Conall mac Comgaill
Encyclopedia
Conall mac Comgaill was king of Dál Riata
from about 558 until 574.
He was a son of Comgall mac Domangairt
. It is said that he gave Iona
to Saint Columba
. The Duan Albanach
says that he reigned "without dissension", but there is a report of an expedition by Conall and Colmán Bec
mac Diarmato of the Southern Uí Néill
to Iardoaman in the Annals of Ulster
for 568. The much longer entry in the later and less reliable Annals of the Four Masters
reports: "A sea fleet was brought by Colman Beg, son of Diarmaid, son of Fearghus Cerrbheoil, and by Conall, son of Comhgall, chief of Dal Riada, to Sol (Seil
) and Ile (Islay
), and they carried off many spoils from them."
The Senchus fer n-Alban
says that Conall had seven sons: Loingsech, Nechtan, Artan, Tuathan, Tutio and Coirpe. However, Connad Cerr
is taken to be a son of Conall, and the death of Conall's son Dúnchad, is noted in the Annals of Ulster and the Annals of Tigernach
, leading the army of the "sons of Gabrán
" in Kintyre
.
Dál Riata
Dál Riata was a Gaelic overkingdom on the western coast of Scotland with some territory on the northeast coast of Ireland...
from about 558 until 574.
He was a son of Comgall mac Domangairt
Comgall mac Domangairt
Comgall mac Domangairt was king of Dál Riata in the early 6th century. He was the son of Domangart Réti and grandson of Fergus Mór. The Annals of Ulster report his death in 538, 542 and 545, the Annals of Tigernach in 537.-Comgall:...
. It is said that he gave Iona
Iona
Iona is a small island in the Inner Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland. It was a centre of Irish monasticism for four centuries and is today renowned for its tranquility and natural beauty. It is a popular tourist destination and a place for retreats...
to Saint Columba
Columba
Saint Columba —also known as Colum Cille , Colm Cille , Calum Cille and Kolban or Kolbjørn —was a Gaelic Irish missionary monk who propagated Christianity among the Picts during the Early Medieval Period...
. The Duan Albanach
Duan Albanach
The Duan Albanach is a Middle Gaelic poem found with the Lebor Bretnach, a Gaelic version of the Historia Brittonum of Nennius, with extensive additional material ....
says that he reigned "without dissension", but there is a report of an expedition by Conall and Colmán Bec
Colmán Bec
Colmán mac Diarmato was an Irish king, son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill. Early sources and older scholarship distinguish two sons of Diarmait, Colmán Bec and Colmán Már , although it is now supposed that only Colmán Bec was a historical figure, Colmán Már being a later genealogical invention...
mac Diarmato of the Southern Uí Néill
Southern Uí Néill
The Southern Uí Néill or Uí Néill Deisceart were that branch of the Uí Néill dynasty that invaded and settled in the Kingdom of Mide and its associated kingdoms....
to Iardoaman in the Annals of Ulster
Annals of Ulster
The Annals of Ulster are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years between AD 431 to AD 1540. The entries up to AD 1489 were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, under his patron Cathal Óg Mac Maghnusa on the island of Belle Isle on Lough Erne in the...
for 568. The much longer entry in the later and less reliable Annals of the Four Masters
Annals of the Four Masters
The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...
reports: "A sea fleet was brought by Colman Beg, son of Diarmaid, son of Fearghus Cerrbheoil, and by Conall, son of Comhgall, chief of Dal Riada, to Sol (Seil
Seil
One of the Slate Islands, Seil is a small island on the east side of the Firth of Lorn, southwest of Oban, in Scotland.Seil has been linked to the Scottish mainland since 1792 when the Clachan Bridge was built by engineer Robert Mylne...
) and Ile (Islay
Islay
-Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far...
), and they carried off many spoils from them."
The Senchus fer n-Alban
Senchus fer n-Alban
The Senchus Fer n-Alban is an Old Irish medieval text, believed to have been compiled in the 10th century. It may have been derived from earlier documents of the 7th century which are presumed to have been written in Latin...
says that Conall had seven sons: Loingsech, Nechtan, Artan, Tuathan, Tutio and Coirpe. However, Connad Cerr
Connad Cerr
Connad Cerr was a king of Dál Riata in the early 7th century. He was either a son of Conall mac Comgaill or of Eochaid Buide. Connad appears to have been joint king with Eochaid Buide in the 620s....
is taken to be a son of Conall, and the death of Conall's son Dúnchad, is noted in the Annals of Ulster and the Annals of Tigernach
Annals of Tigernach
The Annals of Tigernach is a chronicle probably originating in Clonmacnoise, Ireland. The language is a mixture of Latin and Old and Middle Irish....
, leading the army of the "sons of Gabrán
Gabrán mac Domangairt
Gabrán mac Domangairt was king of Dál Riata in the middle of the 6th century. He is the eponymous ancestor of the Cenél nGabraín.The historical evidence for Gabrán is limited to the notice of his death in the Irish annals...
" in Kintyre
Kintyre
Kintyre is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The region stretches approximately 30 miles , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south, to East Loch Tarbert in the north...
.
External links
- CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork includes the Annals of Ulster, Tigernach, the Four Masters and Innisfallen, the Chronicon Scotorum, the Lebor Bretnach (which includes the Duan Albanach), Genealogies, and various Saints' Lives. Most are translated into English, or translations are in progress.