Repinski Family History
*Dietz Family Line
Dietz-Brown-Smith-Sayles-Olney-Abberbury-Coshill-de Cokesy-Griffith-Madog-Gruffyd-Cynan-Branches to Ireland.
*Pope Family Line
Pope-Jenney-Bokill-Leyston-Gerard-Fitzgerald-de Carrew-O'Brian Branches to Ireland
Niall of the Nine Hostages-High King of Ireland
Today on the biggest Irish holiday I have the pleasure of writing about an ancestral great grandfather from a very long time ago in Irish history. Up until a year ago I didn't even know that my family had Irish blood. What a surprise to find this line from my mom's side of our family.
Fourty some generations ago....
I discovered this man about a year ago while researching one of the many branches of my family genealogy.
Since my discovery, I have been trying to find out as much as possible about him and about my lineage from this man of the remote past to myself and my family in the present. What I have discovered is that a pretty huge portion of early Irish history was ruled by and fought over by a plethora of my ancestral great grandfathers and their kinfolk.
This fantastic branch of family history comes from my mother, Marlene Dietz Repinski's family line from her father Raymond Dietz and his father Henry Dietz.
And from this line, I and my siblings and their children are the 46th and 47th great grandchildren of this historic King of the Emerald Isles.
I then discovered a few weeks ago that through my grandfather Raymond's mother, Grace Pope Dietz, that I and my siblings and their children are 44th and 45th great grandchildren of this man as well.
This is probably the 5 or 6th instance of both of my great grandparents being related through the same ancestors. How small the world really is when one thinks about it....
Meet Niall....one of the first High Kings of Ireland...and an ancestor of some other two million humans that have lived on this earth besides me and my kin.
Niall is also rumored to be one of the Irish raiders that kidnapped Saint Patrick in Roman Britain and brought him back to Ireland, thus beginning Patrick's love for Ireland and the eventual attachment of this venerable man to the Irish holiday that millions of people celebrate today in his honor. In fact, one of Niall's sons (Owen-Eogan, my 47th Great Uncle in one line and a 46th Great Grandfather in another line) was baptized by Patrick and was a friend of his and is buried in St. Patrick's churchyard.
Niall is also rumored to be one of the Irish raiders that kidnapped Saint Patrick in Roman Britain and brought him back to Ireland, thus beginning Patrick's love for Ireland and the eventual attachment of this venerable man to the Irish holiday that millions of people celebrate today in his honor. In fact, one of Niall's sons (Owen-Eogan, my 47th Great Uncle in one line and a 46th Great Grandfather in another line) was baptized by Patrick and was a friend of his and is buried in St. Patrick's churchyard.
May the Luck of the Irish be Upon you all as you read the story of my ancestral great grandfather. on this St. Patrick's Day....
The Story of Niall
The time was the middle of the 4th Century and the place was a far away island called Tara (now called Ireland).
There was once a High King of Ireland called Eochaid Mugmoden
His wife was a beautiful dark-haired woman called Mong Find. She had four sons with King Eochaid: Brian, Aillil, Fergus and Fiachra.
But Eochaid was in love with someone else.
He had a hostage he’d taken from the King of the Saxons. The daughter of this Saxon king was named Caireann, and he fell completely in love with her, but Mongfind hated her.
She made Caireann carry the water from the well for the whole household, all by herself and everyone was so afraid of the Queen that they were afraid to look at her or talk to her, so they all turned their faces away when they saw her.
Caireann found out that she was pregnant with the king’s child, and Mongfind made her work even harder in the hopes that she would not be able to carry the baby to term. But she was strong and she was able, and one day on the way to the well, the baby pains came over her, and she gave birth to a son onto the grass. But she was so afraid of Mongfind and what she would do to the baby that she didn’t pick him up. She didn’t even touch him. She picked up the water buckets and carried the water back into the house. No one would pick up the child, everyone was too afraid of the Queen.
That is until a poet called Torna came along. He saw the baby in the grass, and picked him up, and he had a vision. He suddenly knew who this child was and he knew that it would grow up to be the greatest king. He was going to be the King who held Kingship unopposed and all his descendants after him would be kings of Ireland. So Torna decided that no matter what the Queen had to say about it, he was going to take this boy and raise him in secret. He named the baby Niall and raised him and educated him, and he didn’t let him near Tara until he was fully grown and of an age to take the throne.
On that day, Torna and Niall travelled back to Tara. The first person Niall saw was his mother, still carrying buckets of water to and fro from the well. He went over to her and told her to put the buckets down. “What are you doing dressed in rags,” he said “when you are my mother, and I am the King of Ireland’s son?” She protested that the Queen would object to him elevating her, but he took her inside and dressed her in purple robes and gave her a high seat. The Queen was indeed furious. But Eochaid was delighted to see his long-lost son. Everyone in Tara was thrilled with this new arrival, he was beautiful and wise and athletic and noble, so Mongfind realized she could do nothing direct against him.
So instead, Mongfind demanded that Eochaid choose an heir from among his sons. She was sure that he would choose Brian, or one of her sons, because after all, this young man Niall was a stranger, and he had known her sons all their lives and had raised them. But Eochaid really didn’t want to choose. He didn’t want to play favourites, so he asked his druid Sithchean to give them a test to find out which one was suitable to be the next king. Sighchean told the five sons of Eochaid to go into the forge and make weapons for themselves, and that they would be judged accordingly. But as soon as they were in the forge, he closed the door and set it on fire. The real test was to see what they would save from the burning forge. Brian came out first, carrying the hammers, and Sithcheann pronounced that this meant Brian was a strong man, and he would be a fighter. Fiachra carried out a cask of beer, this meant that he would hold the beauty and the science of the people. Aillil carried out a chest of weapons, which meant Ailliil would be the man to take vengeance for the people, and then Fergus came out with a bundle of kindling, which mean that he was withered, or impotent, and he would have no children. Niall came out last, carrying the anvil. Sithchean announced that this meant that he was a solid anvil for all the people, and he was the one who should be King.
Mongfind would not accept this judgement. She told her sons to fight among themselves, and when Niall tried to come between them, to kill him and make out that it was an accident and done in the heat of the moment. They started to quarrel and then to fight, and Niall was about to go over and see if he could make peace between them, but Torna stopped him and said “Let the sons of Eochaid be at peace”. Let them settle their own quarrel, in other words.
Now, even though the druid had pronounced which of the sons of Eochaid should be king, Mongfind would not let this be publicized. Some time after that, the five sons of Eochaid went out hunting. They ranged far away from home, and hunted through a part of the country that none of them had seen before. They caught some game and made a fire to cook what they had killed, but they had brought no water with them. After they had eaten, they were struck with a powerful thirst.
They sent the youngest, Fergus, to go out for water, and he looked high and low and could find nothing. At last he found a well, but barring his way was a woman. She was no ordinary woman, she was a hag. She had long, skinny limbs that were crooked and her skin was spotted with disease and black with dirt. She had fingernails so long they curled and dirt underneath them, mossy teeth that stuck out at all angles like gravestones and hair that was greasy and coarse as a horse’s mane. Fergus plucked up the courage to ask this fearsome creature if he could have a drink of water from the well. She said “Yes, you may. If you give me a kiss.” Fergus declared that he would rather die of thirst and away he ran. He told his brothers that he had found nothing.
Each of the brothers in turn went looking for water, and each in turn found the well, and the hag. Aillil and Brian refused her. Fiachra managed to bring himself to give her a peck on the cheek, and she was quite pleased with this. She told him that two of his descendants would one day be kings, but she wouldn’t give him any water. Each one of the brothers reported that they had found no water at all. At last Niall went looking, and when he found the hag and she told him her price, she said “Not only will I kiss you, I will lie down with you”, and he took her in his arms and he laid her down on the grass, and lo and behold she was transformed into the most beautiful woman, with long straight limbs and white soft skin and golden hair and beautiful rosy lips. She told him that he was going to be King, and all his descendants after him. She told him to take water from the well, and to bring it back to his brothers, but not to let them have any until they swore to give him dominion over them forever and never to challenge him.
He took his time at the well before he came back to his brothers. By now, they were dying of thirst, but Niall refused to give them a drop of water until they had given up their rights to kingship, and renounced their claim to be king. Then they all journeyed back to Tara together.
When they hung up their weapons, Niall hung his weapon up a hand’s span above theirs, to show that he was first among them, and when they sat down, Niall sat at the head of the table. Eochaid and Mongfind came over to ask them how their hunting had gone, and Niall was the one who answered. Now Mongfind stopped him and said it was not appropriate for him to answer, when Brian was his elder and the one who should speak for them. And that is when the brothers told her that they had given Niall dominion over them, and he was the one who would be king. So all Mongfind’s machinations came to nothing.
Niall became the King and to ensure peace in his reign, he conquered all the provinces of Ireland and provinces in Britain and Scotland. Rather than rule over these lands, he took a hostage from each province, nine in total, to ensure that they would not cause any trouble. And all the kings of Ireland after that were descended from Niall of the Nine hostages.
A Little More About Niall from Wikipedia
(How he became known as Niall of the Nine Hostages)
Niall Noígíallach (Old Irish "having nine hostages") (pronounced [niːˈəl noɪˈjiːəlax])[1], English: Niall of the Nine Hostages, son of Eochaid Mugmedón, was an Irish king, the eponymous ancestor of the Uí Néill kindred who dominated Ireland from the 6th century to the 10th century.
The rise of the Uí Néill dynasties and their conquests in Ulster and Leinster are not reliably recorded but have been the subject of considerable study and attempts to reconstruct them.
The O’Neill Dynasty was according to legend founded by Niall of the Nine Hostages who ruled from Tara in the late 4th or early 5th century.
Myth has it that he was descended from ‘Conn of the Hundred Battles’ who, in the 2nd century was reputedly the first High King of Ireland.
Niall’s ‘modus operandi’ for achieving dominance was to take important members of the leading families as hostages until he eventually became a self crowned King.
He led successful raids in Ulster, Roman Britain and in Scotland and it is suggested that one of his hostages may have been St Patrick himself!
He led successful raids in Ulster, Roman Britain and in Scotland and it is suggested that one of his hostages may have been St Patrick himself!
There are two stories to identify Niall’s nine hostages. The less well-known story has it that they were taken from the Airgialla, a once powerful people who controlled an area loosely centred on present-day Armagh and Tyrone and the second, and probably less reliable, story is that Niall took a hostage from each of Ireland’s five provinces (Connaught, Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Meath) and also captured a Briton, a Gaul, a Saxon and a Scot.
After his Niall’s death, his descendants continued to dominate much of Ireland for most the next six centuries. Niall’s legendary military skill was on a par with his sexual prowess (as this was expected of someone of his status at the time) and legend has it that he had at least 12 sons.
Modern DNA shows that 21% of males in the North West and 8.2% of Irish males in the entire country have his genetic fingerprints. It has also been proven that 2% of European males in New York also have his bloodline reflecting 3 centuries of Irish emigration this making up a total of between 2 -3 million off spring!
Some of the modern surnames associated with the Ui Neill include (with or without the O prefix) Neill, Boyle, Bradley, Campbell, Cannon, Coleman, Connor, Devlin, Doherty, Donnell, Donnelly, Egan, Flynn, Gallagher, Gormley, Hynes, Kane, McGovern, McLoughlin, McManus, Molloy, Reilly, Rourke and Quinn. Famous descendants include Niall’s great-great grandson Saint Columba, Saint Máel Ruba, the Kings of Ailech, the Kings of Tir Eogain, and the Kings of Tír Conaill. What a man!
My Family's Two Lines to Niall Noígíallach
(The 126th Monarch of Ireland)
The lineage from our great grandparents, Henry & Grace, is the same up to Niall's great grandson Diarmait Derg mac Fergus Cerbaill O'Néill, High King of Ireland (44th Great Grandfather)
A very neat story about this twice ancestral great grandfather is the prophecy of his death told to him by a druid priest:
Diarmait is told by Bec mac Dé that Áed Dub , Diarmait's foster-son, will be his killer. Accordingly, Diarmait banishes Áed Dub.
Saint Ruadán gives the prophecy that Diarmait will be killed by the roof-beam of his hall at Tara. Diarmait has the beam cast into the sea. Diarmait then asks his druids to find the manner of his death, and they foretell that he will die a threefold death, by slaughter, drowning and burning, and that the signs of his death will be a shirt grown from a single seed of flax, a mantle made of wool from a single sheep, ale brewed from one seed of corn, and bacon from a sow which has never farrowed. On a circuit of Ireland, Diarmait comes to the hall of Banbán at Ráith Bec, and there the fate of which he was warned comes to pass. The roof beam of Tara has been recovered from the sea by Banbán and set in his hall, the shirt and mantle and ale and bacon are duly produced for Diarmait. Diarmait goes to leave Banbán's hall, but Áed Dub, waiting at the door, strikes him down and sets fire to the hall. Diarmait crawls into an ale vat to escape the flames and is duly killed by the falling roof beam. Thus, all the prophecies are fulfilled.
One of the most amazing parts of this story for me is the fact that TWO sons of Diarmait in the 6th century would each sire a line of descendants that would eventually join together again in the late 19th century (1300 years later!!) as husband and wife...my great great grandparents.
How absolutely incredible to discover this....I can't even begin to express the surprise when I discovered it!!
From Diarmait, Henry's line comes down to us through his great great grandson, Colmain Mar Mac Diarmato and no less then 16 Kings and Queens of Ireland.
From Diarmait, Grace's line comes down to us through his great great grandson, Aed Slaine MacDiarmata, 141st Monarch of Ireland, High King of Ireland.
Line #1 from my Great Grandfather Henry Dietz
Niall of the Nine Hostages, King of the Connachta, High King of Tara (Ireland)
46th great grandfather of
Jane,John,James,Jackie, Jeff
(And 47th great grandfather of: Jenny,Ashley, Josh, Hailey,Nate, Ethan & Carter)
→ Marlene Grace Repinski
our mother and grandmother → Raymond Harold Dietz
her father → Henry Chester Dietz
his father → Eleanor May Dietz
his mother → Mary E. Brown
her mother → Mary Elizabeth Smith
her mother → Ziba Smith
her father → Elizabeth Smith
his mother → Thomas Sayles
her father → Elizabeth Sayles
his mother → Rev. Thomas Olney
her father → Rev. Thomas Olney
his father → Thomas Olney, Jr.
his father → Thomas Olney, Sr.
his father → Michael ONELEY
his father → William Sir ONLEYE
his father → Sir Roger Olney
his father → John de Olney, III, Lord Of Weston
his father → Dionysia de Olney
his mother → Agnes Abberbury
her mother → Dionysia Coshill
her mother → Denise de Cokesey
her mother → Angharad verch Griffith
her mother → Gruffudd Maelor II ap Madog, arglwydd Dinas Bran
her father → Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor, Lord Bromfield
his father → Gruffydd Maelor ap Madog, Lord of Bromfield
his father → Susanna verch Gruffydd
his mother → Gruffydd ap Cynan
her father → Ranallt Olafsdottir
his mother → Máelcorcre ingen Dúnlaing Ó Tuathail
her mother → Dúnlang II mac Tuathail, King of Leinster
her father → Tuathal mac Augaire, King of Leinster
his father → Ugaire mac Ailella, King of Leinster
his father → Oilliol / Ailhill mac Dúnlaing, King of Leinster
his father → Dúnlang I, King of Leinster
his father → Muiredach, King of Leinster
his father → Eithne ingen Domnaill Ó Colmáin, Queen of Leinster
his mother → Domnall Midi, 161st High King of Ireland
her father → Murchad Midi mac Diarmait Dian, King of Uisnech
his father → Diarmait Dian, 13th King of Meath
his father → Airmetach Cáech, 12th King of Meath
his father → Conall Guithbinn, 11th King of Meath
his father → Suibne mac Colmain, King of Uisnech
his father → *Colmain Már Mac Diarmato
his father → Diarmait Derg mac Fergus Cerbaill O'Néill, High King of Ireland
his father → Fergus Cennfota mac Conaill
his father → Conall Gulban mac Néill, King Of Tirconal
his father → Niall of the Nine Hostages, King of the Connachta
his father
Line # 2 from Great Grandmother Grace Pope Dietz
Niall of the Nine Hostages, King of the Connachta, High King of Tara (Ireland)
This line that comes down to me from great grandson Aed would not have another High King of Ireland for another 14 generations after Aed until Muirchertach Mac Toirdelbach Mor Ua Briain, High King of Ireland who coincidently descends from Brian Bóruma, who was another famous king of Ireland in the late 10th & early 11th century and the founder of the O'Brian Dynasty.
Niall is the 44th great grandfather of
Jane,John,James,Jackie, Jeff
(And 45th great grandfather of: Jenny,Ashley, Josh, Hailey, Nate, Ethan & Carter)
→ Marlene Grace Repinski
mother & grandmother → Raymond Harold Dietz
her father → Grace Elizabeth Dietz
his mother → Henry Allen Pope
her father → Thomas Paschal Pope
his father → Thomas Faunce Pope
his father → Mitchell Pope
his father → Elnathan Pope, Jr.
his father → Elnathan Pope
his father → Isaac Pope, Sr.,
his father → Sarah Jane Pope
his mother → Capt. John Jenney
her father → Henry Jenney
his father → John Jenney
his father → Sir Christopher Jenney, MP
his father → Sir Edmund Jenney, Knight
his father → Sir William Jenney or Jenne
his father → Maud Bokill
his mother → Jane Bokill
her mother → Lady Anne Leyston
her mother → William Gerard, IV, of Kingsley and Cattenhal,
her father → William III Gerard, of Kingsley and Cattenhal
his father → William Gerard, II, of Kingsley
his father → William Gerard, Lord of Kingsley
his father → William FitzWilliam Fitzgerald
his father → Maria Fitz Gerald de Carew
his mother → Lafracoth ingen Muiredaig Ó Briain
her mother → Muirchertach Mac Toirdelbach Mor Ua Briain, High King of Ireland
her father → Derborgaill ingen Taidg O'Caellaide
his mother → Taidhg Mac Gilla Patraic
her father → Gilla Pátraic mac Donnchada, king of Osraige
his father → Aífe ingen Fáeláin
his mother → Faelan Mac Cormac
her father → Gormlaith Ingen Flann Sinna
his mother → Gormlaith ingen Flainn mac Conaing, Princess of Brega
her mother → Flann Mac Conaing, King of Brega
her father → Conaing MacConGalach
his father → Congalach MacConaing, King of Bregh
his father → Cona(i)ng MacAlmagada, King of Bregh
his father → Amalgaid MacCongalaich
his father → Congalach MacAeda Slaine
his father → *Aed Slaine MacDiarmata, 141st Monarch of Ireland, High King of Ireland
his father → Diarmait Derg mac Fergus Cerbaill O'Néill, High King of Ireland
his father → Fergus Cennfota mac Conaill
his father → Conall Gulban mac Néill, King Of Tirconal
his father → Niall of the Nine Hostages, King of the Connachta
his father
Closing Notes
I am currently also researching yet another line that my family descends from through one of Niall's other sons, Owen-Eogan that I discovered while reading about Niall and the lines from his sons.
Owen was reportedly baptized by St. Patrick and was a friend of his.
Owen's story is talked about briefly in the Wikipedia article below.
So to my family and friends I say today...."May the luck of the Irish be with you all!"
Sources for this story:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niall_of_the_Nine_Hostages
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diarmait_mac_Cerbaill
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Áed_Sláine
https://www.geni.com/people/Niall-of-the-Nine-Hostages-King-of-the-Connachta/6000000000522977268
http://bardmythologies.com/niall-of-the-nine-hostages/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eógan_mac_Néill
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