Cathussach mac Ailello (died 749) was a

Dál nAraidi Dál nAraidi (; "Araide's part") or Dál Araide, sometimes Latinised as Dalaradia or Anglicised as Dalaray,Boyd, Hugh AlexanderIrish Dalriada ''The Glynns: Journal of The Glens of Antrim Historical Society''. Volume 76 (1978). was a Cruthin ki ...

king of

Ulaid Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or Ulaidh (Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include Ulidia, which is the Latin form of Ulaid, and in ...

, in medieval

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. He was the son of

Ailill mac Dúngaile Eilni Aillil mac Dúngaile Eilni (died 690) was a Dál nAraidi king of the Cruthin in Ulaid, an over-kingdom in medieval Ireland. He was the son of Dúngal Eilni mac Scandail (died 681), a previous king. He ruled from 682-690. In the 6th and 7th centuri ...

(died 690), a previous king of Dál nAraidi and nephew of

Cú Chuarán mac Dúngail Eilni Cú Chuarán mac Dúngaile (died 708) was a Dál nAraidi king of Ulaid, an over-kingdom in medieval Ireland. He was the son of Dúngal Eilni mac Scandail (died 681) and brother of Ailill mac Dúngaile Eilni (died 690), previous kings of Dál nAra ...

(died 708), a previous king of Ulaid. He ruled from 735-749. He belonged to a branch of this family that settled in Eilne, a strip of territory located between the Bann and Bush rivers in modern

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. North ...

. It is uncertain at what date he acquired the kingship of Dál nAraidi. The death of Dub dá Inber mac Congalaig as king of the Cruthin (the title used for them at this time in the annals) is recorded in 727. Indrechtach mac Lethlobair (died 741) is also listed before Cathussach in the king lists but it is possible he resigned the kingship to Indrechtach upon becoming King of Ulaid in 735. Cathussach was killed at Ráith Beithech (Rathveagh, modern County Antrim) probably in the interest of the rival

Dál Fiatach Dál Fiatach was a Gaelic dynastic-grouping and the name of their territory in the north-east of Ireland during the Middle Ages. It was part of the over-kingdom of Ulaid, and they were its main ruling dynasty for most of Ulaid's history. Their ...

who retook the kingship of Ulaid. Neither the ''Annals of Tigernach'' nor the ''Annals of Ulster'' give him the title king of Ulaid at his death notice but instead refer to him as King of the Cruthin. Professor Byrne believes that there may have been an interregnum in Ulaid between 735-750.byrne, pg.118 This would give a possible reign for Cathussach over the Dál nAraidi from 741-749 if this were true and would explain his placing in the king lists of the Cruthin. His son Cináed Ciarrge mac Cathussaig (died 776) was also king of Dál nAraidi.

Notes

References

* ''Annals of Ulster'' a

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, * Mac Niocaill, Gearoid (1972), ''Ireland before the Vikings'', Dublin: Gill and Macmillan

External links

a
University College Cork
Cruthin Ulaid Kings of Ulster Kings of Dál nAraidi 749 deaths 8th-century Irish monarchs Year of birth unknown {{Ireland-royal-stub