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Editions

• D. Greene (ed), Fingal Rónáin and Other Stories (Dublin 1975) 1-15.
  
• K. Meyer (ed & tr), 'Fingal Rónáin', RC xiii (1892) 368-387.
• R. Thurneysen (tr), Sagen aus dem alten Irland (1901).  (The translation is into German under the title 'Ronans Sohnesmord'.)
  

Manuscripts

• The Book of Leinster (pp. 271-273)
• T.C.D., H.3.18 (pp. 749-754)
  

Date

• Early tenth century (Greene 2)
  

Characters

• Rónán mac Áedo.  He has generally been identified with Rónán mac Colmáin (d. 624), who is listed in the genealogies as the father and killer of Máelfothartaig.  He was king of Leinster from the Uí Dúnlainge.
• Máelfothartaig, son of Rónán
• Eochaid Iarlaithe (d. 666), son of Fíachna mac Báetáin and king of Dún Soborche (Dunseverick) from Dál nAraide.  He is, therefore, the brother of Mongán mac Fíachna.
• Dond and Congal, foster-brothers of Máelfothartaig
• Mac Glass, a jester
  

• This text is the only one in which Rónán and Máelfothartaig appear.
• After Rónán's death, his line of the family became extinct.  Subsequent Uí Dúnlainge kings of Leinster all trace descent from his brother Fáelán mac Colmáin (d. 666). 
  
• Several other stories in the Cycles of the Kings deal with events that lead to the extinction of one branch of a dynasty.  See *Cid dia tall Eochaid Rígéiges degiartaige ó Mongán? and *Fáitsine Fergusa for other examples.
  

Rónán mac Áedo and his wife, Eithne ingen Chummascaig, have a son named Máelfothartaig, a man much beloved by the people of Leinster.  But when Eithne dies, Rónán remains a widower until his son suggests he remarry.  Rónán expresses interest in the daughter of Eochaid, king of Dunseverick, but Máelfothartaig advises against the match, since the girl is so young.  However, Rónán’s mind is made up and he marries the girl in spite of his son’s advice.

Soon after their marriage, Rónán’s new wife begins sending her handmaiden to entreat Máelfothartaig to sleep with her, but the girl is afraid to deliver the message until the queen threatens to kill her.  When she at last broaches the subject, Máelfothartaig angrily refuses to have anything to do with his father’s new wife.  He then gathers his men and goes into voluntary exile in Scotland where he excels in hunting and battle.

After a time, the men of Leinster become enraged at Rónán for his son’s absence and even threaten to kill him if the young man does not return.  Máelfothartaig gets word of this and heads home.  On his way, he stops at Dunseverick where he finds out that his new step-mother was actually intended for him rather than his father.  (The implication here is that Rónán tricked Eochaid into giving him his daughter by saying that he was going to marry her to Máelfothartaig.)  Máelfothartaig is not pleased at this news.

When he returns home, the queen’s handmaiden again begins to entreat him.  He is worried and asks Congal, his foster-brother, to help him, in return for which Congal will get his two excellent hunting dogs, Doilin and Daithlend.  Congal tells him to go hunting upon the morrow at Baí Aífe and he will see to the rest. The next day, Máelfothartaig and Congal see the queen approaching them at Baí Aífe.  Congal smacks her with a horsewhip, calling her a slut, and sends her home.

That night, the queen tells Rónán that his son has been using Congal to entreat her to sleep with him.  At first, Rónán does not believe her, but she offers to prove it by finishing the quatrain he will sing upon coming home.  When she does this, Rónán believes the worst and tells the warrior Áedán mac Fiachnai Lára to kill Máelfothartaig and Congal.  Áedán runs a spear through Máelfothartaig’s back and stabs Congal through the heart.  He also disembowels Mac Glass, their jester.  But before he expires, Máelfothartaig tells his father the truth.