Cellach Cualann mac Gerthidi (died 715) was the last
Uí Máil Uí Máil were an Irish dynasty of Leinster. They were descended from Maine Mál, the brother of the legendary high king Cathair Mór. The Uí Máil were a dominant dynasty in Leinster competing for the kingship in the 7th century before being even ...
king of Leinster
The kings of Leinster ( ga, Rí Laighín), ruled from the establishment of Leinster during the Irish Iron Age, until the 17th century Early Modern Ireland. According to Gaelic traditional history, laid out in works such as the ''Book of Invasion ...
. Cellach's
byname
An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...
is derived from the land of ''Cualu'' which lay around
Glendalough
Glendalough (; ) is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland, renowned for an Early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin. From 1825 to 1957, the head of the Glendalough Valley was the site of a galena lead mine. ...
.
The name Uí Máil may mean "grandsons of the princes". This, along with their ownership of certain objects symbolic of the kingship of Leinster, has suggested that they may once have been considered the rightful rulers of Leinster, at least by themselves. Alternatively, Uí Máil may have derived their name from the
Glen of Imaal
The Glen of Imaal ( or ; ga, Gleann Uí Mháil) is a remote glen in the western Wicklow Mountains in Ireland. It is ringed by the Lugnaquilla massif and its foothills, including Table Mountain and Keadeen. Much of the glen is used by the Iris ...
, in the west of modern
County Wicklow
County Wicklow ( ; ga, Contae Chill Mhantáin ) is a county in Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is bordered by t ...
, which lay in the centre of their historic lands.
Cellach's father was not king of Leinster, but his second cousin
Fiannamail mac Máele Tuile (died 680) was. Cellach succeeded his cousin as king of Uí Máil when Fiannamail was murdered by a servant named Fochsechán, probably on the orders of
Fínsnechta Fledach
Fínsnechta Fledach mac Dúnchada (died 695) was High King of Ireland. Fínsnechta belonged to the southern Síl nÁedo Sláine sept of the Uí Néill and was King of Brega, in modern County Meath, Ireland. He was a grandson of Áed Sláine. His ...
. The kingship of Leinster passed to the
Uí Dúnlainge
The Uí Dúnlainge, from the Old Irish "grandsons (or descendants) of Dúnlaing", were an Irish dynasty of Leinster kings who traced their descent from Dúnlaing mac Énda Niada. He was said to be a cousin of Énnae Cennsalach, eponymous ances ...
in the person of
Bran Mut mac Conaill
Bran Mut mac Conaill (died 693) was a king of Leinster from the Uí Dúnlainge branch of the Laigin. He was the grandson of Fáelán mac Colmáin (died 666), a previous king. He ruled from 680 to 693.
According to the saga '' Bóroma'' ("The ...
who died in 693, to be followed as king by Cellach.
Reign
Immediately after the death of Bran Mut a battle between the Leinstermen and their western neighbours the
kingdom of Osraige
Osraige (Old Irish) or Osraighe (Classical Irish), Osraí (Modern Irish), anglicized as Ossory, was a medieval Irish kingdom comprising what is now County Kilkenny and western County Laois, corresponding to the Diocese of Ossory. The home of t ...
is recorded, but Cellach is not associated with this. Cellach was one of the guarantors of the
Cáin Adomnáin
The ''Cáin Adomnáin'' (Law of Adomnán), also known as the ''Lex Innocentium'' (Law of Innocents), was promulgated amongst a gathering of Irish, Dál Riatan and Pictish notables at the Synod of Birr in 697. It is named after its initiator Ado ...
(Law of Adomnán) in 697 promulgated at the
Synod of Birr.
In 704 he warred with his northern neighbours, the
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 the ...
of
Clann Cholmáin
Clann Cholmáin is the dynasty descended from Colmán Már mac Diarmato, son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill. Part of the Southern Uí Néill — they were the kings of Mide (Meath) — they traced their descent to Niall Noígiallach and his s ...
, led by Bodbchath mac Diarmata Déin, and of
Síl nÁedo Sláine
Síl nÁedo Sláine () are the descendants of Áed Sláine (Áed mac Diarmato), son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill. Part of the Southern Uí Néill—they were the kings of Brega—they claimed descent from Niall Noígiallach and his son Conall ...
, led by
Fogartach mac Néill
Fogartach Mac'Artain (died 724), sometimes called Fogartach ua Cernaich, was an Irish king who is reckoned a High King of Ireland. He belonged to the Uí Chernaig sept of the Síl nÁedo Sláine branch of the southern Uí Néill. He was King of Br ...
. The Battle of Claenath, fought near
Clane
Clane (; ) is a town in County Kildare, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, from Dublin. Its population of 7,280 makes it the eighth largest town in Kildare and the List of towns in the Republic of Ireland by population, 66th largest in Ireland. It ...
in modern
County Kildare
County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, ...
, was a victory for Cellach, with Bodbchath killed and Fogartach fled. In 707 the Uí Néill
High King of Ireland
High King of Ireland ( ga, Ardrí na hÉireann ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and later sometimes assigned ana ...
Congal Cennmagair
Congal Cennmagair (died 710) was High King of Ireland. He belonged to the northern Cenél Conaill branch of the Uí Néill. His father, Fergus Fanát, was not a high king, although his grandfather, Domnall mac Áedo (died 642), was counted as a ...
campaigned in Leinster and obtained Cellach's submission to his authority.
In 709, aided by
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
allies—usually presumed to be mercenaries, exiled members of the warbands of the British kingdoms conquered by expansionist
Northumbria
la, Regnum Northanhymbrorum
, conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Northumbria
, common_name = Northumbria
, status = State
, status_text = Unified Anglian kingdom (before 876)North: Anglian kingdom (af ...
—he fought a battle at ''Serg'' where his sons Fiachra and Fiannamail were killed. ''Serg'' is unidentified,
Whitley Stokes
Whitley Stokes, CSI, CIE, FBA (28 February 1830 – 13 April 1909) was an Irish lawyer and Celtic scholar.
Background
He was a son of William Stokes (1804–1878), and a grandson of Whitley Stokes the physician and anti-Malthusian (1763 ...
translates it as "the battle of the Hunt". The ''
Annals of Tigernach
The ''Annals of Tigernach'' (abbr. AT, ga, Annála Tiarnaigh) are chronicles probably originating in Clonmacnoise, Ireland. The language is a mixture of Latin and Old and Middle Irish.
Many of the pre-historic entries come from the 12th-centur ...
'' locate it somewhere in the ''fortuatha'' of Leinster, that part of the province east of the
Wicklow Mountains
The Wicklow Mountains (, archaic: ''Cualu'') form the largest continuous upland area in the Republic of Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into the counties of Dublin, Wexford and Carlow. ...
.
[''Annals of Tigernach'' AT 709.2] His adversaries are not named. Cellach's death in 715 is reported without comment by the
Irish annals
A number of Irish annals, of which the earliest was the Chronicle of Ireland, were compiled up to and shortly after the end of the 17th century. Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days. Over t ...
.
Family
His first wife was Mugain ingen Failbe of
Uí Bairrche
Uí Bairrche ( Modern Irish: ''Uí Bhairrche'', IPA: iːˈwaːɾʲɾʲçə was an Irish kin-based group that originally held lands in the south of the ancient province of Leinster (or ''Cóiced Laigen'' "the Fifth of the Laigin"). Another south ...
. Their daughter Conchenn (died 743) married
Murchad mac Brain Mut
Murchad mac Brain Mut (died 727) was a King of Leinster from the Uí Dúnlainge branch of the Laigin. He was the son of Bran Mut mac Conaill (died 696), a previous king. He ruled from 715 to 727.
His reign
His first mention in the annals is whe ...
(died 727), his successor as king of Leinster. Mugain was also the mother of his sons Fiachra and Fianamail slain in 709.
Cellach's wife Bé Fáil, the third of four, was the daughter of
Sechnassach
Sechnassach mac Blathmaic (died 671) followed his father Blathmac mac Áedo Sláine (died 665) and uncle Diarmait mac Áedo Sláine (died 665) as High King of Ireland and King of Brega. He belonged to the Síl nÁedo Sláine kindred of the south ...
, the
High King of Ireland
High King of Ireland ( ga, Ardrí na hÉireann ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and later sometimes assigned ana ...
. Several of his sons died in his lifetime. His daughters married well. Muirenn (died 748) was the mother of High King
Cináed mac Írgalaig
Cináed mac Írgalaig (died 728) or Cináed Cáech, "the one-eyed", was an Irish King of Brega who was High King of Ireland.
Background
Cináed was the son of Írgalach mac Conaing (died 702), a previous King of Brega. He belonged to the Uí Chon ...
and perhaps of Cináed's successor
Flaithbertach mac Loingsig
Flaithbertach mac Loingsig (died 765) was a High King of Ireland. He was a member of the Cenél Conaill, a branch of the northern Uí Néill. He was the son of Loingsech mac Óengusso (died 703), a previous high king. He ruled from 728 to 734.
He ...
by a second marriage. Derbforgaill, wife of Fínsnechta Fledach, was probably Cellach's daughter. His daughter Caintigern (Saint
Kentigerna
Caintigern (died 734), or Saint Kentigerna, was a daughter of Cellach Cualann, King of Leinster. Her feast is listed in the ''Aberdeen Breviary'' for 7 January.
Her husband is said to have been Feriacus regulus of Monchestre, who possibly is the ...
) was by his fourth wife, also Caintigern, daughter of
Conaing Cuirre
__NOTOC__
Conaing mac Congaile (died 662), called Conaing Cuirre, was a King of Brega from the Síl nÁedo Sláine branch of the southern Ui Neill. He was the son of Congal mac Áedo Sláine (died 634), a previous king of Brega. The territory of ...
of the Síl nÁedo Sláine.
Of Cellach's surviving sons, Áed was killed in 719 near
Fennor, County Kildare, Crimthann died in battle, "at an immature age" according to the ''
Annals of Ulster
The ''Annals of Ulster'' ( ga, Annála Uladh) are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, ...
'' in 726, and Eterscél in 727 fighting against
Fáelán mac Murchado. His two grandsons Cathal and Ailill were slain in 744.
Notes
References
*
*
Byrne, Francis John, ''Irish Kings and High-Kings.'' Batsford, London, 1973.
* Charles-Edwards, T.M., ''Early Christian Ireland.'' Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000.
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cellach Cualann
715 deaths
Kings of Leinster
8th-century Irish monarchs
People from County Wicklow
Year of birth unknown
Gaels