Clan Donald tradition traces its roots deep into the first century AD to the Ard Righ (Gaelic =  high king) of Eire (Ireland). For over a thousand years Eire was divided into many small kingdoms each with their own righ (Gaelic = king). In Celtic society the Righ (pronounced Ree) was elected from a family in the clan called the derbfine which literally means 4 generations in Gaelic.  The Ard Righ was also elected from the derbfine of his family.  Ri (alternate spelling due to silent "gh") were chosen from the derbfine after they demonstrated leadership ability rather than the way of the feudal system. 

Under feudal law the “divine” right of rule was the birthright of the eldest son.  Norman and Anglo/Saxon feudalism didn't totally replace the Celtic system in the Scottish Highlands until 600 years after it was first introduced in the 11th century.  Clan Donald was one of the last to conform to the feudal system and this brought our ancestors into conflict with the Scottish feudal government imposed upon them.   Since our modern society is almost totally based upon the feudal concepts of property ownership and indentured servitude (today we call it debt) we must undergo a major paradigm shift in order to understand our ancestors' Celtic way of life.  A prime example of modern historians' failure to make this paradigm shift is when they assume Celtic lines of authority follow feudal heraldic laws.  They don't.

Under feudal law (which became the basis for Scottish Heraldry) the eldest son automatically inherited the land or throne. Under ancient Celtic law any or all of the sons, daughters,  grandsons, or cousins who could trace back to a common grandfather Ri was a candidate to be the next Ri.  A famous example of the daughter of a Ri  or king, inheriting the throne was Macha nic Aed who ruled Ulster prior to Conn Cued Cathach. Under Celtic law local leadership (Ri) were chosen (or elected) by the people and those local leaders elected the Ard Ri after they demonstrated their leadership ability(often in battle).  Celtic Kingdoms were usually divided among all of the children or grandchildren to maintain strong local rule.  The local rulers then formed a confederation rather than a strong central government (Clan Donald is descended from the derbfine of the Ard Ri of Eire beginning with Conn ceud cathach (hundred battles) who was Ard Ri of Eire until 125 AD.

Our link to the ancient derbfine of  the Ard Ri of Ireland is symbolized by the  red right hand of Ulster, Ireland on the Macdonald coat of arms once displayed in the Somerled window of Armadale castle (now in the Museum of the Isles) and the official seal used by Macdonald of Sleat in 1655 displayed as the red wax seal  on the top corner of each page of this web site.   The Red Hand is a very ancient symbol mentioned in Oisinic poetry as each of the  Fianna had their own banner.  Caoilte's banner was the Lamh Dhearg (Gaelic = red hand) In the early 4th century three sons of Eochach Dubhlein (Gaelic ="of Dublin") were Colla Uais, Colla Fo Chri, and Colla Menn.  Their mother was Aileach (Gaelic = "beautiful").  She was the daughter of an Alban king.  Celtic legend states they were of the derbfine of the Ard Ri of Eire and went to battle to prove  Colla Uais  was better suited to be Ard Ri than his uncle.  

Donald Schlegel has proposed an alternate explanation of the origin of the Three Collas.  He states the Three Collas are the only instance in the recorded history of Ireland in which three brothers each have a personal name, a name in common, and titles. The implication is that they were not Irish, but imported.  He suggests they were not descended from Irish Kings but instead were Romanized Britons.  This might account for the y DNA found among the Colla's descendants being unique among the Irish.

It was a belief (Geis) that if you slew a sitting Ard Ri none of your descendants would ever sit upon the throne, but  Colla Uais and his warriors slew the the sitting Ard Ri and defeated his warriors in total disregard of the Geis.  Thus Colla Uais became Ard Ri of all Eire from 322 AD until 326 AD , but not one of his descendants ever occupied that throne.   Then the"The Three Collas" were driven from the throne in 326.  Their clans were banished from Eire  to their mother's land, Alba (ancient Scotland).  The legend of The Three Collas has been repeated around peat fires in the crofts of Clan Colla for over 1500 years to proclaim our royal pedigree and also to explain why the right to rule all Ireland had been lost.   The Annals of the Four Masters refer to this as "The curse of the Finghal" which is a term used to designate Clan Colla in the Leabher Dearg (The Red Book of Clanranald).

The Three Collas returned to Ireland with only 27 followers left after what must have been a difficult three years in Alba.  They  tried to induce their cousin to kill one of them so his posterity would lose their place in the derbfine, but he didn't take the bait.  As Ard Ri he sent them on a dangerous quest to subdue the kingdom of  Ulster.  The Collas assembled an army that succeeded in establishing the kingdom of Airgialla in Ulster Ireland.  From Airgialla came Fergus (Gaelic = man who is strong or in a battle rage) Mòr (Gaelic = senior) who strengthened the Irish Dalriadic kingdom on the west coast of Alba. It still bears the name Argyll from the Gaelic Airer Gaidheal (pronounced Ar-gile) meaning coast of the Gael.   Clan Donald's ancestors were known anciently as Clan Colla because they were descended from those who followed Colla Uais (given name was Cairell) who was once Ard Ri of all Eire.  At the Battle of Harlaw the brosnachadh (Gaelic= inciting to battle) address to the Highland warriors proclaimed Clan Donald their rightful leaders because they were proclaimed descendants of the ancient High Kings of Ireland "Chlann Cholla agus siol Chuinn" (Gaelic= family of Colla back to Conn cued cathach).  The 1411 poem declares, "Ceannas Ghaidheal do Chlann Cholla 's còir frògradh" literally meaning "The head of the Gael to the family of Colla it is right to proclaim".  Recent  interpretations of Clan Donald yDNA indicate a majority of Clan Donald, or even those with the surname MacDonald or its various spellings in English, are not direct paternal descendants of Sòmhairlidh or  Colla Uais.  When seeking to understand the Celtic culture of our  4th to 11th century ancestors it is essential that we not restrict our understanding  by viewing them through 17th century Scottish feudal heraldic law.

The mixture of Gaels and Norse or Picts in Dubhlein, the Isle of Mann, Galloway, the Orkney islands, and the Hebrides were called Gall Gaidheal (pronounced Gael).  Gaidhealach (pronounced "Gaelic") was a term used to denote Scottish Highlanders and Galloglach (pronounced "Gallow glass") was a Gaelic term for Highlanders hired as  mercenaries by Irish Kings.  The Gall Gael, literally "foreign Gael", were characterized in the 8th century Annals of the Four Masters as heathen (non-Christian), often Irish born, foreigners who joined in Viking raids of Ireland and Dalriada from Dubhlein, the Isle of Mann, the Orkney islands,  or the Hebrides.  The term Gall Gael was also used by Highlanders to denote Lowlanders who were considered the offspring of Gael and Pict (Cruithna) in Alba (especially Scotland's Galloway).   Clan Donald is definately Gall Gaidhael as our documented family tree includes a mix of Celtic, Nordic, and Albanic ancestors.  Clan Donald were also  Gaidhealach (Highlanders) and Galloglach (Highland mercenaries in Ireland).

In 563 AD another member of the ruling derbfine, and a cousin to Colla Uais, Còllum Cille (St. Columba), established a Celtic Christian monastery at Iona that was later to become the burying place of Clan Donald Lords.  Còllum Cille helped establish peace between Dalriada and the Picts (native inhabitants of Alba) by orchestrating a massive missionary  effort to convert them to Celtic Christian beliefs.  Then in the 8th century Viking raiding parties began tormenting the kingdom of Dalriada in both Alba and Eire. Viking colonies in the Orkney Islands, the Hebrides, the Isle of Mann, and Dubhlein or Dublin, Ireland became Viking launching sites for constant raids on Ireland, Dalriada, and Britain.

In the 11th century the Irish King, Brian Baru, drove the Vikings from Ireland and after another hundred years  Sòmhairlidh (Somerled) drove the Vikings from Argyll and the Isles that would later become part of Scotland. (Continue by clicking on  Sòmhairlidh .)