Cenn Fáelad mac Colgan (died 682) was a 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 ...
from 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 ...
branch of the
Connachta. He was of the branch which developed into the Uí Briúin Seóla, who were centred on Tuam in modern County Galway. He is the first member of this branch mentioned in the annals.
The first mention of Cenn Fáelad in the annals is in the year 653 when the ally of the
Ui Fiachrach Aidhne, Marcán mac Tomaini, the king of the
Ui Maine was slain in battle in Iarthair Seola by Cenn Fáelad and Máenach mac Báethíne of the Uí Briúin. In the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' it is Maenach who is referred to as chief of the Uí Briúin.
The next mention of Cenn Fáelad is in 663 when the ''Annals of Tigernach'' mention that he became king of Connacht in succession to
Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin
Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin (died 663) was a king of Connacht. A member of the Ui Fiachrach Aidhne and son of king Colmán mac Cobthaig (died 622). Guaire ruled at the height of Ui Fiachrach Aidne power in south Connacht.
Early reign
Guaire ap ...
(died 663). The king lists such as that in the ''Book of Leinster'' also place his reign after Guaire. However, the ''Chronicum Scotorum'' mentions the death of
Muirchertach Nár mac Guairi (died 668) as king of Connacht in 668. The annals also mention a certain Dub-Indracht mac Dúnchada as king of the Uí Briúin of Mag nAi in 666.
The last mention of Cenn Fáelad in the annals is in 682 when he was reputedly assassinated by Ulcha Dearg ua Caillidhe (also known as Redbeard) of the
Conmaicne Cuile, a subject tribe of the Seóla region. Francis Byrne believed this killing was in response to the Uí Briúin policy of subjugation and annexation of subject tribal territories. Cenn Fáelad's descendants included the Muintir Murchadha and their chief, the O'Flaherty, through his son Amhalgadh, sometimes titled kings of Iarthair Connacht in the annals; and the Clann Cosgraigh, headed by McHugh, through Cenn Fáelad's son Dungalaigh.
[John O'Hart, ''Irish Pedigrees'', p. 634.]
See also
*
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 ...
References
External links
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Textsa
University College Cork
682 deaths
Kings of Connacht
People from County Galway
7th-century Irish monarchs
Year of birth unknown
{{Ireland-royal-stub