The Battle of Fid Eoin (modern

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

: ''Feadha Eoin'', possibly meaning "Owen's wood") was fought in early medieval

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 ...

between the kingdoms of

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 n ...

and

Dál nAraidi Dál nAraidi (; "Araide's part") or Dál Araide, sometimes Latinised as Dalaradia or Anglicised as Dalaray,Boyd, Hugh AlexanderIrish Dalriada ''The Glynns: Journal of The Glens of Antrim Historical Society''. Volume 76 (1978). was a Cruthin kin ...

in either 629 or 630. The forces of Dál Riata were led by their king

Connad Cerr Connad Cerr (Connad the Left-handed) was a king of Dál Riata in the early 7th century. He was either a son of Conall mac Comgaill or of Eochaid Buide. Connad appears to have been joint king with Eochaid Buide in the 620s. He is named as king of D ...

, whilst the Dál nAraidi were led by Máel Caích, brother of

Congal Cáech Congal Cáech (also Congal Cláen) was a king of the Cruthin of Dál nAraidi in the medieval Irish province of Ulaid, from around 626 to 637. He was king of Ulaid from 627–637 and, according to some sources, High King of Ireland. Origins While ...

who was the king of the

and the over-kingdom 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 i ...

. The result of the battle was a decisive defeat of the Dál Riata.

Background

The battle arose out of an attempt by Connad Cerr, who had succeeded to the Dál Riata kingship only three months before, to interfere in an internal dispute amongst the Dál nAraidi. Connad sought to aid his ally, Díucaill mac Eochaid, who was king of the Dál nAraidi petty-kingdom of Latharna, against that of the Uí Chóelbad of

Magh Line Magh may refer to: * Magh people, the Arakanese nationalities known in Bengal as Maghs * Maagha, a month in Hindu calendar * Magh (Bengali calendar), the 10th month in the Bengali calendar. This is the last month of the winter season * Magh (Nepa ...

, on what may have been a battle over the kingship of Dál nAraidi. It was a significant battle that resulted in a devastating defeat of the Dál Riata with the death of Connad Cerr as well as of Rigullon and Fáelbe who were two grand-sons of his predecessor

Áedán mac Gabráin Áedán mac Gabráin (pronounced in Old Irish; ga, Aodhán mac Gabhráin, lang), also written as Aedan, was a king of Dál Riata from 574 until c. 609 AD. The kingdom of Dál Riata was situated in modern Argyll and Bute, Scotland, and par ...

. Díucaill mac Eochaid also fell as well as according to one chronicle Osric son of Aelfric, a Saxon prince, possibly of

Bernicia Bernicia ( ang, Bernice, Bryneich, Beornice; la, Bernicia) was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom established by Anglian settlers of the 6th century in what is now southeastern Scotland and North East England. The Anglian territory of Bernicia was ap ...

. A contingent of Connad Cerr's forces that came from Kintyre in Scottish Dál Riata were also decimated.

Aftermath

In the aftermath of the battle of Fid Eoin, Domnall Brecc, grand-son of Áedán mac Gabráin, ascended to the kingship of Dál Riata. Domnall Brecc, possibly in an attempt to secure what was left of Dál Riata's possessions in Ireland and to prevent further incursions from the Uí Chóelbad of Dál nAraidi, accepted Congal Cáech's overtures of an alliance. This meant abandoning the previous alliance with the Dál nAraidi's foes, the Cenél Conaill of the over-kingdom of Ailech. This alliance, bolstered by one with the

kingdom of Strathclyde Strathclyde (lit. " Strath of the River Clyde", and Strað-Clota in Old English), was a Brittonic successor state of the Roman Empire and one of the early medieval kingdoms of the Britons, located in the region the Welsh tribes referred to as ...

, was to be used by Congal Cáech in an attempt to have himself installed as High King of Ireland. This resulted in the disastrous

battle of Magh Rath The Battle of Moira, also known as the Battle of Magh Rath, was fought in the summer of 637 by the High King of Ireland, Domnall II, against his foster son Congal Cáech, King of Ulaid, supported by his ally Domnall Brecc, King of Dál Riata. T ...

in 637 in which Congal was slain by High King Domnall mac Áedo, king of the Cenél Conaill and over-king of Ailech. This battle resulted in Dál Riata losing possession of its Scottish lands. It has been suggested that in 631 when Congal Cáech annexed the petty-kingdom of Mag nEilni, which lay to the west of Dál Riata, it may have been as a result of the battle of Fid Eoin.

Bibliography

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References

{{Ulaid Ulaid Fid Eoin Fid Eoin Fid Eoin 7th century in Ireland 629 630