The story of the Dál Fiatach began when the old Celtic world was dying and the new Catholic one beginning. The story ended when the Gaelic world was ending and the Norman one beginning. The last 200 years of this story tells us the beginnings of the Hoy/Hoey/Haughey surname.
Eochaidh mac Ardgail (Owey the son of Ardgail, not a surname), ríl Uladh was killed in 1004 at the battle of Cráeb Tulcha.
"The battle of Cráeb Tulcha between the Ulaid and the Cenél Eógain, i.e. on Thursday the 18th of the Kalends, of October (14th September), and the Ulaid were defeated; and therein fell Eochaid son of Ardgar, king of Ulaid, and his kinsman Dub Tuinne, and his two sons, Cú Duilig and Domnall; and there was also a slaughter of the army, both noble and base Gairbíth king of Uí Echach, and Gilla Pátraic son of Tomaltach, and Cumuscach son of Flathroí, and Dub Slánga son of Aed, and Cathalán son of Étrú, and Coinéne son of Muirchertach, as well as the elite of the Ulaid; and the combat ranged as far as Dún Echdach and Druim Bó. Thus in the Book of Dub Dá Leithe. Moreover, Aed son of Domnall ua Néill, king of Ailech, fell there in the 29th year of his age and in the tenth of his reign, and others also; but the Cenél Eógain claim that he was killed by themselves."
The reason for the Cenél Eógain rage was that they had lost the High-Kingship of Ireland by 1003 to Brian Ború and without that, they had no ancient Seanchas and this defined who they were in the Irish world. It was not until after 1300 that they would be granted the title of ríl Uladh (king of Ulster) by the annals.
The Dál Fiatach were in chaos after the battle and in the 12 years after it, there were five men were king among Eochaidh's brothers, son, and grandsons until his son Niall became king in 1016 and ruled for 47 years restoring the Dál Fiatach to stability. It was in his reign that the Hoy/Hoey/Haughey surname began, although Niall himself never used it and used Niall mac Eochada which may be the source of the McGeough surname. Eochada is an older form of Eochaidh and something like Ockey to Owey.
- The first man we know to use the new surname was Flagherty O'Heochaidh around 1019 who seems to have been Niall's cousin.
- Donn Sléibe Ua hEochada was king in 1078
- Aéd Meránach Ua hEochada was king after him
Donn Sléibe Ua hEochada had three sons and possibly a grandson who were kings before the line of kings passed through a fourth son Conchobar Cisénách Ua hEochada who was not a king himself. Conor's son Cú Uladh was king as were his five sons in succession. These were the last six kings of the Dál Fiatach and the Uladh as the Normans now held their land and they fled to new homes. F.J. Byrne says that in 1137, Cú Uladh Ua hEochada took a new surname for his line which was Mac Duinnshléibhe after Donn Sléibe Ua hEochada. The last of these brothers was Ruaidhrí Mac Duinnshléibhe who was killed in 1201 and was the last rí Uladh and the Dál Fiatach. History records this in English now, as Rory MacDunleavey the last king of Ulster.
After this, the story of the Hoy/Hoey/Haughey surname takes two paths. One with the MacDunleavey to Donegal and the other to Louth which was part of Airghialla (Oriel) at that time. The Annals of Ulster for 1171 note that "Ane, daughter of the Mac Duinnsleibhe [Ua Eochadha] queen of Airghialla, died". The Annals of the Four Masters note for the same year that "The daughter of Ua hEochadha, and wife of Murchadh Ua Cearbhaill, lord of Oirghialla, died". Murchadh Ua Cearbhaill died in 1189 and his son Muirchertach riegned until his death in 1194. Muirchertach was then the first cousin of the five MacDunleavey brothers who fought the Normons from 1177 until Rory MacDunleavey's death in 1201 at which time an Ó hAnluain (O'Hanlon) reigned in Airghialla until 1243. During this time the O'Hanlons moved from Armagh to Louth around the present Louth Village where an important monestary was located.
Excerpt from Rev. William Reeves, "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down and Connor" about these years.
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