Bran mac Fáeláin (died 838) was a

King of Leinster The kings of Leinster ( ga, Rí Laighín), ruled from the establishment of Leinster during the Irish Iron Age, until the 17th century Early Modern Ireland. According to Gaelic traditional history, laid out in works such as the ''Book of Invasion ...

of the Uí Dúnchada sept of the

Uí Dúnlainge The Uí Dúnlainge, from the Old Irish "grandsons (or descendants) of Dúnlaing", were an Irish dynasty of Leinster kings who traced their descent from Dúnlaing mac Énda Niada. He was said to be a cousin of Énnae Cennsalach, eponymous ances ...

branch of the Laigin. This sept had their royal seat at Líamhain (Lyons Hill, on the Dublin-Kildare border). He was the nephew of

Fínsnechta Cethardec Finsnechta Cethardec mac Cellaig (died 808) was a King of Leinster of the Uí Dúnchada sept of the Uí Dúnlainge branch of the Laigin. He was the son of Cellach mac Dúnchada (died 776), a previous king. He ruled from 795 to 808. His byname Cet ...

mac Cellaig (died 808) and grandson of Cellach mac Dúnchada (died 776), previous kings. His father Fáelán (died 804) had been abbot of Kildare. Bran ruled from 835 to 838. The annals record that in 835, the high king

Niall Caille Niall mac Áeda (died 846), called Niall Caille (Niall of the Callan) to distinguish him from his grandson Niall mac Áeda (died 917), was High King of Ireland. Background Niall belonged to Cenél nEógain, a northern branch of the Uí Néill, ...

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) i ...

led an army into Leinster and set up Bran as king. The previous king

Cellach mac Brain Cellach mac Brain (died 834) was a King of Leinster of the Uí Muiredaig sept of the Uí Dúnlainge branch of the Laigin. This sept had their royal seat at Maistiu (Mullaghmast) in South Kildare. He was the son of Bran Ardchenn mac Muiredaig (die ...

(died 834) of the Uí Muiredaig sept had been aligned with

Feidlimid mac Cremthanin Fedelmid mac Crimthainn was the King of Munster between 820 and 846. He was numbered as a member of the Céli Dé, an abbot of Cork Abbey and Clonfert Abbey, and possibly a bishop. After his death, he was later considered a saint in some mart ...

(died 847), the powerful king of Munster. The annals mention a co-ruler, his cousin Riacán mac Fínsnechtai who died in 837. Viking raids occurred during his reign. In 837 a Viking force of sixty ships operated on the Liffey river and plundered the surrounding plain.AU 837.3 Bran's sons

Muiredach mac Brain Muiredach mac Brain (died 885) was a King of Leinster of the Uí Dúnchada sept of the Uí Dúnlainge branch of the Laigin. This sept had their royal seat at Líamhain (Lyons Hill, on the Dublin-Kildare border). He was the son of Bran mac Fáelá ...

(died 885) and Ruarc mac Brain (died 862) were also Kings of Leinster.

Notes

References

* ''Annals of Ulster'' a
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts
a
University College Cork
* ''Book of Leinster'',''Rig Laigin'' a

a
University College Cork
* Byrne, Francis John (2001), Irish Kings and High-Kings, Dublin: Four Courts Press,

External links

a
University College Cork
Kings of Leinster Kings of Uí Dúnlainge 838 deaths 9th-century Irish monarchs People from County Kildare Year of birth unknown {{Ireland-royal-stub