Brian mac Maelruanaidh

Last updated March 16, 2019

Brian mac Maelruanaidh (died 1003) was King of Maigh Seóla.

Maigh Seóla, also known as Hy Briuin Seola, was the territory that included land along the east shore of Lough Corrib in County Galway, Ireland. It was bounded to the east by the Uí Maine vassal kingdom of Soghain and extended roughly from what is now Clarinbridge in the south to Knockmaa Hill in the north. Its rulers belonged to the Uí Briúin Seóla and are sometimes found in the annals under the title "King of Uí Briúin" and "King of South Connacht". The earliest identifiable kings belonged to the line that became the Clann Cosgraigh. However in later times the line which would become the Muintir Murchada, under the O'Flaherty chiefs, monopolized the kingship.

Biography

All that is known for certain of Brian is contained in his obit, dated 1003:

Brian, son of Maelruanaidh, lord of West Connaught, was slain by his own people

In that year, "the Ui-Fiachrach Aidhne aided by West Connaught fought a battle against the Uí Maine" and "the men of West Meath ... wherein fell Gillaceallaigh, son of Comhaltan Ua Cleirigh, lord of Ui-Fiachrach; Conchobhar, son of Ubban; Ceannfaeladh, son of Ruaidhri, and many others. Finn, son of Marcan, Tanist of Ui-Maine, fell in the heat of the conflict."

Uí Maine, often Anglicised as Hy Many, was one of the oldest and largest kingdoms located in Connacht, Ireland. Its territory of approximately 1,000 square miles (2,600 km²) encompassed all of what is now north, east and south County Galway, south and central County Roscommon, an area near County Clare, and at one stage had apparently subjugated land on the east bank of the Shannon, together with the parish of Lusmagh in Offaly.

It is not known if this conflict had any role in Brian's assassination. Both the Muintir Murchada and Uí Fiachrach Aidhne were allied with Brian Boru, who was the son of a daughter of Urchadh mac Murchadh.

Assassination is the act of killing a prominent person for either political, religious or monetary reasons.

Muintir Murchada was the name of an Irish territory which derived its name from the ruling dynasty, who were in turn a branch of the Uí Briúin. The name was derived from Murchadh mac Maenach, King of Uí Briúin Seóla, who died 891.

Uí Fhiachrach Aidhne was a kingdom located in what is now the south of County Galway.

Preceded by Maelcairearda	King of Maigh Seóla 993?–1003	Succeeded by Muireadhach ua Flaithbheartach

References

West or H-Iar Connaught Ruaidhrí Ó Flaithbheartaigh, 1684 (published 1846, ed. James Hardiman).
Origin of the Surname O'Flaherty, Anthony Matthews, Dublin, 1968, p. 40.
Irish Kings and High-Kings, Francis John Byrne (2001), Dublin: Four Courts Press, ISBN 978-1-85182-196-9
Annals of Ulster at CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork
Byrne, Francis John (2001), Irish Kings and High-Kings, Dublin: Four Courts Press, ISBN 978-1-85182-196-9

Roderic O'Flaherty was an Irish historian.

James Hardiman (1782–1855), also known as Séamus Ó hArgadáin, was a librarian at Queen's College, Galway.

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Brian mac Maelruanaidh

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