Máel Muad mac Brain (died

978 Year 978 ( CMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Battle of Pankaleia: Rebel forces under General Bardas Skleros are defeated ...

), commonly anglicised Molloy, was

King of Munster The kings of Munster ( ga, Rí Mumhan), ruled from the establishment of Munster during the Irish Iron Age, until the High Middle Ages. According to Gaelic traditional history, laid out in works such as the '' Book of Invasions'', the earliest ...

, first possibly from 959 Green, p. 362 or alternatively 963 to around 970, when he may have been deposed (usurped) by

Mathgamain mac Cennétig Mathgamain mac Cennétig (also known as Mahon) was King of Munster from around 970 to his death in 976. He was the elder brother of Brian Bóruma. Mathgamain was the son of Cennétig mac Lorcáin of the Dál gCais. His father died in 951 and ...

of the Dál gCais, and then again from 976, following his putting to death of the latter, until his own death in the Battle of Belach Lechta against Mathgamain's brother Brian Bóruma in 978. From around 970 to 976, he is referred to in the sources only as King of Desmond (also known as "lord of Desmumu"), but remained "in opposition" to Mathgamain throughout his career. Máel Muad's chief ally in Munster was

Donnubán mac Cathail Donnubán ('donuva:n), Donndubán ('donðuva:n), or Donnabán mac Cathail, anglicised Donovan, son of Cahall (died 980), was a tenth-century ruler of the Irish regional kingdom of Uí Fidgenti, and possibly also of the smaller overkingdom of Uí C ...

, to whom he partly owed his second reign, and with whom he is also associated earlier. Along with Donnubán he was also allied, according to the not contemporary saga and political tract ''

Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib ''Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib'' ("The War of the Irish with the Foreigners") is a medieval Irish text that tells of the depredations of the Vikings and Uí Ímair dynasty in Ireland and the Irish king Brian Boru's great war against them, beginnin ...

'', with

Ivar of Limerick Ivar of Limerick ( ga, Ímar Luimnich, rí Gall; Ímar ua Ímair; Ímar Ua hÍmair, Ard Rí Gall Muman ocus Gáedel; Íomhar Mór; non, Ívarr ; died 977), was the last Norse king of the city-state of Limerick, and penultimate ''King of the Fo ...

, who may himself have temporarily been overlord of the province. Máel Muad belonged to the Uí Echach Muman or

Eóganacht Raithlind Eóganacht Raithlind or Uí Echach Muman are a branch of the Eóganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster in southwest Ireland during the 5th-10th centuries. They took their name from Raithlinn or Raithleann described around the area of Bandon, i ...

and is an ancestor of the medieval and modern

O'Mahony O'Mahony (Old Irish: ''Ó Mathghamhna''; Modern Irish: ''Ó Mathúna'') is the original name of the clan, with breakaway clans also spelled O'Mahoney, or simply Mahony, Mahaney and Mahoney, without the prefix. Brodceann O'Mahony was the eldest of ...

family. His last ancestor to be

was

Feidlimid mac Tigernaig Feidlimid mac Tigernaig (died 588) was a King of Munster from the Raithlind branch of the Eoganachta. This branch of the family only rarely provided a king in Munster. He succeeded Fergus Scandal mac Crimthainn as king in 582. A proverb stated t ...

. His son Cian mac Máelmuaid became a close ally of Brian, allegedly marrying his daughter Sadb, according to late traditions.

Notes

References

* Green, Alice Stopford,
History of the Irish State to 1014
'. London: Macmillan. 1925. * Ó Corráin, Donnchadh, ''Ireland Before the Normans''. Gill and Macmillan. 1972. * O'Donovan, John (ed. & tr.), '' Annala Rioghachta Eireann. Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters''. 7 vols. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. 1848–51. 2nd edition, 1856
Volume II
* O'Mahony, John,
A History of the O'Mahony septs of Kinelmeky and Ivagha
, in ''Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, Volumes 12–16, Second Series''. 1906–1910. * Ó Murchadha, Diarmuid, ''Family Names of County Cork''. Cork: The Collins Press. 2nd edition, 1996. * Todd, James Henthorn (ed. & tr.).
Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh: The War of the Gaedhil with the Gaill
'. London: Longmans. 1867. * * O'Brien, John and John Conry, ''

Dublin Annals of Inisfallen The ''Dublin Annals of Inisfallen'' refer to a mid 18th century (c. 1765) compilation of medieval Irish annals reworked and augmented with material from later traditions in the form of interpolations, made by John O'Brien, Bishop of Cloyne and ...

'' (see O'Donovan) 10th-century Irish monarchs Kings of Munster 978 deaths Year of birth unknown {{Ireland-royal-stub