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Áed Finliath
High King of Ireland
Reign 862–879
Died 879
Place of death Druim Inasclainn, County Westmeath
Buried Armagh?
Predecessor Máel Sechnaill mac Maíl Ruanaid
Successor Flann Sinna
Consort Máel Muire ingen Cináeda
Royal House Cenél nEógain
Father Niall Caille
Mother Gormflaith ingen Donnchada

Áed Finliath mac Neíll (died 879) was king of Ailech (855-879) and High King of Ireland (862-879). He was a member of the House of Cenél nEógain of the Northern Uí Néill, and his father was Niall Caille mac Áeda, High King of Ireland (823-845). His son, Niall Glúndub mac Áedo , later became High King. He is best known for leading the native resurgence against the Viking conquest of Northern Ireland from 860 until his death.

Following the death of Neill Caille in 845, Áeds uncle Máel Dúin mac Áeda assumed the kingship of Ailech. When Áed succeded him is not recorded, but it might have been in 855. Áed is mentioned for the first time in the annals this year, as the Annals of Ulster records that he

made a foray against the Ulaid, and he left behind dead Coinnecán son of Colmán and Flaithbertach son of Niall, and a large number besides[1]

Presumably Flaithbertach was his own brother, and this foray was made to secure Áeds position as king of Ailech.

Áed came into power at a critical period in the history of Ireland. Raids by norse vikings had taken place for half a century, and the norse settlements now seemed to have become permanent establishments more than just bases for raids. They also now had an effective leadership under Amlaíb Conung and Ímar. At this time, both the contemperary annalists as well as modern historians refer to them not just as vikings, foreigners or pagans, but also Norse-Irish or Norse-Gaels.

Áed Finliath has been described as one of the Irish High-kings who most effectively fought the Norse expansion in Ireland. He did indeed win some crucial battles against the norse-gaels, the first recorded victory is in 856, at the battle of Glenn Foichle[2], six years prior to him becoming High-King. The reigning High-King at the time, Mael Sechnaill, seemed more concerned with the internal Irish power struggle, particularly in Munster, than with engaging the Norse. There is however one reference in 856 to him fighting against "pagans" (Vikings) with the support of the norse-gaels[3]. This could probably be interpreted as an alliance between the norse settlers and the established irish society against marauders.

In 858 Máel Sechnaill finally managed to establish control over Munster, and in 859 he also made a peace settlement with Cerball mac Dúnlainge king of Osraige (forced upon him by Cerball, who had allied himself with Amlaibh and Ímar and ravaged Míde). Máel Sechnaill now turned his attention to the north, where the growing power of Áed Finliaths had become a threath against him as head of Uí Néill. In 860 he brought an army concisting of forces from all of the southern part of Ireland to Armagh. While they were camped there, Áed Finliath attacked. The outcome of the battle seem to have been some sort of draw.[4]

By now it was Áed Finliath who sought an alliance with the Norse Dublin. In 861 as well as 862 he plundered Míde in cooperation with Norse forces, in 862 he also had the support of Flann mac Conaing, king of Brega. [5]

[edit] King of Tara

Máel Sechnaill mac Maíl Ruanaid died 20.November 862, and was on that occasion described in the Annals of Ulster as ri h-Erenn uile, king of all Ireland. That was a title that would never be used about Áed Finliath, even though he assumed the kingship og Tara following Máel Sechnaills death, and has also been counted in the lists of High Kings of Ireland. His kingship was disputet throughout his 17 year lon reign, and he did not even have support from the southern clans of Uí Néill. The annals show that the Taillten Fair on was not held in six of those 17 years, which is a strong indication of strife and unrest.

The norse Dublin had, by the beginning of Áeds reign, become an important, if not very trustworthy, alliancepartner in the struggle for power in Míde. Máel Sechnaills successor as head of Clann Cholmain and king of Míde, Lorcán mac Cathal, allied himself with Amlaibh, Ímar and Auslie against Flann of Brega. Flann was a former ally of Dublin, and still Áeds most important ally in the central part of Ireland. Lorcán and his norse allies plundered Brega in 863, and in 864 Conchobar mac Donnchado, king of Lagore (southern Brega) and presumably an ally of Flann against Lorcán, was captured and drowned near Clonard on Amlaibhs order. Áed led an host to Míde, captured Lorcán and blinded him.

Áed now had some notable victories against the norse, but the main reason for his success was probably neither that he was a military genius or a particularly gifted politician. In 866 Amlaibh and Auslie left Ireland with the larger part of the norse forces, and in cooperation with the norse-gaels from present day Scotland they attacked the picts[6]. Áed seized this opportunity, plundering and burning alle the norse bases (longports) in the northern part of Ireland [7].

In 868 Áed again was confronted by a coalition of his irish rivals and the norse-gaels. According to the Annals of Ulster he defeated "the Uí Neíll of Brega, and the Laigin, and a large force of the foreigners" in a battle at a place called Cell Ua nDaigri. Flann of Brega was killed in this battle. This battle has later been presented as a deceicive victory over the Norse. Amlaibh and Ímar was, however, very active in Ireland during the following years and did not in any way seem to be seriously weakened, neither in ambition nor in strenght. It is probalbly more accurately to regard this battle as a victory over the southern Uí Neíll and Leinster. In 870 Áed followed up his victory from 868 by invading Leinster with the support of his new ally Cerball of Osraige. He again invaded Leinster in 874.[8]

Áed Finliath died 20 November 879, at Druim Inasclainn in the territory of Conaille. On that occasion he was described as "king of Tara" (rex Temorie), even if he in a poem referred by the annalist also is called "over-king of the Irish" (airdri Gaidhel) [9] He was buried at Armagh.




Preceded by
Máel Sechnaill mac Maíl Ruanaid		 High King of Ireland
or King of Tara
862–879		 Succeeded by
Flann Sinna
Preceded by
Máel Dúin mac Áeda		 King of Ailech
855–879		 Succeeded by
Murchad mac Máele Dúin

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Annals of Ulster 855.3
  2. ^ AU 856.5 Gall-Gaeidhelu here translated norse-gael. Gall litterally denotes stranger or foreigner, but is used in the annalistic records of this period only in the meaning of Norse foreigners. Viking raiders are generally referred to as pagans or heathens
  3. ^ AU 856.2 Against Gennti supported by Gall-Ghoidhelaib
  4. ^ AU 858.4, 859.2-3 og 860.1
  5. ^ AU 861.1 862.2 Neither Amlaibh og Ímar are mentioned on these occasions, but the annalistic entry of 862 reads "the norse kings": riga Gall
  6. ^ AU 866.1 Gallaib Erenn & Alban
  7. ^ AU 866.4 the norse bases are referred as Longportu Gall
  8. ^ AU 868.4, 870.2, 874.3
  9. ^ AU 879.1

[edit] References