Órlaith íngen Cennétig
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Órlaith íngen Cennétig, was
Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...
of
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
. She was executed in 941.


Background

Órlaith appears to be the only recorded daughter of
King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
Cennétig mac Lorcáin Cennétig mac Lorcáin (died 951), was a prominent king of the Dál gCais (or "Dalcassians") and king of Tuadmumu. He raised the dynasty in power, from regional vassals of the kings of Munster, to challenging for the kingship himself. He was t ...
of
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 ...
(died 951). Her siblings included
Mathgamain mac Cennétig Mathgamain mac Cennétig (also known as Mahon) was King of Munster from around 970 to his death in 976. He was the elder brother of Brian Bóruma. Mathgamain was the son of Cennétig mac Lorcáin of the Dál gCais. His father died in 951 and is ...
(
King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
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 ...
c.970-976) and
Brian Bóruma Brian Boru (; modern ; 23 April 1014) was the High King of Ireland from 1002 to 1014. He ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill, and is likely responsible for ending Viking invasions of Ireland. Brian Boru is me ...
(
King of Ireland Monarchical systems of government have existed in Ireland from ancient times. This continued in all of Ireland until 1949, when the Republic of Ireland Act removed most of Ireland's residual ties to the British monarch. Northern Ireland, as p ...
1002–14). She was the second consort of the Irish High King
Donnchad Donn Donnchad Donn mac Flainn (''Duncan of the Brown Hair, son of Flann'') (died 944) was High King of Ireland and King of Mide. He belonged to Clann Cholmáin, a branch of the southern Uí Néill. Origins Donnchad was the son of High King Flann ...
.


Adultery and execution

Órlaith was accused of
adultery Adultery is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal consequences, the concept ...
with her stepson, Óengus mac Donnchad Donn. Found guilty, she was executed, though the manner of her death is uncertain. Óengus survived and lived to succeed his father. It is uncertain if she had any offspring.


Annalistic reference

The ''
Chronicon Scotorum ''Chronicon Scotorum'', also known as ''Chronicum Scotorum'', is a medieval Irish chronicle. Overview According to Nollaig Ó Muraíle, it is "a collection of annals belonging to the ' Clonmacnoise group', covering the period from prehistoric ...
''; ''sub anno'' 941, state that ''"Órlaith daughter of Cennétigh son of Lorcán was slain by Donnchad son of Flann, king of Ireland, having been charged (with illicit sexual relations) with Óengus, his son."''


See also

*
Órlaith Órlaith ( ; also spelled Órfhlaith or Órla) is a feminine Irish given name. The meaning of the name derives from the Irish words "golden" and "prince", though since names formed with "flaith" are almost exclusively feminine, it is usually in ...


References

* Byrne, Francis John, ''Irish Kings and High-Kings.'' Batsford, London, 1973.


External links

* http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100016/index.html * {{DEFAULTSORT:Orlaith Ingen Cennetig 941 deaths Irish royal consorts 10th-century Irish women People from County Clare Nobility from County Meath 10th-century Irish people Nobility from County Limerick 10th-century executions Executed royalty People executed for adultery Year of birth unknown Gaels