Murrough Ua Cellaigh, 41st King

King

- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...

 of Uí Maine and 8th Chief of the Name, died 1186.

Background

The previous king, Conchobar Maenmaige Ua Cellaigh

Conchobar Maenmaige Ua Cellaigh

Conchobar Maenmaige Ua Cellaigh, 40th King of Uí Maine and 7th Chief of the Name, died 1180.-Origins:Conchobar Maenmaige is agreed in all sources to have been king for forty years, so it appears he succeeded Tadhg Ua Cellaigh sometime after his abduction by an army from Munster in 1145...

, was killed in the Battle of The Connors in 1180 during an apparent rebellion against the king of Connacht

Connacht

Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...

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Murrough was apparently a son of Tadhg Ua Cellaigh

Tadhg Ua Cellaigh

Tadhg Ua Cellaigh, 39th King of Uí Maine and 6th Chief of the Name, abducted 1145.-References in the Annals:Tadhg and Uí Maine are mentioned infrequently in the annals, reflecting the kingdom's subordinate status within the kingdom of Connacht...

, who had been abducted and deposed in 1145 by Toirrdelbach mac Diarmata Ua Brien, King of Thomond

Thomond

Thomond The region of Ireland associated with the name Thomond is County Clare, County Limerick and north County Tipperary; effectively most of north Munster. The name is used by a variety of establishments and organisations located in , or associated with the region...

.

New revolts

Rebellion apparently began again when during 1183-1186, further warfare broke out among the Uí Conchobair, which resulted in Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair

Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair

Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair , often anglicised Rory O'Connor, reigned as King of Connacht from 1156 to 1186, and from 1166 to 1198 was the last High King before the Norman invasion of Ireland .Ruaidrí was one of over twenty sons of King...

 been forced to resign the kingship in favor of his son, Conchobar Máenmaige Ua Conchobhair

Conchobar Maenmaige Ua Conchobhair

Conchobar Maenmaige Ua Conchobair, son of High King of Ireland Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair, was King of Connacht from 1183 to 1189. He was a military commander and opponent of the Norman invasion of Ireland.-Early life:...

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Conchobar Máenmaige swiftly dealt with Ua Cellaig, who's territory compromised the largest single lordship within the kingdom. The annals record his death at the hands of Ua Conchobair, who was assassinated in 1189.

Descendants

John O'Donovan

John O'Donovan (scholar)

John O'Donovan , from Atateemore, in the parish of Kilcolumb, County Kilkenny, and educated at Hunt's Academy, Waterford, was an Irish language scholar from Ireland.-Life:...

 stated in 1843 that Murrough's successor, Domnall Mór Ua Cellaigh

Domnall Mór Ua Cellaigh

Domnall Mór Ua Cellaigh, 42nd King of Uí Maine and 9th Chief of the Name, died 1221.-Reign:Domnall Mór's reign is one of the most of obscure of the High Medieval kings of Uí Maine...

 (died 1221) was the ancestor of all the Ua Cellaigh's of Uí Maine extant by the 17th century.

This may simply mean that Murrough's family subsequently lost status and were no longer regarded a noble

Nobility

Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...

s, as his son, Aodh, was king when he died in 1206.

Annalistic references

:1181:
In that battle [Cath Criche Coirpre] also fell Hugh, the son of Conor O'Kelly ...[by] Flaherty O'Muldory, Lord of Tirconnell, [who] defeated the sons of the King of Connaught on the Saturday before Whitsuntide. Sixteen of the sons of the lords and chieftains of Connaught were slain ... as well as many others, both of the nobles and the plebeians. They held the Connacians under subjection for a long time after this battle.

:1186:
Murrough, the son of Teige O'Kelly, Lord of Hy-Many, was slain by Conor Moinmoy O'Conor.