Lethlobar mac Loingsig (died 873) was a

Dál nAraidi Dál nAraidi (; "Araide's part") or Dál Araide, sometimes List of Latinised names, latinised as Dalaradia or Anglicisation, anglicised as Dalaray,Boyd, Hugh AlexanderIrish Dalriada ''The Glynns: Journal of The Glens of Antrim Historical Societ ...

king of

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

, in medieval

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. He was the grandson of

Tommaltach mac Indrechtaig Tommaltach mac Indrechtaig (died 790) was a King of Dal nAraide in Ulaid (Ulster) and possible King of all Ulaid. He was the son of Indrechtach mac Lethlobair (died 741), a previous King of Dal nAraide. He ruled from 776 to 790 and as King of al ...

, a previous king of Ulaid. He belonged to the main ruling dynasty of the Dál nAraidi known as the Uí Chóelbad based in

Magh Line Magh may refer to: * Maagha, a month in Hindu calendar ** Magh Mela, a Hindu festival celebrated in the month * Magh (Bengali calendar), the 10th month in the Bengali calendar, last month of the winter season * Magh (Nepali calendar), the 10th mo ...

. He ruled as king of the Dál nAraidi from 824/849-873 and as leth-ri (co-king) of Ulaid from 857 to 871 and sole king of Ulaid from 871 to 873.

Background

Lethlobar first appears in the annals in the year 828 when he inflicted a battle-route on the Vikings. He is called king of Dál nAraidi regarding this event and Lethlobar follows Eochaid mac Bressail (d.824) as king in the king lists in the ''Book of Leinster''. However two other kings of the Dál Araidi appear in the ''Annals of Ulster'', Cináed mac Eochada (died 832) and Flannacán mac Eochada (died 849). These last two kings as well as Eochaid mac Bressail are however referred to as kings of Dál nAraidi in the north and they belonged to a sept descended from

Fiachra Cossalach Fiachra Cossalach (died 710) was a Dál nAraidi king of the Cruthin in Ulaid, a medieval over-kingdom in Ireland. He ruled from 709-710. Fiachra Cossalach was a son of Dúngal Eilni mac Scandail (died 681) and hence a member of the Eilne branch ...

(died 710) who may have been related to the northern

Eilne Eilne, also spelt as Eilni, alias Mag nEilne, was a medieval Irish Cruthin petty-kingdom in the over-kingdom of Ulaid. It lay between the River Bann and River Bush, and was centered on Magh nEilne, the "plain of Eilne", spanning north-east County ...

branch. There was a branch of the Dal nAraidi in west County Down in the south, the

Uí Echach Cobo Iveagh ( ; ) is the name of several historical territorial divisions in what is now County Down, Northern Ireland. Originally it was a Gaelic Irish territory, ruled by the ''Uí Echach Cobo'' and part of the overkingdom of Ulaid. From the 12th c ...

, but they were always referred to as Kings of Coba (or Cuib) in the annals. Whether Lethlobar was king earlier or not he was definitely king from 849 on. In 857 the

Dál Fiatach Dál Fiatach was a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic dynastic-grouping and the name of their territory in the north-east of Ireland, which lasted throughout the Middle Ages until their demise in the 13th century at the hands of Normans in Ireland, Normans ...

king of Ulaid,

Matudán mac Muiredaig Matudán mac Muiredaig (died 857) was a Dál Fiatach king of Ulaid, which is now Ulster, Ireland. He was the son of Muiredach mac Eochada (died 839), the previous king. He ruled from 839-857. Life His father had been killed by his own brother Áe ...

died and Lethlobar became king in a joint-kingship with

Cathalán mac Indrechtaig Cathalán mac Indrechtaig (died 871) was a Dál Fiatach king of Ulaid, which is now Ulster, Ireland. He belonged to a branch of the Dal Fiatach called the Leth Cathail centered in the Lecale barony of modern County Down. He ruled from 857 to 871 a ...

of the Leath Cathail branch of the Dál Fiatach. Cathalán was assassinated at the instigation of the high king

Áed Findliath Áed mac Néill (died 879), called Áed Findliath ("fair-grey Áed"; Modern Irish: ''Aodh Fionnadhliath'') to distinguish him from his paternal grandfather Áed Oirdnide, was king of Ailech and High King of Ireland. He was also called Áed Olach ...

of the

Northern Uí Neill Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ra ...

in 871 and Lethlobar became sole king. At his death notice in the annals he is referred to as an old man.AU 873.2 His son Cenn Étig mac Lethlobuir (died 900) was also a ruler of all Ulaid and succeeded him as King of Dál nAraidi. His daughter Barrdub was married to Áed mac Eochocáin (died 919), a Dál Fiatach king of Ulaid.

Notes

References

* ''Annals of Ulster'' a

a
University College Cork
* ''Book of Leinster'', ''Rig Ulad'' a

a
University College Cork
* ''Book of Leinster: Rig Dail Araide'' at

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
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lethlobar Mac Loingsig Cruthin Ulaid Kings of Dál nAraidi Kings of Ulster 9th-century Irish monarchs 873 deaths Year of birth unknown