(Seal of the "mac Donchadha" Clan)
The Tale of Connal mac Donchadha and Sons
Part 0: Prologue
"Lo, and behold the story of men and mercies, of vengeance and glory, of war and peace. Sing your song, and let your voices be heard, oh angels of Ireland! From the wellspring of life, praise your child, oh Connal mac Donchadha!"
- Stair Chlann Donchadh, Volume 1 (1794)
Thus is how the legend of Connell McDuncan begins, written centuries after his life by late members of his clan. The histories of Connal mac Donchadha are a mix of legend and fact, but we are focused primarily on the facts, in comparison to the fancy. How does the story of Connal mac Donchadha begin? It begins in the court of Áed mac Tadg, King of Connacht on 4 July, 1039 CE. Connal was, as his name stated, the son of a low nobleman: Donchadha mac Tadg (unrelated to King Tadg in Eich Gil). Donchadha served under King Áed faithfully for many years, and Connal earned all the privileges of a noble-born birth, including an education.
When Connal was at the tender age of 10, his father was arrested on false charges of treason, and executed by King Áed. Fearing for his life, he was ferried away from Connacht to the court of the disputed High King of Ireland, Diarmait mac Máel, and there he focused his later education on warfare and strategy. He came of age in 1055 CE, where Connal would become a loyal member of the High King's court. The High King saw potential in the boy, and invariably made him a member of the royal guard. Connal grew into a brave and patient man, with a penchant for stratagem. Years later, with funding from the High King, Conall was allowed to leave the court, and form his own mercenary corps. He would name this company "The Irish Keepers", and set up camp in the outskirts of Ceatharlach (modern-day Carlow). He'd marry his first wife, Tailltiu "The Chaste", and came to earn a devoted follower in the lowborn Eichnechan.
(The Banner of the Irish Keepers)
They say that Connal was unusually tall for his time. Modern estimations of his skeletal remains placed him at approximately 193 cm (6'4"), making him an imposing and intimidating figure. Legends of course speak to his brave and patient nature, but also of his vengefulness and deviancy in privacy. He was an enemy of the Conchobair Clan, seeking justice for his father, who was betrayed by them. His travels would take him from his homeland of Ireland, across the Irish sea to England, across the channel to France and the Roman Empires of West and East. This is merely the beginning of the tale of Conall mac Donchadha.
