Murder of Conchobar Máenmaige
Archived: 26 September 2026
In 1189, Ireland remained divided among Anglo-Norman lordships, Gaelic dynasties and ecclesiastical centres. Conchobar Máenmaige Ua Conchobair, king of Connacht, was murdered by followers directed by a kinsman, provoking revenge and dynastic conflict. Violence spread through the north, midlands and Munster, where raids, deaths and destruction of castles exposed the fragility of colonial control. Armagh was burned and plundered, while Mellifont received the Airgialla overking Murchad Ua Cerbaill. Henry II’s death brought Richard I’s accession; William Marshal’s marriage to Isabel de Clare transferred Leinster’s lordship, though possession remained contested. Irish bishops attended Richard’s coronation, and Gerald of Wales promoted conquest.