About the Book
Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 19. Chapters: Aed Slaine, Ailill Cruitire, Ailill mac Fergusa, Amalgaid mac Congalaig, Blathmac mac Aedo Slaine, Cathal mac Aeda, Cathal mac Neill, Cenn Faelad, Cernach mac Congalaig, Cernach mac Fergusa, Cernach mac Fogartaig, Cinaed mac Irgalaig, Coirpre mac Fogartaig, Conaing Cuirre, Conaing mac Amalgado, Conaing mac Flainn, Conall Grant, Conall Laeg Breg, Congalach mac Conaing, Congalach mac Conaing Cuirre, Congal mac Aedo Slaine, Cummascach mac Congalaig, Cummascach mac Fogartaig, Diarmait mac Aedo Slaine, Diarmait mac Conaing, Dungal mac Amalgado, Fergus mac Fogartaig, Finsnechta Fledach, Flann mac Congalaig, Fogartach mac Cummascaig, Fogartach mac Neill, Indrechtach mac Dungalaig, Irgalach mac Conaing, Loch Gabhair, Mael Duin mac Fergusa, Mael Sechnaill mac Maele Ruanaid, Maine mac Neill, Niall mac Cernaig Sotal, Niall mac Conaill, Sechnassach. Excerpt: Mael Sechnaill mac Maele Ruanaid (died 27 November 862) was High King of Ireland. The Annals of Ulster use the Old Irish title ri hErenn uile, that is "king of all Ireland," when reporting his death, distinguishing Mael Sechnaill from the usual Kings of Tara who are only called High Kings of Ireland in late sources such as the Annals of the Four Masters or Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Eirinn. Mael Sechnaill was a grandson of Donnchad Midi mac Domnaill of Clann Cholmain, who was King of Tara from around 778 to 797. Clann Cholmain was a sept of the Ui Neill which ruled as Kings of Mide in east central Ireland. While the southern Ui Neill had been dominated by the Sil nAedo Slaine Kings of Brega in the 7th and early 8th centuries, the Clann Cholmain were dominant from the time of Mael Sechnaill's great-grandfather Domnall Midi. The Kingship of Tara, a largely symbolic title, alternated between Clann Cholmain as representatives of the southern Ui Neill and the Cenel nEogain as representatives of the northern Ui Neill. Mael Sechnaill became king of Mide and head of Clann Cholmain after killing his brother Flann in 845, and king of Tara in 846 on the death of Niall Caille mac Aeda of the Cenel nEogain, who drowned in the Callan River close to Armagh. He had appeared in the Irish annals some years earlier, being noticed in 839, and again 841 as a result of fighting among the chiefs of Clann Cholmain when he killed his cousin Diarmait, son of Conchobar mac Donnchada, when Diarmait had tried to depose Mael Sechnaill's father as king of Mide. Prior to Mael Sechnaill's coming to power, the southern Ui Neill had been disunited, and until Niall Caille defeated Feidlimid mac Crimthainn, king of Munster, at Mag nOchtair (County Kildare) in 841, the midlands had been repeatedly ravaged by the Munstermen. At the same time, Ireland was a target for Viking raids, although these appear to have been of minor significance. Niall Caille apparently inflicted a heavy defeat on the Nors
