Niall mac Cernaig Sotal (died 701) was a king in southern Brega of the Uí Chernaig sept of

Lagore Loch Gabhair (Lagore), meaning "Lake of the Goats", is an area in the barony of Ratoath, County Meath, Ireland. It is located between the villages of Ratoath and Dunshaughlin and is the namesake of the townlands of Lagore Big (Loch Gabhar Mór) an ...

of 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 ...

. He was the grandson of the high king

Diarmait mac Áedo Sláine Diarmait (died 665) was a son of Áed Sláine. According to the Irish annals, he was High King of Ireland. Sons of Áed Sláine Diarmait's father Áed Sláine was a son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill, the apical ancestor of the southern branches of ...

(died 665).Charles-Edwards, ''Early Christian Ireland'', pp. 602–603 His father Cernach Sotal had died during plague years in 664.

Biography

In Niall's time there was a rivalry between the northern septs of the Síl nÁedo Sláine, including the Uí Chonaing sept of Cnogba (Knowth) and the Síl nDlúthaig of Fir Cúl, with the southern septs which included the Uí Chernaig. In 688 Niall defeated

Congalach mac Conaing Cuirre Congalach mac Conaing Cuirre (died 696) was a King of Brega from the Uí Chonaing sept of the Síl nÁedo Sláine branch of the southern Uí Néill. He was the son of Conaing Cuirre mac Congaile (died 662), a previous king of Brega. The territory ...

(died 696) of Uí Chonaing and his Ciannachta allies at the Battle of Imlech Pich. This battle occurred during the temporary abdication of the high king

Fínsnechta Fledach Fínsnechta Fledach mac Dúnchada (died 695) was High King of Ireland. Fínsnechta belonged to the southern Síl nÁedo Sláine sept of the Uí Néill and was King of Brega, in modern County Meath, Ireland. He was a grandson of Áed Sláine. His ...

of Brega (died 695) and represents a struggle for control of Brega among the two septs. Finsnechta returned to the throne in 689 only to be assassinated by Congalach in 695 who then assumed the kingship of Brega. Niall is listed as one of the guarantors of the

Cáin Adomnáin The ''Cáin Adomnáin'' (Law of Adomnán), also known as the ''Lex Innocentium'' (Law of Innocents), was promulgated amongst a gathering of Irish, Dál Riatan and Pictish notables at the Synod of Birr in 697. It is named after its initiator ...

("Law of the Innocents") of Saint Adomnán arranged at the Synod of Birr in 697 where he is called King of Mag Breg. His brother Conall Grant (died 718) is called king of Deiscirt Brega (South Brega) and Niall's son Maine mac Néill (died 712) was also a guarantor. These titles were added to the list of guarantors in 727 and the first use of the title King of South Brega in the ''Annals of Ulster'' is not until 751 In 701 Niall was assassinated by the Uí Chonaing king of Brega,

Írgalach mac Conaing Írgalach mac Conaing Cuirre (died 702), also called Írgalach ua Conaing, was a King of Brega from the Uí Chonaing sept of Cnogba (Knowth) of the Síl nÁedo Sláine branch of the southern Ui Neill. He was the son of Conaing Cuirre mac Congaile ...

Cuirre (died 702), at Drumain Ua Casan. According to the ''Fragmentary Annals of Ireland'', Niall was under Adomnán's protection and the saint cursed Írgalach as a result.''Fragmentary Annals of Ireland'', FA 150; the story is discussed by Radner, "Writing history", pp.315–319.

Descendants

Niall's known sons included: * Maine mac Néill (died 712), slain in battle by

Flann mac Áedo Flann mac Áedo (died 714) was a King of Fir Cúl in Brega of the Síl nDlúthaig sept of the Síl nÁedo Sláine of Brega. He was the son of Áed mac Dlúthaig (died 701), King of Fir Cúl and great-grandson of Ailill Cruitire mac Áedo Sláine ( ...

(died 714) of the Síl nDlúthaig sept. * Áed Laigin (died 722),slain at the Battle of Allen in the great defeat of the Ui Neill by the men of Leinster. *

Fogartach mac Néill Fogartach Mac'Artain (died 724), sometimes called Fogartach ua Cernaich, was an Irish king who is reckoned a High King of Ireland. He belonged to the Uí Chernaig sept of the Síl nÁedo Sláine branch of the southern Uí Néill. He was King of B ...

(died 724), King of Brega and high king of Ireland. * Cathal mac Néill (died 729),called King of Southern Brega by the ''Annals of Tigernach''.

Notes

References

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

a
University College Cork
* ''Fragmentary Annals of Ireland'' a

a
University College Cork
* Charles-Edwards, T. M. (2000), ''Early Christian Ireland'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, * {{DEFAULTSORT:Niall mac Cernaig Sotail Kings of Brega 7th-century births 701 deaths 8th-century Irish monarchs 7th-century Irish monarchs People from County Dublin