Aedh mac Ruaidri Ó Conchobair
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Aedh mac Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair was King 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 Delbhn ...
from 1228 to 1233. He was one of the sons of the last fully recognized
High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ga, Ardrí na hÉireann ) 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 later sometimes assigned ana ...
Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair Ruaidrí mac Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair (Modern Irish: Ruairí Ó Conchúir; anglicized as Rory O'Conor) ( – 2 December 1198) was Kings of Connacht, King of Connacht from 1156 to 1186, and High King of Ireland from 1166 to 1198. He was the l ...
, and claimed the kingship of Connacht after deposing his brother Toirdhealbhach Ó Conchobhair, after the death of their rival, cousin and former king
Aedh Ua Conchobair Aedh mac Cathal Crobdearg Ua Conchobair (reigned 1224–1228) was King of Connacht with opposition alongside his uncle Toirdhealbhach mac Ruaidhrí Ó Conchobhair. Aedh succeeded his father Cathal Crobhdearg upon his death in 1224 but struggle ...
. In 1233 he was killed in battle by the supporters of his cousin and successor Felim O'Connor. He was the last descendant of Ruaidrí to hold the kingship.


Life and reign

Aedh is first mentioned in the annals in 1225, when with his brother Toirdhealbhach, he invaded Connacht in order to claim its throne from
Aedh Ua Conchobair Aedh mac Cathal Crobdearg Ua Conchobair (reigned 1224–1228) was King of Connacht with opposition alongside his uncle Toirdhealbhach mac Ruaidhrí Ó Conchobhair. Aedh succeeded his father Cathal Crobhdearg upon his death in 1224 but struggle ...
. He and his brother were invited by Aedh's disgruntled vassals Donn Oc MacAirechtaig the lord of Siol Muireadaigh and Aed O Flaithbertaig lord of
Iar Connacht West Connacht ( ga, Iarthar Chonnachta; Modern Irish: ''Iar Connacht'') was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Galway, particularly the area known more commonly today as Connemara. The kingdom represen ...
. They received the backing of the powerful king of Tir Eoghain
Aodh Méith Aodh Méith or Áed Méith (died 1230) was a 13th-century king of Tír Eoghain. The son of Aodh an Macaoimh Tóinleasg, Aodh spent much of his career fighting off threats from Fir Manach, Tír Conaill and Galloway, as well as John de Courcy ...
and Toirdhealbhach was made king with Aedh Ua Conchobair retreating to
Athlone Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region with a population of ...
in order to secure aid from the Anglo-Norman lords there. He was successful in obtaining their backing as well as that of
Donnchadh Cairbreach Ó Briain Donnchadh Cairbreach Ó Briain was King of Thomond from 1198 to his death in 1242. He founded Moor Abbey, (Galbally, Tipperary) early in the 13th century before it was re-founded in 1471 and established by the first Franciscan pontiff under the ...
King of Thomond and 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 s ...
Chief of Meath. Its with this force Aedh, his brother Toirdhealbhach and their O'Neill allies were forced to contend, and after a brief fight they disbanded their forces in the anticipation that the allies of Aedh Ua Conchobair would soon leave the province and leave the king exposed once more. Aedh mac Ruaidrí managed to distinguish himself soon after when he intercepted the advance force of
Donnchadh Cairbreach Ó Briain Donnchadh Cairbreach Ó Briain was King of Thomond from 1198 to his death in 1242. He founded Moor Abbey, (Galbally, Tipperary) early in the 13th century before it was re-founded in 1471 and established by the first Franciscan pontiff under the ...
, who had been sent on ahead with the plunder and payment they had received, defeating them, taking their plunder and receiving a promise, on pain of excommunication, from Donnchadh to not march against Aedh and his brothers again. Aedh mac Ruaidrí meanwhile retained only a small mercenary force of Anglo-Normans, and so after his allies departure the rebellion simply flared up once more until his allies returned and forced Aedh and his brother to seek refuge once more with
Aodh Méith Aodh Méith or Áed Méith (died 1230) was a 13th-century king of Tír Eoghain. The son of Aodh an Macaoimh Tóinleasg, Aodh spent much of his career fighting off threats from Fir Manach, Tír Conaill and Galloway, as well as John de Courcy ...
. The author of the
Annals of Connacht The ''Annals of Connacht'' (), covering the years 1224 to 1544, are drawn from a manuscript compiled in the 15th and 16th centuries by at least three scribes, all believed to be members of the Clan Ó Duibhgeannáin. The early sections, commenci ...
notes bitterly that the rebellion ''resulted in nothing but the wasting and ruining of a countryside which before had been completely peaceful and prosperous.'' In 1227 Aedh and his brother tried their luck once more with the backing of
Richard Mór de Burgh, 1st Baron of Connaught Richard Mór de Burgh, 1st Lord of Connacht (; ; c.1194–1242, or 1243), was a Hiberno-Norman aristocrat who was Seneschal of Munster and Justiciar of Ireland (1228–32). Background Richard Mór de Burgh, was born towards the end of the ...
, who expected to become their overlord on victory through his grant from the English king of the province of Connacht. On this hosting they burned Inishmaine Abbey, took hostages and plundered the province. In the next year Aedh Ua Conchobair was dead, apparently through the intrigues of the de Lacy family. Aedh and his brother immediately began a civil war of their own for the kingship destroying the province between them, with Aedh managing to come out on top though he shared power with at least some of his brothers. At a great assembly hosted by
Richard Mór de Burgh Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stron ...
, who had been recently made
Justiciar of Ireland The chief governor was the senior official in the Dublin Castle administration, which maintained English and British rule in Ireland from the 1170s to 1922. The chief governor was the viceroy of the English monarch (and later the British monarch) ...
, Aedh was elected king by both the Anglo-Normans and the Irish lords of the province in a compromise demonstrating the influence the two groups wielded in choosing the king. Aedh was appointed king despite the fact Toirdhealbhach, as the senior was better qualified according to traditional Irish succession law, the practical power of de Burgh's backing simply taking precedence. He was inaugurated at the traditional royal site of
Carnfree Carnfree (Irish ''Carn Fraoich'', Fráech's cairn) is a site south of the village of Tulsk in Roscommon that also lies close to the more celebrated ancient landscape of Rathcroghan. The chief feature here is the bronze-age mound of Carnfree itself ...
. During the inauguration two of Toirdhealbhach's sons took cattle in raids and Aedh sent men after them who retrieving the cattle and killed one of his nephews Maelsechlainn in the process. In 1230 Aedh, persuaded by his old ally Donn Oc, decided to turn against Richard Mór and the other Anglo-Normans proclaiming they would never again accept a king who was a vassal of the English and began plundering the lands held by them in Connacht. Richard assembled a large force consisting of large numbers of the Anglo-Normans of Ireland plus many Irish chiefs and marched into west Connacht fighting daily with Aedh's forces as they attempted to install a new claimant Felim O'Connor as king. Aedh decided not to engage them in pitched battle instead moving about the province with his cattle herds and followers. Donn Oc disagreed and with a force of men sought out engagements with the Anglo-Norman forces on their western flank until he was slain along with Brian son of Toirdhealbhach and the forces he had routed fleeing towards Aedh's position. When the routed forces and their pursuers came to the kings position he began to flee killing one of his attackers by thrusting a javelin through him and escaping. The forces of Richard looted the province following their victory and installed Felim as their vassal king, while Aedh fled to the court of Aed Meith again. Felim was imprisoned for unknown reasons by Richard the next year and in 1232 Aedh made peace with the Justiciar and resumed the kingship of Connacht. His son Conchobar was seemingly a hostage of Richard but managed to escape only to die soon after on an expedition against the men of the Tuatha. In 1233 his old rival and cousin Felim again invaded the province, this time with the support of some of Aedh's chief vassals and pursued him and his supporters to give battle. Aedh, two of his brothers and several of his nephews were killed decimating the power of Ruaidri's descendants who never again held the kingship of Connacht. The author of the
Annals of Loch Ce Annals ( la, wikt:annales, annāles, from , "year") are a concise history, historical record in which events are arranged chronology, chronologically, year by year, although the term is also used loosely for any historical record. Scope The natur ...
composed a poem on his death; ''Aedh, son of Ruaidhri, of the quick onset'' ''Was five years over the province,'' ''Until fell, a loss to every feast,'' ''This man by Fedhlimidh.''


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ua Conchobair, Aedh Mac Ruaidri 1233 deaths Kings of Connacht 13th-century Irish monarchs
Aedh Aodh ( , , ; sga, Áed) is an Irish and Scottish Gaelic male given name, originally meaning "fire".The modern word ''aodh'' meaning 'inflammation' or as a phrase with the Irish word for 'itch' (''tochas''), giving ''aodh thochais'', 'burning itc ...
Year of birth unknown Gaels