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Diarmait (died 665) was a son of Áed Sláine. According to the
Irish annals A number of Irish annals, of which the earliest was the Chronicle of Ireland, were compiled up to and shortly after the end of the 17th century. Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days. Over ti ...
, he was
High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and was later sometimes assigned anachronously or to leg ...
.


Sons of Áed Sláine

Diarmait's father Áed Sláine was a son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill, the apical ancestor of the southern branches of the
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 ...
kindred which dominated Ireland from the late 6th century until the rise of Brian Bóruma in the late 10th century. The descendants of Áed Sláine were known as the Síl nÁedo Sláine. With the possible exception of Óengus mac Colmáin, all Uí Néill kings descended from Diarmait mac Cerbaill belonged to the Síl nÁedo Sláine until the death of Cináed mac Írgalaig in 728. The Síl nÁedo Sláine were
Kings of Brega The Kings of Brega were rulers of Brega, a petty kingdom north of Dublin in medieval Ireland. Overview Brega took its name from ' ('), meaning "fine plain", in modern County Meath, County Louth and County Dublin, Ireland. They formed part of th ...
, and the
Hill of Tara The Hill of Tara ( or ) is a hill and ancient ceremonial and burial site near Skryne in County Meath, Ireland. Tradition identifies the hill as the inauguration place and seat of the High Kings of Ireland; it also appears in Irish mythology. ...
, where High Kings were inaugurated, lay within their lands. Other groups descended from the sons of Diarmait included Clann Cholmáin, or more precisely Clann Cholmáin Már, descended from Colmán Már, which replaced the Síl nÁedo Sláine as the dominant group of the southern Uí Néill from the middle of the 8th century, and the less important Caílle Follamain or Clann Cholmáin Bicc, descended from Colmán Beg. Áed Sláine himself is said to have been High King jointly with Colmán Rímid of the northern
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 ...
branch of the Uí Néill, following the death of
Áed mac Ainmuirech Áed mac Ainmuirech (born c.530 – died 598) was High King of the Northern Uí Néill. He belonged to the Cenél Conaill and was a distant cousin of Columba of Iona. He was the son of Ainmuire mac Sétnai (died 569), a previous possible high k ...
. Áed Sláine died
circa Circa is a Latin word meaning "around, approximately". Circa or CIRCA may also refer to: * CIRCA (art platform), in London * Circa (band), a progressive rock supergroup * Circa (company), an American skateboard footwear company * Circa (contempora ...
604, a death said to have been prophesied by 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 ...
. Áed's sons are said to have included Diarmait, Blathmac (died 665), Congal (died 634), Ailill (died 634), and Dúnchad (died 659).


Domnall mac Áedo and Congal Cáech

Diarmait was one of the younger sons of Áed Sláine. According to king lists, the kingship of Brega was held by Congal and then by Ailill, both killed by Conall Guthbinn mac Suibni of Clann Cholmáin in 634, after which Diarmait and his brother Blathmac were jointly kings of Brega. Diarmait killed Conall Guthbinn mac Suibni "in the house of Nad-Fraích's son" according to the ''
Annals of Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' () are annals of History of Ireland, medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luin� ...
'', in 635. That same year Diarmait defeated Clann Cholmáin Bicc in battle at Cúil Caeláin where Óengus mac Colmáin's son Máel Umai was killed. At this time the High Kingship of Ireland may have been disputed between
Domnall mac Áedo Domnall mac Áedo (died 642), also known as Domnall II, was an Irish king and son of Áed mac Ainmuirech and his consort Land, the daughter of Áed Guaire mac Amalgada of Airgíalla. Domnall was High King of Ireland from 628 until his death. He ...
of the northern
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 ...
branch of the Uí Néill and the cruithne king Congal Cáech. In this complicated contest Diarmait and Blathmac were allied with Domnall. They fought alongside him at the Battle of Mag Rath where Congal was killed. Some branches of the Uí Néill fought against Domnall and Diarmait's foster-father Lommainnech is said to have killed Conall mac Suibni's son Airmedach in the battle.


High King

The compilers of the various
Irish annals A number of Irish annals, of which the earliest was the Chronicle of Ireland, were compiled up to and shortly after the end of the 17th century. Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days. Over ti ...
were apparently uncertain as to the succession following the death of Domnall mac Áedo in 642. The ''Annals of Ulster'' state:
Here it is uncertain who reigned after Domnall. Some historiographers state that four kings, i.e. Cellach, Conall Cóel, and two sons of Aed Sláine son of Diarmait son of Fergus Cerrbél son of Conall of Cremthann son of Niall Noígiallach, namely Diarmait and Blathmac, reigned in mingled rule.
According to the late 7th century '' Baile Chuind Chétchathaig'', a list of High Kings composed in the reign of Diarmait's nephew Fínsnechta Fledach, son of Dúnchad, Domnall mac Áedo was succeeded by Diarmait and Blathmac. The ''Baile Chuind'' omits several kings, including Áed Sláine, some of which may be copying errors, but others are apparently deliberate. It is a work of dynastic propaganda, its purpose to demonstrate that the Síl nÁedo Sláine should by right be High Kings of Ireland. For these reasons, although it is the most nearly contemporary witness, it is not necessarily to be trusted. Of the two or four kings, Diarmait was the most active according to the record which survives in the Irish annals. In 649, he defeated Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin,
king of Connacht The Kings of Connacht were rulers of the ''cóiced'' (variously translated as portion, fifth, province) of Connacht, which lies west of the River Shannon, Ireland. However, the name only became applied to it in the early medieval era, being named ...
, at the battle of Carn Conaill. The verse ''Cath Cairnd Chonaill'' purports to describe the battle and its context. It states that the
king of Munster The kings of Munster () ruled the Kingdom of Munster in Ireland from its establishment during the Irish Iron Age until the High Middle Ages. According to Gaelic traditional history, laid out in works such as the ''Book of Invasions'', the earli ...
was present as an ally of Guaire, but this is late and unreliable evidence. In 654, Diarmait killed Conall Cóel and Cellach died in 658. A plague arrived in Ireland in 664, called the ''buide Chonaill''. The annals record that Diarmait and his brother Blathmac both died of the disease the following year. The king lists have them followed by Blathmac's son Sechnassach, possibly ruling jointly with another son of Blathmac, Cenn Fáelad.


Descendants and posterity

Diarmait's descendants formed the Uí Chernaig branch of the Síl nÁedo Sláine, named for Diarmait's son Cernach. The centre of their power lay around Loch Gabhair in modern
County Meath County Meath ( ; or simply , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, County ...
. Few of Diarmait's descendants were major figures in Irish history. His grandson Conall mac Cernaig, usually called Conall Grant, was an important figure in the 710s, and a great-grandson, Fogartach mac Néill, was later High King. For editors and creators of Middle Irish language literature, the reign of Diarmait and Blathmac was imagined as a Golden Age. Works set in this period include the '' Cath Cairnd Chonaill'' and the '' Scéla Cano meic Gartnáin''.


References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Diarmait Mac Aedo Slaine 665 deaths High Kings of Ireland Kings of Brega People from County Meath 7th-century Irish monarchs Year of birth unknown