Kings Home

Updates

The Sagas

The Kings

The Dynasties

Copyright Information

Early Irish Literature Links

D. Wiley Homepage

Hastings College

Contact

Editions

• J. O’Donovan (ed. & tr.), Annals of Ireland: Three Fragments (Dublin 1860).

• S. H. O'Grady (ed. & tr.), Silva Gadelica (London 1892).

• J. N. Radner (ed. & tr.), Fragmentary Annals of Ireland (Dublin 1978) 50-3.

Manuscripts

• Brussels MS 5301-5320.

• Egerton 1782, f. 64r.
  

Date

• Early Modern Irish in its present form, but it draws on earlier material.
  

Characters

• Cellach mac Rogallaig (d. 705): king of Connacht from the Uí Briúin

• Loingsech mac Óengusso (d. 703): king of Tara from Cenél Conaill

• Dúnchad Muirisce (d. 683): king of Connacht from the Uí Fíachrach.  His appearance in this text is anachronistic.  Radner suggests that the text originally referred to ‘the two sons of Dúnchad’ rather than Dúnchad himself (See Radner 1978 190).

• Conall Menn (d. 722): According to Radner (p. 191), he is probably to be identified with Conall Mend mac Fergusa Caích meic Máele Dúin of Cenél Cairpri.  He was killed at the battle of Allen.
  

Notes

• The following comments are based to a large extent on Joan Radner’s notes on the text (pp.190-1)

• According to the Annals of Ulster, the battle of Corann, in which Cellach killed Loingsech, took place in the July of 703.

• The site of the battle is not known with certainty, but the old name Corann refers to parts of what is now Co. Sligo and Co. Mayo.

• A saga called Cath Corainn is mentioned in the tract Do nemthigud filed and seems to have been well known, but it is not clear how closely the present text approximates that lost saga.

• According to tradition, the battle was occasioned by Conall Mend who chanted a verse satire against Cellach.  Stanzas from this satire are incorporated into the poem preserved at the end of the text.

Summary

Loingsech mac Óengusso, king of Tara, invades Connacht with a large host intending to give battle of Cellach mac Rogallaig, the king of the province.  As his army advances, Loingsech’s poets satirize Cellach, making fun of his old age and his inability to cope with the king of Tara.

When Cellach sees the devastation wrought by Loingsech, he summons the two Dúnchads (i.e. Dúnchad Muirisce and another man named Dúnchad), whom he has chosen to succeed him as king of Connacht.  With the one Dúnchad on this right and the other on his left, Cellach harangues the Connacht forces, telling them to defend their freedom bravely.  Then, Cellach leads his troops into battle.  The Uí Néill are routed and Loingsech is killed along with a number of important people, including three of his sons.

The text ends with a poem that includes two satirical stanzas by Conall Mend.  Tradition asserts that these stanzas were the cause of the battle of Corann (as triasna rannaibh si imorro ra cuiread an cath).