Who was Torquil MacNeill?

Who was Torquil MacNeill?

In the mid-16th century, a certain Torquil MacNeill was known as the ‘chief and principal of the clan and surname of Maknelis’; Torquil may have been the last of the hereditary MacNeill keepers of the castle and this may have passed to the MacMillans. During the time of Torquil, there are records of separate clans on Barra and Gigha.

Who was Niall MacNeill?

Niall, 21st in line of descent is claimed to have come to Barra in 1049 and founded Clan Niall in Scotland. Neil MacNeill, fifth of Barra, was described as a prince at a Council of Isles in 1252. He was chief when King Haakon’s army was defeated at Largs in 1263.

What is the origin of the MacNeil clan?

MacNeil Tartan & Clan. Clan MacNeil claims descent from Niall, a descendent of Aodh O’Neill, a king of Northern Ireland at the beginning of the eleventh century. Niall came to the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides around 1094 and is commonly held to be the first chief of the clan. Clan MacNeil Crest & Motto. “Buaidh No Bas”.

Who were the real king Niall of the Nine Hostages?

For centuries the MacNeil clan based on the Hebridean island of Barra have proudly claimed to be descendants of Ireland’s “greatest” King, Niall of the Nine Hostages, whose dynasty dominated Ireland between the 5th and 10th Centuries, got his name from taking hostages as a strategy against his opponent chieftains.