Brión (or Brían), son of

Eochaid Mugmedón Eochaid Mugmedón () was a semi-legendary Irish king. According to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, Eochaid was a High King of Ireland, best known as the father of Niall of the Nine Hostages and ancestor of the Uí Néill and Conna ...

, was a legendary and possibly historical Irish king, fl. 4th/5th century.

Biography

The older half-brother of Niall Noígíallach ( Niall of the Nine Hostages) and one of the three brothers whose descendants were known as the Connachta, Brión is said to have been king of

Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Del ...

. According to the traditional Irish chronology, his father died in 362. Brión's descendants, the

Uí Briúin The Uí Briúin were a royal dynasty of Connacht. Their eponymous apical ancestor was Brión, son of Eochaid Mugmedon and Mongfind, and an elder half brother of Niall of the Nine Hostages. They formed part of the Connachta, along with the U ...

, gave rise to many

Kings of Connacht The Kings of Connacht were rulers of the ''cóiced'' (variously translated as portion, fifth, province) of Connacht, which lies west of the River Shannon, Ireland. However, the name only became applied to it in the early medieval era, being name ...

and its ruling families over the next thousand years. A descendant of his via the Uí Briúin Ai was

Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair Toirdhealbhach Mór Ua Conchobhair (old spelling: Tairrdelbach Mór Ua Conchobair; 1088 – 1156) anglicised Turlough Mór O'Conor, was King of Connacht (1106–1156) and High King of Ireland (ca. 1120–1156). Family background and early life ...

, who became High King of Ireland in 1166. "The Violent Death of Crimthann mac Fidaig and of the Three Sons of Eochaid Muigmedón" gives the story of the sons of Eochaid Mugmedón. According to this saga, Brión was the favorite son of his mother

Mongfind Mongfind (or Mongfhionn in modern Irish)—meaning "fair hair" or "white hair"—is a figure from Irish legend. She is said to have been the wife, of apparent Munster origins, of the legendary High King Eochaid Mugmedón and mother of his eldes ...

, sister of

Crimthann mac Fidaig Crimthann Mór, son of Fidach , also written Crimthand Mór, was a semi-mythological king of Munster and High King of Ireland of the 4th century. He gained territory in Britain and Gaul, but died poisoned by his sister Mongfind. It is possible ...

(d. 367), the king of Munster. She wanted Brión to succeed Eochaid but upon his death, war broke out with her stepson Niall Noígíallach (d. 405). When she realized the war was not going in her favor she arranged for Crimthann to become high king and sent Brión away to learn soldiering. On Brión's return after seven years, Mongfind poisoned her brother in order to get the throne for Brión. However, Niall acquired the throne and made Brión his champion and levier of his rents and hostages. Brión took the throne of Connacht leading to war with his brother

Fiachrae Fiachrae was an Irish prince, the son of the high king Eochaid Mugmedón (d.362) by his wife Mongfind, sister of Crimthann mac Fidaig (d.367).Francis J.Byrne, ''Irish Kings and High-Kings'', Table 1 He was ancestor of the Uí Fiachrach dynasties ...

. Brión defeated Fiachrae at the Battle of Damchluain (near

Tuam Tuam ( ; ga, Tuaim , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. Humans have lived in the area since the Bronz ...

, County Galway) who was taken captive to Tara. However, Fiachrae's son Nath Í rallied forces and defeated Brión who was slain at a second Battle of Damchluain. Brión was buried at Ross Camm. Fiachrae was released and became the new king of Connacht.

Descendants

According to Tirechan, Patrick visited the "halls of the sons of Brión" at Duma Selchae in Mag nAí, but does not give their names. An equivalent passage in the ''Vita Tripartita'', possibly of 9th-century origin, names six sons. "A series of later sources dating from the eleventh century onward, meanwhile, enumerates Brión's progeny as no less than twenty-four. No doubt the increasing power of the Ui Briúin was responsible for this dramatic swelling of the ranks, as tribes and dynasties newly coming under Ui Briúin sway were furnished with ancestries that would link them genealogically to their overlords. Into this category fall the Ui Briúin Umaill, and likely also the Ui Briúin Ratha and Ui Briúin Sinna." (p. 485, "Ui Briúin", Anne Connon, in "Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia").

Children

*Duach Galach ''Comparison of the two Dau; Galach and Tengae Umai'', Michael Rowley, 202

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Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brion mac Echach Mugmedoin Cycles of the Kings Kings of Connacht People from County Roscommon 5th-century Irish monarchs 4th-century Irish monarchs