Ferchar-fada, or the _tall_, apparently of the race of Lorn, and
either the son or grandson of Ferchar, who died in 637, seized the
reins of government upon the death of Maolduin. On the death of
Ferchar, in 702, the sceptre passed again to the Fergusian race in
the person of Eocha’-rineval, remarkable for his Roman nose, the son
of Domangart. The reign of this prince was short and unfortunate.
His sceptre was seized by Ainbhcealach, the son of Ferchar-fada,
who succeeded Eocha’ in 705. He was of an excellent disposition,
but after reigning one year, was dethroned by his brother, Selvach,
and obliged, in 706, to take refuge in Ireland. Selvach attacked
the Britons of Strathcluyd, and gained two successive victories
over them, the one at Longecoleth in 710, and the other at the
rock of Mionuirc in 716. At the end of twelve years, Ainbhcealach
returned from Ireland, to regain a sceptre which his brother had
by his cruelties shown himself unworthy to wield, but he perished
in the battle of Finglein, perhaps Glen Fyne at the head of Loch
Fyne, in 719. Selvach met a more formidable rival in Duncha-beg, who
was descended from Fergus, by the line of Congal; he assumed the
government of Cantyre and Argail, and confined Selvach to his family
settlement of Lorn. These two princes appear to have been fairly
matched in disposition and valour, and both exerted themselves for
the destruction of one another, thus bringing many miseries upon
their tribes. In an attempt which they made to invade the territories
of each other in 719 by means of currachs, a naval combat ensued off
Airdeanesbi, (probably Ardaness on the coast of Argyle,) in which
Selvach was overcome by Duncha; but Selvach was not subdued. The
death of Duncha in 721 put an end to his designs; but Eocha’ III.,
the son of Eocha’-rineval, the successor of Duncha, being as bent on
the overthrow of Selvach as his predecessor, continued the war. The
rival chiefs met at Irroisfoichne in 727, where a battle was fought,
which produced nothing but irritation and distress. This lamentable
state of things was put an end to by the death of Selvach in 729.
This event enabled Eocha to assume the government of Lorn, and thus
the Dalriadan kingdom which had been alternately ruled by chiefs of
the houses of Fergus and Lorn became again united under Eocha. He
died in 733, after a reign of thirteen years, during nine of which he
ruled over Cantyre and Argyle, and four over all the Dalriadic tribes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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