Dáire Cerbba
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Dáire Cerbba (or Cerba, Cearba, Cearb; meaning "Silver Dáire" or "Dáire the Sharp/Cutting") was a 4th-century
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 ...
dynast who was evidently a king of late prehistoric central northern Munster, called Medón Mairtíne at the time. A frequently believed grandson of his, Crimthann mac Fidaig, was High King of Ireland and some British territories, and another descendant Bressal mac Ailello may have been King of Munster, and whose sister Angias was Queen of
Lóegaire mac Néill Lóegaire ('' floruit'' fifth century) (reigned 428–458 AD, according to the Annals of the Four Masters of the Kingdom of Ireland)(died c. 462), also Lóeguire, is said to have been a son of Niall of the Nine Hostages. The Irish annals and king ...
, High King of Ireland. Finally, another descendant, according to
Geoffrey Keating Geoffrey Keating ( ga, Seathrún Céitinn; c. 1569 – c. 1644) was a 17th-century historian. He was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, and is buried in Tubrid Graveyard in the parish of Ballylooby-Duhill. He became an Irish Catholic priest and a ...
, was a king of Munster named Cormac, son of Ailill, son of Eochaid, son of Dáire Cearb. Unlike many other individuals due to name or obvious descent sometimes considered Dáirine, neither Dáire Cerbba nor his family appear to have any certain associations with the Corcu Loígde and are instead considered, at least officially, relatively close relations of the Éoganachta.


Origins and relations


Outline

Of uncertain origins, Dáire Cerbba is named in many early and late sources as the grandfather of the semi-mythological Mongfind and Crimthann mac Fidaig, and the most frequently named early ancestor of the historical
Uí Liatháin The Uí Liatháin (IPA: iːˈlʲiəhaːnʲ were an early kingdom of Munster in southern Ireland. They belonged the same kindred as the Uí Fidgenti, and the two are considered together in the earliest sources, for example '' The Expulsion of th ...
and Uí Fidgenti. All of these are historically associated with the province of Munster, but according to the early manuscript
Rawlinson B 502 Oxford, Bodleian Library, Rawlinson B 502 is a medieval Irish manuscript which presently resides in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. It ranks as one of the three major surviving Irish manuscripts to have been produced in pre-Norman Ireland, the tw ...
, Dáire Cerbba was born in Brega,
County Meath County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the ...
, and got his epithet from a location there. This is otherwise unexplained. He may or may not have been a relative of
Conall Corc Corc mac Luigthig (340-379),Genealogy of the House of Mac-Carthy formerly Sovereign of the Two Momonies or Southern Ireland, P. Louis Lainé, pg. 26, https://celt.ucc.ie/published/F830000-001.html also called Conall Corc, Corc of Cashel, and Corc ...
(son of Lugaid), the founder of the
Eóganachta The Eóganachta or Eoghanachta () were an Irish dynasty centred on Cashel which dominated southern Ireland (namely the Kingdom of Munster) from the 6/7th to the 10th centuries, and following that, in a restricted form, the Kingdom of Desmond, an ...
dynasty. He is often confused or paired with Maine Munchaín, who may be his father or twin brother, depending on the source, or this is an alias and the two people are the same. Both are listed in the surviving genealogies as sons of Ailill Flann Bec, grandfather of Conall Corc, but the arrangement changes from source to source. Maine Munchaoin and Daire Cearba were noted as twins (being born at one birth), and some manuscripts attribute Maine's offspring as being fathered by Daire due to Maine's inability; as a result, Maine tends to be overlooked as an ancestor, and the Ui Fidgheinte typically list Daire as their progenitor. Alternatively, another tradition states the druid
Mug Ruith Mug Ruith (or Mogh Roith, "slave of the wheel") is a figure in Irish mythology, a powerful blind druid of Munster who lived on Valentia Island, County Kerry. He could grow to enormous size, and his breath caused storms and turned men to stone. He ...
placed a magical
chafer Chafer may refer to: * Chafer beetle, the common name for several species of scarab beetles * Chafing dish, a food warming dish People with the name * Adrian Chafer (born 1991), Spanish musician * Daniel Alberto Chafer (born 1981), Argentine ...
between them so that neither of them, nor their descendants, could ever come to the aid of the other. The non-English language of the following sections is composed of
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
,
Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, Goídelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghàidhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writt ...
and
Middle Irish Middle Irish, sometimes called Middle Gaelic ( ga, An Mheán-Ghaeilge, gd, Meadhan-Ghàidhlig), is the Goidelic language which was spoken in Ireland, most of Scotland and the Isle of Man from AD; it is therefore a contemporary of late Old Engl ...
, generally considered to be in that order of antiquity when considering genealogical tracts specifically. The genealogical Irish, as opposed to proper prose or poetry, can be easily enough understood with the aid if necessary of the '' Dictionary of the Irish Language'', and memory, and so is usually left untranslated. Furthermore, it has been the intentional case to trim all non-essential information from the following passages and their entries. Both the overly extended families and many further descendants of those central ones remaining have only brief mention below.


Rawlinson B 502 Oxford, Bodleian Library, Rawlinson B 502 is a medieval Irish manuscript which presently resides in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. It ranks as one of the three major surviving Irish manuscripts to have been produced in pre-Norman Ireland, the tw ...

¶1080] Ailill Flann Bec duos filios habuit id est Lugaid & Dáre Cerbba. ... ¶1081] Dáre Cerbba dano in dara mc Ailella Flainn Bic .vi. filios habuit id est: Fiachu Fidgenid a quo Úi Fidgeinti, Eochu Liathán a quo Úi Liatháin, Fidach a quo Crimthann Már m. Fidaig rí h- Érenn & Alban, Dedad a quo Úi Dedaid id est Úi Braccáin & Úi Ailella i n-airthiur Éoganachta Caisil, Dau et Der. ¶1096] Cethri mc leis .i. Fidach diarbu mc Crimthann Már & Luigdech for óenleth, Maine Munchaín & Dáre Cerbba forsan leth n-aill. Emuin són dano in Maine & in Dáre. Is dóib at-connairc a máthair in fís .i. druimm cach áe díb fri araile inna cliab & dáel inter se .i. Síl Mogad Ruith in druad inter se conná cumaing nech díb cobair araile. ¶1097] Alii dicunt betis sé mc Dáre Cerbba ut dicitur: Eochu, Fidach, Fiachu, Dau, Dera, Ded; sé meic Dáre chóemem Ceirp h-uaisle láech leirg na ler. ¶1098] Lóch Már mc Ma Femis a quo sunt Éoganachta & Fianna Luigne Úi Dedaid Deocluaid m. Fiachach Oele idem et Fer Dá Liach sed alii dicunt ut praediximus Dau, Ded, Dera, Liathán, Fidach, Fidgenid filios habuisse Dáre Cerbba. Dá Dau dá mc Óengusa Bruigde mc Maine Munchaín nó mc Fiachach Oele. Alii dicunt duos filios fuisse Ailella Flainn Máir. ¶1099] Trí mc Fiachach Fidgenid .i. Brion, Sétna, Láegaire. ¶1100] Secht mc Brioin mc Fiachach .i. Cairpre Goll, Lugaid, Dáre, Fergus, Rus, Cormac, Cosdaire. ¶1103] Secht mc Echach Liatháin m. Dáre Cerba .i. Cairpre, Cóel, Corcc, Corp, Mac Brócc, Ailill Tassach. ¶1104] Ocht mc Ailella Tassaich .i. Láegaire, Bressal, Mac Draignén, Mac Cáirthind, Áed, Feideilmid, Óengus Brecc, Noois éicess &rl. (Below, Rawlinson B 502 contains additional and alternative pedigrees for first the
Uí Liatháin The Uí Liatháin (IPA: iːˈlʲiəhaːnʲ were an early kingdom of Munster in southern Ireland. They belonged the same kindred as the Uí Fidgenti, and the two are considered together in the earliest sources, for example '' The Expulsion of th ...
and then Uí Fidgenti quoted from the Psalter of Cashel): ¶1210] ... Meic Caille m. Meic Brócc m. Dáre Cherbba m. Maine Munchaín m. Ailella Flaind Bic m. Fiachach Mullethain. ¶1211] Aliter: Eochaid Liathán m. Maine Cherbba m. Cirbb m. Ailella Flaind Bicc ... Dáre Cerbba uero ideo hóc nuncupatus est quia natus est i m-Methus Cerbba i m-Bregaib. ¶1236] ... Conaill a quo Úi Chonaill Gabra m. Intait Dárai m. Brioin m. Fiachach Fidgeinti m. Dáre Cherbba m. Ailella Flainn Bic. ¶1237] De chuirr luingge n a n-giall Fidgenid nuncipatus est et qui fecit equum lingneum. In Circio Colmáin h-i l-Liphu agitauit. ¶1238] Alii dicunt combad Fidgenid m. Maine Munchaín m. Ailella Flaind Bic m. Fiachach Fir Dá Liach. ¶1363] ... Brioin m. Fiachach Fidgenid m. Maine Munchaín m. Ailella Flaind Bic.


Discussion

While not specifically mentioning a Dáire ''Cerbba'', the
Archaic Irish Primitive Irish or Archaic Irish ( ga, Gaeilge Ársa), also called Proto-Goidelic, is the oldest known form of the Goidelic languages. It is known only from fragments, mostly personal names, inscribed on stone in the ogham alphabet in Ireland ...
poem ''Amra Con Roi'', and belonging the
Ulster Cycle The Ulster Cycle ( ga, an Rúraíocht), formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the Ulaid. It is set far in the past, in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly coun ...
, does state that at one time the family of Ded(ad)/Deguth and Dáire (the family of Cú Roí) had descendants who ruled in Brega to contain the advance of the
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 ...
from the north. A related poem ''Brinna Ferchertne'' further describes the family's deeds in Ireland, including the capture of
Uisneach , alternate_name = Ushnagh (anglicisation) , image = Hill of Uisneach.jpg , alt = , caption = Information sign , map = , map_caption = , map_type = island of Ireland , map_alt = A map of Ireland , map_size = , location = ...
in the midlands and more of their conflict with the Ulaid, although the "Eochu son of Darfind" in the poem is not specified as the later Dáire Cerbba's well known son Eochu the Grey.


Laud 610

(The following passage exemplifies the principal variant of the descent scheme, in other words the alternative to that presented in Rawlinson B 502 ¶1080–¶1081): Eogan mac Ailella mac do Fíachaig Mullethan risinn-abar Fer da líach .i. dá líach dó marbad a athar a n-inbaid a geine & éc a máthar dia breith. Ceithri maic Ailella Flainn Bicc maic Fhíachach .i. Lugaid (Láre) Fidach .i. athair Crimthaind & Mongfhinne. Mane Muncháin, is húad Úi Fidginte. Dáre Cerba, is húad Úi Líatháin. Tri maic Fíachach Fidgennid .i. Brión, Sétna, Laegairi. Secht maic Brióin maic Fíachach .i. Cairpre Goll, Lugaid, Dáre, Fergus, Rus, Cormac, Costaire. (What follows somewhat later is another passage noted for its resemblance to one found in Rawlinson B 502 and in the
Book of Ballymote The ''Book of Ballymote'' (, RIA MS 23 P 12, 275 foll.), was written in 1390 or 1391 in or near the town of Ballymote, now in County Sligo, but then in the tuath of Corann. Production and history This book was compiled towards the end of th ...
): Di raind etir maccu Eilella Flanc Bicc. Cf. Rawl. B 502, p. 149 a32; BB. 173 c35. Rorandsat a feranda hi cetheora ranna co Comor Trí nUisci. Quattuor filios habuit .i. Fidach, cuius filius Crimthan Mór mac Fidaigm & Luigtheg for óenleth; Maine Muncháin & Dáre cherbae for leith aili. Emmon nhDáre & in Mane. Atchondairc a mmáthair .i. druim cechtarnái fri araile ina clíab & dóel i medón eturru .i. síl Moga Roith in druad, conná cumaic nechtar de cobair araile. It é dano batir hoa & itt é fongiulatar cruiti a n-athar .i. Corco Ché & ind indbaith .i. Corco Muchit. Alii dicunt betis secht maic la Dáre .i. Fíachra, Eocha, Íth, Fidach, Dan, Ded, Dera.


Discussion

The origins of Maine Muncháin/Munchaín or "(of the) Bright/Fine/Beautiful Neck", Dáire Cerbba's replacement in Laud 610 as an ancestor of the Uí Fidgenti, have evaded scholars for generations, but both the epithet and personal name are known from elsewhere in somewhat related traditions. A certain Énna Munchaín is known from pedigrees preserved in Rawlinson B 502 as a very early ancestor of the
Eóganachta The Eóganachta or Eoghanachta () were an Irish dynasty centred on Cashel which dominated southern Ireland (namely the Kingdom of Munster) from the 6/7th to the 10th centuries, and following that, in a restricted form, the Kingdom of Desmond, an ...
and father or grandfather of Dego Dergthened ("Red Fire"), while an important Maine or Muinemon can be found in early Eóganacht tradition as well. Margaret Dobbs considers the various ancient people from Eóganacht tradition named Muinemón or
Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...
to all be equivalent and in different ways associated with the precious metal
gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...
,Dobbs "Eoganacht of Cashel" and in Laud 610 a passage states that "The seventh man from Nuadat was Muinemon. In his time gold was on necks in Ireland." while a related passage from the ''Cóir Anmann'' tells us that "Munemon first put round throats a golden necklet ... Maine Mor was his name." Before his/their time was a Maine Mothechtach Maraicdech (or Main Mairc) who "first invented the bartering of gold and silver, son of Cas Clothach who ruled Brega." And of Énna Munchaín, returning to the ''Cóir Anmann'' (although Dobbs does not equate this person with Muinemón/Maine herself, nor mention him or Maine Munchaín), it was said that "there used to be a gold collar around his neck. That is why he was Munchaín." Furthermore, Énna appears to have had, like Dáire Cerbba, his own associations with Brega (Mag Breg), to quote from
R. A. S. Macalister Robert Alexander Stewart Macalister (8 July 1870 – 26 April 1950) was an Irish archaeologist. Biography Macalister was born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Alexander Macalister, then Professor of Zoology, University of Dublin. His father wa ...
's edition of the ''
Lebor Gabála Érenn ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (literally "The Book of the Taking of Ireland"), known in English as ''The Book of Invasions'', is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language intended to be a history of Ireland and the Irish fro ...
'': ''Enna Munchain over Mag Breg''
''took hostages of the white Gáedil'' However, whatever the provenance of the tradition placing some of his career in the midlands, Énna is usually counted an early king of Munster and slayer of Eogan son of Íar mac Degad. The name ''Ma(i)ne Munchain'' itself later appears in the midlands, without any known Eóganachta associations, in a pedigree for the
Cenél Fiachach 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 ...
of the Southern Uí Néill found in MS H. 2. 7. ( TCD). Their territory included
Uisneach , alternate_name = Ushnagh (anglicisation) , image = Hill of Uisneach.jpg , alt = , caption = Information sign , map = , map_caption = , map_type = island of Ireland , map_alt = A map of Ireland , map_size = , location = ...
. Another ''Ma(i)ne Munchain'' appears as an ancestor of Mugain of the
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 o ...
, mother 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 ...
of the Southern Uí Néill, in a pedigree giving her a descent from Corc mac Luigdech of the Eóganachta, although this family, the Uí Duach Argetrois, are more usually given a descent from the Corcu Loígde kings of Osraige. The
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 Cona ...
, were, in any event, the historical (Southern)
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 ...
rulers of the Kingdom of Brega. Of final possible relevance is the fact that not distant to the Uí Fidgenti lived a people known as the Uí Maine, founded by their own Maine Mór, and ancient tradition further recalls that the seven sons of Medb and
Ailill mac Máta Ailill mac Máta is the king of the Connachta and the husband of queen MedbMatson, Gienna: ''Celtic Mythology A to Z'', page 2. Chelsea House, 2004. in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Cruachan (Rathcroghan in County Roscomm ...
were all named Maine.


Book of Leinster The Book of Leinster ( mga, Lebor Laignech , LL) is a medieval Irish manuscript compiled c. 1160 and now kept in Trinity College, Dublin, under the shelfmark MS H 2.18 (cat. 1339). It was formerly known as the ''Lebor na Nuachongbála'' "Book ...

A number of pedigrees preserved in the
Book of Leinster The Book of Leinster ( mga, Lebor Laignech , LL) is a medieval Irish manuscript compiled c. 1160 and now kept in Trinity College, Dublin, under the shelfmark MS H 2.18 (cat. 1339). It was formerly known as the ''Lebor na Nuachongbála'' "Book ...
appear to resemble one quoted from the '' Psalter of Cashel'' in
Rawlinson B 502 Oxford, Bodleian Library, Rawlinson B 502 is a medieval Irish manuscript which presently resides in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. It ranks as one of the three major surviving Irish manuscripts to have been produced in pre-Norman Ireland, the tw ...
where Dáire Cerbba is made a son of Maine Munchaín. This variety focus specifically on Dáire Cerbba's descendants the
Uí Liatháin The Uí Liatháin (IPA: iːˈlʲiəhaːnʲ were an early kingdom of Munster in southern Ireland. They belonged the same kindred as the Uí Fidgenti, and the two are considered together in the earliest sources, for example '' The Expulsion of th ...
. Those mentioning or focusing on the Uí Fidgenti omit Maine Munchaín, who in the principle descent scheme variant exemplified in Laud 610 and also found in the Book of Munster, as well as at least suggested in Rawlinson B 502 (depending on whether or not Dáire and Maine may be considered equivalent), completely replaces Dáire Cerbba for the Uí Fidgenti specifically.


Flann mac Lonáin

Probably the earliest surviving direct mention of Dáire (where assumed Cerbba) in a source from outside the Munster genealogical tradition or any is found in an
Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, Goídelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghàidhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writt ...
, at least pre-10th century poem, the ''Maiccni Echach ard a nglé'', traditionally attributed to the famous Flann mac Lonáin,
Chief Ollam of Ireland Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...
. Here both Crimthann and Mongfind can be found and the family are specifically referred to as Dáirine. Flann additionally goes to the trouble once each of calling Crimthann "son of the son of Dáire" and "grandson of Dáire" in the poem.


Discussion

While obviously contradicting the principal variant of the descent scheme, Flann's language describing Crimthann's family as ''Dáirine'' is somewhat problematic, for neither the Uí Fidgenti nor Uí Liatháin, while both claiming descent from Dáire Cerbba, ever once describe themselves as belonging to the Dáirine nor are Crimthann or his sister Mongfind ever in any surviving genealogical source described as belonging to a family other than the para-Eóganachta themselves. ''Dáirine'' is in fact in all Munster sources, and Flann is believed to have been from the province, used only as an alternative name for the Corcu Loígde, often considered a more distantly related dynasty, and near relations only of the central Eóganacht septs through Aimend. Various attempts have been made to construct primary descent for some or all of the Eóganachta proper from either the Corcu Loígde or the so-called
Érainn The Iverni (, ') were a people of early Ireland first mentioned in Ptolemy's 2nd century ''Geography'' as living in the extreme south-west of the island. He also locates a "city" called Ivernis (, ') in their territory, and observes that this se ...
altogether, but no consensus has been reached and in fact Crimthann and his family have not actually been the focus of these studies. It is finally the case that Dáire Cerbba is never once in the sources equated or associated with Dáire Sírchréchtach "the Ever-Wounded" of the Corcu Loígde, a
King of Tara The term Kingship of Tara () was a title of authority in ancient Ireland - the title is closely associated with the archaeological complex at the Hill of Tara. The position was considered to be of eminent authority in medieval Irish literature ...
, even if Cerbba's grandson Crimthann achieves that title approximately two centuries later. Both
Eoin MacNeill Eoin MacNeill ( ga, Eoin Mac Néill; born John McNeill; 15 May 1867 – 15 October 1945) was an Irish scholar, Irish language enthusiast, Gaelic revivalist, nationalist and politician who served as Minister for Education from 1922 to 1925, Cea ...
and T. F. O'Rahilly believed that most, if not all Dáires from Irish myth and legend may derive from the same prehistoric or mythological figure, or have adopted each other's features to such an extent as to all be composites. The latter stated that Dáire and Cú Roí "are ultimately one and the same", and refers to him/they as "the god of the
Otherworld The concept of an otherworld in historical Indo-European religion is reconstructed in comparative mythology. Its name is a calque of ''orbis alius'' (Latin for "other Earth/world"), a term used by Lucan in his description of the Celtic Otherwor ...
".


Keating and Crimthann

Geoffrey Keating Geoffrey Keating ( ga, Seathrún Céitinn; c. 1569 – c. 1644) was a 17th-century historian. He was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, and is buried in Tubrid Graveyard in the parish of Ballylooby-Duhill. He became an Irish Catholic priest and a ...
's ''
Foras Feasa ar Éirinn ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn'' – literally 'Foundation of Knowledge on Ireland', but most often known in English as 'The History of Ireland' – is a narrative history of Ireland by Geoffrey Keating, written in Irish and completed .Bernadette Cunnin ...
'' contains the following passage: Criomhthann son of Fiodhach, son of Daire Cearb, son of Oilill Flann Beag, son of Fiachaidh Muilleathan, son of Eoghan Mor, son of Oilill Olom of the race of Eibhear, held the sovereignty of Ireland seventeen years. Fidheang, daughter of the king of Connaught, was his wife. This Criomhthann gained victories and obtained sway in Alba, Britain, and France, as the seancha says in the following stanza:— ''Criomhthann son of Fiodhach swayed''
''The lands of Alba and of Erin;''
''He swayed likewise beyond the clear blue sea''
''Even the Saxons and the French.''


Discussion

Crimthann Mór in the earliest Irish sources is stated as King of Ireland, King of Ireland and Britain/Scotland,
King of Tara The term Kingship of Tara () was a title of authority in ancient Ireland - the title is closely associated with the archaeological complex at the Hill of Tara. The position was considered to be of eminent authority in medieval Irish literature ...
, King of
Emain Macha Navan Fort ( sga, Emain Macha ; ga, Eamhain Mhacha, label= Modern Irish ) is an ancient ceremonial monument near Armagh, Northern Ireland. According to tradition it was one of the great royal sites of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland and the cap ...
, High King of Ireland and possibly/probably Britain/Scotland, and King of Ireland and Britain as fas as the
English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
. He is frequently assumed in origin a King of Munster as well, but this is nowhere clearly stated in the 1st millennium sources.


King of Medón Mairtine

* See:
List of kings of Munster The kings of Munster ( ga, Rí Mumhan), ruled from the establishment of Munster during the Irish Iron Age, until the High Middle Ages. According to Gaelic traditional history, laid out in works such as the ''Book of Invasions'', the earliest k ...
In a strange passage in the notably peculiar Munster epic '' Forbhais Droma Dámhgháire'', Daire Cerbba (Ceirbe) is said to have been king of Medón Mairtine, known to historians as the ancient capital of the Mairtine, a once prominent
Érainn The Iverni (, ') were a people of early Ireland first mentioned in Ptolemy's 2nd century ''Geography'' as living in the extreme south-west of the island. He also locates a "city" called Ivernis (, ') in their territory, and observes that this se ...
people. In fact the passage gives it the alternative names of "... Ardchluain na Féne and Mucfhalach Mac Daire Ceirbe. This Ceirbe was king of Meáin Mairtine. This area is called Emly today..."Ó Duinn, pp. 38–9 However it does not specifically state that Dáire belonged to the Mairtine themselves, and perhaps of importance is the fact that this site was historically occupied by the
Eóganachta The Eóganachta or Eoghanachta () were an Irish dynasty centred on Cashel which dominated southern Ireland (namely the Kingdom of Munster) from the 6/7th to the 10th centuries, and following that, in a restricted form, the Kingdom of Desmond, an ...
, for whom it was their chief church, namely
Emly Emly or Emlybeg () is a village in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Clanwilliam. It is also an Ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. It is situated on the R515 ...
, which the author of ''FDD'' obviously recognizes. The Mairtine themselves belong only to prehistory and legend, but may be in part ancestral to the later
Déisi Tuisceart The ''Déisi'' were a socially powerful class of peoples from Ireland that settled in Wales and western England between the ancient and early medieval period. The various peoples listed under the heading ''déis'' shared the same status in Gaeli ...
and famous Dál gCais.


Notes


References

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Ériu In Irish mythology, Ériu (; modern ga, Éire ), daughter of Delbáeth and Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was the eponymous matron goddess of Ireland. The English name for Ireland comes from the name Ériu and the Germanic (Old Norse or Ol ...
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Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie The ''Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie'' is an academic journal of Celtic studies, which was established in 1897 by the German scholars Kuno Meyer and Ludwig Christian Stern.Busse, Peter E. "''Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie''." In ''Ce ...
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Études Celtiques ''Études Celtiques'' (EC) (, ''Celtic Studies'') is a French academic journal based in Paris. It started life under the name ''Revue Celtique'', which was founded in 1870 by Henri Gaidoz. Between 1870 and 1934, 52 volumes were published under th ...
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Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
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Gearóid Mac Niocaill Gearóid Mac Niocaill (1932–2004) was one of the foremost twentieth-century scholars and interpreters of late medieval Irish tracts. Life Gearóid was born in Hull, England in 1932 to an Irish mother. His lifelong work in the Irish language bu ...
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Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) ( ga, Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a statutory independent research institute in Ireland. It was established in 1940 on the initiative of the Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera, in Dub ...
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Irish Texts Society The Irish Texts Society ( ga, Cumann na Scríbheann nGaedhilge) was founded in 1898 to promote the study of Irish literature. It is a text publication society, issuing annotated editions of texts in Irish with English translations and related co ...
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Donnchadh Ó Corráin Donnchadh Ó Corráin (28 February 1942 – 25 October 2017) was an Irish historian and Professor Emeritus of Medieval History at University College Cork. He earned his BA in history and Irish from that institution, graduating in 1964. He was ...
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University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one ...

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Irish Manuscripts Commission The Irish Manuscripts Commission was established in 1928 by the newly founded Irish Free State with the intention of furthering the study of Ireland's manuscript collections and archives. Its foundation was primarily motivated by the loss of many h ...
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Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) ( ga, Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a statutory independent research institute in Ireland. It was established in 1940 on the initiative of the Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera, in Dub ...
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Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) ( ga, Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a statutory independent research institute in Ireland. It was established in 1940 on the initiative of the Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera, in Dub ...
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Book of Leinster The Book of Leinster ( mga, Lebor Laignech , LL) is a medieval Irish manuscript compiled c. 1160 and now kept in Trinity College, Dublin, under the shelfmark MS H 2.18 (cat. 1339). It was formerly known as the ''Lebor na Nuachongbála'' "Book ...
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Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) ( ga, Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a statutory independent research institute in Ireland. It was established in 1940 on the initiative of the Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera, in Dub ...
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University of Utrecht Utrecht University (UU; nl, Universiteit Utrecht, formerly ''Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht'') is a public research university in Utrecht, Netherlands. Established , it is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands. In 2018, it had an enrollme ...
. 2015. {{DEFAULTSORT:Daire Cerbba Kings of Munster Legendary Irish kings People from County Meath People from County Tipperary