', the ''Annals of Ulster'', the ''Annals of Loch Cé'', the ''Annals of Tigernach'', and ''Mac Carthaigh's Book'', place his death in the context of the military defeat,〔''Annals of the Four Masters'' (2013a) § 1171.17; ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (2013b) § 1171.17; Downham (2013) p. 157 n. 1; ''The Annals of Ulster'' (2012) § 1171.2; ''Mac Carthaigh's Book'' (2010a) § 1171.2; ''Mac Carthaigh's Book'' (2010b) § 1171.2; ''The Annals of Tigernach'' (2010) § 1171.7; ''Annals of Loch Cé'' (2008) § 1171.2; ''The Annals of Ulster'' (2008) § 1171.2; ''Annals of Loch Cé'' (2005) § 1171.2; ''Annals of Tigernach'' (2005) § 1171.6.〕 ''Expugnatio Hibernica'' and the ''Song of Dermot and the Earl'' reveal that he was publicly executed.〔Downham (2013) p. 157 n. 1; ''Song of Dermot and the Earl'' (2010) p. 181 §§ 2465–2472; ''Song of Dermot and the Earl'' (2011) p. 181 §§ 2465–2472; O'Byrne (2004) p. 115; Wright; Forester; Hoare (1905) pp. 219–221 § 21; Dimock (1867) pp. 263–265 § 21.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Meic Torcaill」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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