Máel Dúin mac Conaill (died 688) was a king in

Dál Riata Dál Riata or Dál Riada (also Dalriada) () was a Gaelic kingdom that encompassed the western seaboard of Scotland and north-eastern Ireland, on each side of the North Channel. At its height in the 6th and 7th centuries, it covered what is ...

(modern western

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

). He was the son of

Conall Crandomna Conall Crandomna was king of Dál Riata (modern western Scotland) from about 650 until 660. The Senchus fer n-Alban makes him a son of Eochaid Buide and thus a member of the Cenél nGabráin. The Duan Albanach has him succeed Ferchar mac Connaid ...

. His death is reported by the

Annals of Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' ( ga, Annála Uladh) are annals of 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 Luinín ...

, but without mention of a title. He is among the kings named by the

Duan Albanach The Duan Albanach (Song of the Scots) is a Middle Gaelic poem. Written during the reign of Mael Coluim III, who ruled between 1058 and 1093, it is found in a variety of Irish sources, and the usual version comes from the '' Book of Lecan'' and ' ...

, following his brother

Domnall Donn Domnall Donn (died 696) was king of Dál Riata (modern western Scotland). He was a son of Conall Crandomna. His death is reported by the Annals of Ulster, but without mention of a title. He is among the kings named by the Duan Albanach, follow ...

, which assigns him an improbable reign of 17 years. The general confusion of the sources makes any conclusion difficult, but while it is likely that Máel Dúin was co-ruler, with his brother Domnall Donn, of the Cenél nGabráin lands in

Kintyre Kintyre ( gd, Cinn Tìre, ) is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The peninsula stretches about , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to East and West Loch Tarbert in the north. The region immediately nor ...

, it is not likely that Máel Dúin and Domnall were high kings of Dál Riata. Whether the lands of the Cenél nGabráin were subject to

Ecgfrith of Northumbria Ecgfrith (; ang, Ecgfrið ; 64520 May 685) was the King of Deira from 664 until 670, and then King of Northumbria from 670 until his death in 685. He ruled over Northumbria when it was at the height of its power, but his reign ended with a d ...

, or whether they were dominated by

Ferchar Fota Ferchar Fota (''Ferchar the Tall'') (died c. 697) was probably king of the Cenél Loairn of Dál Riata, and perhaps of all Dál Riata. His father is named as Feredach mac Fergusa and he was said to be a descendant in the 6th generation of Loarn ma ...

of the

Cenél Loairn The Cenél Loairn, the descendants of Loarn mac Eirc, controlled parts of northern Argyll around the Firth of Lorne, most probably centred in Lorne but perhaps including the islands of Mull and Colonsay, Morvern and Ardnamurchan. The boundary to ...

, cannot be said with certainty. The next king of the Cenél nGabráin known is

Eochaid mac Domangairt Eochaid mac Domangairt (died c. 697) was a king of Dál Riata (modern western Scotland) in about 697. He was a member of the Cenél nGabráin, the son of Domangart mac Domnaill and father of Eochaid mac Echdach; Alpín mac Echdach may be a son of t ...

References

* Anderson, Alan Orr, ''Early Sources of Scottish History A.D 500–1286'', volume 1. Reprinted with corrections. Paul Watkins, Stamford, 1990. * Bannerman, John, ''Studies in the History of Dalriada.'' Scottish Academic Press, Edinburgh, 1974.

External links

Annals of Ulster
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Mael Duin Mael Duin 7th-century Scottish monarchs Year of birth unknown {{Scotland-royal-stub