Máel Dúin mac Fergusa (died 785) was King of South

Brega Brega , also known as ''Mersa Brega'' or ''Marsa al-Brega'' ( , i.e. "Brega Seaport"), is a complex of several smaller towns, industry installations and education establishments situated in Libya on the Gulf of Sidra, the most southerly point of ...

of the Uí Chernaig sept of

Lagore Loch Gabhar (Lagore), of which there are two possible origins. One is "Lake of the Goats" the other is ''Loch dá Gabhar'' (“lake of the two horses”) and is explained in the eleventh-century texts ''Dindshenchas Érenn'' as the place where the ...

of the

Síl nÁedo Sláine Síl nÁedo Sláine () are the descendants of Áed Sláine (Áed mac Diarmato), son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill. Part of the Southern Uí Néill—they were the kings of Brega—they claimed descent from Niall Noígiallach and his son Con ...

branch of the southern Ui Neill. He was the son of Fergus mac Fogartaig (died 751), a previous king of South Brega, and grandson of the high-king

Fogartach mac Néill Fogartach Mac'Artain (died 724), sometimes called Fogartach ua Cernaich, was an Irish king who is reckoned a High King of Ireland. He belonged to the Uí Chernaig sept of the Síl nÁedo Sláine branch of the southern Uí Néill. He was King of B ...

(died 724). He ruled from 778 to 785. The high king

Donnchad Midi Donnchad mac Domnaill (733 – 6 February 797), called Donnchad Midi, was High King of Ireland. His father, Domnall Midi, had been the first Uí Néill High King from the south-central Clann Cholmáin based in modern County Westmeath and west ...

(died 797) had campaigned against Leinster in 780 and then made peace. The next year in 781 the Battle of the Rig was fought between the Síl nÁedo Sláine and the Uí Garrchon branch of the Laigin and their king Cú Chongalt was slain. Donnchad had subdued Brega in 778 and the annals do not mention whether this campaign versus the Uí Garrchon was part of Donnchad's campaign or an act of defiance by the men of Brega or simply a border warfare with no connection. The campaign is significant in that both septs of the Síl nÁedo Sláine, both the Uí Chernaig and the Uí Chonaing of north Brega, participated together. These two septs had been fighting for much of the eighth century. Máel Dúin and his cousin Fogartach mac Cummascaig (died 786) were the Uí Chernaig leaders in this battle. Máel Dúin is titled King of Loch Gabor at his death obit in the annals. The first time this title is used in the annals''Annals of Ulster'' AU 785.1 His sons, Óengus mac Máele Dúin (died 825) and Cairpre mac Máele Dúin (died 836) were also kings of Loch Gabor.

Notes

References

* ''Annals of Ulster'' a
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts
a
University College Cork
* Charles-Edwards, T. M. (2000), ''Early Christian Ireland'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,

External links

a
University College Cork
Kings of Brega 785 deaths 8th-century Irish monarchs Year of birth unknown {{Ireland-royal-stub