Niall of the Nine Hostages

Niall Noígíallach
High King of Ireland
Reignc. 405 (27 years)
CoronationTara
PredecessorEochaid Mugmedon
Bornc.4th century
Diedc.5th century
Spouse
  • 1. Rignach
  • 2. Indiu
FatherEochaid Mugmedon
MotherCairenn Chasdub

Niall Noígíallach (pronounced [ˈn͈ʲiːal͈ n͈oiˈɣʲiːal͈əx]; Old Irish "having nine hostages"), or Niall of the Nine Hostages, was a legendary, semi-historical Irish king who was the ancestor of the Uí Néill dynasties that dominated Ireland from the 6th to the 10th centuries. Historical Irish annalistic and chronicle sources place his reign in the late 4th and early 5th centuries, but modern scholars date him about half a century later.