Mael Isa Ua Conchobair,

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

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 ...

and

Abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...

Roscommon Roscommon (; ; ) is the county town and the largest town in County Roscommon in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is roughly in the centre of Ireland, near the meeting of the N60 road (Ireland), N60, N61 road (Ireland), N61 and N63 road (Irelan ...

, died 1223.

Family background

Mael Isa was a son of King

Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair Toirdhealbhach Mór Ua Conchobhair (old spelling: Tairrdelbach Mór Ua Conchobair; 1088 – 1156) anglicised Turlough Mór O'Conor, was King of Connacht (1106–1156) and High King of Ireland (ca. 1120–1156). Family background and early life ...

by one of his six wives. He is listed as having two full-brothers (Jaski, EIKS, p. 152 n44) -

Aedh Dall Ua Conchobair Aedh Dall Ua Conchobair, Prince of Connacht, died 1194. Aedh was the eldest child of King Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair (1088–1156). His mother's identity is uncertain - Tairrdelbach had six wives - but his full brothers were Tadhg Alainn (died ...

(died 1194) and Tadg Alainn (died 1143/1144), all by Tairrdelbach's primary wife. He had twenty half-brothers, products of Tairrdelbach's marriages and relationships with at least six other women.

Abbot of Roscommon

Mael Isa is recorded as a generous benefactor to Coman's monastery. His father had bestowed upon it a

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

known as ''An Bachall Buidhe'', which contains a portion of the

True Cross According to Christian tradition, the True Cross is the real instrument of Jesus' crucifixion, cross on which Jesus of Nazareth was Crucifixion of Jesus, crucified. It is related by numerous historical accounts and Christian mythology, legends ...

brought to Ireland in 1123. It is now known as the Cross of Cong. Though Gaelic clerics could and did marry, it is not known for certain if Mael Isa had any offspring.

References

* ''Early Irish Kingship and Succession'', Bart Jaski,

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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 ...

, 2000 12th-century Irish abbots People from County Galway People from County Roscommon 1223 deaths Year of birth unknown {{Ireland-noble-stub