Cathal mac Áeda (before 722–737) was a king in southern

Brega Brega , also known as ''Mersa Brega'' or ''Marsa al-Brega'' ( ar, مرسى البريقة , i.e. "Brega Seaport"), is a complex of several smaller towns, industry installations and education establishments situated in Libya on the Gulf of Sidra, ...

of the Uí Chernaig sept of Lagore of the

Síl nÁedo Sláine Síl nÁedo Sláine () are the descendants of Áed Sláine (Áed mac Diarmato), 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 Co ...

. He was the son of Áed Laigin mac Néill (died 722) and great-great grandson of the high king Diarmait mac Áedo Sláine (died 665). His father was slain at the Battle of Allen in the great defeat of the Ui Neill by the men of

Leinster Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ir ...

. He was chief of the Uí Chernaig from 729 to 737. An isolated reference in the ''Annals of Ulster'' for the year 733 has 'the overthrow of Cathal by Domnall in Tailtiu, and the overthrow of Fallomun by Cathal in Tlachtga'. The consensus view among historians is that the Cathal mentioned was Cathal mac Finguine (died 742), King of Munster. However, the historian Charles-Edwards argues in favor of Cathal mac Áeda. He cites the lack of mention of this event in the Munster oriented ''Annals of Innisfallen''. This theory proposes that Domnall attacked Cathal at

Tailtiu Tailtiu or Tailltiu (; modern spelling: Tailte) (also known as Talti) is the name of a presumed goddess from Irish mythology. The goddess's name is linked to Teltown (< OI ''Óenach Tailten'') in Co. Meath, site of the

, where the Uí Néill high kings traditionally held their main óenach. He was attacked there by

Domnall Midi Domhnall Mac Murchada (born c. 700, died 20 November 763), called Domnall Midi (Donald of Meath), was High King of Ireland. He belonged to the Clann Cholmáin branch of the Uí Néill. Clann Cholmáin's pre-eminence among the southern Uí Néi ...

of the Clann Cholmáin branch and defeated. This was a step in the rise to Domnall as high king. Cathal however defeated the minor Uí Néill kindred of Clann Cholmáin Bicc under Fallomon mac Con Congalt at Tlachtga, the Hill of Ward, the site of another major Uí Néill óenach. The Uí Chernaig sept had a feud with the Uí Chonaing sept of Cnogba ( Knowth) in North Brega going back to the assassination of Cathal's grandfather Niall mac Cernaig Sotal (died 701) by Írgalach mac Conaing (died 702). In 737 the Uí Chonaing king of Brega,

Conaing mac Amalgado Conaing mac Amalgado (died 742) 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 (died 718), a previous king. He ruled from 7 ...

(died 742) defeated Cathal and his kinsman Cernach mac Fogartaig (d.738) at the Battle of Lia Ailbe in Mag (Moynalvy, Co. Meath) and Cathal was slain. Tha family descended from Áed Laigin was a sub-sept of the Uí Chernaig known as the Sil Áeda Laigen. The death of Cathal's brother Domnall mac Áeda is recorded in the annals in 759.''Annals of Ulster'' AU 759.1

Notes

References

*''Annals of Ulster'' a
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts
a
University College Cork
*Charles-Edwards, T. M. (2000), ''Early Christian Ireland'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,

External links

a
University College Cork
Kings of Brega 8th-century Irish monarchs Year of birth unknown 737 deaths Year of birth uncertain {{Ireland-royal-stub

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