Coirpre mac Fogartaig (died 771) was a King of Brega of the Uí Chernaig sept of Lagore of the Síl nÁedo Sláine branch of the southern Ui Neill. He was the son of the high king Fogartach mac Néill (died 724). [1]
The Kings of Brega were rulers of Brega, a petty kingdom north of Dublin in medieval Ireland.
Síl nÁedo Sláine[ˈsʲiːlʲ ˈnaiðo ˈslaːnʲe] are the descendants of Áed Sláine, son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill. Part of the Southern Uí Néill—they were the kings of Brega—they claimed descent from Niall Noígiallach and his son Conall Cremthainne.
Fogartach mac Néill, sometimes called Fogartach ua Cernaich, was an Irish king who is reckoned a High King of Ireland. He belonged to the Uí Chernaig sept of the Síl nÁedo Sláine branch of the southern Uí Néill. He was King of Brega and was the son of Niall mac Cernaig Sotal and great-grandson of the high king Diarmait mac Áedo Sláine.
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He is not listed in the poem on the Síl nÁedo Sláine rulers in the Book of Leinster, however at his death obit in the annals for 771 he is called King of Brega. [2] His accession to the rule of the Uí Chernaig sept in south Brega cannot be dated with certainty. His brother Fergus mac Fogartaig (died 751) is called King of South Brega at his death obit. [3] The annals then record the deaths of his cousin Domnall mac Áeda in 759 and his brother Finsnechta mac Fogartaig in 761 with no titles. [4] As for his accession to all of Brega, the death of the Brega king Dúngal mac Amalgado of the rival northern Uí Chonaing sept of Cnogba (Knowth) occurred in 759. [5]
Fergus mac Fogartaig was King of South Brega of the Uí Chernaig sept of Lagore of the Síl nÁedo Sláine branch of the southern Ui Neill. He was the son of the high king Fogartach mac Néill. He ruled from 738 to 751.
Dúngal mac Amalgado was a King of Brega from the Uí Chonaing sept of Cnogba (Knowth) of the Síl nÁedo Sláine branch of the southern Ui Neill. He was the son of Amalgaid mac Congalaig and brother of Conaing mac Amalgado, previous kings. He ruled from 748 to 759.
Knowth is a Neolithic passage grave and an ancient monument of the World Heritage Site of Brú na Bóinne located 8.4 km west of Drogheda in Ireland's valley of the River Boyne. It is the largest passage grave of the Brú na Bóinne complex. It consists of a large mound and 17 smaller satellite tombs. The mound is about 12 metres (40 ft) high and 67 metres (220 ft) in diameter, covering roughly a hectare. It contains two passages placed along an east-west line and is encircled by 127 kerbstones, of which three are missing, and four badly damaged.
Coirpre is first mentioned in the annals with regard to the death of his son Cellach, who was killed by robbers in 767. [6] Then Coirpre is driven into exile in 769 by Donnchad Midi (died 797) of the rival southern Ui Neill branch of Clann Cholmáin based in Mide. [7] A battle had been fought between the men of Mide and Brega in 766. [8] The year after Coirpre's exile the men of southern Brega were defeated at the Battle of Bolgg Bóinne in 770 and two members of the sept were slain, Cernach mac Flainn (a grandson of Fogartach) and Flaithbertach mac Flainn as well as the vassal king Uarchride mac Baeth of the Deisi Brega. [9] This was in conjunction with a campaign of Donnchad Midi versus Leinster and may have been part of that or Donnchad may have defeated the men of southern Brega on is way home. [10] Coirpre then reappears in the year 771 at his death obit with the title King of Brega.
Donnchad mac Domnaill, 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 western County Meath, Ireland. The reigns of Domnall and his successor, Niall Frossach of the Cenél nEógain, had been relatively peaceful, but Donnchad's rule saw a return to a more expansionist policy directed against Leinster, traditional target of the Uí Néill, and also, for the first time, the great southern kingdom of Munster.
Clann Cholmáin is the dynasty descended from Colmán Már, 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 son Conall Cremthainne.
