Áed mac Ainmuirech
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Áed mac Ainmuirech (died c. 598) was high-king of the Northern Uí Néill. He belonged to the Cenél Conaill and was a distant cousin of Columba of Iona. He came to power some decades after the death of the last old, pagan style high-king of Tara, Diarmait mac Cerbaill (d. 565), after a period in which it is not clear that the Uí Néill had a high-king, nor is it certain that his contemporaries would have acknowledged Áed as such.[1]
He is known to have met with Áedán mac Gabráin, king of Dál Riata, in 575 at Druim Cett, to agree an alliance, presumably arranged by his cousin Columba. Áed and Áedán were both threatened by the activities Ulaid king Báetán mac Cairill of the Dál Fiatach, and it served both interests that Dál Riada not be subjected to the ambitious Báetán. In this they succeeded.[2]
Áed's attempts to expand Northern Uí Néill power further met with some success. However, at the battle of Dún Bolg in 598, Áed was defeated and killed by the high-king of Leinster, Brandub mac Echach of the Uí Cheinnselaig.[3]
Áed was followed as king of the Northern Uí Néill by Colmán Rimid, son of Báetán mac Muirchertaig, of the Cenél nEógain. Áed's sons Máel Cobo and Domnall were later kings of the Northern Uí Néill.[4]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Byrne, pp. 110–111.
- ^ Adomnán, note 204; Byrne, pp. 109–111.
- ^ Annals of Ulster, s.a. 598.
- ^ Byrne, pp. 281, 283.
[edit] References
- Adomnán, Life of St Columba, tr. & ed. Richard Sharpe. Penguin, London, 1995. ISBN 0-14-044462-9
- Byrne, Francis John, Irish Kings and High-Kings. Batsford, London, 1973. ISBN 0-7134-5882-8
| Preceded by Báetán mac Cairill or Báetán mac Ninneda |
High King of Ireland after 581–594 |
Succeeded by Áed Sláine and Colmán Rímid |
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