Eochaid mac Domnaill (died 572), also Eochaid Find ("the fair"), was an Irish king who is included in some lists as a High King of Ireland. He was the son of Domnall Ilchelgach (died 566) and grandson of Muirchertach mac Muiredaig (died 534), also considered high kings.[1] He was a member of the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill. He ruled in Ailech from 565 to 571.[2]
The high kingship of Ireland rotated between the Cenél nEógain and Cenél Conaill branches in the late 6th century.[3] Eochaid ruled jointly with his uncle Báetán mac Muirchertaig (died 572) from 569.[4] The middle Irish king lists have misplaced their reign putting it earlier than the annalistic tradition but other king lists have them in the correct order.[5] They are also omitted from the earliest list of Kings of Tara, the Baile Chuind (The Ecstasy of Conn), a late 7th-century Irish poem. It is possible that the Ulaid king, Báetán mac Cairill (died 581), was the actual high king at this time.[6]
In 572 the two kings were defeated and slain by Crónán mac Tigernaig, king of the Cianachta Glenn Geimin in modern County Londonderry.[7]
Notes
- ^ T.M. Charles-Edwards, Early Christian Ireland, Appendix V
- ^ he is given a reign of 6 years in the Laud Synchronisms
- ^ Charles-Edwards, pg.494-495
- ^ they are given a reign of three years in the Book of Leinster and one year in the Laud Synchronisms.
- ^ Charles-Edwards, pg.484-487
- ^ Francis J.Byrne, Irish Kings and High-Kings, pg.114
- ^ Annals of Ulster AU 572.1; Annals of Tigernach AT 571.1
References
- Annals of Ulster at CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork
- Annals of Tigernach at CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork
- Byrne, Francis John (2001), Irish Kings and High-Kings, Dublin: Four Courts Press, ISBN 978-1-85182-196-9
- Charles-Edwards, T. M. (2000), Early Christian Ireland, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-36395-0
- Geoffrey Keating, History of Ireland at CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork
External links