Áed Buidhe ‘yellow/blond Hugh’, a fictional member of the historical Ua Cearbhaill family who ruled the land to the north of Meath
Alberic FitzJohan son of an Anglo-Norman slave in Gaelic Meath
Angret household servant to Hugo de Lacy
Aodán a warrior of Áed Buidhe Ua Cearbhal’s household in east Bréfine
Caoimhín a wealthy bóaire in Míde, client of Mánus Máel Sechlainn
Cearbhaill monk of the abbey of St Féichín
Cathal Crobhdearg ‘Cathal of the redhand’, brother to the
Ua Conor High King Ruairí Ua Conor
Conn son of Mánus Máel Sechlainn
Donchad chief warrior of the household of Mánus Máel Sechlainn
Erc warrior of the household of Mánus Máel Sechlainn
Étain woman of the household of Mánus Máel Sechlainn
Fiacra boy of the household of Mánus Máel Sechlainn
Folzebarbe jester to Hugo de Lacy
Gormflaith wife of Mánus Máel Sechlainn
Gunnar Ostman of Dublin
Gryffyn de Carew household knight of Hugo de Lacy
Hamund Ostman/boy of Dublin and servant to Hugo de Lacy
Johan the Sasanach John de Crécy, Alberic’s father
Lochru man of the farmstead of Mánus Máel Sechlainn
Milesius (Malachy) Ua Ruairc, coarb of the abbey of St Féichín
Mór woman of the household of Mánus Máel Sechlainn
Ness woman of the household of Áed Buidhe Ua Cearbhall
Ruadán warrior of Luigne
Saer steward to Hugo de Lacy
Thorkil Ostman of Dublin
Tuar ollamh to Mánus Máel Sechlainn
Áed Mac Bricc saint of the seventh century
Anluán character in the mythological tale ‘Mac Dá Thó’s Pig’ from the Ulster Cycle
Basilia de Clare sister to the Earl Richard de Clare (Strongbow) and wife of Robert de Quincy
Brian Borumhne Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, ad 978–1014
Conall Cearnach mythological hero of the Ulster Cycle
Conn Cétchathach legendary High King of Ireland and ancestor to the Connachta
Crom Cruach pre-Christian deity
Crom Dubh later name for Crom Cruach: ‘the black stooped one’
Cumhal mythological hero and father of Finn of the Fianna, killed by Goll Mac Morna
Cyhyraeth Welsh spectre similar to the Irish banshee whose cry presages death; said to sound for Welsh natives dying far from home
Cynan Grufyd ap Cynan, Welsh prince who grew up in North Dublin
de Angulo Joyceln d’Angulo, possibly of Pembrokeshire, knight of Hugo de Lacy in Ireland, later Baron of Navan
de Feypo Adam de Feypo, a knight of Hugo de Lacy in Herefordshire who followed Hugo to Ireland
de Tuite Richard de Tuite, Anglo-Norman knight serving first Strongbow, then de Lacy
Diarmaid mythological warrior of the Fianna, Gráinne’s lover
Finn MacCumhal legendary warrior from Gaelic Irish literature
Flann Sinna ninth-century King of Meath and cofounder of Clonmacnoise
Gautier de Lacy Walter de Lacy
Gráinne mythological wife of Finn MacCumhal and Diarmaid’s lover
Henri Plantagenet Henri Cortmantle/Henri Fitzempress, King of England, Count of Anjou and of Normandy, regent of Aquitaine
Hugo de Lacy Lord of Ewyas Lacy, Weobley and Ludlow in Herefordshire, England; later Lord of Meath and occasional Justiciar of Ireland; husband to Rohese de Monmouth and father of Hugo and Walter
Hugo Tŷrel knight of Hampshire, in Hugo de Lacy’s retinue in Ireland, and Baron of Castleknock
Hugo Hugo de Lacy the younger, later Earl of Ulster
Iosa Críost Jesus Christ
Launcelot mythological knight from the court of King Arthur and featuring in epic poetry of the medieval period
le Petit William le Petit, knight of Hugo de Lacy
Lorcán Ua Tuathail Abbot of Glendalough and later Archbishop of Dublin
Mac Morna legendary warrior from Gaelic Irish literature
Mac Murchada Diarmait Mac Murchada, exiled King of Leinster
Mánus Máel Sechlainn, claimant to the kingship of Meath in the later twelfth century
Meyler FitzHenry son of Henry FitzHenry, an illegitimate son of King Henry I, by Nest, daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr; cousin to Raymond le Gros
Midir member of the mythological Túatha de Dannan, a son of the Dagda and judge to his people
Mog Ruith mythical druid, father of Tlachta
Muircetach Ua Bríain King of Munster, descendant of Brian Boru
Patricius fifth-century St Patrick, a British slave taken to Ireland; after escaping, Patrick returned to convert the Gaelic Irish to Christianity
Raymond Raymond FitzWilliam de Carew, known as Raymond le Gros
Rohese de Monmouth wife of Hugo de Lacy and mother to Hugo the younger and Walter
Ruairí Ua Conor High King of Ireland
Simon Magus biblical figure known as a sorceror
St Agatha third-century virgin martyr of Sicily
St Brigid fifth/sixth-century saint, abbess and founder of the great monastery of Kildare
St Kevin seventh-century saint, founder of Glendalough, co. Wicklow
St Féichín seventh-century saint and founder of Fore Abbey, co. Westmeath
St Lasair Gaelic saint associated with sites in cos Monaghan, Fermanagh and Roscommon
St Michan eighth-century saint, patron of St Michan’s Church, Dublin
St Samson ninth-century Welsh saint who had a connection to north Dublin
Tigernán Ua Ruairc King of Bréifne
Tlachta mythical mother of three heroes, daughter of the druid Mog Ruith
Ua Bríain Kings of Munster
Ua Néil Kings of Ulster
Ua Ragallaig a lord in east Bréifne
Yonec romantic hero of a twelfth-century poem attributed to Marie of France
Airgialla ‘Uriel’, ancient kingdom equating to south Ulster
Alba Scotland
an Rinn Ringsend, Dublin
Ard Mhaca Armagh, co. Armagh, centre of the cult of St Patrick and one of the pre-eminent Christian centres in Ireland
Áth Cliath Dublin: ‘ford of the hurdles’
Baile Átha Troim Trim, co. Meath
Baile Griffin Balgriffin, co. Dublin: ‘Griffin’s homestead’
Beal na bPéiste place of pilgrimage in ‘the mouth of the serpent’
Ben of Étair Howth, co. Dublin: ‘hill of Étair’
Bóinne river Boyne, co. Meath
Bradogue river Bradogue, co. Dublin
Bréfine ancient kingdom equating roughly to cos Leitrim and Cavan
Brega ancient kingdom equating roughly to north Dublin and southeast Meath
Bridge of the Ford Drogheda, straddling cos Meath and Louth: ‘droichead átha’
Brú na Bóinne Newgrange, co. Meath
Ceannais Kells, co. Meath, an important ecclesiastical centre
Cluain fada Clonfad, co. Westmeath: ‘long meadow’
Cluain Tarbh Clontarf, north Dublin: ‘meadow of the bull’
Cluan mhic Noise Clonmacnoise, co. Offaly, an important ecclesiastical centre: ‘meadow of the sons of Naoise’
Cluin Ioraird Clonard, co. Westmeath
Cnucha Castleknock, co. Dublin
Croagh Padraig Croagh Patrick, co. Mayo, holy mountain associated with pilgrimage
Cullenswood modern Ranelagh, to the south of Dublin
Dubh Lough the Black Lake at Tailten, co. Meath
Duiblinn Dublin: ‘black pool’
Éirinn Ireland
Ferns Ferns, co. Wexford, Mac Murchada’s capital
Fore Fore, co. Westmeath
Gleann da Locha Glendalough: ‘valley of the two lakes’, an important ecclesiastical centre
High Street a street in the heart of medieval Dublin running between Christchurch Cathedral (priory of the Holy Trinity) and Dublin Castle
Hǫfuð Howth, co. Dublin
Island of Manannán Isle of Man
Laighin roughly equating to the modern province of Leinster
Leith Moga ‘Mugh’s half’: the southern half of Ireland, south of a line between Dublin and Galway
Leth Conn ‘Conn’s half’: an ancient name for the northern half of Ireland, north of a line between Dublin and Galway
Lífe river Liffey, co. Dublin
Lothlind Norway
Merswy river Mersey, cos Lancashire and Cheshire, England
Míde co. Meath
Mumán roughly equating to the modern province of Munster
Osraige ancient kingdom equating roughly to modern co. Kilkenny
Sionainn river Shannon
Sláine Slane, hill in co. Meath, visible from Tara
Sord Columbcille Swords, co. Dublin
Steyne river Steine, Dublin
Teamhair Tara, co. Meath, royal centre
Tethba ancient kingdom including parts of modern cos Meath and Longford
Thule Iceland
Tuamhain Thomond: ‘north Munster’, relating in this period to the kingdom around Limerick
Ulaid historical kingdom in east Ulster
Vadrafjord Waterford