Crimthann Mór, son of Fidach , also written Crimthand Mór, was a semi-mythological king of

Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...

and

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 ...

of the 4th century. He gained territory in

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

and

Gaul Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...

, but died poisoned by his sister Mongfind. It is possible that he was also recognized as king of

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. This Crimthann is to be distinguished from two previous High Kings of Ireland of the same name, two Kings of Leinster, and another King of Munster, among others. Importantly, he is included in the Baile Chuinn Chétchathaig (summary), and is thus the last High King of Ireland from Munster until

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

, over six hundred years later. In addition to having his reign described by

Geoffrey Keating Geoffrey Keating (; – ) was an Irish historian. He was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, and is buried in Tubrid Graveyard in the parish of Ballylooby-Duhill. He became a Catholic priest and a poet. Biography It was generally believed unt ...

and mentioned in 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 ...

, Crimthand Mór mac Fidaig also plays a major role in many stories belonging to the

Cycles of the Kings The Cycles of the Kings or Kings' Cycles, sometimes called the Historical Cycle, are a body of Old and Middle Irish literature. They comprise legends about historical and semi-historical kings of Ireland (such as ''Buile Shuibhne'', "The Madne ...

. In these, he is typically succeeded by

Niall of the Nine Hostages Niall Noígíallach (; Old Irish "having nine hostages"), or Niall of the Nine Hostages, was a legendary, semi-historical Irish king who was the ancestor of the Uí Néill dynasties that dominated Ireland from the 6th to the 10th centuries. ...

as High King of Ireland and by Conall Corc as

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 ...

, while his sister Mongfind, the first wife of Eochaid Mugmedón, becomes the ancestor of the Three Connachta. Thus this otherwise obscure kindred is central in the mythologies of most of the great medieval Irish dynasties. According to Geoffrey Keating, Fidheang, daughter of an unnamed king of

Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...

, was the wife of Crimthand Mór. She is not mentioned in other sources.

Dind Traduí

According to the Sanas Cormaic, Crimthand Mór mac Fidaig built a great fortress in

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

known as Dind Traduí or Dinn Tradui (Dun Tredui/e, fortress of the three ramparts). There appears to be little doubt that it existed, and British archaeologists and linguists have attempted to identify it with a number of sites in Cornwall and in

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

as well, for example, Din Draithou, which is phonetically similar. Din Draithou is widely thought to be the modern Dunster, or the nearby Iron Age hillfort Bat's Castle. It may also be associated with Dind map Letháin, a colonial fortress constructed by the related

Uí Liatháin The Uí Liatháin () were an early kingdom of Munster in southern Ireland. They belonged the same kindred as the Uí Fidgenti, and the two are considered together in the earliest sources, for example '' The Expulsion of the Déisi'' (incidental ...

, earlier form ''Létháin'', kingdom of Munster, who is known to have been active in Britain for centuries. They may have retreated to South Wales or Cornwall after being expelled from North Wales by

Cunedda Cunedda ap Edern, also called Cunedda ''Wledig'' (reigned – c. 460), was an important early Welsh people, Welsh leader, and the progenitor of the royal dynasty of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd, one of the very oldest of Western Europe. Nam ...

, as mentioned in the

Historia Brittonum ''The History of the Britons'' () is a purported history of early Britain written around 828 that survives in numerous recensions from after the 11th century. The ''Historia Brittonum'' is commonly attributed to Nennius, as some recensions ha ...

. In a 1926 paper,

Eoin MacNeill Eoin MacNeill (; born John McNeill; 15 May 1867 – 15 October 1945) was an Irish scholar, Irish language enthusiast, Gaelic revivalist, nationalist, and politician who served as Minister for Education from 1922 to 1925, Ceann Comhairle of D ...

discusses the movements of the Uí Liatháin at considerable length, arguing their leadership in the South Irish conquests and the founding of the later dynasty of

Brycheiniog Brycheiniog was an independent kingdom in South Wales in the Early Middle Ages. It often acted as a buffer state between England to the east and the south Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth to the west. It was conquered and pacified by the Normans ...

, the Welsh genealogies matching Uí Liatháin dynasts in the Irish genealogies. He argues any possible settlement of the

Déisi The ''Déisi'' were a social class in Ireland between the ancient and early medieval period. The various peoples listed under the heading ''déis'' shared a similar status in Gaelic Ireland, and had little or no actual kinship, though they were ...

in Wales would have been subordinate until the ousting of the Uí Liatháin by the sons of Cunedda. The founder of Brycheiniog,

Brychan Brychan ap Anlach of Brycheiniog was a legendary 5th-century king of Brycheiniog (Brecknockshire, alternatively Breconshire) in Mid Wales. Name variations Brychan had Irish ancestry and came from Ireland to Wales, therefore his original name ...

, is in all probability the early Uí Liatháin dynast Macc Brocc, while the name Braccan also occurs early in the pedigrees of the Uí Fidgenti and Uí Dedaid, close kindred of the Uí Liatháin. MacNeill further associates this with the sovereignty in Ireland and conquests in Britain of their cousin germane, the monarch Crimthann mac Fidaig. Crimthand Mór mac Fidaig and the early Uí Liatháin may have belonged to the historical Attacotti (circa 368). Note the correspondence of dates.

Ancestry

As grandchildren of

Dáire Cerbba Dáire Cerbba (or Cerba, Cearba, Cearb; meaning "Silver Dáire" or "Dáire the Sharp/Cutting") was a 4th-century Irish dynast who was evidently a king of late prehistoric central northern Munster, called Medón Mairtíne at the time. A frequen ...

(Cearba, Cearb) in most sources (e.g., Rawlinson B 502), also an ancestor of the Uí Liatháin and Uí Fidgenti, the brother and sister are sometimes regarded as belonging to an early branch of the

Eóganachta The Eóganachta (Modern , ) were an Irish dynasty centred on Rock of Cashel, Cashel which dominated southern Ireland (namely the Kingdom of Munster) from the 6/7th to the 10th centuries, and following that, in a restricted form, the Kingdom of De ...

which later became peripheral or became extinct, although it is more likely that all descendants of Dáire Cerbba belong to a distinct people, possibly the

Dáirine The Dáirine (Dárine, Dáirfine, Dáirfhine, Dárfine, Dárinne, Dairinne), later known dynastically as the Corcu Loígde and associated, were the proto-historical rulers of Munster before the rise of the Eóganachta in the 7th century AD. They ...

, which may be hinted at in an obscure

Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic (, Ogham, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ; ; or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic languages, Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive written texts. It was used from 600 to 900. The ...

poem by Flann mac Lonáin, although in the ''

Banshenchas ''An Banshenchas'' (literally "the woman lore") is a medieval text which collects brief descriptions of prominent women in Irish legend and history into a poetic narrative. Unlike much of early Irish literature, ''An Banshenchas'' may be attrib ...

'' Mongfind is called "Mongfind of the Érnai" (Érainn), a people in any case related to the Dáirine. A passage in '' Rawlinson B 502'' declares that Dáire Cerbba was born in Mag Breg (Brega), Mide, much of which probably remained Érainn or Dáirine territory at the time of his supposed ''floruit''. Later political genealogies may remove this generation to make the monarch appear closer to the historical Eóganachta, his natural kindred having mostly fallen into obscurity. Byrne reproduces one of these (2001), and does not give his source, probably Laud 610, in which the father of Crimthand Mór is a certain Láre Fidach, son of Ailill Flann Bec. Possibly this is a mistake, or an attempt by the Eóganachta literati, well known for their political fables, to more closely associate the brother and sister with the new Munster dynasty. Mongfind is simply called the daughter of Dáire (Cerbba?), not of Fidach, in the Book of Lismore, and there Dáire's father is called Findchad, while Crimthand Mór is not mentioned at all.

Death

King Crimthann was poisoned by his sister Mongfind in order for her son(s) to win the throne. She died from the act, having taken a sip to lull any suspicions her brother had. While on his travels throughout the kingdom of Munster, the poison took effect, and there he died. A cairn was hastily made for the king. The cairn is in one of three possible locations: the first being in Glenagross, Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare. The supposed location is known as 'Knock Righ Crimthann' (The hill of the king's death), and the remains of a cairn are still there today. The second location is in Ballycannon, Meelick, Co. Clare (Baile Cónan). Cónan was the supposed first name of the king. This is the location of the cairn, according to the Bard of Thomond, Michael Hogan. There are no known remains of a cairn there today. The third possible location is also in Glenagross: there are three antiquities in a north-south alignment; a standing stone, a ring barrow, and what is described as an 'archaeological complex'. Below is a possible and simplified pedigree for Crimthann mac Fidaig, based on Rawlinson B 502: Mug Nuadat , , Ailill Aulomm , , Eógan Mór , , Fiachu Muillethan , , Ailill Flann Bec , , ____________________________ ??? , , , , Lugaid

, , , , __________________________ , , , , , , , Fidach Uí Fidgenti &

, , , , __________________________ , , , , , , , Crimthann mac Fidaig Mongfind = Eochaid Mugmedón = Cairenn , , , , , , Conall Corc

Connachta The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasty, dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King of Ireland, High King Conn of the Hundred Battles, Conn Cétchathach (Conn of the Hundred Battles). The modern western Provinces of ...

Niall Noígiallach

Notes

References

* Best, R.I., Osborn Bergin, M.A. O'Brien and Anne O'Sullivan (eds). The Book of Leinster, formerly Lebar na Núachongbála. 6 vols. Dublin: DIAS, 1954–83
Fland mac Lonain cecinit.
* Bhreathnach, Edel (ed.), ''The Kingship and Landscape of Tara''. Four Courts Press for

The Discovery Programme The Discovery Programme: Centre for Archaeology and Innovation Ireland is an all-Ireland centre for archaeology and heritage research. It was established by the Irish Government in 1991. It is a company limited by guarantee, funded mainly through ...

. 2005. Pages 249, 250 & Historical Early Éoganachta, Table 9, pages 356, 357. * * * Charles-Edwards, T.M., ''Early Christian Ireland''. Cambridge. 2000. * Coogan, Tim Pat, ''Michael Collins: The Man Who Made Ireland''. Palgrave Macmillan. 2002. (pgs. 5–6) * * Cross, Tom Peete and Clark Harris Slover (eds.), "The Adventures of the Sons of Eochaid Mugmedon", in ''Ancient Irish Tales''. Henry Holt and Company. 1936. Pages 508–13. * (Four Courts Press. Revised edition, 1995.) * Hull, Vernan, "Conall Corc and the Corcu Loígde", in ''Proceedings of the Modern Languages Association of America 62'' (1947): 887–909. * Hull, Vernan, "The Exile of Conall Corc", in ''Proceedings of the Modern Languages Association of America 56'' (1941): 937–50. * * MacKillop, James, ''A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology''. Oxford. 1998. * * Meyer, Kuno (ed. and tr.), "The Expulsion of the Dessi", in ''Y Cymmrodor 14''. 1901. pgs. 101-35. (available here) * Meyer, Kuno (ed.), "The Laud Genealogies and Tribal Histories", in ''Zeitschrift für Celtische Philologie 8''. Halle/Saale, Max Niemeyer. 1912. Pages 291–338. * Mikhailova, Tatiana and Natalia Nikolaeva, "The denotations of death in Goidelic: to the question of Celtic eschatological conceptions", in ''Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie. Volume 53, Issue 1'' (2003, online 2008): Pages 93–115. * Monaghan, Patricia, ''The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore''. New York: Facts On File. 2004. * * Murphy, G. (ed & tr), "On the Dates of Two Sources used in Thurneysen's Heldensage: I. ''Baile Chuind'' and the date of ''Cín Dromma Snechtai''", in ''Ériu'' (1952): 145–151. * * * Ó Cróinín, Dáibhí (ed.), ''A New History of Ireland: Prehistoric and Early Ireland, Vol. 1''. Oxford University Press. 2005. * O'Donovan, John (ed. and tr.), Annala Rioghachta Eireann. Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters, from the Earliest Period to the Year 1616. 7 vols. Royal Irish Academy. Dublin. 1848–51. 2nd edition, 1856. * O'Grady, Standish H. (ed. and tr.), "Death of Crimthann son of Fidach, and of Eochaidh Muighmedóin's three sons: Brian, Ailill, Fiachra", in Silva Gadelica Williams and Norgate. 1892. Pages 373–8. (also available here) * O'Grady, Standish H. (ed. and tr.), "The Story of Eochaidh Muighmedóin's Sons", in Silva Gadelica Williams and Norgate. 1892. Pages 368–73. * O'Hart, John, ''Irish Pedigrees''. 5th edition, 1892. * O'Keeffe, Eugene (ed. and tr.), ''Eoganacht Genealogies from the Book of Munster''. Cork. 1703. (available here) * O'Rahilly, Thomas F., ''Early Irish History and Mythology''. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. 1946. * Sproule, David, "Origins of the Éoganachta", in ''Ériu 35'' (1984): pp. 31–37. * Sproule, David, "Politics and pure narrative in the stories about Corc of Cashel", in ''Ériu 36'' (1985): pp. 11–28. * Stokes, Whitley (ed. and tr.), "Aided Chrimthaind Maic Fhidaig: The Death of Crimthann mac Fidaig", in ''Revue Celtique 24''. 1903. Pages 172–189. * Stokes, Whitley (ed. and tr.), "Echtra Mac nEchach Muigmedóin: The Adventures of the Sons of Eochaid Muigmedóin", in ''Revue Celtique 24''. 1903. Pages 190–207. * * Thurneysen, R, (ed.), "Baile Chuind Chétchathaig nach der Handschrift von Druim Snechta", in ''Zu irischen Handschriften und Litteraturdenkmälern'' (Berlin 1912): 48–52. * Welch, Robert (ed.) with Bruce Stewart, ''The Oxford Companion to Irish Literature''. Oxford University Press. 1996.

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