Conall Cóel
Archived: 2 November 2026
Abstract
In 654 CE, a violent change at the summit of the Uí Néill reshaped the balance of power in Ireland. Conall Cóel, son of Máel Coba of Cenél Conaill, was killed by Diarmait mac Áedo Sláine. The notice is brief, but its implications were substantial: a northern claimant to the pre-eminent kingship had been removed by a member of the southern Uí Néill line rooted in Brega and associated with Tara. Other annalistic notices connected with this year record killings in Connacht, the deaths of senior clerics at Clonard, and a battle in northern Britain involving Dál Riata. Together they
