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, which lasted throughout the Middle Ages until their demise in the 13th century at the hands of Normans in Ireland, Normans ...

, and over-king of

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 ...

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 ...

. He was the son of Cairell mac Muiredaig Muinderg (died 532), a previous Ulaid king and brother of Báetán mac Cairill (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 his father's death, Fergus Mór. He had at least two sons: Comgall and Gabrán, both of whom became kings in succession. The '' Tripartite Life of St. Patrick'' states t ...

, 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 ...

. 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 ma ...

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 552,261. It borders County Antrim to the ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

) 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 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 ...

. 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 1,997 people in the 2021 UK Census. History Crossgar has had an interesting ...

in what is now the townland of Rademan in the parish of Kilmore, County Down, Northern Ireland.

Notes

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

Background

Notes

See also

References

External links