Murchad mac Diarmato called Murchad Midi (Murchad of Meath), was an Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 king. One of four or more sons of Diarmait Dian

Diarmait Dian

Diarmait Dian mac Airmetaig was a King of Uisnech in Mide of the Clann Cholmáin. He was the grandson of Conall Guthbinn mac Suibni , a previous king. His father Airmetach Cáech was slain at the Battle of Mag Rath in 637...

, he succeeded his father as King of Uisnech at the latter's death in 689.

The Kings of Uisnech ruled a kingdom centred in modern County Westmeath

County Westmeath

-Economy:Westmeath has a strong agricultural economy. Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and its strategic location on the main Dublin–Galway route across the River Shannon. Mullingar...

, named for Uisnech

Uisnech

The Hill of Uisneach, or Ushnagh, also Uisnech , formerly regarded as the centre of Ireland, is a historical site in County Westmeath . The 182 metre hill lies on the north side of the R390 road, 8 km east of the village of Ballymore, beside the village of Loughanavally...

, the hill reputed to be the centre of Ireland. They belonged to Clann Cholmáin

Clann Cholmáin

Clann Cholmáin is the name of the dynasty descended from Colmán Mór , son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill. Part of the Southern Uí Néill — they were the kings of Mide — they traced their descent to Niall Noígiallach and his son Conall Cremthainne.Related dynasties descended through Conall...

, a kin group descended from Colmán Már, son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill

Diarmait mac Cerbaill

Diarmait mac Cerbaill was King of Tara or High King of Ireland. According to traditions, he was the last High King to follow the pagan rituals of inauguration, the ban-feis or marriage to goddess of the land....

, and were counted among the southern branches of the Uí Néill. In the 7th century, the dominant kin group among the southern Uí Néill, who shared the title of High King of Ireland

High King of Ireland

The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...

 or King of Tara with the northern Cenél Conaill

Cenél Conaill

The Cenél Conaill is the name of the "kindred" or descendants of Conall Gulban, son of Niall Noígiallach defined by oral and recorded history. They were also known in Scotland as the Kindred of Saint Columba....

 kindred, were the rival Síl nÁedo Sláine

Síl nÁedo Sláine

Síl nÁedo Sláine is the name of the descendants of Áed Sláine , son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill. Part of the Southern Uí Néill—they were the kings of Brega—they claimed descent from Niall Noígiallach and his son Conall Cremthainne....

, whose lands lay in modern County Dublin

County Dublin

County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...

 and County Meath

County Meath

County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...

, to the east of Uisnech.

Murchad is among the guarantors of the Cáin Adomnáin

Cáin Adomnáin

The Cáin Adomnáin , also known as the Lex Innocentium was promulgated amongst a gathering of Irish, Dál Riatan and Pictish notables at the Synod of Birr in 697. It is named after its initiator Adomnán of Iona, ninth Abbot of Iona after St...

(Law of Innocents) proclaimed at the Synod of Birr

Synod of Birr

The Synod of Birr, held at Birr in modern County Offaly, Ireland in 697 was a meeting of churchmen and secular notables. Best remembered as the occasion on which the Cáin Adomnáin—the Law of Innocents—was guaranteed, the survival of a list of the guarantors of the law sheds some light...

 in 697. There are few reports of Murchad in the Irish annals

Irish annals

A number of Irish annals were compiled up to and shortly after the end of Gaelic Ireland in the 17th century.Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days...

. His brother Bodbchad was killed in the Battle of Claenath in 704, near Clane

Clane

Clane is a town on the River Liffey and in the barony of Clane in County Kildare, Ireland, from Dublin.Its population of 4,968 makes it the eighth largest town in Kildare and the 78th largest in the Republic of Ireland....

 in modern County Kildare

County Kildare

County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...

, seemingly fighting alongside Fogartach mac Néill

Fogartach mac Néill

Fogartach mac Néill , sometimes called Fogartach ua Cernaich, was an Irish king who is reckoned a High King of Ireland. He belonged to the Uí Chernaig sept of the Síl nÁedo Sláine branch of the southern Uí Néill...

 against the King of Leinster, Cellach Cualann

Cellach Cualann

Cellach Cualann mac Gerthidi was the last Uí Máil king of Leinster. Cellach's byname is derived from the land of Cualu which lay around Glendalough.The name Uí Máil may mean "grandsons of the princes"...

.

In 714 the annals record a the Battle of Bile Tened between Clann Cholmáin, led by Murchad, and the Síl nÁedo Sláine near Moynalty

Moynalty

Moynalty is a village in the north-west of County Meath in Ireland. It is located at the junction of the R194 and R164 regional roads north of Kells, near the border with County Cavan. It was part of the Kells Poor Law Union...

. Here Murchad's brothers Áed and Colgu were killed and on the opposing side Flann mac Áedo

Flann mac Áedo

Flann mac Áedo was a King of Fir Cúl in Brega of the Síl nDlúthaig sept of the Síl nÁedo Sláine of Brega. He was the son of Áed mac Dlúthaig , King of Fir Cúl and great-grandson of Ailill Cruitire mac Áedo Sláine , a king of Brega....

. In the annals account of this battle it was said that Áed and Colgu were slain in the first encounter and Flann was slain in the second encounter. The Clann Cholmáin had an old feud with the Síl nDlúthaig sept of the Síl nÁedo Sláine and Flann's father Áed mac Dlúthaig

Áed mac Dlúthaig

Áed mac Dlúthaig was a King of Fir Cúl in Brega of the Síl nDlúthaig sept of the Síl nÁedo Sláine of Brega. He was the grandson of Ailill Cruitire mac Áedo Sláine , a king of Brega....

 had killed Murchad's father Diarmait. On the same day of this battle, the men of Meath won a battle over the Uí Fhailgi of Offaly and their king Forbassach Ua Congaile

Forbassach Ua Congaile

Forbassach Ua Congaile was a king of the Uí Failge, a Laigin people of County Offaly.The king lists in the Book of Leinster give him a reign of three years giving a possible reign of 711–714. He was related to his predecessor Fland Dá Chongal but the exact relationship is unclear. The Uí Failge...

 was slain.

Shortly afterwards the chief of Síl nÁedo Sláine, Fogartach mac Néill, was "expelled from the kingship and went to Britain

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

". Some later sources gloss this to say that he was expelled by the High King Fergal mac Máele Dúin

Fergal mac Máele Dúin

Fergal mac Máele Dúin was High King of Ireland. Fergal belonged to the Cenél nEógain sept of the northern Uí Néill. He was the son of Máel Dúin mac Máele Fithrich , a King of Ailech, and great grandson of the high king Áed Uaridnach...

, and others supposed that he had himself been High King. It is thought more likely that the kingship Fogartach was expelled from was that of the southern Uí Néill and that Murchad drove him from power.

The next year Murchad was killed by Fogartach's uncle, the warlike Conall Grant

Conall Grant

Conall Grant mac Cernaig was a King of Brega of the Uí Chernaig sept of Lagore of the Síl nÁedo Sláine. He was the grandson of the high king Diarmait mac Áedo Sláine . His father Cernach Sotal had died during plague years in 664...

. The notice of his death 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...

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....

calls him "king of the Uí Néill". This title is not especially common in the annals. It is thought that it corresponds with the title "king of the North" (Rí in Tuaiscert) found attached to some northern Uí Néill who were not reckoned high kings and means that Murchad had acted as Fergal's deputy among the southern Uí Néill.

Murchad left three sons, Domnall, called Domnall Midi

Domnall Midi

Domhnall Mac Murchada , called Domnall Midi , was High King of Ireland. He belonged to the Clann Cholmáin branch of the Uí Néill...

, who was later high king, and Coirpre, who died in 749. Bressal mac Murchado, killed in 764, is probably, but not certainly, his son. Domnall became king of Uisnech, but Fogartach returned from Britain in 716 and was clearly the chief king among the southern Uí Néill.