Conall Grant mac Cernaig (died

718 __NOTOC__ Year 718 ( DCCXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 718 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar ...

) was a King of

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 grandson of the high king Diarmait mac Áedo Sláine (died 665). His father Cernach Sotal had died during plague years in 664. His byname Grant meant "Grey-haired"

Biography

In his time there was a rivalry between the northern septs of the Síl nÁedo Sláine, including the Uí Chonaing sept of Cnogba (Knowth) and the Síl nDlúthaig of Fir Cúl, with the southern sept of the Uí Chernaig. Conall's brother Niall mac Cernaig Sotal had been killed by the Uí Chonaing king of Brega,

Írgalach mac Conaing Írgalach mac Conaing Cuirre (died 702), also called Írgalach ua Conaing, 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 Conaing Cuirre mac Congail ...

Cuirre (died 702) The kingship of Brega at this time was in rivalry between the septs. Two contemporaries were also considered kings of Brega around this time, Amalgaid mac Congalaig (died

) of the Uí Chonaing, and Conall Grant's nephew, Fogartach mac Néill (died 724). Conall is among the guarantors of the

Cáin Adomnáin The ''Cáin Adomnáin'' (Law of Adomnán), also known as the ''Lex Innocentium'' (Law of Innocents), was promulgated amongst a gathering of Irish, Dál Riatan and Pictish notables at the Synod of Birr in 697. It is named after its initiator ...

(Law of Innocents) proclaimed at the

Synod of Birr The Synod of Birr, held at Birr in modern County Offaly, Ireland in 697 was a meeting of churchmen and secular notables. Best remembered as the occasion on which the Cáin Adomnáin—the Law of Innocents—was guaranteed, the survival o ...

in 697 where he is given the title King of Deiscirt Breg or southern Brega. These titles were added to the list of guarantors in

727 727 may refer to: * Boeing 727, an airliner * AD 727, a year * 727 BC, a year * 727 (number), a number * "727", a song by The Box Tops from the album '' Cry Like a Baby'' * '' 7/27'', a 2016 album by Fifth Harmony * Area code 727, for telephon ...

and the first use of the title King of South Brega in the ''Annals of Ulster'' is not until 751 In 712, his nephew Maine mac Néill was slain in battle versus Flann mac Áedo (died 714) of the Síl nDlúthaig. In 714, his nephew Fogartach was deposed from the kingship and went to Britain possibly by the high king Fergal mac Máele Dúin (died 722) of the Cenél nEógain. Conall may have acquired the rule of Brega and in 715 he was responsible for the assassination of

Murchad Midi Murchad mac Diarmato (died 715), called Murchad Midi (Murchad of Meath), was an Irish king. One of four or more sons of Diarmait Dian, he succeeded his father as King of Uisnech at the latter's death in 689. Life The Kings of Uisnech ruled ...

, the King of

Uisnech , alternate_name = Ushnagh (anglicisation) , image = Hill of Uisneach.jpg , alt = , caption = Information sign , map = , map_caption = , map_type = island of Ireland , map_alt = A map of Ireland , map_size = , location = ...

from the

Clann Cholmáin Clann Cholmáin is the dynasty descended from Colmán Már mac Diarmato, 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 ...

, possibly the deputy of Fergal. His nephew Fogartach returned to the rule of Brega in 716. Then, in 718 Conall fought the Battle of Cenannas (near Kells) and defeated and slew Amalgaid of Cnogba and his brother Fergal, along with their allies, Gormgal mac Áedo of Síl nDlúthaig and Tuathal Ua Fáelchon of Clann Cholmáin Bicc. The high king Fergal intervened and had Conall killed two months later. The descendants of Conall known as the Síl Conaill Graint based at Calatruim developed a rivalry with the descendants of his brother Niall, the main Uí Chernaig line at Lagore, within the southern Brega septs of Síl nÁedo Sláine. Conall's son

Niall mac Conaill Niall mac Conaill (died 778) was King of South Brega of the Uí Chernaig sept of the Síl nÁedo Sláine branch of the southern Ui Neill. He was the son of Conall Grant mac Cernaig (died 718) who had contended for the rule of all Brega in the 710 ...

Graint (died

778 __NOTOC__ Year 778 ( DCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 778 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent metho ...

) was a King of Southern Brega. Another son, Ailill mac Conaill Graint (died 722) was slain at the Battle of Allen where the men of Leinster defeated the Ui Neill.''Annals of Tigernach'' 722.8

Notes

References

* ''Annals of Tigernach'' a
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts
a
University College Cork
* ''Annals of Ulster'' a

a
University College Cork
* Charles-Edwards, T. M. (2000), ''Early Christian Ireland'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, * ''Book of Leinster'', Flann Mainistrech: ''Síl Aeda Sláne Na Sleg'' a
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts
a
University College Cork

External links

a
University College Cork
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grant, Conall Kings of Brega 718 deaths 8th-century Irish monarchs 8th-century Irish people People from County Dublin

Biography

Notes

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References

External links