Fergal mac Máele Dúin (died 11 December 722) was
High King of Ireland. Fergal belonged to the
Cenél nEógain sept of the northern
Uí Néill. He was the son of
Máel Dúin mac Máele Fithrich (died 681), a
King of Ailech, and great-grandson of the high king
Áed Uaridnach (died 612). He belonged to the Cenél maic Ercae branch of the Cenél nEógain and was King of Ailech from 700 to 722.
As King of Ailech Fergal participated in a victory over the men 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 707 where their king
Indrechtach mac Dúnchado was slain. This was in revenge for the defeat and death of the high king
Loingsech mac Óengusso in 703 at the Battle of Corann. Loingsech's son Fergal mac Loingsig was one of the participants.
Fergal became High King in 710, on the death of
Congal Cendmagair of the
Cenél Conaill. He ruled from 710 to 722.
The Cenél nEógain were expanding eastwards into
Airgialla territory. In 711 Fergal mac Máele Dúin fought the Battle of Sliab Fuait (in
the Fews, modern
County Armagh) where the king of
Uí Méith, Tnúthach son of Mochloinges, and Cú Raí mac Áedo of the Fir Cúl sept of the
Síl nÁedo Sláine of
Brega were slain. Hostility to the Síl nÁedo Sláine was evidenced by the expulsion of
Fogartach mac Néill (died 724) from the kingship of Brega in 714 who went into exile in Britain. This appears to be the work of Fergalin in conjunction with
Murchad Midi (died 715) the
King of Uisnech of
Clann Cholmáin and Murchad may have been Fergal's deputy ruler in the south.
Fogartach's uncle
Conall Grant (died 718) killed Murchad the following year and Fogartach returned in 716. In 717 Fogartach caused some manner of disturbance at the
Óenach Tailten—an annual Uí Néill gathering held at Teltown—where two men were killed. Then in 718 Conall Grant won a victory over a coalition of southern Ui Neill kings at the Battle of Cenannas (near
Kells) as part of the internal feuds of the Síl nÁedo Sláine. In frustration, Fergal intervened and had Conall killed two months later. This seems to have settled affairs among the southern Uí Néill.
In 719 Fergal began to impose his authority on Leinster and harrying expeditions are recorded. In 721
Cathal mac Finguine,
king of Munster (died 742) and
Murchad mac Brain Mut (died 727),
king of Leinster attacked the lands of the southern Uí Néill and ravaged the plain of Brega. Later that year, Fergal retaliated against
Leinster; he invaded and ravaged until the cattle-tribute was accepted and took hostages from the Laigin. A truce was made with Cathal as well. The Leinstermen broke the truce however, and Fergal retaliated by invading again in 722 with a large hosting of both northern and southern Uí Néill forces and their
Airgíalla allies. However, on 11 December 722 Fergal and numerous nobles of the Uí Néill were slain at the disastrous Battle of Allen (modern
County Kildare) by the Leinstermen.
[AU 722.8; AT 722.8; Mac Niocaill, p. 121.] The battle was preserved in the 10th century saga ''Cath Almaine''.
According to the saga ''Fáistine Fergaile meic Máele Dúin'' ("Fergal mac Máele Dúin's Prophecy") his son
Áed Allán was born by a daughter of the high king Congal Cendmagair in an illicit union while the mother of his son
Niall Frossach was of the Ciannachta. Both his sons Áed Allán and Niall Frossach were both later High Kings. Fergal was succeeded as High King by
Fogartach mac Néill of the
Síl nÁedo Sláine sept of the southern Uí Néill. His son Áed Allán succeeded him as
King of Ailech and chief of the Cenél nEógain.
Notes
References
* ''Annals of Ulster'' a
a
University College Cork* ''Annals of Tigernach'' a
a
University College Cork*
Francis John Byrne, Byrne, Francis J., ''Irish Kings and High-Kings.'' B.T. Batsford, London, 1973.
* Charles-Edwards, T.M., ''Early Christian Ireland.'' Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000.
* Mac Niocaill, Gearoid (1972), ''Ireland before the Vikings'', Dublin: Gill and Macmillan
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fergal mac Maele Duin
722 deaths
High Kings of Ireland
People from County Tyrone
8th-century Irish monarchs
Year of birth unknown