Ulaidh

Ulaidh is the Irish name used for the Ulaid, an early medieval Gaelic people and the eastern kingdom of Ulster in what is now parts of Ireland. In English-language sources, the same group is usually referred to as the Ulaid or Ulster. The term reflects a historical identity centered in the northeast of the island, and it features prominently in Irish annals and mythic literature.

Etymology and identity: Ulaidh denotes the people and their political realm. The Ulaid were a confederation of dynasties, with principal branches such as the Dál Fiatach and Dál nAraidi. The name Uladh, from which the English Ulster is derived, is the later Irish designation for the broader region.

Geography and political structure: The core territory of the Ulaid lay along the eastern Ulster plain, with Emain Macha (near modern Armagh) serving as a major center. Their influence encompassed parts of what are now several counties in Northern Ireland and the border areas of the Republic of Ireland. Over time, the power of the Ulaid fluctuated and was challenged by neighboring groups, including rival dynasties within Ulster and the expanding authority of the Northern Uí Néill.

History: The Ulaid are attested in early medieval sources as a significant regional power. Their kingdoms fostered Christianization from the 5th century onward, and they maintained political and military interactions with neighboring peoples. By the later medieval period, iwi and dynasties within Ulster alternated in prominence, and the term Ulster began to be used more broadly for the province. The Ulaid are also central to Irish myth, notably in the Ulster Cycle and the legend of the Táin Bó Cúailnge, which places heroic feats and campaigns within Ulaid territory.

Legacy: The historical Ulaid left a lasting imprint in place names, literature, and national memory. In Irish, Ulaidh and Uladh remain important linguistic markers for the region and its historic peoples, while the name Ulster persists in contemporary geography and culture.