Máel Dúin mac Áedo Alláin (died 788) was a

King of Ailech The Kings of Ailech were the over-kings of the medieval Irish province of Ailech in north-western Ireland. It encompassed the territories of the Cenél nEógain and Cenél Conaill. After the battle of Cloítech in 789 its kings were exclusivel ...

and head of the

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 northern

Uí Néill The Uí Néill (Irish pronunciation: ; meaning "descendants of Niall") are Irish dynasties who claim descent from Niall Noígíallach (Niall of the Nine Hostages), a historical King of Tara who died c. 405. They are generally divided into t ...

. He was the son of

Áed Allán Áed Allán (or Áed mac Fergaile) (died 743) was an 8th-century Irish king of Ailech and High King of Ireland. Áed Allán was the son of Fergal mac Máele Dúin and a member of the Cenél nEógain, a branch of the Northern Uí Néill. Ferg ...

(died 743), a high king of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. He ruled from 770 to 788. His uncle, the high king

Niall Frossach Niall Frossach (or Niall mac Fergaile) (718–778) was an 8th-century Irish king of Ailech, sometimes considered to have been High King of Ireland. Brother of high king Áed Allán (died 743), Niall was the son of high king Fergal mac Máele Dúi ...

(died 778), abdicated in 770 or 772 at which time Máel Dúin became King of Ailech. Expeditions by the new high king,

Donnchad Midi Donnchad mac Domnaill (733 – 6 February 797), called Donnchad Midi, was High King of Ireland. His father, Domnall Midi, had been the first Uí Néill High King from the south-central Clann Cholmáin based in modern County Westmeath and weste ...

(died 797) of

Clann Cholmáin Clann Cholmáin is the dynasty descended from Colmán Már mac Diarmato, son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill. Part of the Southern Uí Néill — they were the kings of Mide (Meath) — they traced their descent to Niall Noígiallach and his ...

of the southern Uí Néill, to assert his authority in the north are recorded in 771 and 772. The killing of his uncle Conchobar in 772 is also recorded. Authority in the north during the time of Donnchad Midi appears to have been held by the rival

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 ...

in the person of

Domnall mac Áeda Muindeirg Domnall mac Áeda Muindeirg (died 804) was a chief of the Cenél Conaill of the northern Uí Néill in modern County Donegal and sometimes styled "King of the North". He was the son of Áed Muinderg (died 747) and grandson of the high king Flaithbe ...

(died 804) who had the title King in the North in the annals in 779. In 787 however, Máel Dúin defeated Domnall and the Cenél Conaill in the battle and wrested the overlordship of the north from him. At his death obit in 788, Máel Dúin had the title King of In Fochla or King of the north.AU 788.1 His son

Murchad mac Máele Dúin Murchad mac Máele Dúin (flourished 819–833) was a King of Ailech and head of the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill. He was the son of Máel Dúin mac Áedo Alláin (died 788), a previous king and grandson of Áed Allán (died ...

(died 823) was a King of Ailech. He was succeeded as King of Ailech by his cousin

Áed Oirdnide Áed mac Néill (; died 819), commonly called Áed Oirdnide ("the anointed"), was King of Ailech. A member of the Cenél nEógain dynasty of the northern Uí Néill, he was the son of Niall Frossach. Like his father, Áed was reckoned High King ...

(died 819) who became high king in 797.

Notes

References

* ''Annals of Ulster'' a

a
University College Cork
* Byrne, Francis John (2001), ''Irish Kings and High-Kings'', Dublin: Four Courts Press, * Charles-Edwards, T. M. (2000), ''Early Christian Ireland'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, * Mac Niocaill, Gearoid (1972), ''Ireland before the Vikings'', Dublin: Gill and Macmillan * Ó Cróinín, Dáibhí (2005), ''A New History of Ireland'', Volume One, Oxford: Oxford University Press

External links

a
University College Cork
8th-century births 788 deaths 8th-century Irish monarchs Kings of Ailech {{Ireland-royal-stub