85 
Cormac ; who, after experiencing much adverse fortune, finally suc- 
ceeded in subduing his rebellious subjects. "The Damnonians lost 
all their power and possessions in Connaught and the neighbouring 
isles ; the Irish Picts were banished ; and the victorious king’ car- 
ried the war into the country of the British Picts, where he planted 
an Irish colony, led by his relation, Carbre Riada, the Reuda men- 
tioned by Bede. To this martial Prince the royal Dalriadic dynasty 
of Scotland traces its parentage and its name. 
After the irretrievable defeat of the Damnonians, in the battle 
Moy-ai, in the present county of Roscommon, Cormac transferred the 
Sovereignty of Connaught on his half-brother, Niamor, who being: 
slain by Aodh, the deposed prince, the principality, by a decree of 
the monarch, became subject to Lugad, the brother of Niamor. 
It further appears from our annals, that two chiefs, Aengus and 
Concovar of the Huamor Sept, possessed the Isles of Aran, in the 
time of Maud, queen of Connaught, whose reign was not long an- 
terior to the Christian era. Of these chiefs there are still unequivo- 
cal memorials ; one in the Great Isle of Aran called Dun Aenguis, 
* the fortification of Angus ;” the other in the Middle Isle, tradition- 
ally called Dun Concovair, « the fortification of Concovar.” These 
extraordinary remains of ancient military architecture shall be des- 
cribed hereafter. 
Among the early tribes, who had fixed in Aran, we meet men- 
tion of Siol Gangain; and Ptolemy clearly places his Gangani in 
or about these isles. It is more than presumable, that these are 
the Concant whom Orosius traces in Cantabria,* calling them, as 
Camden remarks, Scyths, or Scots.  Silius + and Mela t agree 
with Orosius. The three were natives of Spain; and one of them 
1. leds: + L.3. $ De situ Orbis 1. 2. c. 6. 
