Colmán Rímid (or Colmán mac Báetáin) (died
604
__NOTOC__
Year 604 ( DCIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 604 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe f ...
) 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 ...
. Colmán was the son of
Báetán mac Muirchertaig (died 572), also considered to be a high king, and belonged to the
Cenél nEógain
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 ...
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 578 to 602. His byname ''rímid'' means "the Counter", suggesting that he was
numerate, unlike most contemporary kings.
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. He is said to have shared the High Kingship with
Áed Sláine
Áed mac Diarmato (died 604), called Áed Sláine (Áed of Slane), was the son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill. Legendary stories exist of Áed's birth. Saint Columba is said to have prophesied his death. His descendants, the Síl nÁedo Sláine— ...
. The accession of Colmán and Áed to the high kingship is recorded in the annals in 598. They are also listed as kings in the king lists. They are however omitted from the earliest king list, the ''
Baile Chuind Baile ("dance" in Spanish) may refer to:
* Baile (Spanish play), a Spanish dramatic form
* Baile funk, a type of dance music from Rio de Janeiro
* Baile, the Irish Gaelic word for a town, usually anglicized as "bally" or "balla"
* Baile, the Scott ...
'' (The Ecstasy of Conn), a late 7th-century Irish poem.
Fiachnae mac Báetáin of Ulaid may have been effectively king.
In
602 Colmán defeated his Cenél Conaill rival,
Conall Cú mac Áedo (died 604) at the Battle of Cúl Sleamna (in Raphoe barony) and Conall was put to flight. Colmán met his death in 604 when he was killed by a kinsman, Lochán Dilmana. The ''Annals of Ulster'' state of this:
Of what value kingship, of what value law; of what value power over princes; Since it is king Colmán the Counter whom Lochan Dithnadha has slain?
His daughter, or perhaps granddaughter,
Fín
Fín was an Irish Princess
Princess is a title used by a female member of a regnant monarch's family or by a female ruler of a principality. The male equivalent is a prince (from Latin '' princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most ...
, was the mother of
Aldfrith
Aldfrith (Early Modern Irish: ''Flann Fína mac Ossu''; Latin: ''Aldfrid'', ''Aldfridus''; died 14 December 704 or 705) was king of Northumbria from 685 until his death. He is described by early writers such as Bede, Alcuin and Stephen of Ripo ...
son of
Oswiu
Oswiu, also known as Oswy or Oswig (; c. 612 – 15 February 670), was King of Bernicia from 642 and of Northumbria from 654 until his death. He is notable for his role at the Synod of Whitby in 664, which ultimately brought the church in Northu ...
. The poet
Cenn Fáelad mac Aillila (died
679 679 or 679th may refer to:
In general
*679 (number), the number
*AD 679, a year in the Common Era
*679 BC, a year Before the Common Era
Places
*+679, the country dialing code for Fiji
*679 area code, a telephone area code in Michigan, USA
*679 Pax ...
) was his nephew.
. ''Aldfrith of Northumbria and the Irish genealogies''. Ireland, C. A., in Celtica 22 (1991].
His brother Máel Umai mac Báetáin, Máel Umai (died 610) fought at the Battle of Degsastan
The Battle of Degsastan was fought around 603 between king Æthelfrith of Bernicia and the Gaels under Áedán mac Gabráin, king of Dál Riada. Æthelfrith's smaller army won a decisive victory, although his brother Theodbald was killed. Ve ...
where he is said to have killed the brother of King Æthelfrith of Bernicia.
Notes
References
* ''Annals of Ulster'' a
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts
a
University College Cork
* ''Annals of Tigernach'' a
a
University College Cork
* Charles-Edwards, T.M., ''Early Christian Ireland.'' Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000.
* Byrne, Francis John (2001), Irish Kings and High-Kings, Dublin: Four Courts Press,
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colman Rimid
604 deaths
7th-century Irish monarchs
High Kings of Ireland
Kings of Ailech
6th-century Irish monarchs
Year of birth unknown