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 Conaill and their son Fergal mac Máele Dúin (died 722) was high king of Ireland. He was the son of

Máel Fithrich mac Áedo Máel Fithrich mac Áedo (died 630) was a King of Ailech and head of the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill. He was the son of the high king of Ireland Áed Uaridnach (died 612). He ruled in Ailech from 628 to 630. The branch of t ...

(died 630) and grandson of the high king Áed Uaridnach (died 612). He ruled as King of Ailech from circa 668-681. The annals record the destruction of Ailech in 676 by the high king Fínsnechta Fledach (died 695) of the southern Uí Néill who appears to have asserted his authority in the north. Máel Dúin was active increasing the power of the Cenél nEógain. In 677 he slew Dúnchad son of Ultán, king of Airgialla -of the Uí mac Carthainn, near Lough Foyle, Tirkeeran in modern

County Londonderry County Londonderry ( Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry ( ga, Contae Dhoire), is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty two counties of Ireland and one of the nine counties of Ulster. B ...

- in Dún Forgo. In the summer of 681 he was successful over Dúngal Eilni mac Scandail of Dal nAraide and Cenn Faelad mac Suibni of the Cianachta Glenn Geimin ( Keenaght,

) at what was called the burning of the kings at Dún Ceithirn (in barony of

Coleraine Coleraine ( ; from ga, Cúil Rathain , 'nook of the ferns'Flanaghan, Deirdre & Laurence; ''Irish Place Names'', page 194. Gill & Macmillan, 2002. ) is a town and civil parish near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern I ...

, in modern County Londonderry). He belonged to the Cenél maic Ercae branch of the family. The rival Cenél Feradaig branch dominated the kingship for most of the

7th century The 7th century is the period from 601 ( DCI) through 700 ( DCC) in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Common Era. The spread of Islam and the Muslim conquests began with the unification of Arabia by Muhammad starting in 622. After Muh ...

. At the beginning of winter 681 he was defeated and slain at the Battle of Bla Sléibe (in modern County Londonderry) by the Ciannachta of Glenn Geimin and by

Fland mac Máele Tuile Fland mac Máele Tuile (died 700), also Flann Finn or Flann Albus was a King of Ailech and head of the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill. He was the grandson of Crundmáel mac Suibni (died circa 660), a previous King of Ailech and ...

(died 700) of the rival Cenél Feradaig. Máel Dúin mac Máele Fithrich is recorded as the ancestor of the

Ó Dálaigh The Ó Dálaigh () were a learned Irish Bardic poetry, bardic family who first came to prominence early in the 12th century, when Cú Connacht Ó Dálaigh was described as "The first ''Ollamh'' of poetry in all Ireland" (''ollamh'' is the title g ...

bardic family in the O'Clery Book of Genealogies.''Analecta Hibernica'' #18 R.I.A. MS. 23 D 17 589, Genelach Muintire Dalaigh.

Notes

References

* ''Annals of Ulster'' a
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts
a
University College Cork
* ''Annals of Tigernach'' a

a
University College Cork
* Charles-Edwards, T. M. (2000), ''Early Christian Ireland'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, * ''O'Clery Book of Genealogies'', Analecta Hibernica #18 R.I.A. MS. 23 D 17

External links

a
University College Cork
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mael Duin mac Maele Fithrich Kings of Ailech 681 deaths 7th-century Irish monarchs Year of birth unknown