Niall of the Nine Hostages

Niall of the Nine Hostages (Irish: Niall Noigíallach) was a High King of Ireland who was active early-to-mid 5th century, dying - according to the latest estimates - around 450/455. He is said to have made raids on the coastlines of Britannia and Gaul: these raids are usually credited with bringing Saint Patrick to Ireland as a boy according to some hagiographical sources.

King and High King

There are various versions of how Niall gained his epithet Noígiallach. The oldest is that he took a hostage from each of the nine tuatha or petty kingdoms of the Airgialla. The later, better known story is that he took a hostage from each of the five provinces of Ireland (Ulster, Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Meath), and one each from the Scots, Saxons, Britons, and French (or one each from Dalriada, Caledonia, Strathclyde and Northumbria).

Related Topics:
Tuatha - Airgialla - Ulster - Connacht - Leinster - Munster - Meath - Scots - Saxons - Britons - French - Dalriada - Caledonia - Strathclyde - Northumbria

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Irish sources describe Niall's expeditions to Britain and France, and his reign, as given in the Irish Annals, is roughly contemporaneous with the foundation of Dalriada in Scotland by Irish migrants and the raids by "Scots" on late Roman and post-Roman Britain.

Related Topics:
Britain - France - Annals - Dalriada - Scotland - Scots - Roman

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