Blathmac mac Máele Cobo (died
670
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Year 670 (Roman numerals, DCLXX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 670th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 670th year of the 1s ...
) was a
Dál Fiatach
Dál Fiatach was a Gaelic dynastic-grouping and the name of their territory in the north-east of Ireland during the Middle Ages. It was part of the over-kingdom of Ulaid, and they were its main ruling dynasty for most of Ulaid's history. Their ...
ruler of the over-kingdom of
Ulaid
Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or Ulaidh ( Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include Ulidia, which is the Latin form of Ulaid, and i ...
. He was the son of
Máel Cobo mac Fiachnai
Máel Cobo mac Fiachnai (died 647) was a Dal Fiatach king of Ulaid. He was the son of Fiachnae mac Demmáin (died 627) and half-brother of Dúnchad mac Fiachnai (died c. 644), previous kings. He ruled from c. 644 to 647.
The Dal Fiatach recovere ...
(died
647
__NOTOC__
Year 647 ( DCXLVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 647 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era ...
). He ruled from 647 to 670.
Background
The Dál Fiatach dominated the
kingship of Ulster from 637 to 674. Family strife was a common theme among the dynasty at this time. His father was slain or killed by Blathmac's cousin
Congal Cennfota mac Dúnchada in 647. The Irish annals mention Blathmac's death as king prior to Congal's with that title so it can be assumed that Blathmac acquired the title despite Congal's killing of his father.
In
668
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Year 668 ( DCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 668 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar er ...
the Battle of Fertas (near
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
) was fought between the Ulaid and the
Cruithne. Here, Cathussach mac Luirgéne, their king, was defeated and slain.
[AU 668.2; AT 666.6; Mac Niocaill, pg.101]
Blathmac had seven sons including
Bécc Bairrche mac Blathmaic
Bécc Bairrche mac Blathmaic (died 718) was king of Ulaid from 692 to 707 from the Dál Fiatach clan. He was the son of Blathmac mac Máel Cobha (died 670), a previous king. His byname Bairrche refers to the region of the Mourne Mountains in sou ...
, a king of Ulaid.
Notes
See also
*
Kings of Ulster
The King of Ulster (Old Irish: ''Rí Ulad'', Modern Irish: ''Rí Uladh'') also known as the King of Ulaid and King of the Ulaid, was any of the kings of the Irish provincial over-kingdom of Ulaid. The title rí in Chóicid, which means "king of ...
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,
* Gearoid Mac Niocaill (1972), ''Ireland before the Vikings'', Dublin: Gill and Macmillan
External links
a
University College Cork
Kings of Ulster
670 deaths
7th-century Irish monarchs
People from County Antrim
Year of birth unknown
{{Ireland-royal-stub