Conall Cremthainne

Conall Cremthainne (died 480), also called Conall Err Breg, was an Irish king. He was the son of Niall of the Nine Hostages, and one of the progenitors of the Uí Néill dynasty.^[1]

He is the first king of Uisnech in Mide from the Uí Néill mentioned in the Book of Leinster king list.^[2] His by-name Cremthainne implies fosterage among the Uí Cremthainn of the Airgialla.^[3] He was probably originally the same person as Conall Gulban, the distinction arising from 8th century politics.^[4] According to a life of Saint Patrick by Tírechán, Patrick blessed Conall and rejected his brother Coirpre mac Néill, ancestor of the Cenél Coirpri, at a meeting at Tailtiu.^[5] Nothing is recorded of him in the annals other than his death date.^[6]

Through his son Fergus Cerrbél, he was the ancestor of the Clann Cholmáin and Síl nÁedo Sláine. Another son was Ardgal mac Conaill (died 520) was ancestor of the Cenél nArdgail in Co.Meath

Notes

1. Francis J.Byrne, Irish Kings and High-Kings, Table 1
2. Book of Leinster,Rig Uisnig
3. Byrne, pg.90
4. Byrne, pg.xvii
5. T.M. Charles-Edwards, Early Christian Ireland, pg.445-446
6. Annals of Ulster AU 480.1

See also

• Kings of Uisnech

References

• Annals of Ulster at CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork
• Byrne, Francis John (2001), Irish Kings and High-Kings, Dublin: Four Courts Press, ISBN 978-1-85182-196-9
• Charles-Edwards, T. M. (2000), Early Christian Ireland, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-36395-0
• Book of Leinster,Rig Uisnig at CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork