Niall Frossach (or Niall mac Fergaile) (718–778) was an 8th-century Irish

king of Ailech The Kings of Ailech were the over-kings of the medieval Irish province of Ailech in north-western Ireland. It encompassed the territories of the Cenél nEógain and Cenél Conaill. After the battle of Cloítech in 789 its kings were exclusively ...

, sometimes considered to have been

High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ga, Ardrí na hÉireann ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and later sometimes assigned ana ...

. Brother of high king

Áed Allán Áed Allán (or Áed mac Fergaile) (died 743) was an 8th-century Irish king of Ailech and High King of Ireland. Áed Allán was the son of Fergal mac Máele Dúin and a member of the Cenél nEógain, a branch of the Northern Uí Néill. Ferga ...

(died 743), Niall was the son of high king

Fergal mac Máele Dúin Fergal mac Máele Dúin (died 11 December 722) was High King of Ireland. Fergal belonged to the Cenél nEógain sept of the northern Uí Néill. He was the son of Máel Dúin mac Máele Fithrich (died 681), a King of Ailech, and great grandson o ...

(died 722) and a member 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 ...

, a branch of the Northern

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 the ...

. The

epithet An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...

''Frossach'' (showery) is said to come from showers of silver, honey and wheat which fell on his home at

Fahan Fahan (; ) is a district of Inishowen in the north of County Donegal, Ireland, located 5 km (3 miles) south of Buncrana. In Irish, Fahan is named after its patron saint, Saint Mura, first abbot of Fahan, an early Christian monastery. His ...

Inishowen Inishowen () is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland. The Inishowen peninsula includes Ireland's most northerly point, Malin Head. The Grianan of Aileach, a ringfort ...

at his birth. Upon the death of his brother he became King of Ailech. He ruled as King of Ailech from 743 to 770. However the new high king Domnall Midi (died 763) 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 ...

branch of the southern Ui Neill appointed

Áed Muinderg Áed mac Flaithbertaig (died 747), called Áed Muinderg, was a chief of the Cenél Conaill of the northern Uí Néill in Ireland. He was the son of the high king Flaithbertach mac Loingsig (died 765). His byname Muinderg means "red-necked". His f ...

(died 747) of the rival

Cenél Conaill 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) i ...

as his representative in the North (''

Rí Rí, or commonly ríg ( genitive), is an ancient Gaelic word meaning 'king'. It is used in historical texts referring to the Irish and Scottish kings, and those of similar rank. While the Modern Irish word is exactly the same, in modern Scottis ...

in Tuaiscert''). In 756 conflict with Domnall broke out and Domnall led a force of Laigin with him as far as Mag Muirtheimne in modern County Louth. This region had been recently brought under overlordship by Niall's brother Áed Allán in 735. Niall followed Domnall Midi as High King in 763. His reign was considered notably peaceful. 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 ...

was again proclaimed in force in 767. The Clann Cholmáin high kings had supported the Law of

Columba Columba or Colmcille; gd, Calum Cille; gv, Colum Keeilley; non, Kolban or at least partly reinterpreted as (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is toda ...

of Iona. Domnall Midi's son

Donnchad Midi Donnchad mac Domnaill (733 – 6 February 797), called Donnchad Midi, was High King of Ireland. His father, Domnall Midi, had been the first Uí Néill High King from the south-central Clann Cholmáin based in modern County Westmeath and weste ...

(died 797) began to claim the throne of Tara in 770 when he campaigned against Leinster. Donnchad led a hosting to the north in 771 and 772. It is presumed that Niall abdicated sometime between 772 and 777 though possibly as early as 770. He died on Iona in 778.AU 778.7 He was followed as King of Ailech by his nephew,

Máel Dúin mac Áedo Alláin Máel Dúin mac Áedo Alláin (died 788) was a King of Ailech and head of the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill. He was the son of Áed Allán (died 743), a high king of Ireland. He ruled from 770 to 788. His uncle, the high king N ...

(died 788) son of Áed Allán. The Kingship of Tara and supposed High Kingship passed back to

in the person of Donnchad Midi. Niall married Dunlaith ingen Flaithbertaich (died 798) of the Cenél Conaill, daughter of the high king

Flaithbertach mac Loingsig Flaithbertach mac Loingsig (died 765) was a High King of Ireland. He was a member of the Cenél Conaill, a branch of the northern Uí Néill. He was the son of Loingsech mac Óengusso (died 703), a previous high king. He ruled from 728 to 734. H ...

(died 765) and their son

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 ...

(died 819) was a high king. His judgements are referenced in a poem by

Tuileagna Ó Maoil Chonaire Tuileagna Ó Maoil Chonaire ( fl. 1585) was an Irish poet. A member of the Ó Maolconaire bardic family of Connacht, Tuileagna is known from a number of extant works, including ''Labhram ar iongnaibh Éireann'', addressed to Sir Nicholas Wals ...

, ''Labhram ar iongnaibh Éireann'', written some eight hundred years later.

Notes

References

* ''Annals of Ulster'' a

a
University College Cork
* ''Annals of Tigernach'' a

a
University College Cork
* Byrne, Francis John (2001), ''Irish Kings and High-Kings'', Dublin: Four Courts Press, * Charles-Edwards, T. M. (2000), ''Early Christian Ireland'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, * Mac Niocaill, Gearoid (1972), ''Ireland before the Vikings'', Dublin: Gill and Macmillan

External links

a
University College Cork
The Corpus of Electronic Texts includes the ''Annals of Ulster'', ''Tigernach'' and ''the Four Masters'' as well as Genealogies, and various Saints' Lives. Most are translated into English, or translations are in progress

by Dan M. Wiley {{DEFAULTSORT:Niall Frossach 7th-century births 778 deaths High Kings of Ireland 8th-century Irish monarchs