Cathussach mac Eterscélai (died circa 769) was a king 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 ...
from the
Eóganacht Áine branch of the
Eóganachta
The Eóganachta (Modern , ) were an Irish dynasty centred on Rock of Cashel, Cashel which dominated southern Ireland (namely the Kingdom of Munster) from the 6/7th to the 10th centuries, and following that, in a restricted form, the Kingdom of De ...
. He was the son of
Eterscél mac Máele Umai (died 721), a previous king. His branch of the Eóganachta was situated in the south-east of modern
County Limerick
County Limerick () is a western Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Reg ...
at
Cnoc Áine (Knockainy) near the monastery of
Emly in
County Tipperary
County Tipperary () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary (tow ...
.
In the seventh and eighth centuries, the kingship of Munster rotated among the inner circle of the Eóganachta dynasties. His death obit and reign are not mentioned in the Irish annals. According to the ''Laud Synchronisms'', he succeeded
Cathal mac Finguine (died 742) of the
Eóganacht Glendamnach branch in 742 and reigned for 27 years. This would give a reign date of 742-769.
Cathussach is not mentioned in relation to events that would have taken place in his reign in Munster and he is only known from the king lists. In the region of
Cliú (eastern Co. Limerick and parts of Co. Tipperary), the
Uí Fidgenti of Limerick fought a battle in 744, in which their king Conchobar was slain. Cathussach's branch of the family bordered on Cliú, but it is not known if the battle was fought by him or by the minor tribes of this region resisting Uí Fidgenti subjugation. In the region of
Thomond in
County Clare
County Clare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern part of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council ...
, the
Déisi
The ''Déisi'' were a social class in Ireland between the ancient and early medieval period. The various peoples listed under the heading ''déis'' shared a similar status in Gaelic Ireland, and had little or no actual kinship, though they were ...
destroyed the
Corco Mruad in 744 and the Uí Fidgenti fought a battle with the Corco Mruad and the
Corcu Baiscinn
The Corcu Baiscind were an early Érainn people or kingdom of what is now southern County Clare in Munster. They descended from Cairpre Baschaín, son of Conaire Cóem, a High King of Ireland. Closely related were the Múscraige and Corcu Dui ...
in 763. Local power politics here were caused by the vacuum left by the decline of the
Ui Fiachrach Aidhne of
Connacht
Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...
.
In 747 the Battle of Carn Ailche (possibly
Carnelly, County Clare) is recorded as having occurred amongst the men of Munster, in other words, a civil war. In this battle a member of the
Eóganacht Locha Léin, Coirpre, son of Cú Dínaisc, was slain. This branch of the Eóganachta ruled in west Munster (
Iarmumu) and were semi-independent of the Kings at
Cashel
Cashel (an Anglicised form of the Irish language word ''Caiseal'', meaning "stone fort") may refer to:
Places in Ireland
*Cashel, County Tipperary
**The Rock of Cashel, an ancient, hilltop fortress complex for which Cashel is named
** Archbishop ...
. Another civil battle occurred in 757, the
Battle of Cenn Fabrat (near Seefin Mountain, Co. Limerick) where Bobdgal, the superior of Mungairit (
Mungret Abbey, an abbey near Limerick), was slain.
[''Annals of Ulster'' 757.5] The victors are not named making it difficult to determine the power struggles at this time. However, it is known that the rotation among the inner circle of the Eóganachta was broken in the next reign.
Notes
References
* ''Annals of Ulster'' a
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Textsa
University College Cork* Byrne, Francis John (2001), Irish Kings and High-Kings, Dublin: Four Courts Press,
* ''Laud Synchronisms'' a
a
University College Cork
External links
a
University College Cork
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cathussach Mac Eterscelai
Kings of Munster
760s deaths
8th-century Irish monarchs
Year of birth unknown