Cían mac Máelmuaid was a son of Máel Muad mac Brain, who was twice

King of Munster The kings of Munster () ruled the Kingdom of Munster in Ireland from its establishment 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 earli ...

. Cían's father had been killed by

Brian Boru Brian Boru (; modern ; 23 April 1014) was the High King of Ireland from 1002 to 1014. He ended the domination of the High King of Ireland, High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill, and is likely responsible for ending Vikings, Viking invasio ...

at the Battle of Belach Lechta. He was a member of 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, in ...

, and an "ancestor of the family of

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 t ...

". Cían became a close ally of Brian, and reputedly married his daughter Sadb, according to later traditions and the antiquarian

John O'Mahony John Francis O'Mahony (1815 – 7 February 1877) was an Irish scholar and the founding member of the Fenian Brotherhood in the United States, sister organisation to the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Despite coming from a reasonably wealthy fa ...

. Several sources suggest that Cian lived at Enniskean in

County Cork County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...

, and that the village derives its name from him. He had a son,

Mathghamhain mac Cian Mathghamhain mac Cian was a nobleman of the Eóganacht Raithlind and a grandson of Brian Boru, one of the High Kings of Ireland. He was the son of Cian mac Máelmuaid and his wife Sadhbh, daughter of Brian Boru. The ''Leabhar Oiris'' records Mat ...

who died at the

Battle of Clontarf The Battle of Clontarf () took place on 23 April 1014 at Clontarf, near Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland. It pitted an army led by Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, against a Norse- Irish alliance comprising the forces of Sigtrygg Silkbea ...

in 1014.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cian Mac Maelmuaid 10th-century Irish monarchs Kings of Munster 11th-century Irish people 10th-century Irish people

Further reading

References