Cellach mac Máele Coba (died 658) was an

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 ...

king and is said to have been

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 ...

. Cellach was the son of Máel Coba mac Áedo (died 615) and belonged to the

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) is ...

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 the ...

. According to 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 ...

derived from the ''

Chronicle of Ireland The Chronicle of Ireland ( ga, Croinic na hÉireann) is the modern name for a hypothesized collection of ecclesiastical annals recording events in Ireland from 432 to 911 AD. Several surviving annals share events in the same sequence and wordin ...

'', he may have been High King, jointly with his brother

Conall Cóel Conall mac Máele Coba, called Conall Cóel, (died 654) was an Irish king and is said to have been High King of Ireland. Biography Conall was the son of Máel Coba mac Áedo and belonged to the Cenél Conaill branch of the northern Uí Néill. A ...

, following the death of his uncle

Domnall mac Áedo Domnall mac Áedo (died 642), also known as Domnall II, Was an Irish king and son of Áed mac Ainmuirech and his consort Land, the daughter of Áed Guaire mac Amalgada of Airgíalla. Domnall was High King of Ireland from 628 until his death. He be ...

in 642. 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, ...

'' for 643 say:

Here there is doubt as to who reigned after Domnall. Some historiographers say that four kings, namely Cellach and Conall Cóel and the two sons of
Áed Sláine Áed mac Diarmato (died 604), called Áed Sláine (Áed of Slane), was the son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill. Legendary stories exist of Áed's birth. Saint Columba is said to have prophesied his death. His descendants, the Síl nÁedo Sláine—t ...
, namely Diarmait and
Blathmac Saint Blathmac ( la, Blathmacus, Florentius) was a distinguished Irish monk, born in Ireland about 750 AD. He is known as "Blathmac, son of Flann", to distinguish him from the poet and monk Blathmac mac Con Brettan. He was killed and became a ...
, ruled in shared reigns.

All four putative successors to Domnall had been his allies at the great

Battle of Mag 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 ...

in 637, where

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 Whil ...

was defeated and the authority of the Uí Néill re-established, and it is not implausible that all four ruled together. He ruled from 643-654. The king lists have Cellach and Conall reigning before Diarmait and Blathmac. Both Cellach and Conall are omitted from the earliest king list—a late 7th century poem called ''Baile Chuinn''. In 650, they successfully ended a challenge to their authority in the north by defeating and killing their cousin Óengus mac Domnaill at the Battle of Dún Cremthainn. Conall Cóel was killed by Diarmait in 654 while Cellach died in 658, perhaps at Bru na Bóinne. It is possible Cellach had been captured by Diarmait in 654 and died a prisoner.Mac Niocaill, pg.98 His daughter Cacht ingen Cellaig married

Máel Dúin mac Máele Fithrich Máel Dúin mac Máele Fithrich (died 681) was a King of Ailech and head of the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill. He had married Cacht ingen Cellaig, daughter of the high king Cellach mac Máele Coba (died 658) of the Cenél Conai ...

(died 681), King of Ailech.

Notes

References

* ''Annals of Ulster'' a

a
University College Cork
* ''Annals of Tigernach'' a

a
University College Cork
* Francis John Byrne, Byrne, Francis John, ''Irish Kings and High-Kings.'' Batsford, London, 1973. * Charles-Edwards, T.M., ''Early Christian Ireland.'' Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000. * Mac Niocaill, Gearoid (1972), ''Ireland before the Vikings'', Dublin: Gill and Macmillan * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cellach mac Maele Coba High Kings of Ireland 658 deaths 7th-century Irish monarchs Year of birth unknown