Flaithbertach mac Loingsig (died 765) was 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 a member of the

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 ...

, a 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 was the son of

Loingsech mac Óengusso Loingsech, an Irish language male name meaning ''exile'' or ''sailor'', might refer to: * Labhraidh Loingseach, a legendary high king of Ireland and ancestor of the Laigin * Loingsech mac Colmáin (died 655), king of Leinster * Loingsech mac Flaithb ...

(died 703), a previous high king. He ruled from 728 to 734. He is considered to have been

following his victory over the previous High King, Cináed mac Írgalaig of the Síl nÁedo Sláine, at the battle of Druim Corcain in 728 where Cináed was killed. For much of Flaithbertach's reign his kingship was contested by his northern Uí Néill rival, Áed Allán of the Cenél nEógain. Áed's goal was the conquest of Mag nÍtha, a plain in the valley of the River Finn connecting northern and southern portions of Cenél Conaill territory. Prior to becoming high king he fought the Battle of Druim Fornocht with his rival in 727. In 732 Flaithbertach was defeated by Áed in battle in which Flaithbertach's cousin Flann Gohan mac Congaile was slain. Another encounter occurred in 733 in a battle fought in Mag nÍtha in which another cousin of Flaithbertach, Conaing mac Congaile was slain. This was followed by a further encounter in 734 in Mag nÍtha. These defeats led Flaithbertach to call in the naval help of the men of

Dál Riata Dál Riata or Dál Riada (also Dalriada) () was a Gaels, Gaelic Monarchy, kingdom that encompassed the Inner Hebrides, western seaboard of Scotland and north-eastern Ireland, on each side of the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North ...

but their fleet was destroyed at the mouth of the Bann in 734. The less reliable ''Annals of the Four Masters'' state that the Scots did arrive to help Flaithbertach's army cut off the enemy and that the Ulaid and the Cianachta Glenn Geimin were allies of Áed in this battle. After these series of battles Flaithbertach was deposed, or abdicated, and entered the monastery at

Armagh Armagh ( ; , , " Macha's height") is a city and the county town of County Armagh, in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Primates of All ...

where he died in 765. Flaithbertach was the last member of the Cenél Conaill to be generally counted as High King of Ireland, although Ruaidrí ua Canannáin (d. 950) is considered such by a minority of sources. Flaithbertach's sons included: Áed Muinderg (died 747) called King of the North;

Loingsech mac Flaithbertaig Loingsech mac Flaithbertaig (died 754) was a chief of the Cenél Conaill of the northern Uí Néill in modern County Donegal. He was the son of the high king Flaithbertach mac Loingsig (died 765) who abdicated in 734 and retired to the monastery ...

(died 754) and Murchad mac Flaithbertaig (died 767) called chiefs of the Cenél Conaill. His daughter Dunlaith ingen Flaithbertaig (died 798) married the high king Niall Frossach (died 778).Geoffrey Keating, ''History of Ireland'', Book II, pg.153

Notes

References

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

a
University College Cork
* ''Annals of the Four Masters'' 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, * Geoffrey Keating, ''History of Ireland'' a

a
University College Cork

External links

University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) () is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork (city), Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one of three Queen's Universit ...

. The Corpus of Electronic Texts includes the ''Annals of Ulster'' and ''the Four Masters'', the ''Chronicon Scotorum'' and the ''Book of Leinster'' as well as Genealogies, and various Saints' Lives. Most are translated into English, or translations are in progress {{DEFAULTSORT:Flaithbertach Mac Loingsig High Kings of Ireland 765 deaths Year of birth unknown 8th-century Irish monarchs