Ailill Ollamh (or Oilill Olum) in Irish traditional history was the son of
Mug Nuadat and was a king of the southern half of
Ireland, placed in the 3rd century by early modern
Irish genealogy.
Sadb ingen Chuinn Sadb ingen Chuinn was a daughter of Conn of the Hundred Battles, a High King of Ireland. She married firstly Macnia mac Lugdach, prince of the Dáirine or Corcu Loígde, and was mother of Lugaid Mac Con, High King of Ireland. Upon the death of ...
, daughter of
Conn of the Hundred Battles
Conn Cétchathach (; "of the Hundred Battles"), son of Fedlimid Rechtmar, was a semi-legendary High King of Ireland and the ancestor of the Connachta, and, through his descendant Niall Noígiallach, the Uí Néill dynasties, which dominated Irela ...
, in her second marriage, married Ailill. He divided the kingdom between his sons
Éogan Mór,
Cormac Cas
The Dalcassians ( ga, Dál gCais ) are a Gaelic Irish clan, generally accepted by contemporary scholarship as being a branch of the Déisi Muman, that became very powerful in Ireland during the 10th century. Their genealogies claimed descent f ...
, and Cían. Éogan founded the dynasty of the
Eóganachta. Sadb's son
Lugaid Mac Con, who was Ailill's foster-son, became
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 ...
.
The
Book of Leinster contains poems ascribed to him.
The O'Sullivans are one of the number of surnames listed below as descendants of Ailill Ollamh. The
An Leabhar Muimhneach
''An Leabhar Muimhneach'', also known as ''The Book of Munster'', is an Irish genealogical manuscript.
''An Leabhar Muimhneach'' is preserved in a number of 18th century manuscripts, the best being the work of the scribe Richard Tipper of Dubli ...
(Book of Munster) has an extensive genealogy of the Eóganacht septs.
Legend
Ailill, King of Munster, discovered that the grass in his fields would not grow. Without the grass, there were no herds; without the cattle, his people would starve. Ferchess the Druid told him to go to Knockainey at
Samhain Eve. When he arrived, Ailill became drowsy and fell into a half-sleep in which he had a vision of
Áine, the goddess of plentiful crops and fertility. Overcome with desire, he forced himself upon her, an assault ending in Áine biting off his ear, hence the name ''Aulom'' "one-eared". By
Ancient Irish law, only an "unblemished" person can rule, and by maiming him so, Áine rendered him unfit to be king. As an embodiment of sovereignty, she can both grant and remove a man's power to rule.
[Meehan, Cary. Sacred Ireland]
/ref>
Closer to history
In one of the oldest surviving tracts on the early history of the Deirgtine, the Proto-Eóganachta, Ailill is himself called a druid
A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...
.
Scéla Mosaulum
'
See also
* Gailenga
* Luighne Connacht
Luighne Connacht was a territory located in north-central Connacht, on the borders of what is now County Mayo and County Sligo, Ireland.
Origin
The Luighne were a people, originally found in Brega, south of Kells in what is now County Meath ...
References
External links
Eoghanacht Genealogies
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ailill Aulom
Legendary Irish kings
Cycles of the Kings
Áine
Irish poets