the Saxons. In his absence the god Manannán mac Lir
visits his wife and Mongán is conceived. The fact that
a cycle of tales was composed depicting Fíachnae’s
son Mongán as an extraordinary figure may be due to
some degree to the extent of Fíachnae’s power com-
bined with his alleged relationship with the poets of
the time.
NORA WHITE
References and Further Reading
Byrne, F. J. Irish kings and High Kings. (2nd ed.) Dublin: Four
Courts Press, 2001.
Marstrander, Carl. “How Fiachna mac Baedáin Obtained the
Kingdom of Scotland” Ériu 5 (1911): 113−119.
Meyer, Kuno. The Voyage of Bran. London: Llanerch, 1895.
See also Áedán mac Gabráin;
Comperta; Cruthni
FINE GALL
Fine Gall (literally, kindred of the foreigners) was the
name given to a stretch of territory north of the River
Liffey that was ruled by the Scandinavians of Dublin.
It thus developed after the foundation of the longport
in 841, at the height of the Viking incursions. Today
the name “Fingal” still applies to the area north of the
city from the River Tolka to the Devlin River near
Gormanstown.
Several place names reflect the Viking history of
the area. The names Howth, the Skerries, Ireland’s
Eye, Lambay, and Holmpatrick found along the coast
north of Dublin contain Norse place-name elements.
While it is likely that Vikings settled in the district,
archaeological evidence (for example, from the exca-
vations at Feltrim Hill in North Dublin) indicates that
an Irish population continued to flourish under Viking
control. It is also clear that there was a high level of
interaction between Gaelic and Scandinavian culture
in the area. To date, however, archaeological indicators
to Scandinavian settlement north of the Liffey are few.
It is uncertain when the Vikings seized the lands of
Fine Gall. The temporary occupation of islands off
Brega by Vikings in 852 may represent the beginnings
of this expansion. Nevertheless, the conquest may have
proceeded slowly. The name Fine Gall appears in The
Annals of the Four Masters under the year 868 [= 866],
but this seems to reflect a later gloss added to the
chronicle record (cf. Chronicum Scotorum). More reli-
ably, the name appears in Irish chronicles under the
year 1013. On this occasion the Uí Néill over king
Máel-Sechnaill II raided Fine Gall, including Drinan
and Howth. Other references to this name are found
from the eleventh century onward.
There is evidence that Dublin’s northern hinterland
once reached beyond the boundaries of modern Fingal.
In the 970s, Vikings temporarily held sway over parts
of Meath. By 1052, the northern boundary of their
power had retracted to the Devlin River, which is the
present boundary of Fingal. Vikings also subdued
territory south and west of Dublin. This included all
or part of the barony of Rathdown in the south.
Indeed, the south county is, so far, the only part of
Dublin’s hinterland in which archaeological traces of
Viking houses have been foundat Brownsbarn
(near Clondalkin) and at Cherrywood (near Shankill).
The latter has been identified as a longhouse, typical
of the ninth century. To the west, the place name
Leixlip (Old-Norse laxhlaup, salmon leap) may indi-
cate the extent of Dublin’s influence. The Annals of
Ulster suggest that in 938 their influence extended as
far as Áth Truisten, near Mullaghmast, in County
Kildare. It may be significant that a “hog’s back”
tombthat resembles a type from Scandinavian
Northumberlandhas been found in the area. Nev-
ertheless, their territory shrank with the decline of
Viking power from the late tenth century. The bound-
aries of modern County Dublin may thus represent
the final stage in the long-term evolution of the port’s
territorial power.
Fine Gall was a distinct part of Dublin’s wider
hinterland. The whole territory was named Dyfli-
naskiri (Dublin shire) in Icelandic sagas. This may
be equated with crích Gall mentioned in Irish
sources. This hinterland was significant as a source
of food, building materials, fuel, and other day-to-
day goods for Dublin. Fine Gall in particular was
prized for its agricultural fertility, and the area was
later dubbed “the breadbasket of Dublin.” In the late
tenth and early eleventh centuries there is reference
to another important resource, The Wood of Tórir,
located near Clontarf. This was probably a source of
fuel, building materials, game, nuts, and fodder for
pigs for the Dublin market. Fine Gall also included
the islands of Lambay and Ireland’s Eye. These
served at different times in Dublin’s history as mili-
tary outposts, trading posts, or refuges. For example,
in 902, some of Dublin’s inhabitants fled to Ireland’s
Eye when the port was sacked by troops from Brega
and Leinster.
The political significance of Fine Gall for Dublin
meant that it was often preyed upon by those seek-
ing to win control over the town. At least fifteen
attacks are recorded from 962 until 1162. In spite
of these dangers a large number of ecclesiastical
settlements appear to have flourished in Fine Gall.
The most prominent were Lusk and Swords. Lusk
was founded before the Vikings came to Ireland, butFÍACHNAE MAC BÁETÁIN