DALRIADA

dalriada, the name of two ancient gaelic kingdoms, one in ireland and the other in scotland. the name means the home of the descendants of riada. irish dalriada was the district which now forms the northern part of county antrim, and from which about a.d. 500 some emigrants crossed over to scotland, and founded in argyllshire the scottish kingdom of dalriada. for a time scottish dalriada appears to have been dependent upon irish dalriada, but about 575 king aidan secured its independence. one of aidan's successors, kenneth, became king of the picts about 843, and gradually the name dalriada both in ireland and scotland fell into disuse. see w. f. skene, _celtic scotland_ (edinburgh, 1876-1880). dalry (gaelic, "the field of the king"), a mining and manufacturing town of ayrshire, scotland, on the garnock, 23(1/4) m. s.w. of glasgow, by the glasgow & south-western railway. pop. (1901) 5316. the public buildings include the library and reading-room, the assembly rooms, davidshill hospital, temperance hall and night asylum. there is a public park. the industries consist of woollen factories, worsted spinning, box-, cabinet-, coke- and brick-making, machine-knitting, currying and the manufacture of aerated waters. coal and iron are found, but mining is not extensively pursued. in the vicinity are the iron works of blair and glengarnock, and a curious stalactite cave, known as elf house, 30 ft. high and about 200 ft. long, offering some resemblance to a pointed aisle. rye water flows into the garnock close to the town. captain thomas crawford of jordanhill (1530-1603), the captor of dumbarton castle, spent the closing years of his life at dalry, where a considerable estate had been granted to him.