Ainbcellach mac Ferchair was king of the

Cenél Loairn The Cenél Loairn, the descendants of Loarn mac Eirc, controlled parts of northern Argyll around the Firth of Lorne, most probably centred in Lorne but perhaps including the islands of Mull and Colonsay, Morvern and Ardnamurchan. The boundary to t ...

Dál Riata Dál Riata or Dál Riada (also Dalriada) () was a Gaelic kingdom that encompassed the western seaboard of Scotland and north-eastern Ireland, on each side of the North Channel. At its height in the 6th and 7th centuries, it covered what is now ...

, and perhaps of all Dál Riata, from 697 until 698, when he was deposed and exiled to

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. He was a son of

Ferchar Fota Ferchar Fota (''Ferchar the Tall'') (died c. 697) was probably king of the Cenél Loairn of Dál Riata, and perhaps of all Dál Riata. His father is named as Feredach mac Fergusa and he was said to be a descendant in the 6th generation of Loarn mac ...

. He is given the epithet the Good in the ''

Duan Albanach The Duan Albanach (Song of the Scots) is a Middle Gaelic poem. Written during the reign of Mael Coluim III, who ruled between 1058 and 1093, it is found in a variety of Irish sources, and the usual version comes from the ''Book of Lecan'' and '' ...

'', a praise poem from the 11th century. It is unclear how long he remained in exile. There are reports of fighting in Dál Riata in the early 8th century which might be a conflict between Ainbcellach and his brother,

Selbach mac Ferchair Selbach mac Ferchair (died 730) was king of the Cenél Loairn and of Dál Riata. Selbach's existence is well-attested as he is mentioned repeatedly in Irish annals. Life Selbach mac Ferchair was a son of Ferchar Fota. He ruled as king of the Cen� ...

, or between the Cenél Loairn and the

Cenél nGabráin The Cenél nGabráin was a kingroup, presumed to descend from Gabrán mac Domangairt, which dominated the kingship of Dál Riata until the late 7th century and continued to provide kings thereafter. Kings of Alba and of Scotland traced their desce ...

for control of Dál Riata. Ainbcellach had certainly returned by September 719, when he was killed fighting against Selbach in "Finnglen" (perhaps near

Loch Fyne Loch Fyne ( gd, Loch Fìne, ; meaning "Loch of the Vine/Wine"), is a sea loch off the Firth of Clyde and forms part of the coast of the Cowal peninsula. Located on the west coast of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It extends inland from the Sound o ...

). Ainbcellach's son Muiredach was later king of the Cenél Loairn. The later

Mormaers of Moray The title Earl of Moray, Mormaer of Moray or King of Moray was originally held by the rulers of the Province of Moray, which existed from the 10th century with varying degrees of independence from the Kingdom of Alba to the south. Until 1130 th ...

traced their descent to Ainbcellach and the Cenél Loairn through Ainbcellach's son Ruadrí.

References

* Anderson, Alan Orr, ''Early Sources of Scottish History A.D 500–1286'', volume 1. Reprinted with corrections. Paul Watkins, Stamford, 1990. * Broun, Dauvit, "Pictish Kings 761–839: Integration with Dál Riata or Separate Development" in Sally M. Foster (ed.), ''The St Andrews Sarcophagus: A Pictish masterpiece and its international connections.'' Four Courts, Dublin, 1998.

External links

Annals of Ulster
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mac Ferchair, Ainbcellach 719 deaths Kings of Dál Riata 8th-century Irish monarchs 7th-century Scottish monarchs 8th-century Scottish monarchs Year of birth unknown