Máel Sechnaill — Royal Power

Dateline

The surviving annal entries identify Máel Sechnaill as Mael Sechnaill son of Mael Ruanaid son of Donnchad son of Domnall son of Murchad of Mide son of Diarmait the Harsh son of Airmedach the One-eyed son of Conall of the Sweet Voice, son of Suibne son of Colmán the Great son of Diarmait the Red son of Fergus Wrymouth. The Annals of Ulster state that he was king of all Ireland and that he died on the third feria, the second of the Kalends of December, 30 November, in the sixteenth year of his reign. Chronicon Scotorum also records his death on that date and calls him king of all Ireland. The same chronicle places earlier events from his career in the entries for the years around 860 and 861.

Royal Power

Chronicon Scotorum records that Mael Sechnaill, king of Temair, led an army of the Laigin and Mumu and Connacht and the southern Uí Néill into the North, and that he halted at Mag Dumai near Ard Macha. The same notice says that Aed son of Niall and Flann son of Conaing attacked their camp by night, killed some people in the middle of the camp, and left Aed defeated with many dead. In the Annals of Ulster, an entry for the year 862 notes that Aed son of Niall went with the kings of the foreigners into Mide, and plundered Mide with Flann son of Conaing. The same annal also states that Aed son of Niall begins to reign. Another notice in that year records that Mael Sechnaill son of Mael Ruanaid son of Donnchad son of Domnall son of Murchad of Mide son of Diarmait the Harsh son of Airmedach the One-eyed son of Conall of the Sweet Voice, son of Suibne son of Colmán the great son of Diarmait the red son of Fergus Wrymouth, king of all Ireland, died on the third feria, the second of the Kalends of December, 30 November, in the 16th year of his reign. The same entry also records the death of Ruarc son of Braen, king of Uí Dúnlainge, and of Maelodar grandson of Tinnred, an eminent Irish leech.

Chronicon Scotorum records that the battle of Druim dá Maighe was won by Mael Sechnaill son of Mael Ruanaid over the foreigners of Dublin. It also notes, in the annal for 862, that Aed son of Niall, king of Ailech, and Flann son of Conaing brought an army to plunder Mide. In the same notice it records that Dálach son of Mael Raiti, abbot of Cluain Iraird, rested, and that Mael Sechnaill son of Maelruanaid, king of all Ireland, died on the third feria, the second of the Kalends of December, 30 November, in the 16th year of his reign. The Annals of Ulster likewise say that Aed son of Niall went with the kings of the foreigners into Mide and plundered Mide with Flann son of Conaing, and that Aed son of Niall begins to reign. The Annals of Ulster also preserve a long genealogical form for Mael Sechnaill, identifying him as son of Mael Ruanaid, son of Donnchad, son of Domnall, son of Murchad of Mide, son of Diarmait the Harsh, son of Airmedach the One-eyed, son of Conall of the Sweet Voice, son of Suibne, son of Colmán the great, son of Diarmait the red, son of Fergus Wrymouth, and as king of all Ireland. The same year includes the deaths of Domnall son of Ailpín, king of the Picts, Ruarc son of Braen, king of Uí Dúnlainge, and Maelodar grandson of Tinnred, an eminent Irish leech.

Dynastic Context

The annal tradition gives his ancestry in a long line: Mael Sechnaill son of Mael Ruanaid son of Donnchad son of Domnall son of Murchad of Mide son of Diarmait the Harsh son of Airmedach the One-eyed son of Conall of the Sweet Voice, son of Suibne son of Colmán the Great son of Diarmait the Red son of Fergus Wrymouth. The Annals of Ulster preserve this full genealogy in the notice of his death. Chronicon Scotorum likewise names him Mael Sechnaill son of Maelruanaid when it records his death and his title as king of all Ireland.

Chronicon Scotorum calls him king of Temair and records that he led an army of the Laigin and Mumu and Connacht and the southern Uí Néill into the North. It says that he halted at Mag Dumai near Ard Macha. The same chronicle adds that Aed son of Niall and Flann son of Conaing attacked the camp by night, killed some people in the middle of the camp, and left Aed defeated with many dead. In a later entry Chronicon Scotorum says that the battle of Druim dá Maighe was won by Mael Sechnaill son of Mael Ruanaid over the foreigners of Dublin.

Final Years

The annals place his death in 862. The Annals of Ulster say that Mael Sechnaill son of Mael Ruanaid son of Donnchad son of Domnall son of Murchad of Mide son of Diarmait the Harsh son of Airmedach the One-eyed son of Conall of the Sweet Voice, son of Suibne son of Colmán the Great son of Diarmait the Red son of Fergus Wrymouth, king of all Ireland, died on the third feria, the second of the Kalends of December, 30 November, in the sixteenth year of his reign. Chronicon Scotorum gives the same date and likewise says that Mael Sechnaill son of Maelruanaid, king of all Ireland, died on the third feria, the second of the Kalends of December, 30 November, in the sixteenth year of his reign. In the same annal sequence, Ruarc son of Braen was slain, and Aed Finnliath son of Niall begins to reign.

The surviving record names him as king of Temair and king of all Ireland. It says that he led an army of the Laigin, Mumu, Connacht, and the southern Uí Néill into the North and halted at Mag Dumai near Ard Macha. It also records the night attack on his camp by Aed son of Niall and Flann son of Conaing, with killing in the middle of the camp and Aed left defeated with many dead. Chronicon Scotorum further preserves the battle of Druim dá Maighe, won by Mael Sechnaill son of Mael Ruanaid over the foreigners of Dublin, and the entry for his death on 30 November in the sixteenth year of his reign.