Báetán mac Muirchertaig (died 572), also Baetán Bríge, was an Irish king who is included in some lists as a High King of Ireland. He was the son of

Muirchertach mac Muiredaig Muirchertach mac Muiredaig (died c. 534), called Mac Ercae, Muirchertach Macc Ercae and Muirchertach mac Ercae, was said to be High King of Ireland in the 6th century. The Irish annals contain little reliable information on his life, and the survi ...

(died 534), also considered a high king. He was a member of 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) i ...

branch of the northern

Uí Néill The Uí Néill (Irish pronunciation: ; meaning "descendants of Niall") are Irish dynasties who claim descent from Niall Noígíallach (Niall of the Nine Hostages), a historical King of Tara who died c. 405. They are generally divided into t ...

. He ruled in Ailech from 566 to 572. The high kingship of Ireland rotated between the Cenél nEógain and

Cenél Conaill 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) i ...

branches in the late 6th century. Báetán ruled jointly with his nephew

Eochaid mac Domnaill Eochaid mac Domnaill (died 572), also Eochaid Find ("the fair"), was an Irish king who is included in some lists as a High King of Ireland. He was the son of Domnall Ilchelgach (died 566) and grandson of Muirchertach mac Muiredaig (died 534), also ...

(died 572) from 569. The middle Irish king lists have misplaced their reign putting it earlier than the annalistic tradition but other king lists have them in the correct order. They are also omitted from the earliest list of Kings of Tara, the ''Baile Chuind'' (The Ecstasy of Conn), a late 7th-century Irish poem. It is possible that the Ulaid king, Báetán mac Cairill (died 579), was the actual high king at this time. In 572 the two kings were defeated and slain by Crónán mac Tigernaig, king of the

Cianachta Glenn Geimin Keenaght () is a barony in the mid-northerly third of County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It connects to the north-Londonderry coastline, and is bordered by four other baronies: Coleraine to the east; Loughinsholin to the south-east; Tirkeera ...

in modern County Londonderry.''Annals of Ulster'' AU 572.1; ''Annals of Tigernach'' AT 571.1 Báetán's son

Colmán Rímid Colmán Rímid (or Colmán mac Báetáin) (died 604) was an Irish king who is included in some lists as a High King of Ireland. Colmán was the son of Báetán mac Muirchertaig (died 572), also considered to be a high king, and belonged to the C ...

also appears as high king of Ireland in some lists. He had four other sons, Máel Umai, Forannán, Fergus and Ailill. His sons are given in ''The Laud Genealogies and Tribal Histories'' (ZCP Vol 8, P.294 Kuno Meyer) as follows: "Coic maic Baetáin maic Muirc rtaig .i. Forgus, otáit Cenél Forgusa; Forannán, a quo Hui Forannáin; Ailill .i. athair Cindfaelad; Maelhumai .i. in rígfénid; Colman Rimid athair Fína máthar Flainn." The

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Flood myt ...

at 615.2 state, "Ailill, son of Baedan; Maelduin, son of Fearghus, son of Baedan; and Diucolla, were slain in Magh Slecht, in the province of Connaught. They were of the race of Baedan, son of Muircheartach."

Notes

References

* ''Annals of Ulster'' a
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts
a
University College Cork
* ''Annals of Tigernach'' a

a
University College Cork
* Byrne, Francis John (2001), Irish Kings and High-Kings, Dublin: Four Courts Press, * Charles-Edwards, T. M. (2000), ''Early Christian Ireland'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,

of McCarthy's synchronisms at

Trinity College Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

External links

CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts
a
University College Cork
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baetan mac Muirchertaig High Kings of Ireland Kings of Ailech 571 deaths 6th-century Irish monarchs People from County Tyrone Year of birth unknown