Cernach mac Congalaig (died 818) was a King of
Brega
Brega , also known as ''Mersa Brega'' or ''Marsa al-Brega'' ( , i.e. "Brega Seaport"), is a complex of several smaller towns, industry installations and education establishments situated in Libya on the Gulf of Sidra, the most southerly point of ...
from the Uí Chonaing sept of Cnogba (
Knowth
Knowth (; ) is a prehistoric tomb overlooking the River Boyne in County Meath, Ireland. It comprises a large passage tomb surrounded by 17 smaller tombs, built during the Neolithic era around 3200 BC. It contains the largest assemblage of megali ...
) of the
Síl nÁedo Sláine branch of the southern
Ui Neill. He was the son of
Congalach mac Conaing (died 778) and brother of
Flann mac Congalaig (died 812), previous kings. He ruled from 812-818.
In the early decades of the 8th century an intense rivalry had existed between the northern branch of the Síl nÁedo Sláine represented by the Uí Chonaing and the southern branch represented by the Uí Chernaig of
Lagore. This rivalry had been interrupted by the common threat of the rise of the rival branch of
Clann Cholmáin of
Uisnech. In Cernach's reign this old rivalry appears to have flared up again, the annals record a skirmish in 817 between the
Ciannachta and the men of southern Brega, in which many Ciannachta fell. At this time the Uí Chonaing were called kings of
Ciannachta in the annals, a population-group they had subjugated in the early 8th century.
Cernach's death obit in the annals is significant in that it is the first time a member of the sept was called King of Cnogba (''rex Cnodhbai'') in the ''Annals of Ulster''.
[''Annals of Ulster'', AU 818.3]
Notes
References
* ''Annals of Ulster'' a
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Textsa
University College Cork* Charles-Edwards, T. M. (2000), ''Early Christian Ireland'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
* ''Book of Leinster'',
Flann Mainistrech
Flann Mainistrech (died 25 November 1056) was an Irish poet and historian.
Flann was the son of Echthigern mac Óengusso, who had been lector at the monastery of Monasterboice (modern County Louth), in Irish ''Mainistir Buite'', whence Flann's ...
: ''Síl Aeda Sláne Na Sleg'' a
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Textsa
University College Cork
External links
a
University College Cork
Kings of Brega
818 deaths
9th-century Irish monarchs
Year of birth unknown
{{Ireland-royal-stub