Dáire Cerbba (or Cerba, Cearba, Cearb) was an Irish dynast of uncertain origins, named in many early and late sources as the grandfather of the semi-mythological Mongfind and Crimthann mac Fidaig, and the most frequently named early ancestor of the historical Uí Liatháin and Uí Fidgenti. All of these are historically and mythologically associated with the province of Munster, but according to the early manuscript Rawlinson B 502, Dáire Cerbba was born in Brega, County Meath, and got his epithet from a location there.[1] This is otherwise unexplained. He may or may not have been a relative of Conall Corc, the founder of the Eóganachta dynasty.
He is often confused or paired with Maine Munchaín, who may be his father or twin brother, depending on the source, or this is an alias and the two people are the same. Both are listed in the surviving genealogies as sons of Ailill Flann Bec, grandfather of Conall Corc, but the arrangement changes from source to source.
Mongfind is simply called the daughter of Dáire (Cerbba?), not of Fidach, in the Book of Lismore, and there Dáire's father is called Findchad, while Crimthand Mór is not mentioned at all.[2] Thus the alternative exists they were not originally brother and sister.
Though he supposedly flourished in the 4th century AD, Dáire Cerbba is mentioned as an ancestor of the O'Donovan family, specifically the dynast Donnell II O'Donovan, Lord of Clan Cathail, in as late as the early 17th century, in song, by the bardic poet Tadhg Olltach Ó an Cháinte.[3]
Modern descendants of Dáire Cerbba may or may not include the O'Connells of Derrynane,[4][5] Daniel Charles, Count O'Connell having explicitly declared this to the heralds of Louis XVI of France. Also was Michael Collins, descending from the Ó Coileáin of Uí Chonaill Gabra,[6][7] once the most powerful sept of the Uí Fidgenti.
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In a strange passage in the notably peculiar Munster epic Forbhais Droma Dámhgháire, Dáire Cerbba (Ceirbe) is said to have been king of Medón Mairtine, known to historians as the ancient capital of the Mairtine, a once prominent Érainn people. In fact the passage gives it the alternative names of "... Ardchluain na Féne and Mucfhalach Mac Dáire Ceirbe. This Ceirbe was king of Meáin Mairtine. This area is called Emly today..."[8] However it does not specifically state that Dáire belonged to the Mairtine themselves, and perhaps of importance is the fact that this site was historically occupied by the Eóganachta, for whom it was their chief church, namely Emly, which the author of FDD obviously recognizes. The Mairtine themselves belong only to prehistory and legend, but may be in part ancestral to the later Déisi Tuisceart and famous Dál gCais.