Muirgius mac Tommaltaig (died 815) 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 Delbhn ...
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
The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King Conn Cétchathach (Conn of the Hundred Battles). The modern western province of Connacht (Irish ''Cúige Chonnacht'', province, literally "f ...
. He was the great-grandson of
Indrechtach mac Muiredaig
Indrechtach mac Muiredaig Muillethan (died 723) was a King of Connacht from the Uí Briúin branch of the Connachta. He was the son of Muiredach Muillethan mac Fergusso (died 702), a previous king. He was of the Síl Muiredaig sept of the Uí Bri ...
Muillethan (died 723), a previous king. The death of his father Tommaltach mac Murgail (died 774) is recorded in the annals where he is called king of Mag nAi. Muirgius was of the Síl Muiredaig sept of the Uí Briúin. He reigned from 792 to 815.
Struggle for the throne
The annals state that his reign began after Battle of Sruth Cluana Argai (Cloonargid, Co. Roscommon) in 792 when he defeated
Cináed mac Artgail (d. 792), of the Síl Cathail sept, who was slain. In 793 we find him imposing the Law of Saint Commán of
Roscommon
Roscommon (; ) is the county town and the largest town in County Roscommon in Ireland. It is roughly in the centre of Ireland, near the meeting of the N60, N61 and N63 roads.
The name Roscommon is derived from Coman mac Faelchon who built ...
in conjunction with abbot Aildobur (d. 800) upon the three Connachta at
Cruachu.
Another important battle in 792 was the battle of Ard Maiccrime in County Sligo, where the Ui Ailello were delivered their death blow. Among the slain were Cathmug mac Flaithbertaig of the
Cenél Coirpri
Tethbae (; also spelled ''Tethba'', often anglicised ''Teffia'') was a confederation of túatha in central Ireland in the Middle Ages. It was divided into two distinct kingdoms, north Tethba, ruled by the Cenél Coirpri, and south Tethba, ruled ...
and Cormac son of Dub dá Crích of the Uí Briúin Bréifne. The ''Annals of the Four Masters'' states that Muirgius was the victor in this battle also. The Ui Briun profited by the decline of the Ui Ailello and a branch of the Sil Muiredaig later occupied Mag Luirg.
The ''Annals of Innisfallen'' refer to
Colla mac Fergusso
Colla mac Fergusso (or Colla mac Forgusso, died 796) was a possible King of Connacht from the Uí Briúin branch of the Connachta. He was the son of Forggus mac Cellaig (died 756), a previous king. The sept of Uí Briúin he belonged to was the S ...
(d. 796) as king at the time of his death, and he may have been a rival to Muirgius. Also, in 796 we find Muirgius defeated at the battle of Áth Féne on the northern border of Ciarraige in his home territory. His reign though appears uncontested after the battle of Dún Gainiba in 799 where Muirgius was victorious in a battle among the Connachta. Also that year Gormgal, abbot of Armagh imposed the Law of
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick ( la, Patricius; ga, Pádraig ; cy, Padrig) was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the other patron saints be ...
on Connacht.
Subjugation of minor peoples
Muirgius then turned his attention to the south and in 802 he destroyed the fortress at Loch Riach(Loughrea) in the
Uí Maine
U or u, is the twenty-first and sixth-to-last letter and fifth vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''u'' (pro ...
territory of Maenmag. The next year the Cruithne Sogain tribe revolted against their Uí Maine overlords in this region in 803.
Muirgius had imposed his son Cormac (d. 805) as abbot of Baslick, a church of the Ciarraige Aí but Cormac was slain and defeated by this tribe in 805. In revenge Muirgius devastated their lands that year.
In 810 two of his sons Tadg (d. 810) and Flaithnia (d. 810) were slain by the Luigni of Corann and in revenge Muirgius devastated their lands. In 812 he slaughtered the Calraige of Mag Luirg and then invaded the south of Connaught.
Hostility to the High King
Muirgius was hostile to the ambitions of the high-king
Áed Oirdnide
Áed mac Néill (; died 819), commonly called Áed Oirdnide ("the anointed"), was King of Ailech. A member of the Cenél nEógain dynasty of the northern Uí Néill, he was the son of Niall Frossach. Like his father, Áed was reckoned High King o ...
mac Néill (d. 817) of the
Cenél nEógain
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 ...
and in 805 Muirgius gave refuge to the Leinster king
Fínsnechta Cethardec
Finsnechta Cethardec mac Cellaig (died 808) was a King of Leinster of the Uí Dúnchada sept of the Uí Dúnlainge branch of the Laigin. He was the son of Cellach mac Dúnchada (died 776), a previous king. He ruled from 795 to 808. His byname Ceth ...
mac Cellaig (d. 808) who had been deposed by Aed; and Muirgius aided Fisnechta in recovering his throne in 806.
In 808 Muirgius gave support to
Conchobar mac Donnchada
Conchobar mac Donnchada (or Conchobar mac Donnchado) was High-King of Ireland with opposition (''rí Érenn co fressabra'') between 819 and 833. Conchobar was the son of Donnchad Midi, high-king of Ireland (733– 797); his mother was Fuirseach, ...
(d. 833), the king of
Mide
Meath (; Old Irish: ''Mide'' ; spelt ''Mí'' in Modern Irish) was a kingdom in Ireland from the 1st to the 12th century AD. Its name means "middle," denoting its location in the middle of the island.
At its greatest extent, it included all of ...
of the
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 ...
in his revolt against Aed Ordnide and advanced with the Connacht army as far as the assembly grounds of Tailtiu. But on the appearance of Aed's army the allies dispersed. Aed, however confined his vengeance to the Mide territory.
Viking attacks
There were several Viking attacks on the coast of Connacht during his reign. In 812 the men of Umall killed Viking raiders but the men of Conmaicne were slaughtered by the raiders that same year. In 813 the Vikings slaughtered the men of Umall and slew their king Dúnadach.
Church relations
Muirgius continued to seek support from the church and in 811 Nuado, abbot of Armagh visited Connacht with the casket of Saint Patrick and his Law. In 814 the abbot of Echdruim (Aughrim), Máel Dúin was slain by the Uí Maine. Aughrim was a daughter church of Clonmacnoise and that year Muirgius and Foirchellach, abbot of Clonmacnoise led a retaliatory expedition into Uí Maine territory south of the Suck River. The annals record that
Adomnán
Adomnán or Adamnán of Iona (, la, Adamnanus, Adomnanus; 624 – 704), also known as Eunan ( ; from ), was an abbot of Iona Abbey ( 679–704), hagiographer, statesman, canon jurist, and saint. He was the author of the ''Life of Co ...
's Law of the Innocents was violated on this campaign. Muirgius had the Law of Saint
Ciarán of Clonmacnoise
Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise (c. 516 – c. 549), supposedly born Ciarán mac an tSaeir ("son of the carpenter"), was one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland and the first abbot of Clonmacnoise. He is sometimes called Ciarán the Young ...
raised over Connacht in 814 at Cruachu. This law was imposed at an assembly at Cruachu held by Muirgius
[T.M. Charles-Edwards, ''Early Christian Ireland'', p. 563]
Descendants
Besides his slain sons Cormac (d. 805), Tadg (d. 810), and Flaithnia (d. 810); Muirgius had a son
Cathal mac Muirgiussa
Cathal mac Muirgiussa (died 839) was a King of Connacht from the Uí Briúin branch of the Connachta. He was the son of Muirgius mac Tommaltaig (died 815), a previous king. He was of the Síl Muiredaig sept of the Uí Briúin. He ruled from 833&nd ...
(d. 839), a king of Connacht. Another son Máel Dúin was slain fighting the Vikings in 838.
Muirgius' brothers
Diarmait mac Tommaltaig
Diarmait mac Tommaltaig (died 833) was a king of Connacht from the Uí Briúin branch of the Connachta. He was the great-grandson of Indrechtach mac Muiredaig Muillethan (died 723), a previous king. The death of his father Tommaltach mac Murgail ( ...
(d. 833) and Finsnechta mac Tommaltaig (d. 848) were also kings of Connacht.
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 named ...
References
*
*
*
*
*
Revised editionof McCarthy's synchronisms at
Trinity College Dublin
, name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin
, motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin)
, motto_lang = la
, motto_English = It will last i ...
.
External links
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Textsa
University College Cork
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muirgius Mac Tommaltaig
815 deaths
8th-century births
Kings of Connacht
Nobility from County Roscommon
9th-century Irish monarchs