Áed Oirdnide

Áed Oirdnide or Áed mac Néill (died 819), (the epithet "Oirdnide" means ordained, referring to anointing as king) was King of Ailech. A member of the Cenél nEógain, he was the son of Niall Frossach (died 778), high king of Ireland. [Byrne, Table 5; Charles-Edwards, Appendix V; Mac Niocaill, pg.152] He was King of Ailech from 788-819 and High King of Ireland from 797-819.

King of Ailech

He succeeded his cousin Máel Dúin mac Áedo Alláin as King of Ailech in 788. During the eighth century the rival Cenél Conaill vied with the Cenél nEógain for supremacy in the north. Máel Dúin had wrested the Kingship of the North from Domnall mac Áeda Muindeirg (died 804) of the Cenél Conaill in 787. ["Annals of Ulster", AU 787.3; Mac Niocaill, pg.143; Byrne ("A New History of Ireland"), pg.657] In 789 Domnall made a bid to regain his supremacy but was defeated in 789 at the Battle of Clóitech (River Clady in Donegal) by Áed. [AU 789.12; Mac Niocaill, pg.143; Byrne (NHI), pg.657]

In 791 Áed made a bid for the high kingship but was defeated by the high king Donnchad Midi (died 797) of the Clann Cholmáin of the southern Ui Neill at the Battle of Tailtiu (Teltown) and some of Áed's allies among the Airgialla were slain. [AU 791.5; Mac Niocaill, pg.143; Byrne (NHI), pg.658] The annals refer to him as Áed Ingor ("the unfilial") in connection with this as he was the son-in-law of Donnchad. [Byrne (NHI), phg.658] In 794 Áed campaigned against the Mugdorna Maige, an Airgialla tribe, at a time when Donnchad was involved in war with Munster. [AU 794.8; Mac Niocaill, pg.144]

In 797 Áed again made a bid for the high kingship upon the death of Donnchad in 797. This time he was successful defeating the Clann Cholmáin at the Battle of Druim Ríg (Drumree, in southern Brega). [AU 797.3; Mac Niocaill, pg.144; Byrne (NHI), pg.658] Áed began his rule by devastating Meath in 797 and then abandoning it to its own internicine warfare. [AU 797.5; Mac Niocaill, pg.144]

High King

In 802 Áed seems to have grown tired of the internicine warfare in Meath and intervened to divide Meath between Conchobar mac Donnchada (died 833) and his brother Ailill. [AU 802.2; Mac Niocaill, pg.144; Byrne, pg.160] The next year however Conchobar defeated and slew his brother in battle becoming sole king. [AU 803.5; Mac Niocaill, pg.144] Áed seems to have still had some trouble with Domnall mac Áeda Muindeirg in the north who was called King of the North at his death notice in the annals in 804. [AU 804.1; Byrne (NHI), pg.657]

In 804 Áed turned his attention towards Leinster and devastated the area twice in one month. [AU 804.5; Mac Niocaill, pg.144] That same year Fínsnechta Cethardec (died 808), King of Leinster, submitted to him. [AU 804.10; Mac Niocaill, pg.144] However Áed was not satisfied with this and in 805 he made a hosting to Dún Cuair and installed Muiredach mac Ruadrach (died 829) and Muiredach mac Brain (died 818) as joint kings of Leinster. [AU 805.7; Mac Niocaill, pg.145; Byrne, pg.160] Finsnechta took refuge with Muirgius mac Tommaltaig (died 815), the King of Connacht, who then aided him in recovering his throne in 806. [AU 806.4; Byrne, pg.160]

In 808 Conchobar of Meath made a bid for the high kingship and was joined by King Muirgius of Connacht. They advanced as far as the assembly grounds of Tailtiu but on the appearance of Aed's army the allies dispersed. Áed pursued them and burned the borders of Mide [AU 808.4; Byrne, pg.253] In 808 or 809 Áed again attacked Leinster but was defeated on the banks of the Liffey. ["Annals of Innisfallen", AI 808.2; Byrne, pg.161]

In 809 Áed campaigned against Ulaid and defeated them ravaging from the Bann to Strangford Lough. The motive for this conflict was apparently the killing of Dúnchú, superior of Tulach Léis (Tullylisk, County Down), by the Ulaid. [AU 809.3; 809.7; Byrne, pg.161] In 815 the brother of Áed, Colmán mac Néill, was killed by the Cenél Conaill. and Áed led an expedition against them in revenge. [AU 815.5; Byrne, pg.162]

In 818 Áed again assembled his forces at Dún Cuairattacked Leinster dividing Leinster between his two candidates who were unable to retain their position. [AU 818.6; Byrne, pg.161] That same year the vice abbot of Cell Mór Enir (Kilmore near Armagh) was killed by the Laigin. [AU 818.7; Byrne, pg.161] As a result Áed led another expedition versus Leinster and laid waste the land of Cualu as far as Glenn dá Locha (Glendalough). [AU 819.1; Byrne, pg.161]

In 819 Áed died near Áth dá Ferta in the territory of Conaille Muirtheimne in modern County Louth. [AU 819.2; Byrne, pg.161]

Church Relations

In 804 a meeting of the synods of the Uí Néill in Dún Cuair was presided over by Connmach mac mac Duib dá Leithe (died 807), abbot of Ard Macha Armagh, at which the clergy were freed from military obligations by Áed. [AU 804.8; Charles-Ewdards, pg.278] It is possible that this was the assembly at which Áed was ordained as king. [Byrne, pg.159] In 806 Áed had the law of Saint Patrick promulgated. [AU 806.5]

In 811 the fair of Tailtiu was prevented from being held by Áed due to a boycott by the clergy who were protesting an offense made against the community of Tallaght during Áed's campaign against Leinster in 809. Áed made amends to the commun ity. [AU 811.2; Byrne, pg.34; Charles-Edwards, pg.198] The campaigns of Áed versus Ulaid in 809 and Leinster in 819 were part of Áed's desire to pose as champion of the church.

Áed had some difficulty with the Columban church as well when Mael Dúin son of Cenn Faelad, superior of Ráith Both (Raphoe) was killed in 817. Thew Columban church went to Tara to excommunicate Áed that year. [AU 817.7, 817.8] This event probably had something to do with his campain versus the Cenél Conaill in 815. [Byrne, pg.162] Also in 818 Cuanu, abbot of Lugmad Louth), went into exile into the lands of Munster with the shrine of Saint Mochtae fleeing before Áed. [AU 818.4; Byrne, pg.162]

Family

Áed had married Euginis ingen Donnchada (died 802), daughter of Donnchad Midi. His son Niall Caille 9died 846) was later king of Ailech and High king of Ireland. Another son Máel Dúin mac Áeda was also a King of Ailech.

Notes

References

* "Annals of Ulster" at [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100001A/index.html] at [http://www.ucc.ie/ 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
* Mac Niocaill, Gearoid (1972), "Ireland before the Vikings", Dublin: Gill and Macmillan
* Ó Cróinín, Dáibhí (2005), "A New History of Ireland", Volume One, Oxford: Oxford University Press

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ee also

*List of High Kings of Ireland