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Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill ( ga, Maolsheachlann mac Domhnaill), also called Máel Sechnaill Mór or Máel Sechnaill II (949 – 2 September 1022), was a King of Mide and High King of Ireland. His great victory at the Battle of Tara against Olaf Cuaran in 980 resulted in Gaelic Irish control of the Kingdom of Dublin.


First reign as High King

Máel Sechnaill belonged to the Clann Cholmáin branch of the Uí Néill dynasty. He was the grandson of Donnchad Donn, great-grandson of Flann Sinna and great-great-grandson of the first Máel Sechnaill,
Máel Sechnaill mac Máele Ruanaid Máel Sechnaill mac Máel Ruanaida (Modern Irish: ''Maolsheachlann Mac Maolruanaidh''), also known as Máel Sechnaill I, anglicised as Malachy MacMulrooney (died 27 November 862) was High King of Ireland. The Annals of Ulster use the Old Irish ti ...
. The Kings of Tara or High Kings of Ireland had for centuries alternated between the various Uí Néill branches. By Máel Sechnaill's time this alternating succession passed between Clann Cholmáin in the south and the Cenél nEógain in the north, so that he succeeded
Domnall ua Néill Domhnall ua Néill (old spelling: ''Domnall ua Néill''; anglicised as Donal O'Neill) (died 980) was High King of Ireland from 956 to 980. Domnall was the son of Muirchertach mac Néill, and grandson of Niall Glúndub, a member of the Cenél nE ...
in 980. This system had survived previous challenges by outsiders including the kings of Ulster,
Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following t ...
and
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 ...
, and the
Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
invasions.


Defeat of Olaf Cuaran at the Battle of Tara

In 980, Olav Cuarán, King of Dublin, summoned auxiliaries from Norse-ruled Scottish Isles and from Mann and attacked Meath, but was defeated by Máel Sechnaill at the Battle of Tara. Reginald, Olaf's heir, was killed. Máel Sechnaill followed up his victory with a siege of Dublin which surrendered after three days and nights. When Maél Sechnaill took Dublin in 980, according to the Annals of Tigernach, he freed all the slaves then residing in the city:


Battle of Glenmama

In 997, at a royal meeting near Clonfert, Máel Sechnaill met with his long-time rival
Brian Boru Brian Boru ( mga, Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig; modern ga, Brian Bóramha; 23 April 1014) was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill and probably ended Viking invasion/domination of Ireland. ...
, King of Munster.Ó Corráin, p 123 The two kings made a truce, by which Brian was granted rule over the southern half of Ireland, while Máel Sechnaill retained the northern half and high kingship. In honour of this arrangement, Máel Sechnaill handed over to Brian the hostages he had taken from
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
and
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 ...
; and in 998, Brian handed over to Máel Sechnaill the hostages of
Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and ...
. In the same year, Brian and Máel Sechnaill began co-operating against the Norse of Dublin for the first time. Late in 999, however, the Leinstermen, historically hostile to domination by either the Uí Néill overkings or the King of Munster, allied themselves with the Norse of Dublin and revolted against Brian. The ''
Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Deluge, dated as 2,24 ...
'' records that Brian and Máel Sechnaill united their forces, and according to the ''
Annals of Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' ( ga, Annála Uladh) are annals of 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 Luinín, ...
'', they met the Leinster-Dublin army at Glenmama on Thursday, 30 December 999. Glenmama, near Lyons Hill in Ardclough, County Kildare, between Windmill Hill and Blackchurch, was the ancient stronghold of the Kings of Leinster. The Munster-Meath army defeated the Leinster-Dublin army. Ó Corráin refers to it as a "crushing defeat" of Leinster and Dublin,Ó Corráin, p 123 while ''The dictionary of English history'' says the battle effectively "quelled" the "desperate revolt" of Leinster and Dublin. Most importantly, the defeat left the road to Dublin "free and unimpeded for the victorious legions of Brian and Mael Sechlainn".Todd, p cxlvi


Overthrow and restoration

The system of alternating succession between the various Uí Néill branches was ended by Brian Boru's so-called overthrow of Máel Sechnaill in 1002. In fact this was a bloodless shift resulting from the failure of the Northern Uí Néill, his kinsmen, to support Máel Sechnaill against the aspirations of the extremely militarized overlord of Munster. Brian would have little more success with them himself. Because of the death of Brian Boru in 1014, as well as the death of his son, grandson and many other Munster nobles at the Battle of Clontarf, Máel Sechnaill succeeded in regaining the titular High Kingship,King Malachy More
/ref> with the aid of his northern kinsman Flaithbertach Ua Néill, but the High Kingship, albeit with opposition, did not reappear until
Diarmait mac Maíl na mBó Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (Irish pronunciation: ) or Diarmid O'Dyna, also known as Diarmuid of the Love Spot, was a demigod, son of Donn and one of the Fianna in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology (traditionally set in the 2nd to 4th century). He ...
of Leinster rose to power. Clann Cholmáin provided no further High Kings, but the northern Uí Néill of the Cenél nEógain provided two:
Domnall Ua Lochlainn Domhnall Ua Lochlainn (old spelling: Domnall Ua Lochlainn) (1048 – 10 February 1121), also known as Domhnall Mac Lochlainn (old spelling: Domnall Mac Lochlainn), was king of the Cenél Eogain, over-king of Ailech, and alleged High King of ...
and Muirchertach Mac Lochlainn.


Marriages and issue

Máel Sechnaill had two known wives: *
Gormflaith ingen Murchada Gormlaith ingen Murchada (960–1030), sometimes spelled Gormflaith, was an Irish queen. Life Gormlaith was born in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland. Her father was Murchad mac Finn, King of Leinster, and her brother was Máel Mórda mac Murchada. A ...
* Máel Muire ingen Amlaíb, possibly a daughter of the former but by another man He also had six known children:Benjamin T. Hudson, ‘Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill (948–1022)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004. *Conchobar (d 1030) *Flann (d 1013) *Congalach (d 1017) *Domnall (d 1019) *Murchad Rua (d 1049) *Muirchertach (d 1049) His senior descendant, as of the mid-20th century, was Cornelius Frederic McLoughlin, Chief of the Name, born 11 July 1897.


References

* Breen, Aidan "Coleman" in ''Dictionary of Irish Biography'', page 696, volume two (2009) * Brady, John: ''Kingdom and County of Meath'', 6-13. Ríocht na Mídhe I, 2, (1956) * Jaski, Bart (2005). "Máel-Sechnaill II (949/950–1022)". In Seán Duffy. Medieval Ireland. An Encyclopedia. Abingdon and New York. pp. 310–312. * Moran, W.: ''The hereditary lands and Royal Tuath of the O'Melaghlins'', 33-44.Ríocht na Mídhe I, 4, (1958) * Moran, W.: ''Uisneagh, Tara and the rise of monarchy'', 3-17.Ríocht na Mídhe II, 1, (1959) * Cox, Liam: ''The O Maeleachlainn Kings of Meath'', 22-53.Ríocht na Mídhe V, 2, (1972) * O'Flynn, Eoin:''The career of Máelsechnaill II'', Ríocht na Mídhe XX (2009), pp. 29–68 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mael Sechnaill mac Domnaill 949 births 1022 deaths Kings of Mide People from County Westmeath 11th-century Irish monarchs 10th-century High Kings of Ireland