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Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill (), also called Máel Sechnaill Mór or Máel Sechnaill II (949 – 2 September 1022), was a King of Mide and
High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and was later sometimes assigned anachronously or to leg ...
. His great victory at the Battle of Tara against Olaf Cuaran in 980 resulted in Gaelic Irish control of the Kingdom of Dublin.


First reign as High King

Máel Sechnaill belonged to the Clann Cholmáin branch of the Uí Néill dynasty. He was the grandson of Donnchad Donn, great-grandson of Flann Sinna and great-great-grandson of the first Máel Sechnaill, Máel Sechnaill mac Máele Ruanaid. The Kings of Tara or High Kings of Ireland had for centuries alternated between the various Uí Néill branches. By Máel Sechnaill's time this alternating succession passed between Clann Cholmáin in the south and the Cenél nEógain in the north, so that he succeeded Domnall ua Néill in 980. This system had survived previous challenges by outsiders including the kings of
Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
,
Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...
and
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 ...
, and the
Viking Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...
invasions.


Defeat of Olaf Cuaran at the Battle of Tara

In 980, Olav Cuarán, King of Dublin, summoned auxiliaries from Norse-ruled Scottish Isles and from Mann and attacked Meath, but was defeated by Máel Sechnaill at the Battle of Tara. Reginald, Olaf's heir, was killed. Máel Sechnaill followed up his victory with a siege of Dublin which surrendered after three days and nights. When Maél Sechnaill took Dublin in 980, according to the Annals of Tigernach, he freed all the slaves then residing in the city:


Battle of Glenmama

In 997, at a royal meeting near
Clonfert Clonfert () is a small village in east County Galway, Ireland, halfway between Ballinasloe and Portumna. The village gives its name to the Diocese of Clonfert (Roman Catholic), Diocese of Clonfert. Clonfert Cathedral is one of the eight cathedr ...
, Máel Sechnaill met with his long-time rival
Brian Boru Brian Boru (; modern ; 23 April 1014) was the High King of Ireland from 1002 to 1014. He ended the domination of the High King of Ireland, High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill, and is likely responsible for ending Vikings, Viking invasio ...
,
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 ...
.Ó Corráin, p 123 The two kings made a truce, by which Brian was granted rule over the southern half of Ireland, while Máel Sechnaill retained the northern half and high kingship. In honour of this arrangement, Máel Sechnaill handed over to Brian the hostages he had taken from
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
and
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 ...
; and in 998, Brian handed over to Máel Sechnaill the hostages 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 the same year, Brian and Máel Sechnaill began co-operating against the Norse of Dublin for the first time. Late in 999, however, the Leinstermen, historically hostile to domination by either the Uí Néill overkings or the
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 ...
, allied themselves with the Norse of Dublin and revolted against Brian. The ''
Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' () or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' () are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Genesis flood narrative, Deluge, dated as 2,242 Anno Mundi, years after crea ...
'' records that Brian and Máel Sechnaill united their forces, and according to the ''
Annals of Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' () are annals of History of Ireland, 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 Luin� ...
'', they met the Leinster-Dublin army at Glenmama on Thursday, 30 December 999. Glenmama, near Lyons Hill in Ardclough,
County Kildare County Kildare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the Local gove ...
, between Windmill Hill and Blackchurch, was the ancient stronghold of the Kings of Leinster. The Munster-Meath army defeated the Leinster-Dublin army. Ó Corráin refers to it as a "crushing defeat" of Leinster and Dublin,Ó Corráin, p 123 while ''The dictionary of English history'' says the battle effectively "quelled" the "desperate revolt" of Leinster and Dublin. Most importantly, the defeat left the road to Dublin "free and unimpeded for the victorious legions of Brian and Mael Sechlainn".Todd, p cxlvi


Overthrow and restoration

The system of alternating succession between the various Uí Néill branches was ended by Brian Boru's so-called overthrow of Máel Sechnaill in 1002. In fact this was a bloodless shift resulting from the failure of the Northern Uí Néill, his kinsmen, to support Máel Sechnaill against the aspirations of the extremely militarized overlord of Munster. Brian would have little more success with them himself. Because of the death of Brian Boru in 1014, as well as the death of his son, grandson and many other Munster nobles at the Battle of Clontarf, Máel Sechnaill succeeded in regaining the titular High Kingship,King Malachy More
/ref> with the aid of his northern kinsman Flaithbertach Ua Néill, but the High Kingship, albeit with opposition, did not reappear until Diarmait mac Maíl na mBó of Leinster rose to power. Clann Cholmáin provided no further High Kings, but the northern Uí Néill of the Cenél nEógain provided two: Domnall Ua Lochlainn and Muirchertach Mac Lochlainn.


Marriages and issue

Máel Sechnaill had two known wives: * Gormflaith ingen Murchada * Máel Muire ingen Amlaíb, possibly a daughter of the former but by another man He also had six known children:Benjamin T. Hudson, ‘Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill (948–1022)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004. *Conchobar (d 1030) *Flann (d 1013) *Congalach (d 1017) *Domnall (d 1019) *Murchad Rua (d 1049) *Muirchertach (d 1049) His senior descendant, as of the mid-20th century, was Cornelius Frederic McLoughlin, Chief of the Name, born 11 July 1897.


References

* Breen, Aidan "Coleman" in ''Dictionary of Irish Biography'', p 696, vol. two (2009) * Brady, John: ''Kingdom and County of Meath'', 6–13. Ríocht na Mídhe I, 2, (1956) * Jaski, Bart (2005). "Máel-Sechnaill II (949/950–1022)". In Seán Duffy. Medieval Ireland. An Encyclopedia. Abingdon and New York. pp. 310–312. * Moran, W.: ''The hereditary lands and Royal Tuath of the O'Melaghlins'', 33–44. Ríocht na Mídhe I, 4, (1958) * Moran, W.: ''Uisneagh, Tara and the rise of monarchy'', 3–17.Ríocht na Mídhe II, 1, (1959) * Cox, Liam: ''The O Maeleachlainn Kings of Meath'', 22–53. Ríocht na Mídhe V, 2, (1972) * O'Flynn, Eoin:''The career of Máelsechnaill II'', Ríocht na Mídhe XX (2009), pp. 29–68 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mael Sechnaill mac Domnaill 949 births 1022 deaths Kings of Mide People from County Westmeath 11th-century Irish monarchs 10th-century High Kings of Ireland