Demmán mac Cairill (died 572) was a king of the
Dál Fiatach
Dál Fiatach was a Gaelic Ireland, 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 ...
, and over-king 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 in ...
in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. He was the son of
Cairell mac Muiredaig Muinderg (died 532), a previous Ulaid king and brother of
Báetán mac Cairill
Báetán mac Cairill (died 581) was king of the Dál Fiatach, and high-king of Ulaid, from c. 572 until his death. He was the son of Cairell mac Muiredaig Muinderg (died 532) and brother of Demmán mac Cairill (died 572), previous Kings of Ulaid. ...
(died 581). He ruled the Dál Fiatach and Ulaid from 557 to 572.
Background
According to the genealogies, he was fostered by a certain Domangart mac Predae, possibly
Domangart Réti
Domangart Réti was king of Dál Riata in the early 6th century, following the death of his father, Fergus Mór.
He had at least two sons: Comgall and Gabrán, both of whom became kings in succession. The '' Tripartite Life of St. Patrick'' sta ...
, King of
Dál Riata. He acquired the kingship of Ulaid by defeating and slaying
Fergnae mac Oengusso Ibdaig
Fergnae mac Óengusso Ibdaig (died 557) was a Dal Fiatach king of Ulaid. He was the nephew of Muiredach Muinderg mac Forgo (died 489) and grandson of Forga mac Dallán, previous kings.
He ruled the Dal Fiatach from 532 and succeeded Eochaid mac C ...
at the Battle of Druim Cleithe (Kilclief, modern
County Down
County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 531,665. It borders County Antrim to the ...
,
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
) and had the support of the
Uí Echach Arda. He himself was slain by the shepherds of Boirenn.
[''Annals of Ulster'' AU 572.3; ''Annals of Tigernach'' AT 567.1]
He was married to Garbae ingine Néilléne of the
Cenél nEógain. He had five sons including
Fiachnae mac Demmáin
Fiachnae mac Demmáin (died 627) was King of Ulaid from 626 to 627. He sometimes was called Fiachnae Dubtuinne. He was a member of the Dal Fiatach and nephew of Baetan mac Cairill (died 581) of Ulaid. He was the son of Demmán mac Cairell (died 5 ...
(died 627), a later king of Ulaid. His descendants the Clan Demmáin went on to monopolize the kingship of the Dál Fiatach. His fort, Ráth Deamáin, stood just west of
Crossgar
Crossgar () is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is about south of Belfast – between Saintfield and Downpatrick. Crossgar had a population 1,892 people in the 2011 UK Census.
History
Crossgar has had an interesti ...
in what is now the townland of Rademan in the parish of Kilmore, County Down, Northern Ireland.
Notes
See also
*
Dál Fiatach
Dál Fiatach was a Gaelic Ireland, 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 ...
*
Kings of Ulster
*
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 in ...
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
* Dáibhí Ó Cróinín (2005), ''A New History of Ireland'', Volume One, Oxford: Oxford University Press
External links
a
University College Cork
572 deaths
Kings of Ulster
6th-century Irish monarchs
Year of birth unknown
{{Ireland-royal-stub