Niall MacNeil of the Castle 1st of Barra 21st Chief of MacNeil

• Preferred Name: Niall MacNeil of the Castle 1st of Barra 21st Chief of MacNeil
  
• Gender: M
  
• Residence: Kisimul Castle, Castle Bay in Barra, Outer Hebrides, Scotland at LATI: N6.9667 LONG: E7.4833
  
• http://familysearch.org/v1/TitleOfNobility: Prince of Argyll and the Norse Council of the Isles
  
• Death: in Barra, Inverness-shire, Scotland at LATI: N6.9667 LONG: E7.4833 with note: GEDCOM data. Argyll, Isle of Barra, Inverness-shire, Scotland. Standardized.
  
• FSID: L8RX-X69
  
• Residence: He settled on the Isle of Barra in the HebridesBET 1030 AND 1047
  
• Clan Name: with note: Description: 21st Chief of Clan MacNeil
  
• Birth: ABT 1034 in Grianan of Aileach, County Donegal, Ireland at LATI: N5.0236 LONG: E7.4269
  
• http://familysearch.org/v1/TitleOfNobility: 1st of Barra
  
• Notes:

  === Life Sketch ===
  In the year 1014, at the battle of Clontarf, the Norse power in Ireland was broken and they were driven out of that country, though they remained in the western isles and the coast of Scotland for nearly two hundred and fifty years more.
  
  Between the years 1030 and 1049 the Macneils, or Nialls of Ulster, came to Barra under Niall, son of Aodh Aonrachan. As the obituary notice in the Scots Magazine in 1763 stated that it was during the reign of King Malcolm II, who was on the throne from 1005 to 1034 and therefore about the year 1030, and this also accords with local tradition. The mention of Malcolm II would fix the year as prior to 1034 while the Irish records would preclude the possibility of a much earlier date.
  
  On the other hand, the Barra Register's first mentioned date is 1049, it does not necessarily indicate the time of the arrival of the Clan Niall, but it does determine the fact that the Macneils were in possession of Barra before that year. The Barra Register was a record of the achievements of the Clan similar to that kept by other Scots and Irish Clans. It was written in Gaelic and the earliest chroniclers were Macmemeny, Macmanus, Poetess Nic-Iain-Fhinn. In later years it was kept by Hector Macneil of Scurrival, and the last entry was by John, son of Hector Macneil of Vaslan.
  
  During the Chiefship of Niall XXI, there is the Barra tradition that the Norse governor of the Hebrides made an alliance with the Macneils by marrying the Chief's daughter. This is also mentioned in the old Statistical Account of Barra.
  
  Among the traditions relating to the Norse there is also one telling of a battle to the death on the plain south of Ben Eoligarry between the Chief and a Viking. While the Clansmen were at their games the Viking and his men landed near the Traigh Mhor and the two leaders, by mutual desire, engaged in a hand to hand combat in which the Chief was the victor, after which the Clansmen overcame the Norsemen and captured their galley. It was said the Viking was buried on the spot and marked by a stone monument, ruins of which are still standing.
  
  In these times Macneil was not a surname as it is now known, but was used in its literal and descriptive sense, mac Niall, that is, "the son of Neil" or equally "of the line of Niall." In Gaelic speaking communities today, the same custom prevails, as the women are still known as nic Niall, or "daughter of Neil." In due course of time it became a surname, usually anglicized to suit its bearer in regard to spelling, while in Ireland it became ui Niall, "grandson of Neil" or as it was pronounced, O'Neil.
  
  As several traditions of early events in the history of the Clan are quoted, it may be well to give a word of explanation. Tradition is the handmaiden to the early historian and in no place has tradition held such a firmgrasp upon the people as in the Outer Isles. The people of Barra, in these early times, were so isolated and formed a Clan or colony so separate and distinct from the outer world that events coming from without were exceedingly rare and created such indelible impressions upon them that they endured in the minds of the people and in the spoken history of the Clan in a remarkably clear and concise manner.
  
  About the year 1075, Godred Crovan, son of Harald the Black, of Iceland, completely overthrew the government of the Hebrides and Man, and also captured Dublin. He established by far the most complete and perfect government up to that time. He appointed as governor of the Long Island, as the Outer Isles are sometimes called, his son Lagman.
  
  About this time also Niall died and was succeeded by his son Aodh.
  
  Kisimul Castle
  Kisimul Castle is the ancestral seat of the MacNeils and is one of the oldest castles of its type in Britain. Construction completed by the 23rd Chief, Donal.
  Donald, the 23rd Chief of the Clan Neil,