Related Archive: Cathal mac Finguine

Tír Dá Glas Meeting

Archived: 1 November 2026

Abstract

In 737, Áed Allán, northern Uí Néill overking, met Cathal mac Finguine of Munster at the monastery of Tír dá Glas, probably to limit conflict, although terms remain unknown. Annals then declared Patrick’s law effective in Ireland, projecting ecclesiastical legitimacy and wider order rather than recording a uniform national code. The year nevertheless saw dynastic violence in Brega, where Conaing defeated Cernach and Cathal son of Áed died, alongside deaths of regional rulers and abbots. Failbe of Applecross drowned with twenty-two sailors, illustrating Gaelic maritime links. These records reveal negotiation, church influence, instability, and aspirations to unity amid fragmented kingship.

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730 CE

Cúl Raithin and Bealach Éle

Archived: 1 November 2026

Abstract

In 730, the Annals of Ulster securely records the burning of Cúl Raithin, probably later Coleraine, but supplies no perpetrators, cause or consequences. The destruction nevertheless highlights the vulnerability and importance of church settlements as religious, economic and political centres. A battle at Bealach Éle between Munster and Leinster, involving Osraige and Déisi leaders, belongs to the early 730s, although annals date it variously to 730 and 735. Heavy losses are reported, without proof of a decisive outcome. These events reveal decentralised authority, intertwined secular and ecclesiastical networks alike, and rural communities dependent upon farming, patronage and vulnerable material resources.

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