This page relates Midhe in the pre-Christian period, as opposed to the medieval Kingdom of Mide. The spellings of ‘Midhe’ and ‘Mide’ (Meath) are often used interchangeably.
The Irish word for a province is ‘cúige’, meaning ‘fifth’, and this has its origins in the early divisions of Ireland. In Irish mythology, the Fir Bolg are said to have been the first to divide the country into five kingdoms,1 but in these stories Midhe didn’t exist and Tara was the capital of Leinster. There are also references in other texts to Leinster being divided into two fifths, with Tara being the royal site of Laigen Tuathgabair,2 North Leinster. Regardless of the original five divisions, it’s clear that the idea of a pentarchy held a certain symbolic power in early Irish society even if there is no concrete evidence of a centralised authority.
The Fir Bolg were probably one of the many Celtic tribes to settle in Ireland and it has been suggested that they may have been ‘Belgae’ – Belgian Celts who had warred with the Roman Empire and later spread out across Europe.3 To this day remnants of their presence remains locally in the place name ‘Moybologue’, or Magh Bolg, meaning The Plain of the Fir Bolg. It is said that a great battle took place here, when the Fir Bolg rebelled against the Milesians, the supposed ancestors of the Gaels. The Norman motte beside Moybologue graveyard is believed to have originally been the grave of the princes who died in that battle.4
During the Battle of Moybolg, the High King Fíachu Finnolach was killed and his wife exiled to Scotland where she gave birth to a son, Túathal Techtmar. Túathal, upon reaching adulthood, raised an army and returned home to reclaim his father’s throne.5 After defeating the usurper High King, he annexed territory from parts of the surrounding provinces to create a new central province of Midhe (meaning “middle”), and within it built palaces at Tara, Uisneach, Tailteann and Tlachtga. As dramatic as this story seems there is actually some evidence to back it up. Significant building activity did happen at those sites during this period, and Agricola – the Roman Governor of Britain – spoke of entertaining an Irish prince who was driven out by rebellion.6
By the 4th or 5th century, Midhe was controlled by the Ulaid and the Laighin until arrival of the Uí Neill, who drove them out. The Uí Neill, a powerful branch of the Connachta dynasty (from which Connacht takes its name), began expanding their influence under the leadership of Niall Noígíallach, also known as Niall of the Nine Hostages. After Niall’s death, his sons who settled in the north became known as the Northern Uí Néill, while those who established themselves in Midhe were called the Southern Uí Néill.
The Southern Uí Néill divided the midlands into smaller kingdoms, one of which was the Kingdom of Mide. The others were the kingdoms of Brega and Tethbae. These smaller kingdoms frequently competed with each other for the overlordship of the Southern Uí Néill and, ultimately, for the high kingship of Ireland.
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References
- Petra S. Hellmuth, ‘Fir Bolg’ in The Celts: History, Life, and Culture, ed. John T. Koch and Antone Minard (California, 2012), p. 347
- Mark Zumbuhl, ‘Leinster’, in Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia, ed. Sean Duffy (New York, 2005), p. 449
- John T. Koch, Celtic Culture, a historical encyclopaedia, Vol. 1, (Santa Barbara & Oxford, 2006), p. 198
- Michael O’ Clery, The Annals of Ireland, translated from the original Irish of the Four Masters by Owen Connelan (Dublin, 1846) p. 345
- Michael Slavin, The Book of Tara (Dublin, 1996), p. 83
- Richard B. Warner, ‘Tuathal Techtmar: a myth or ancient literary evidence for a Roman invasion’ in Emania, 13, (1995), p. 25