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Editions

• S. H. O'Grady (ed. & tr.), Silva Gadelica (London 1892) I: 49-65, II: 50-69. (earlier recension).
• K. Mulchrone (ed.), Caithréim Cellaig (Dublin 1933). (later recension)

Manuscripts

• Leabhar Breac—earlier recension

• Brussels 2324-40 (copy of LB)

• LFF—later recension

• YBL—later recension
  

Date

• Early recension: c. 1200 (Dillon Cycles 83)

• Later recension: c. fourteenth century

Characters

• Éogan Bél (d. 543): king of Connacht from the Uí Fíachrach.

• Fergus and Domnall (d. 566): the two sons of Muirchertach mac Erca of Cenél nÉogain.  According to the official regnal lists, Fergus and Domnall jointly held the kingship of Tara for a year or so after the death of Díarmait mac Cerbaill in 565.  In this text, they are the kings of the Northern Uí Néíll.

• Cellach: the son of Éogan Bél and disciple of St. Ciarán of Clonmacnoise.

• Muiredach: the younger son of Éogan Bél

• Cíarán mac int Saír, saint and founder of Clonmacnoise.  He died some time in the mid-sixth century, but the exact date is not certain.

• Guaire Aidne (d. c. 663): king of Connacht from the Uí Fíachrach Aidne

• Nár: son of Guaire

• Nemed: foster-brother of Nár

• Marcán mac Tommáin (d. 653): king of the Uí Maine

• Díarmait and Bláthmac (d. 665): both sons of Áed Sláine and joint kings of Tara from Síl nÁedo Sláine (a branch of the Southern Uí Néill)
  

Notes

• Although this text contains a few anachronisms, it generally focuses on characters of the mid-sixth century.  The story contains some fine poetry and a good deal of gritty realism.

• This story is of interest for showing the darker side of Guaire Aidne, who is normally represented as the paragon of generosity in Irish literature.

Summary

During his tenure as king of Connacht, Éogan Bél feuds with the Northern Uí Néill.  This feud lasts until one year (543 AU) when he meets the combined forces of the Northern Uí Néill, the Ulaid, and Airgialla under the leadership of Fergus and Domnall at the battle of Sligo.  According to the saga, the Connachta win the battle, killing Fergus and Domnall, but Éogan Bél is mortally wounded.  Before he dies, Éogan tells the Connachta to go to Clonmacnoise and ask St. Ciarán to release his son Cellach, so that he may come home and assume the kingship of the province.  Cellach, it seems, has been studying with the saint for some time, likely with the intention of becoming an ecclesiastic.  Next, Éogan tells them to bury him on the borders of Uí Fíachrach with spear in hand facing his northern enemies.  So long as his body remains in this position, he says, the Connachta will be victorious against them.  This proved to be true, but in time the northerners got tired of losing battles, so they invaded Connacht with a large host, dug up Éogan Bél’s body, and buried it upside down at Loch Gile.

Meanwhile, the Uí Fíachrach send men to Clonmacnoise to ask for Cellach’s release, but St. Ciarán refuses to let him go.  During the night, however, the men convince Cellach to abandon the ecclesiastical life and take up his duties as king of Connacht.  In the morning when Ciarán learns that Cellach has absconded, he curses him with a violent death.

Cellach is made king of Uí Fíachrach, but he does not enjoy his new life.  He immediately runs into conflict with Guaire Aidne of the Uí Fíachrach Aidne, who attacks him and his men at what is supposed to be a peace conference.  Cellach escapes with a few men only to spend a year as a fugitive.  He is miserable and regrets leaving Clonmacnoise.  He goes back to Ciarán and asks for forgiveness.  Ciarán says he cannot lift the curse, but he prays that God will be favorable to him and that he will attain heaven upon his death.  Cellach becomes filled with the Holy Spirit.  He dismisses his men, telling them to go serve his younger brother Muiredach, while he returns to the scholarly life.  In time, Cellach is ordained priest, then bishop, and becomes a widely respected clergyman.

Then one day, Guaire asks Cellach to visit him, but it is Sunday, and Cellach says he cannot travel, so he promises to meet Guaire on Monday.  Guaire is furious (in part because his envoy misrepresents Cellach’s reply), and the king sends another message to the bishop telling him to leave his territory or else the church in which he is will be burned down around him.  Guaire, however, does not fulfill his threat, and Cellach continues his journey on Monday.  Soon, he arrives at Cláenloch and decides to settle down on an island there called Oilén Etgair and become a hermit.  His attendants are not pleased, but he tells them that his decision to remain has been ordained by God.

All but four of his clerics leave him.  The ones that remain are named Máel Chróin, Máel Dálua, Máél Senaigh, and Mac Deoraid.  From then till Easter, the five of them lead the life of hermits in God’s service.  His brother Muiredach (presumably now head of Uí Fíachrach) would often come to him for advice, and this made Guaire furious.  His anger is increased by the false tales about Cellach that Nár mac Guairi and his foster-brother Nemed tell him.  In the end, they decide to summon Cellach to a feast and poison him.

When Guaire’s messengers arrive, Cellach tells them he will not attend their festivities, but upon the messengers’ request, he gives his four clerics leave to attend in hopes of appeasing the king.  At the feast, Guaire plies the clerics with lavish food and promises them expensive gifts if they kill Cellach.  Soon they agree.

When the clerics return the next day, Cellach divines their plan and tries to dissuade them, but they wound him with their spears and take him to the forest, where they stow him in a hollow oak till morning.  Although his captors fall asleep and he knows he can flee, Cellach decides to remain and trust in God.  In the morning, he exits the hollow tree and is killed by his men.  The murderers return to Guaire and the carrion beasts begin to pick at Cellach’s body.  However, every animal that takes a bite from him dies immediately.  Two deer come and take Cellach’s body to a church in the west where it is given a proper burial.

Word of the murder spreads quickly and Cellach’s supporters soon rally around his brother Cú Choingelt (which is what Muiredach is now called).  Not yet strong enough to face Guaire, Cú Choingelt strikes a pact with Marcán, king of the Uí Maine, with whom he stays for a year.  Next, he goes to stay with Díarmait and Bláthmac, the joint kings of Tara.  While there, Cú Choingelt and Aífe, Bláthmac’s daughter, fall in love, and are soon married with the king’s approval.  All is well for a while until Aífe rebukes him for not avenging Cellach.  Cú Choingelt realizes she is right and gathers his men.  But as he leaves, Aífe begins to regret her words.

Cú Choingelt heads to his own lands in Uí Fíachrach but has trouble finding provisions for himself and his troops.  Seeing some pigs, he kills one and then learns from the angry swineherd that the animals belong to the four murders of Cellach to whom Guaire has given Cú Choingelt’s ancestral lands.  Soon, though, the swineherd recognizes him and tells him that he was Cellach’s childhood playmate and that he will help Cú Choingelt exact his revenge.

Carrying a load of rushes, Cú Choingelt goes with the swineherd to the newly-built Dún Fidne, where the four murderers are planning a feast.  Dressed as a swineherd, Cú Choingelt sits down at the feast and then tells the swineherd to fetch his men, for the murderers and their people are getting very drunk and will make easy targets.  Cú Choingelt’s men storm the fort and capture the four murderers, but allow the guests to continue to feast, since they are friends of Cú Choingelt.  In the morning, the murderers are carried to Moy, where they are dismembered and hanged.

After that, Cú Choingelt takes possession of Uí Fíachrach and he comes to be known as a generous ruler.  However, he and Guaire wage bitter campaigns against one another.  Upon the advice of his people, Guaire agrees to form a marriage alliance with Cú Choingelt by giving him his daughter Gelghéis, and the two were happy for a time.

In the end, Guaire tricks Ciarán of Clonmacnoise to go to Cú Choingelt and ask him to come to Guaire's court with the promise that he would be made the unopposed king of Connacht.  Although Cú Choingelt suspects trouble, he is persuaded to go.  There is a great feast, but as soon as Ciarán leaves, Guaire has Cú Choingelt killed.