Introduction to Alison and Terry.
Irish and Scottish
A free house
Family owned and run.

The relationship between the peoples of Scotland and Ireland is an ancient one.
Dalriada was named for the clan known as the Dál Riata whose origins were in the coastal region of north-east Antrim. The boundaries of Dalriada are hard to determine and probably, as a result of skirmishes, changed frequently.
The earliest settlement from Dalriada in Ireland to Scotland was probably in the late Second Century when Cairbre Riada, Son of Conary, King of Ireland established a presence on the west coast of Alba. More than four hundred years later this was documented by the Venerable Bede:
“ In the course of time, Britain, besides Britons and Picts, received a third nation, the Scoti, who, issuing from Hibernia under the leadership of Reuda, secured for themselves, either by friendship or by the sword, settlement among the Picts. From the name of their commander they are, to this day, called Dalreudini".
Early in the Sixth Century, Christianity was embraced throughout Ireland and Scotland. Saint Brigid or Bride, one of the most revered of Irish patron saints, founded a monastic settlement in Kildare. She was of noble birth, also claiming her lineage back to Con of the Hundred Battles. Saint Brigid died on 1 st February 525 AD. What is less well-known is that Bride is also revered in Scotland; it is said that the Western Isles – The Hy-Brides – are named after her.
From the time Fergus had established a powerbase in Scotland, the Irish Dalriada went into decline. There were constant squabbles with the Cruithín clans in Ulster. In the early part of the Sixth Century Fergus moved the capital of Dalriada to Dunadd in Scotland and from this point forth, the Irish Dalriada was subservient to the Scottish kingdom. This was a source of friction in itself for there certainly remained an Irish King of Dalriada after this time.
Christianity was now firmly established and Saint Columba enters our story at this point. Again of noble birth, he was said to have changed his original name Crimthan – which means ‘The Fox’ – to Colm (Dove) when he developed an interest in Christianity. He built many churches throughout Ireland and Scotland and this earned him the title, ColmCille, Colm The Church Builder.
It is said that Colm’s copying of the Cathach (The Book of Psalms) was the source of dispute over copyright. The dispute was the cause of one of the greatest battles of the period, Cul Dreimne in 563 AD. It is known that Colm’s people hired themselves as mercenaries to the Uí Néills. Some stories say that following the battle, Colm was filled with remorse and was intent on leaving Ireland “to find an island from which Ireland could not be seen”. Other accounts suggest he was forced into exile.
In any case, Colm went to Dunadd to seek help from his cousin, Conall, King of Dalriada. It seems that through Colm’s aristocratic connections he was granted the island of Iona where he established Scotland’s most influential church. From this time Colm became a significant player in the politics of Dalriada; he may even have visited Brude, King of the Picts, to ensure an established peace with Dalriada. Despite his commitment not to return to Ireland, Colm made several visits on both diplomatic and church business.
Colm’s entry to Dalriada was marked by an extremely unsettled period in the kingdom’s history. The Picts had recently defeated Dalriada in battle and the Irish part of the kingdom was pushing for total independence from Scotland.
In later years Dalriada expanded from its base in Argyll at the expense of the Picts and Britons of Strathclyde. The Scots influence over the tribes of Northern Britain was extended through marriage with the Picts and Britons. In the middle of the Ninth Century, the separate kingships of Scotland were united under Cinaed Mac Alpín, King of Dalriada.
From its first king, Fergus Mac Erc, Dalriada established the bloodline of subsequent Scottish monarchs. Through the Stuarts, this has continued to subsequent British kings and queens. It is clear that from humble beginnings the Dál Riata have helped shape the history of the British Isles for the past 1600 years
 

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