Loingsech mac Colmáin (died 655) (or Laidgnén) 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
Ui Fiachrach branch of the
Connachta. He was of the
Ui Fiachrach Aidhne sept this branch and was the son of
Colmán mac Cobthaig
Colmán mac Cobthaig (died 622) was a king of Connacht from the Ui Fiachrach. He was the first king of Connacht from the Ui Fiachrach Aidhne branch. This branch was descended from Eochu, the brother of Ailill Molt (died 484). According to the ' ...
.
His brother
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) is associated with events in the annals prior to 649 and it is possible that Guaire abdicated the throne of the Ui Fiachrach Aidhne upon his defeat at the Battle of Carn Conaill.
[Byrne, pg.240] Loingsech succeeded
Rogallach mac Uatach (died 649) of the rival
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 as king of Connacht in 649. The king-lists mention Loingsech, but of the Irish annals, only the ''Annals of Tigernach'' mention his death.
Rivalry between the Ui Fiachrach Aidhne and Uí Briúin is attested by two events that occurred in his reign. In 653 the ally of the Ui Fiachrach Aidhne,
Marcán mac Tommáin
Marcán mac Tommáin (died 653) was the 15th king of the Uí Maine.
In his time the Uí Maine were allied and subject to the Ui Fiachrach Aidhne, a branch of the Connachta. They were ruled by Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin. The annals record that ...
, the king of the
Ui Maine was slain in battle in Iarthair Seola by
Cenn Fáelad mac Colgan (died 682) and Máenach mac Báethíne of the Ui Briun. Also in 654 occurred the killing of Fergus mac Rogallaig (died 654) of the Ui Briun, son of Rogallach mac Uatach, by the Ui Fiachrach Aidhne.
Loingsech had no known descendants and was succeeded by his brother Guaire.
Loingsech is mentioned in Lady Gregory's translation of ''The Fate of the Children of Lir'' as "Lairgren, son of Colman, son of Cobthach," who seems likely to be his father
Colmán mac Cobthaig
Colmán mac Cobthaig (died 622) was a king of Connacht from the Ui Fiachrach. He was the first king of Connacht from the Ui Fiachrach Aidhne branch. This branch was descended from Eochu, the brother of Ailill Molt (died 484). According to the ' ...
. Lairgen's supposed marriage to Deoch, daughter of Finghin, is said to have been the "coming together of the Man from the North and the Woman from the South," which broke the 900-year curse upon the children and returned them to human form.
Notes
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
* ''Annals of Tigernach''
* T.M.Charles-Edwards, ''Early Christian Ireland''
* Francis J.Byrne, ''Irish Kings and High-Kings''
* ''The Chronology of the Irish Annals'', Daniel P. McCarthy
External links
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Textsa
University College Cork
655 deaths
Kings of Connacht
People from County Galway
7th-century Irish monarchs
Year of birth unknown
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