[18] In fact, Ruaidhrí himself was illegitimate, and only gained formal control of the lordship after his legitimate half-sister,[19] Cairistíona, resigned her rights to him at some point during the reign of Robert I, King of Scotland.

[20][note 2] Raghnall's father appears to be identical to the Clann Ruaidhrí dynast—styled "King of the Hebrides"—who lost his life in the service of the Bruce campaign in Ireland in 1318.

If so, the forfeiture could have stemmed from resistance advanced by Raghnall to counter Cairistíona's attempts to alienate the Clann Ruaidhrí estate from him and transfer it into the clutches of the Caimbéalaigh.

[54][note 6] There is reason to suspect that the establishment of the Caimbéalaigh constabulary of Dunstaffnage formed part of a plan to create a new western sheriffdom based at Tarbert.

[64] In fact, it may have been at the Scone parliament of 1323—perhaps at the same time that work on Tarbert Castle was authorised—that the constabulary was granted to the Caimbéalaigh, along with lands in Benderloch, Ardnastaffnage, Inverawe, and other places in Lorn.

[70][note 8] At the time, Raghnall and Eóin were apparently supporters of Edward Balliol,[72] a claimant to the Scottish throne who held power in the realm from 1332 to 1336.

[75][note 9] At about this time, Raghnall received the rights to Kintail from William III, Earl of Ross, a transaction which was confirmed by the king that July.

[82] There is reason to suspect that the king's recognition of this grant may have been intended as a regional counterbalance of sorts, since he also diverted the rights to Skye from Eóin to William III.

[90] At the time of his demise, Raghnall had been obeying the king's muster at Perth, in preparation for the Scots' imminent invasion of England.

[93] Although William III was later to pay dearly for his disertion,[94] his part in the murder evinces his determination to deal with the threat of encroachment of Clann Ruaidhrí power into what he regarded as his own domain.

[111] This could in turn indicate that the Steward was using the kindred in a military capacity to extend his own power eastwards into Atholl,[112] where he appears to have also made use of connections with Clann Donnchaidh.

[113][note 12] If certain fifteenth-century pedigrees are two be believed, Raghnall had at least one illegitimate son, and his descendants continued to act as leaders of Clann Ruaidhrí.