little is certain of alan's activities in the early 1220s, although his position as constable suggests that he was involved in alexander's peripheral campaigns during these years. one such operation, directed deep into the highlands against a certain domnall mac niall, seems to have been based from inverness, and perhaps directed into the strathspey and great glen regions. alexander's success in this campaign may have led to his establishment of the comyns in badenoch, and to the creation of lordships in stratherrick, boleskine, and abertarff. it is unknown if this campaign was connected to the maritime operations undertaken by alan's brother in the same year. according to the "annals of loch cé", thomas had slain diarmait ua conchobair, a claimant to the kingship of connacht, whilst the latter was en route to connacht with a mercenary fleet recruited in the hebrides. in fact, this clash may have been related to an ultimately unsuccessful scottish intrusion into argyll in the same year.