Báetán mac Muirchertaig (died 572), also Baetán Bríge, was an Irish king who is included in some lists as a

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 was the son of Muirchertach mac Muiredaig (died 534), also considered a high king. He was a member of the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern

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 ...

. He ruled in Ailech from 566 to 572. The high kingship of Ireland rotated between the Cenél nEógain and

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 ...

branches in the late 6th century. Báetán ruled jointly with his nephew Eochaid mac Domnaill (died 572) from 569. The middle Irish king lists have misplaced their reign putting it earlier than the annalistic tradition but other king lists have them in the correct order. They are also omitted from the earliest list of Kings of Tara, the ''Baile Chuind'' (The Ecstasy of Conn), a late 7th-century Irish poem. It is possible that the Ulaid king, Báetán mac Cairill (died 579), was the actual high king at this time. In 572 the two kings were defeated and slain by Crónán mac Tigernaig, king of the Cianachta Glenn Geimin in modern

County Londonderry County Londonderry (Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry (), is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty-two Counties of Ireland, count ...

.''Annals of Ulster'' AU 572.1; ''Annals of Tigernach'' AT 571.1 Báetán's son Colmán Rímid also appears as high king of Ireland in some lists. He had four other sons, Máel Umai, Forannán, Fergus and Ailill. His sons are given in ''The Laud Genealogies and Tribal Histories'' (ZCP Vol 8, P.294 Kuno Meyer) as follows: "Coic maic Baetáin maic Muirc rtaig .i. Forgus, otáit Cenél Forgusa; Forannán, a quo Hui Forannáin; Ailill .i. athair Cindfaelad; Maelhumai .i. in rígfénid; Colman Rimid athair Fína máthar Flainn." The

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' () or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' () are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Genesis flood narrative, Deluge, dated as 2,242 Anno Mundi, years after crea ...

at 615.2 state, "Ailill, son of Baedan; Maelduin, son of Fearghus, son of Baedan; and Diucolla, were slain in Magh Slecht, in the province of Connaught. They were of the race of Baedan, son of Muircheartach."

Notes

References

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

a
University College Cork
* Byrne, Francis John (2001), Irish Kings and High-Kings, Dublin: Four Courts Press, * Charles-Edwards, T. M. (2000), ''Early Christian Ireland'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,

of McCarthy's synchronisms at

Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...

External links

CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts
a
University College Cork
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baetan mac Muirchertaig High Kings of Ireland Kings of Ailech 572 deaths 6th-century Irish monarchs People from County Tyrone Year of birth unknown