Máel Dúin mac Áedo (died 786) was a possible
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 Locha Léin branch of the
Eóganachta
The Eóganachta (Modern , ) were an Irish dynasty centred on Rock of Cashel, Cashel which dominated southern Ireland (namely the Kingdom of Munster) from the 6/7th to the 10th centuries, and following that, in a restricted form, the Kingdom of De ...
. He was the son of Áed Bennán mac Conaing (died 733), a king of
Iarmuman or West Munster and great great grandson of
Áed Bennán mac Crimthainn (died 618) who may have been King of all Munster.
The Eóganacht Locha Léin branch ruled in west Munster or Iarmumu with authority over the surrounding peoples and were semi-independent of the ruling inner circle of Eóganachta ruling from
Cashel. Máel Dúin possibly succeeded to the throne of Iarmumu in 747 when Cairpre son of Cú Dínisc was slain at the
Battle of Carn Ailche (possibly Carnelly,
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 ...
) in a civil war amongst the men of Munster.
His accession to the throne of Munster cannot be dated with certainty. His accession broke the rotation of the Munster throne among the inner circle Eóganachta. The records become obfuscated for the later 8th century after the reign of the powerful
Cathal mac Finguine (died 742). Cathal's successor
Cathussach mac Eterscélai is only known from king lists and the ''Laud Synchronisms'' give him a reign of 27 years which would put the end of his reign in 769. However the annals record activity of Máel Dúin prior to this who is not included in the king lists.
The earliest record of Máel Dúin is in 757 when the ''
Annals of Tigernach'' record that Cummascach, King of the
Leinster tribe of
Uí Failge of
Offaly was slain by him and he is referred to as king of Munster. The ''
Annals of Innisfallen'' (a pro-Munster source) and the ''
Annals of Ulster'' (a more primary chronicle) are however silent on this. He is next mentioned in the ''Annals of Innsifallen'' under the year 766 where he was defeated by the
Uí Fidgenti and the
Arad Cliach of
County Limerick at the
Battle of Énboth Breg. In this mention he is not given a title. His next mention is in his death obit in 786. In the ''Annals of Ulster'' he is styled only King of Irluachair (Iarmumu or west Munster) while in the ''Annals of Innsifallen'' he is King of Munster.
During his supposed reign the high king
Donnchad Midi of
Clann Cholmáin made an expedition into Munster in 775 causing great devastation and many men of Munster were slain. The next year with the support of the men of
Durrow monastery, the high king made another expedition in 776 which led to a pitched battle and many men of Munster were slain. In 779 a civil war is recorded among the men of Munster which involved the affairs of
Desmond (South Munster), the King of
Eóganacht Raithlind, Fergal son of Éladach, was slain by Breislén of Béirre (the Bear barony of
County Cork
County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...
- a territory of the
Corcu Loígde
The Corcu Loígde (Corcu Lóegde, Corco Luigde, Corca Laoighdhe, Laidhe), meaning Gens of the Calf Goddess, also called the Síl Lugdach meic Itha, were a kingdom centred in West County Cork who descended from the proto-historical rulers of M ...
). The Law of
Saint Ailbe was also promulgated in 784. Máel Dúin's name is not directly connected with these events in the Annals.
He was succeeded as king of Iarmumu by Cú Chongelt mac Cairpri (died 791). His son
Cobthach mac Máel Dúin (died 833) was king of Loch Léin. Following the death of Máel Dúin the Locha Lêin branch of the Eóganachta fell into decline. Máel Dúin is mentioned in the
West Munster Synod as the last king of Iarmumu who would rull over the
Ciarraige.
[Byrne, ''Irish Kings and High-Kings'', p. 217.] This is conventionally seen as a rebellion by West Munster septs against Eóganacht Loch Léin.
Notes
References
* ''Annals of Ulster'' a
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Textsa
University College Cork* ''Annals of Tigernach'' a
a
University College Cork* ''Annals of Innisfallen'' a
a
University College Cork* ''Laud Synchronisms'' a
a
University College Cork* Byrne, Francis John (2001), Irish Kings and High-Kings, Dublin: Four Courts Press,
External links
a
University College Cork
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mael Duin Mac Aedo
Kings of Munster
Kings of Iarmuman
786 deaths
8th-century Irish monarchs
Year of birth unknown