Conchobar Maenmaige Ua Cellaigh, 40th

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

of Uí Maine and 7th Chief of the Name, died 1180.

Origins

Conchobar Maenmaige is agreed in all sources to have been king for forty years, so it appears he succeeded Tadhg Ua Cellaigh sometime after his abduction by an army from Munster in 1145. His succession meant the end of

Síol Anmchadha Síol Anmchadha was a sub-kingdom or lordship of Uí Maine, and ruled by an offshoot of the Uí Maine called the Síol Anmchadha (''"the seed of Anmchadh"''), from whom the territory took its name. It was located in Connacht, Ireland. Histor ...

's brief independence and overlordship of Uí Maine, and its dynasty would henceforth be confined to their own homeland. Conchobar is stated in all the genealogies as being the son of Diarmaid, whose immediate descent is uncertain but is given as the son or grandson of Tadhg Mór Ua Cellaigh, who was killed at the

Battle of Clontarf The Battle of Clontarf ( ga, Cath Chluain Tarbh) took place on 23 April 1014 at Clontarf, near Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland. It pitted an army led by Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, against a Norse-Irish alliance comprising the for ...

in 1014. However, it may actually mean that he was the son or grandson of the Tadhg who was abducted in 1145.

Ecclesiastical work

John O'Donovan says of him that ''"he built O'Kelly's Church at

Clonmacnoise Clonmacnoise ( Irish: ''Cluain Mhic Nóis'') is a ruined monastery situated in County Offaly in Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone, founded in 544 by Saint Ciarán, a young man from Rathcroghan, County Roscommon. Until the 9th cen ...

, in the year 1167 … and is stated in some of the pedigrees to have built twelve churches in the territory of Moenmoy Máenmaige."'' His epithet probably refers to his being fostered, or at least raised, in the area, which is centered on

Loughrea Loughrea ( ; ) is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The town lies to the north of a range of wooded hills, the Slieve Aughty Mountains, and the lake from which it takes its name. The town's cathedral, St Brendan's, dominates the town's skyline ...

References in the ''Annals''

Conchobar and Uí Maine are mentioned infrequently in the annals, reflecting the kingdom's subordinate status within the kingdom of Connacht. Some references include the following:

1145:''The men of Munster proceeded with an army into Connaught; and they carried off Ua Ceallaigh, i.e. Tadhg, son of Conchobhar, lord of Ui-Maine, and slew Ruaidhri Ua Flaithbheartaigh.''

1147:''The battle of Ath-luain was gained over Domhnall, the son of Toirdhealbhach Ua Conchobhair, and the Ua-Maine, by the men of Teathbha, where the grandson of Amhalghaidh Ua Flainn and others were slain.''

1155:''Magh-Finn was preyed by the men of Teathbha, who plundered some of the Ui-Maine.''

1163:''A royal heir's feasting visitation was made by Niall, son of Muircheartach Ua Lochlainn, the son of the King of Ireland … He afterwards proceeded across Ath-Luain, into
Connaught Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...
, with a force of twelve score men; and they feasted upon the Ui-Maine, but they were all killed by Conchobhar Ua Ceallaigh, Conchobar Maenmaige Ua Conchobair, and the Ui-Maine, through treachery and guile, except some deserters and fugitives; and Niall, son of Muircheartach Ua Lochlainn, was taken prisoner, and conducted in safety to his house, by advice of their meeting.''

1167:''A church was erected at Cluain-mic-Nois, in the place of the Dearthach, by Conchobhar Ua Ceallaigh and the Ui-Maine.''

1170:''A great fleet was brought upon the Sinainn, by Ruaidhri Ua Conchobhair, to plunder Munster. A predatory incursion was made by the Ui-Maine into Ormond, and a predatory incursion was made by the people of West Connaught into
Thomond Thomond (Classical Irish: ; Modern Irish: ), also known as the kingdom of Limerick, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Clare and County Limerick, as well as parts of County Tipperary around Nena ...
. They the Ui-Maine plundered Ormond on this occasion, and destroyed the wooden bridge of Cill-Dalua.''

The Battle of the Conors

A decline in the power of

Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair Ruaidrí mac Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair ( Modern Irish: Ruairí Ó Conchúir; anglicized as Rory O'Conor) ( – 2 December 1198) was King of Connacht from 1156 to 1186, and High King of Ireland from 1166 to 1198. He was the last High King o ...

initiated civil unrest in Connacht, from about 1177. The Uí Maine appeared to take advantage of this, which cumulated in the Battle of the Conors, which took place at an unknown location, possibly within Máenmaige, sometime in 1180. The victor was King Ruaidrí son, Conchobar Maenmaige Ua Conchobair, who had a palace at Dún Ló (

Ballinasloe Ballinasloe ( ; ) is a town in the easternmost part of County Galway in Connacht. Located at an ancient crossing point on the River Suck, evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of Bronze Age sites. Built around a 12th-ce ...

). The Four Masters relate that Conchobar Maenmaige Ua Cellaigh was killed, along with ''"his son Teige ( Teige Tailtenn Ua Cellaigh); his brother Dermot; Melaghlin, the son of Dermot O'Kelly; and Teige, the son of Teige O'Conor.''

Descendants

Future kings of Ui Maine descended from Conchobar included: * Domnall Mór Ua Cellaigh, died 1121 * Conchobar Ó Cellaigh, died 1268 * Donnchad Muimnech Ó Cellaigh, died 1307 * Gilbert Ó Cellaigh, died 1322 * Tadhg Ó Cellaigh, died 1316 * Tadgh Óg Ó Cellaigh, died 1340 * Tadgh Ruadh Ó Cellaigh, died 1410

References

*''The Tribes and customs of Hy-Many'', John O'Donovan, 1843 *''Annals of Ulster'' a
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts
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University College Cork
*''Annals of Tigernach'' a

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University College Cork
of McCarthy's synchronisms at

Trinity College Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ua Cellaigh, Conchobar Maenmaige People from Loughrea Kings of Uí Maine 12th-century Irish monarchs Conchobar Maenmaige