Faílbe Flann mac Áedo Duib (died 639) was a

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 ...

from the

Eóganacht Chaisil Eóganacht Chaisil were a branch of the Eóganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster between the 5th and 10th centuries. They took their name from Cashel (County Tipperary) which was the capital of the early Catholic kingdom of Munster. They were de ...

branch of the Eoganachta. He succeeded Cathal mac Áedo Flaind Chathrach of the Glendamnach branch in 628. He was the younger brother of a previous king

Fíngen mac Áedo Duib Fíngen mac Áedo Duib (Modern Irish: ''Finghin mac Aodha Dhuibh'', ) (died 618) was a King of Munster from the Eóganacht Chaisil branch of the Eoganachta. He was the great-grandson of Feidlimid mac Óengusa, a previous king. He succeeded Amal ...

(d. 618). His sobriquet Flann meant "blood-red".

Career

In 629, he fought the Battle of Carn Feradaig (Cahernarry,

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 ...

) versus Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin (d.663) of the Ui Fiachrach Aidhne of

Connachta The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasty, dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King of Ireland, High King Conn of the Hundred Battles, Conn Cétchathach (Conn of the Hundred Battles). The modern western Provinces of ...

. Faílbe won the battle and Guaire was put to flight and his ally Conall mac Máele Dúib of the Uí Maine and many Connaught nobles were slain. Guaire ruled at the height of Ui Fiachrach power in south Connaught and sought to recover the lost Connaught territories in Thomond. Byrne believes that the true expansion of the Deisi into

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 ...

dates from this battle. The other important event of his reign was the Battle of Áth Goan in the western Liffey plain fought in 636. In this battle Faílbe intervened in the

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

kingship. He gave his support to Fáelán mac Colmáin (died 666) of the Uí Dúnlainge versus Crimthann mac Áedo of the Uí Máil who was king of Leinster. Failbe and Fáelán were allied with Conall Guthbinn mac Suibni (died 637) of Mide. They were victorious and Crimthann was slain. A Munster tract claims that Faílbe paid the tribute of the Laigin to the Ui Neill but Byrne dismisses this as later Munster propaganda to claim Leth Moga (the southern half of Ireland).Byrne, pg.151

Family and descendants

Faílbe's descendants were known as the Clann Faílbe sept of the Cashail branch, later known as the

MacCarthy dynasty MacCarthy (), also spelled Macarthy, McCarthy or McCarty, is an Irish Irish clans, clan originating from Kingdom of Munster, Munster, an area they ruled during the Middle Ages. It was divided into several septs (branches) of which the MacCarthy ...

, rulers of the

Kingdom of Desmond The Kingdom of Desmond () was a historic kingdom in southwestern Ireland. It was founded in 1118 by Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh, King of Munster when the Treaty of Glanmire formally divided the Kingdom of Munster into Desmond and Thomond (, "North ...

, as well as the principalities of Carbery, Muskerry, and Duhallow. His son Colgú mac Faílbe Flaind (died 678) was also a King of Munster.

Notes

References

* ''Annals of Tigernach'' a
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts
a
University College Cork
* ''Annals of Ulster'' a

a
University College Cork
* ''Annals of Innisfallen'' a

a
University College Cork
* Byrne, Francis John (2001), Irish Kings and High-Kings, Dublin: Four Courts Press, * Geoffrey Keating, ''History of Ireland'' a

a
University College Cork
of McCarthy's synchronisms at

Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...

. * Faílbe Flann is mentioned in various volumes of Peter Tremayne (Peter Berresford Ellis)'s "Sister Fidelma Mysteries" as the father of the fictional detective for whom the series is named.

External links

CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts
a
University College Cork
{{DEFAULTSORT:Failbe Flann mac Aedo Duib Kings of Munster 639 deaths 7th-century Irish monarchs Year of birth unknown

Career

Family and descendants

Notes

See also

References

External links