Túathal mac Cormaic (died 544), called Túathal Máelgarb, (''Túathal'': "ruler of the people") was said to be a grandson of

Coirpre mac Néill Coirpre mac Néill ('' fl''. '' c''. 485–493), also Cairbre or Cairpre, was said to be a son of Niall of the Nine Hostages. Coirpre was perhaps the leader of the conquests that established the southern Uí Néill in the midlands of Ireland. T ...

. He was

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 ...

. In the earliest accounts he appears to have been regarded as the man who completed the conquest of what would later be

Brega Brega , also known as ''Mersa Brega'' or ''Marsa al-Brega'' ( ar, مرسى البريقة , i.e. "Brega Seaport"), is a complex of several smaller towns, industry installations and education establishments situated in Libya on the Gulf of Sidra, ...

for the descendants of

Niall of the Nine Hostages Niall ''Noígíallach'' (; Old Irish "having nine hostages"), or Niall of the Nine Hostages, was a legendary, semi-historical Irish king who was the ancestor of the Uí Néill dynasties that dominated Ireland from the 6th to the 10th centuries. ...

. While later genealogies make Túathal the son of Cormac Cáech, son of Coirpre, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages, this is at odds with the account of the 7th century life 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 ...

Tírechán Tírechán was a 7th-century Irish bishop from north Connacht, specifically the Killala Bay area, in what is now County Mayo. Background Based on a knowledge of Irish customs of the times, historian Terry O’Hagan has concluded that Tírechán ...

, which claims that Patrick cursed Coirpre and his descendants so that none would ever be king of Tara. Later hagiographies accounted for this discrepancy by having Túathal excluded from Patrick's curse. There is only a single significant entry in the

Irish annals A number of Irish annals, of which the earliest was the Chronicle of Ireland, were compiled up to and shortly after the end of the 17th century. Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days. Over t ...

concerning Túathal. This is a report of his victory in a battle against the Ciannacht "at Luachair between the two estuaries", perhaps in 535. Luachair is a common place name, and it is uncertain which two rivers are concerned. This victory is believed to have established the dominance of Niall's descendants over the Ciannacht and over the plain of Brega. While these entries in the

are not based on a contemporary record, the language used suggests that they are very early, perhaps dating from the end of the 6th century. Túathal is reported to have been killed in the 540s. Later glosses to the annals, and tales concerning

Diarmait mac Cerbaill Diarmait mac Cerbaill (died ) was King of Tara or High King of Ireland. According to traditions, he was the last High King to follow the pagan rituals of inauguration, the ''ban-feis'' or marriage to goddess of the land. While many later storie ...

and 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 ...

, add more detail, but are likely to be much later traditions. According to these, Túathal was attempting to have Diarmait banished, but instead Túathal was killed by Diarmait's uterine half-brother—according to some versions, his adoptive kinsman—"Máelmor Ua Machí" or "Máelmor mac Argadaín". Máelmor himself was killed on the spot.Charles-Edwards, "Túathal"; ''Annals of Ulster'', AU 544.1; ''Annals of Tigernach'', AT 543.1.

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tuathal Maelgarb Cycles of the Kings High Kings of Ireland 6th-century Irish monarchs People from County Kildare People from County Meath 544 deaths