Aitíth mac Laigni (died 898) (also Aidíth) was a King of

Ulaid Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or Ulaidh (Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include Ulidia, which is the Latin form of Ulaid, and in ...

, which is now Ulster, Ireland. He belonged to a branch of the

Dal nAraide In Indian cuisine, ''dal'' (also spelled ''daal'' or ''dhal''; pronunciation: , Hindi: दाल, Urdu: ) are dried, split pulses (e.g., lentils, peas, and beans) that do not require soaking before cooking. India is the largest producer of pu ...

known as the

Uí Echach Cobo Iveagh ( ; ) is the name of several historical territorial divisions in what is now County Down, Northern Ireland. Originally it was a Gaelic Irish territory, ruled by the ''Uí Echach Cobo'' and part of the overkingdom of Ulaid. From the 12th c ...

in the west part of county Down. He ruled as King of Ulaid from 896-98. His last direct ancestor to hold the throne of Ulaid was

Fergus mac Áedáin Fergus mac Áedáin (died 692) was king of Ulaid from 674. He belonged to a branch of the Dal nAraide known as the Uí Echach Cobo in the west part of county Down. They were distinct from the main branch located in County Antrim who were known as K ...

(died 692) of whom he was a 6th generation descendant. He possibly became King of Coba (Cuib) in 882 on the death of Conallán mac Máele Dúin. He first appears in the annals in 893 when he caused a disturbance at Armagh between the Ulaid and the

Cenél nEógain Cenél is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Cenél Conaill, the name of the "kindred" or descendants of Conall Gulban, son of Niall Noígiallach defined by oral and recorded history *Cenél nEógain (in English, Cenel Eogan) is ...

. Some men were killed and the abbot Máel Brigte mac Tornáin had to separate the disputing parties. Compensation had to be paid to the abbot for this. That same year, he slew the King of Ulaid,

Bécc mac Airemóin Bécc mac Airemóin (died 893) or Bécc mac Éiremóin was a Dál Fiatach king of Ulaid, which is now Ulster, Ireland. He was the son of Airemón mac Áedo (died 886), a previous king of Ulaid. He ruled from 886 to 893. He became king of Ulaid upo ...

of the

Dal Fiatach In Indian cuisine, ''dal'' (also spelled ''daal'' or ''dhal''; pronunciation: , Hindi: दाल, Urdu: ) are dried, split pulses (e.g., lentils, peas, and beans) that do not require soaking before cooking. India is the largest producer of pu ...

. He was then responsible for the assassination of

Muiredach mac Eochocáin Muiredach mac Eochocáin (died 895) or Muiredach mac Eochucáin was a Dál Fiatach king of Ulaid, which is now Ulster, Ireland. He was the son of Eochocán mac Áedo (died 883), a previous king of Ulaid. He ruled as leth-rí (half-king or co-ruler ...

(died 895), another Dal Fiatach King of Ulaid. Aitíth became king in 896. In the year of his accession, the king of Ard Cianachta, Cummascach mac Muiredaig, (a subject tribe of Brega in County Louth) was killed by the Ulaid. Also in 896 he led a force in alliance with the

Conaille Muirtheimne Conaille Muirthemne was a Cruithin kingdom located in County Louth, Ireland, from before 688 to after 1107 approximately. Overview The Ulaid according to historian Francis John Byrne 'possibly still ruled directly in Louth as far as the Boyne in ...

(of the Dundalk area of County Louth) which defeated the Norse and slew Amlaíb son of Ímar. Aitíth's activities in Louth aroused the southern Ui Neill king of

Brega Brega , also known as ''Mersa Brega'' or ''Marsa al-Brega'' ( ar, مرسى البريقة , i.e. "Brega Seaport"), is a complex of several smaller towns, industry installations and education establishments situated in Libya on the Gulf of Sidra, ...

. In 897 the King of Brega, Máel Finnia mac Flannacain (died 903) defeated the forces of the Ulaid at the Battle of Rath Cró. Among the slain were Muiredach mac Mac Éitig, King of

and Aindiarraid mac Máele Mocheirge, King of the Leth Cathail (Lecale) branch of the Dal Fiatach. Aitíth escaped from the battle but was severely wounded. The next year in 898 he was assassinated by his own associates.AU 898.1 His descendants, the Ua hAiteidh, dominated the Uí Echach Cobo from the late 10th century until the early 12th century.

Notes

References

* ''Annals of Ulster'' a

a
University College Cork
* ''Chronicum Scotorum'' a

a
University College Cork
* Byrne, Francis John (2001), ''Irish Kings and High-Kings'', Dublin: Four Courts Press,

External links

a
University College Cork
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aitith Mac Laigni Kings of Ulster 9th-century Irish monarchs 898 deaths Year of birth unknown People from County Down