Áed mac Ainmuirech

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Áed mac Ainmuirech (born c.530 - died 598) was

Cenél Conaill and was a distant cousin of Columba of Iona. He was the son of Ainmuire mac Sétnai (died 569), a previous possible high king.[1] His mother was Bríg, daughter of Chobtaig, son of Ailill, son of Nath Í, son of Crimthann mac Énnai son of Énnae Cennsalach of the Uí Ceinnselaig dynasty from Leinster.[2] He was born in 530 according to the Annals of Tigernach
(596.2).

He came to power some decades after the death of the last old, pagan style high-king of Tara,

Dal Fiatach of Ulster as high king.[7] The kinglists only assign him a reign of one year. Whether Báetán was king of Tara or not, the real effective power among the northern Ui Neill was Áed mac Ainmuirech.[8]

He is known to have met with Áedán mac Gabráin, king of Dál Riata, in 575 at The Synod or Convention of Drumceat, to agree an alliance, presumably arranged by his cousin Columba. Áed and Áedán were both threatened by the activities of the Ulaid king, Báetán mac Cairill of the Dál Fiatach, and it served both interests that Dál Riata not be subjected to the ambitious Báetán. In this they succeeded.[9] Áed may have become high king after this possibly in 576.[5] It is also quite possible that this conference did not take place until circa 587 which is the date recorded in the Annals of Clonmacnoise.[10] The death of Báetán mac Ninneda had occurred in 586 and the Annals of Ulster record two death dates for Báetán mac Cairill, one being in 587.[11]

A challenge to the rule of Áed among the northern Ui Neill was launched by

king of Uisnech who was making a bid for the high kingship, and who may have made an earlier bid in 573.[13] In 587 Áed ended this threat when Colman was slain at the battle of Belach Dathi.[14]

Another challenge to Áed may have come from the direction of Ulster in the person of

Fiachnae mac Báetáin (died 626) of the Dál nAraidi. At the royal conference at Druim Cett the affairs of Osraige had been discussed implying an influence by Áed over the affairs of Munster.[15] In 597 Fiachnae won the Battle of Sliab Cua in the territory of Munster.[16] Fiachnae had earlier won a battle over the Ciannachta of Brega in 594.[17] There is a possibility that Fiachnae was a king of Tara in the 590's.[18]

Áed came into conflict with

Uí Cheinnselaig who was resisting Ui Neill encroachment. According to the saga tradition preserved in the Borúma Laigin (Cattle Tribute of Leinster), Brandub had killed Cummascach, the son of Áed for demanding the right to sleep with Brandub's wife during a royal tour.[19] The annals record Brandub's killing of Áed's son Cummascach in 597 at Dún Buchat.[20] However, at the battle of Dún Bolg (Dunboyke, modern County Wicklow) in 598, Áed was defeated and killed by Brandub.[21]

Áed had close relations with his cousin Saint

Máel Cobo (died 615) and Domnall (died 642) were later high kings of the Northern Uí Néill.[23]

Notes

  1. ^ Byrne, Table 4; Appendix IV; Mac Niocaill, pg.81
  2. ^ 'Corpus Genealogiarum Sanctorum Hiberniae', Ó Riain, Pádraig, ed., Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1985, §380.1
  3. ^ Byrne, pp. 110–111.
  4. ^ Charles-Edwards, pg.494–495
  5. ^ a b Charles-Edwards, pg.487
  6. ^ Charles-Edwards, pg.491
  7. ^ Byrne, pg.114
  8. ^ Mac Niocaill, pg.72
  9. ^ Adomnán, note 204; Byrne, pp. 109–111.
  10. ^ Charles-Edwards, pg.487, note79
  11. ^ Annals of Ulster, 587.3
  12. ^ Annals of Ulster AU 580.1, 581.1; 586.2 Annals of Tigernach AT 578.1; Mac Niocaill, pg.80
  13. ^ AU 586.1; AT 584.1; Mac Niocaill, pg.80
  14. ^ AU 587.2; AT 585.1; Mac Niocaill, pg.80
  15. ^ Charles-Edwards, pg.490
  16. ^ AU 597.2; 603.5; AT 595.2
  17. ^ Au 594.1; AT 592.1
  18. ^ Charles-Edwards, pg.500
  19. ^ Mac Niocaill, pg.81–82; Byrne, pg.145
  20. ^ AU 597.1; AT 595.1
  21. ^ AU 598.2; AT 596.2; Mac Niocaill, pg.82
  22. ^ Charles-Edwards, pp.289, 555
  23. ^ Byrne, pp. 281, 283.

References

  • Annals of Ulster at [1] at University College Cork
  • Annals of Tigernach at [2] at University College Cork
  • Adomnán, Life of St Columba, tr. & ed. Richard Sharpe. Penguin, London, 1995.
    ISBN 0-14-044462-9
  • Byrne, Francis John, Irish Kings and High-Kings. Batsford, London, 1973.
    ISBN 0-7134-5882-8
  • Charles-Edwards, T. M. (2000), Early Christian Ireland, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
    ISBN 0-521-36395-0
  • Mac Niocaill, Gearoid (1972), Ireland before the Vikings, Dublin: Gill and Macmillan
Preceded by High King of Ireland
after 581–594 		Succeeded by
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