'Grianan of Ailigh', Church of Ireland, (Greenan), outside Derry to Letterkenny, by Inch Island, Donegal, Inishowen, Ireland
Another family which has left its name in Ulster is that of the O’Neills, descendants of the 5th century Niall of the Nine Hostages. The peninsula of Inishowen in Donegal was named “Eoghan’s island” after Eoghan son of the family’s Niall, but as power increased, their territory was named Tyrone or “Eoghan’s land”, Aileach “stony place”, now the Greenan. Their fort was above the city of Derry. The origins of the Grianán Ailigh (a mile up the hill from the church) date back to 1700 BC and it's thought to be linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann, pre-Celtic invaders. It was sufficiently significant to be included by Ptolemy, the Alexandrian geographer, in his second-century AD map of the world, and was the base of various northern Irish chieftains. Here in 450, St Patrick is said to have baptized Eoghán, the founder of the O'Neill clan which ruled the kingdom of Ailigh for more than 500 years. In the twelfth century the fort was sacked by Murtagh O'Brian, King of Thomond, in retribution for a raid on Clare, with the result that a large amount of its stone got carried away. Today's impressive building was largely reconstructed in the late nineteenth century and is the only remaining terraced fort in Ireland. It's enclosed by three earthen banks, but its most stunning asset is the view across the primordial jumble of mountains and hills far away to the west and the loughs to each side of Inishowen immediately to the north.
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