According to folk history, the 6th century BC saw the division of Ireland into five separate kingdoms: Ulster (w), Connaught (s), Munster (e), Leinster, and Mide. Ulster and Connaught were the two most powerful kingdoms. However, by 300 AD, Ulster had lost much of its power. The ruling houses in Connaught and Mide emerged and expanded their kingdoms, essentially splitting Ireland in two. The people of Ulster were pushed to a northern section of Ireland bordering the Irish Sea, and their name was changed to Dal Riata. Eventually the Sons of Niall, the ruling family of Connaught, ruled the Dal Riata. Unhappy with the natural borders of the sea, they began to colonize the land of the Picts.