Mac Con

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Lugaid Mac Con, often known simply as Mac Con, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He belonged to the Corcu Loígde, [1] and thus to the Dáirine. His father was Macnia mac Lugdach, and his mother was Sadb ingen Chuinn, daughter of the former High King Conn Cétchathach. Mac Con may be to some extent identical with another legendary King of Tara from the Dáirine, Lugaid Loígde.

Contents

After Macnia died, Sadb married Ailill Aulom, king of Munster and de facto king of the southern half of Ireland, and Lugaid became his foster-son. He is said to have gained his patronymic/epithet ("dog's son") after he was suckled as a child by a greyhound called Eloir Derg, which belonged to his foster-father. Lugaid and his stepbrothers, against Ailill's will, were allies of Nemed, son of Sroibcenn, king of the Érainn of Munster, who had killed the former High King Conaire Cóem in the battle of Gruitine. During the reign of the High King Art mac Cuinn, Conaire's sons defeated and killed Nemed in the battle of Cennfebrat. Lugaid was wounded in the battle, and afterwards was exiled from Ireland by his foster-father. Spending a number of years in exile, made an alliance with Benne Brit, son of the king of Britain, raised an army of foreigners, and returned to Ireland. He defeated and killed Art in the Battle of Maigh Mucruimhe in Connacht and took the High Kingship. He ruled for thirty years until he was driven from the throne by Art's son Cormac after he gave a false judgement on Bennaid, a female hospitaller, whose sheep had illegally grazed on the queen's woad. He fled to Munster to seek help from his relatives. He attempted to make his peace with his foster-father, Ailill Aulom, but Ailill had not forgiven him for the death of his son Éogan Mór, and bit him with a poisoned tooth when they embraced. He then sent the poet Ferches mac Commáin after Lugaid to take revenge for Éogan. Ferchis found Lugaid standing with his back to a standing stone, and killed him with a spear. Cormac was unable to take the throne directly, being forced to flee to Connacht by the king of Ulster, Fergus Dubdétach, who held the High Kingship for a year after Lugaid's death. [2] [3] [4] [5]

The Lebor Gabála Érenn synchronises Lugaid's reign with that of the Roman emperor Commodus (180–192). The chronology of Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn dates his reign to 173–203, that of the Annals of the Four Masters to 195–225. He had two sons, Fothad Cairpthech and Fothad Airgthech, who would later be joint High Kings.

Modern descendants of Lugaid mac Con include the O'Driscolls, O'Learys, Coffeys, Hennessys and Flynns of County Cork. [6]

Preceded by High King of Ireland
LGE 2nd century AD
FFE AD 173–203
AFM AD 195–225		Succeeded by

See also

Related Research Articles

Art mac Cuinn, also known as Art Óenfer, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland.

Conaire Mór, son of Eterscél, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. His mother was Mess Búachalla, who was either the daughter of Eochu Feidlech and Étaín, or of Eochu Airem and his daughter by Étaín. In the Old Irish saga Togail Bruidne Dá Derga he is conceived when his mother is visited by Nemglan who flies in her skylight in the form of a bird, and is brought up as Eterscél's son.

Cathair Mór, son of Feidhlimidh Fiorurghlas, a descendant of Conchobar Abradruad, was, according to Lebor Gabála Érenn, a High King of Ireland. He took power after the death of Fedlimid Rechtmar. Cathair ruled for three years, at the end of which he was killed by the Luaigne of Tara, led by Conn Cétchathach. The Lebor Gabála Érenn synchronises his reign with that of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (161–180). The chronology of Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn dates his reign to 113–116, that of the Annals of the Four Masters to 119–122.

The Cath Maige Mucrama is an early Middle Irish language tale which forms part of the Cycles of the Kings.

Fíachu Tolgrach, son of Muiredach Bolgrach, was a legendary High King of Ireland, according to some medieval and early modern Irish sources. In the Lebor Gabála Érenn he is not a High King: he kills the former High King Art mac Lugdach, but during the reign of Art's son Ailill Finn he is killed in battle against Airgetmar. His son Dui Ladrach later becomes High King. However, in Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn and the Annals of the Four Masters he succeeds Art as High King and rules for seven or ten years, until he is killed by Ailill Finn, who succeeds him. The chronology of Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn dates his reign to 593–586 BC, that of the Annals of the Four Masters to 806–796 BC.

Ailill Finn, son of Art mac Lugdach, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. In the Lebor Gabála Érenn, he succeeded to the throne when his father was killed by Fíachu Tolgrach and his son Dui Ladrach. He ruled for nine years. Two years into his reign, Fíachu Tolgrach was killed in battle against Airgetmar, son of Sírlám. The men of Munster, led by Ailill's son Eochu and Lugaid, son of Eochu Fíadmuine, then drove Airgetmar into exile overseas. After seven years Airgetmar returned to Ireland and killed Ailill with the help of Dui Ladrach and his son Fíachu, but was unable to seize the throne, which was taken by Eochu.

Airgetmar, son of Sirlám, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. The Lebor Gabála Érenn says that, during the reign of Ailill Finn, he killed Fíachu Tolgrach in battle, but was forced into exile overseas by Ailill's son Eochu, Lugaid son of Eochu Fíadmuine, and the men of Munster. He returned to Ireland after seven years, and, with the help of Dui Ladrach, killed Ailill. Eochu became king, but Airgetmar and Dui soon killed him as well, and Airgetmar took power.

Dui Ladrach, son of Fíachu Tolgrach, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He helped his father kill the High King Art mac Lugdach, then helped Airgetmar take the throne by killing Art's son Ailill Finn and grandson Eochu mac Ailella. Finally he and Eochu Fíadmuine's son Lugaid Laigdech killed Airgetmar, and Dui took the throne himself, ruling for ten years until his former accomplice Lugaid killed him. The Lebor Gabála synchronises his reign with that of Artaxerxes III of Persia. The chronology of Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn dates his reign to 547–537 BC, that of the Annals of the Four Masters to 748–738 BC. His son was Eochu Buadach, who was the father of High King Ugaine Mor Mac Eochach.

Lugaid Riab nDerg or Réoderg, son of the three findemna, triplet sons of Eochu Feidlech, and their sister Clothru was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland.

Rechtaid Rígderg, son of Lugaid Laigdech, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He took power after killing Macha Mong Ruad, daughter of his father's killer, Áed Rúad. He ruled for twenty years, until he was killed by Úgaine Mór, foster-son of Macha and her husband Cimbáeth. The Lebor Gabála Érenn synchronises his reign to that of Ptolemy I Soter. The chronology of Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn dates his reign to 461–441 BC, the Annals of the Four Masters to 654–634 BC.

Nuadu Necht, son of Sétna Sithbac, a descendant of Crimthann Coscrach, of the Laigin, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He came to power after killing his predecessor, Eterscél, and ruled for six months, at the end of which he was killed by Eterscél's son Conaire Mór.

Crimthann Nia Náir, son of Lugaid Riab nDerg, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. Lugaid is said to have fathered him on his own mother, Clothru, daughter of Eochu Feidlech. Clothru was thus both his mother and his grandmother.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fíatach Finn</span>

Fiatach Finn mac Dáire, a distant descendant of Óengus Tuirmech Temrach, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a king of the Ulaid, later a High King of Ireland, and the eponymous ancestor of the early Medieval Ulster dynasty of the Dál Fiatach. He was king of the Ulaid while Feradach Finnfechtnach was High King, and succeeded to the High Kingship himself when Feradach died. He ruled for three years until he was killed by Fíachu Finnolach. The Lebor Gabála Érenn synchronises his reign with that of the Roman emperor Nerva. The chronology of Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn dates his reign to AD 25–28, that of the Annals of the Four Masters to AD 36–39.

Conaire Cóem, son of Mug Láma, son of Coirpre Crou-Chend, son of Coirpre Firmaora, son of Conaire Mór, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, the 111th High King of Ireland. He came to power on the death of his father-in-law Conn Cétchathach, and ruled for seven or eight years, at the end of which he was killed by Nemed, son of Sroibcenn, in the battle of Gruitine. He was succeeded by Conn's son Art.

Fergus Dubdétach ("black-tooth") was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a king of the Ulaid who was briefly High King of Ireland. He took the High Kingship after his predecessor, Lugaid mac Con, was expelled from Tara by Cormac mac Airt and killed in Munster by Cormac's poet Ferches mac Commáin. Fergus and his two brothers, Fergus Caisfhiachlach ("rough-tooth") and Fergus Foltlebair ("long-hair"), then expelled Cormac to Connacht and Fergus took the throne. He ruled for a year, before he was defeated by Cormac, with the assistance of Tadg mac Céin and Lugaid Láma, in the Battle of Crinna.

Fiacha Sraibhtine, son of Cairbre Lifechair, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. On his father's death, Fothad Cairpthech and Fothad Airgthech, sons of Lugaid mac Con, had taken the throne jointly, but within the year Fothad Airgthech killed his brother. Fíacha and the fianna then defeated and killed Fothad in the Battle of Ollarba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of Munster</span> Kingdom in South Gaelic Ireland

The Kingdom of Munster was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland which existed in the south-west of the island from at least the 1st century BC until 1118. According to traditional Irish history found in the Annals of the Four Masters, the kingdom originated as the territory of the Clanna Dedad, an Érainn tribe of Irish Gaels. Some of the early kings were prominent in the Red Branch Cycle such as Cú Roí and Conaire Mór. For a few centuries they were competitors for the High Kingship of Ireland, but ultimately lost out to the Connachta, descendants of Conn Cétchathach. The kingdom had different borders and internal divisions at different times during its history.

Deda mac Sin was a prehistoric king of the Érainn of Ireland, possibly of the 1st century BC. Variant forms or spellings include Ded, Dedu, Dedad, Degad, Dega, Dego, Deguth and Daig, with some of these occurring as genitives although usage is entirely unsystematic, besides the rare occurrence of the obvious genitive Dedaid.

Sadb ingen Chuinn was a daughter of Conn of the Hundred Battles, a High King of Ireland. She married firstly Macnia mac Lugdach, prince of the Dáirine or Corcu Loígde, and was mother of Lugaid Mac Con, High King of Ireland. Upon the death of Macnia, she married secondly Ailill Aulom, king of southern Ireland, and was mother of Éogan Mór, ancestor of the Eóganachta. Her brother was Art mac Cuinn, also a High King of Ireland, while her sister Sáruit married Conaire Cóem of the Érainn, who was High King before him.

References

  1. ↑ John O'Donovan (ed.) "The Genealogy of Corca Laidhe", in Miscellany of the Celtic Society. Dublin. 1849. alternative scan
  2. ↑ R. A. Stewart Macalister (ed. & trans.), Lebor Gabála Érenn: The Book of the Taking of Ireland Part V, Irish Texts Society, 1956, p. 337
  3. ↑ Geoffrey Keating, Foras Feasa ar Éirinn 1.41-42
  4. ↑ Annals of the Four Masters M186-225
  5. ↑ Myles Dillon (ed. and trans.), "The Death of Mac Con", Publications of the Modern Language Association of America 60, 1945, pp. 340-45
  6. ↑ O'Donovan 1849
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.