Áed Mac Ainmuirech
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Áed mac Ainmuirech (born c.530 – died 598) was High King of the Northern
Uí Néill The Uí Néill (; meaning "descendants of Niall") are Irish dynasties that claim descent from Niall Noígíallach (Niall of the Nine Hostages), a historical King of Tara who is believed to have died around c. 405. They are generally divided ...
. He belonged to the
Cenél Conaill 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) is ...
and was a distant cousin of
Columba Columba () or Colmcille (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland at the start of the Hiberno-Scottish mission. He founded the important abbey ...
of Iona. He was the son of Ainmuire mac Sétnai (died 569), a previous possible high king. His mother was Bríg, daughter of Chobtaig, son of Ailill, son of Nath Í, son of Crimthann mac Énnai son of Énnae Cennsalach of the Uí Ceinnselaig dynasty from
Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
. He was born in 530 according to the Annals of Tigernach (596.2). He came to power some decades after the death of the last old, pagan style high-king of Tara, Diarmait mac Cerbaill (d. 565), after a period in which it is not clear that the Uí Néill had a high-king, nor is it certain that his contemporaries would have acknowledged Áed as such. The high kingship of Ireland rotated between the Cenél nEógain and Cenél Conaill branches in the late 6th century. It is difficult to disentangle the reign of Áed from that of his older second cousin Báetán mac Ninneda (died 586). Various lengths are given to the reign of Áed in the kinglists all of which would put the start of his reign before the death of Báetán.Charles-Edwards, p. 487 Both kings are omitted from the ''Baile Chuinn'', the earliest Irish king list of the late 7th century, but this was probably a partisan document. It is possible that Báetán was not actually high king but was given this position by the synthetic historians to explain away the rule of Báetán mac Cairill (died 581) of the Dal Fiatach of Ulster as high king. The kinglists only assign him a reign of one year. Whether Báetán was king of Tara or not, the real effective power among the northern Ui Neill was Áed mac Ainmuirech. He is known to have met with
Áedán mac Gabráin Áedán mac Gabráin (; ), also written as Aedan, was a king of Dál Riata from 574 until c. 609 AD. The kingdom of Dál Riata was situated in modern Argyll and Bute, Scotland, and parts of County Antrim, Ireland. Genealogies record that Áe ...
, king of
Dál Riata Dál Riata or Dál Riada (also Dalriada) () was a Gaels, Gaelic Monarchy, kingdom that encompassed the Inner Hebrides, western seaboard of Scotland and north-eastern Ireland, on each side of the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North ...
, in 575 at The Synod or Convention of Drumceat, to agree an alliance, presumably arranged by his cousin
Columba Columba () or Colmcille (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland at the start of the Hiberno-Scottish mission. He founded the important abbey ...
. Áed and Áedán were both threatened by the activities of the
Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or (Irish language, Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic Provinces of Ireland, over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include , which ...
king, Báetán mac Cairill 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, which lasted throughout the Middle Ages until their demise in the 13th century at the hands of Normans in Ireland, Normans ...
, and it served both interests that Dál Riata not be subjected to the ambitious Báetán. In this they succeeded. Áed may have become high king after this possibly in 576. It is also quite possible that this conference did not take place until circa 587 which is the date recorded in the ''Annals of Clonmacnoise''. The death of Báetán mac Ninneda had occurred in 586 and the ''Annals of Ulster'' record two death dates for Báetán mac Cairill, one being in 587. A challenge to the rule of Áed among the northern Ui Neill was launched by Colcu mac Domnaill of the Cenél nEógain branch. However they clashed at the Battle of Druim Meic Erce (Drumhirk, modern County Tyrone) in 580 and Colcu was slain. Then in 586, Báetán mac Ninneda was killed at Léim in Eich at the instigation of Colmán Bec (died 587), the southern Ui Neill king of Uisnech who was making a bid for the high kingship, and who may have made an earlier bid in 573. In 587 Áed ended this threat when Colman was slain at the battle of Belach Dathi. Another challenge to Áed may have come from the direction of Ulster in the person of Fiachnae mac Báetáin (died 626) of the
Dál nAraidi Dál nAraidi (; "Araide's part") or Dál Araide, sometimes List of Latinised names, latinised as Dalaradia or Anglicisation, anglicised as Dalaray,Boyd, Hugh AlexanderIrish Dalriada ''The Glynns: Journal of The Glens of Antrim Historical Societ ...
. At the royal conference at Druim Cett the affairs of
Osraige Osraige (Old Irish) or Osraighe (Classical Irish), Osraí (Modern Irish), anglicized as Ossory, was a medieval Irish kingdom comprising what is now County Kilkenny and western County Laois, corresponding to the Diocese of Ossory. The home of ...
had been discussed implying an influence by Áed over the affairs of
Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...
. In 597 Fiachnae won the Battle of Sliab Cua in the territory of Munster. Fiachnae had earlier won a battle over the Ciannachta of Brega in 594. There is a possibility that Fiachnae was a king of Tara in the 590's. Áed came into conflict with
Brandub mac Echach Tafl games (), also known as hnefatafl games, are a family of ancient Northern European Abstract strategy game, strategy board games played on a checkered or latticed gameboard with two armies of uneven numbers. Names of different variants of t ...
, King of Leinster from the Uí Cheinnselaig who was resisting Ui Neill encroachment. According to the saga tradition preserved in the ''Borúma Laigin'' (Cattle Tribute of Leinster), Brandub had killed Cummascach, the son of Áed for demanding the right to sleep with Brandub's wife during a royal tour. The annals record Brandub's killing of Áed's son Cummascach in 597 at Dún Buchat. However, at the battle of Dún Bolg (Dunboyke, modern County Wicklow) in 598, Áed was defeated and killed by Brandub. Áed had close relations with his cousin Saint
Columba Columba () or Colmcille (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland at the start of the Hiberno-Scottish mission. He founded the important abbey ...
. He may have commissioned a eulogy upon the saint's death and most likely granted the land for the monastery of Durrow. Áed was followed as king of the Northern Uí Néill by Colmán Rímid, son of Báetán mac Muirchertaig, of the Cenél nEógain. Áed's son Conall Cú mac Áedo (died 604) failed in a bid for the high kingship after his death but his sons Máel Cobo (died 615) and Domnall (died 642) were later high kings of the Northern Uí Néill.Byrne, pp. 281, 283.


Notes


References

* ''Annals of Ulster'' a

a
University College Cork
* ''Annals of Tigernach'' a

a
University College Cork
* Adomnán, ''Life of St Columba'', tr. & ed. Richard Sharpe. Penguin, London, 1995. * Byrne, Francis John, ''Irish Kings and High-Kings.'' Batsford, London, 1973. * Charles-Edwards, T. M. (2000), ''Early Christian Ireland'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, * Mac Niocaill, Gearoid (1972), ''Ireland before the Vikings'', Dublin: Gill and Macmillan {{DEFAULTSORT:Aed Mac Ainmuirech 6th-century births 598 deaths High Kings of Ireland People from County Donegal 6th-century Irish monarchs