Congal Cennmagair (died 710) was

High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and was later sometimes assigned anachronously or to leg ...

. He belonged to the northern

Cenél Conaill Cenél is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Cenél Conaill, the name of the "kindred" or descendants of Conall Gulban, son of Niall Noígiallach defined by oral and recorded history *Cenél nEógain (in English, Cenel Eogan) is ...

branch of the

Uí Néill The Uí Néill (; meaning "descendants of Niall") are Irish dynasties that claim descent from Niall Noígíallach (Niall of the Nine Hostages), a historical King of Tara who is believed to have died around c. 405. They are generally divided ...

. His father, Fergus Fanát, was not a high king, although his grandfather,

Domnall mac Áedo Domnall mac Áedo (died 642), also known as Domnall II, was an Irish king and son of Áed mac Ainmuirech and his consort Land, the daughter of Áed Guaire mac Amalgada of Airgíalla. Domnall was High King of Ireland from 628 until his death. He ...

(died

642 __NOTOC__ Year 642 ( DCXLII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 642 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe ...

), was counted as a High King of Ireland. Congal's predecessor was

Loingsech mac Óengusso Loingsech, an Irish language male name meaning ''exile'' or ''sailor'', might refer to: * Labhraidh Loingseach, a legendary high king of Ireland and ancestor of the Laigin * Loingsech mac Colmáin (died 655), king of Leinster * Loingsech mac Flaithb ...

, his paternal first cousin, who died in battle in

703 __NOTOC__ Year 703 ( DCCIII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar, the 703rd year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 703rd year of the 1st millennium, the 3rd year of the 8th century, and the ...

. Congal reigned as high king from 703 to

710 __NOTOC__ Year 710 ( DCCX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 710 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europ ...

. Congal was a guarantor of

Adomnán Adomnán or Adamnán of Iona (; , ''Adomnanus''; 624 – 704), also known as Eunan ( ; from ), was an abbot of Iona Abbey ( 679–704), hagiographer, statesman, canon jurist, and Christian saint, saint. He was the author of the ''Life ...

's "law of the innocents"—the

Cáin Adomnáin The ''Cáin Adomnáin'' (, , "Law of Adomnán"), also known as the ''Lex Innocentium'' (Law of Innocents), was promulgated amongst a gathering of Gaels, Gaelic and Picts, Pictish notables at the Synod of Birr in 697 in Ireland, 697. It is named ...

—agreed 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 ...

697 __NOTOC__ Year 697 ( DCXCVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 697 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europ ...

. He is the second lay guarantor listed after Loingsech and is called King of Tyrconell, though these titles may have been added later. The reigns of Loingsech and Congal represented the peak of Cenél Conaill, thereafter eclipsed by the rival kinsmen the

Cenél nEógain Cenél is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Cenél Conaill, the name of the "kindred" or descendants of Conall Gulban, son of Niall Noígiallach defined by oral and recorded history * Cenél nEógain (in English, Cenel Eogan) is ...

. Both appear to have attempted to expand into

Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...

, with mixed results. Loingsech died in the pursuit of this goal, while in Congal's reign a notable victory was won against the men of Connacht in

707 707 may refer to: * 707 (number), a number * 707 (band), an American rock band * AD 707, a year in the 8th century * 707 BC, a year in the 8th century BC * The 7 July 2005 London bombings, a terrorist attack * 707th Special Mission Unit, a mili ...

and the Connacht king Indrechtach mac Dúnchado was slain. Congal himself did not participate in this battle but Loingsech's son Fergal did. In the same year Congal himself campaigned in

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

Geoffrey Keating Geoffrey Keating (; – ) was an Irish historian. He was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, and is buried in Tubrid Graveyard in the parish of Ballylooby-Duhill. He became a Catholic priest and a poet. Biography It was generally believed unt ...

's ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn'' records that he burned the church of Kildare during this and implies his death was related to this. Congal himself died suddenly in 710. A gloss to the ''

Annals of Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' () are annals of History of Ireland, medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luin� ...

'' adds that this was due to a fit. Congal left a number of sons, none of whom was especially prominent. These sons included Flann Gohan (died 732) and Conaing (died 733) who were slain in warfare between Cenél Conaill and Cenél nEógain and a son named Donngal (died 731).''Annals of Ulster'', AU 732.10, 733.3 He was followed as High King by another northerner,

Fergal mac Máele Dúin Fergal mac Máele Dúin (died 11 December 722) was High King of Ireland. Fergal belonged to the Cenél nEógain sept of the northern Uí Néill. He was the son of Máel Dúin mac Máele Fithrich (died 681), a King of Ailech, and great-grandso ...

(died

722 Year 722 ( DCCXXII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 722 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for nami ...

) of the Cenél nEógain.

Notes

References

* ''Annals of Ulster'' a
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts
a
University College Cork
* * * * Geoffrey Keating, ''History of Ireland'' a

a
University College Cork
*

External links

a
University College Cork
{{DEFAULTSORT:Congal Cennmagair High Kings of Ireland 710 deaths 8th-century Irish monarchs Year of birth unknown