Death at Áth Dá Ferta
Archived: 29 October 2026
Abstract
In 819, Áed Oirdnide, northern Uí Néill king of Tara, ravaged Cualu and reached Glendalough before dying near Áth dá Ferta in Mag Conaille. His death ended a long pursuit of supremacy but did not create a unified Irish kingdom. Conchobar son of Donnchad of Clann Cholmáin succeeded him, amid rivalry between Cenél nÉogain and Cenél Conaill, in which Máel Bresail was killed. Other conflicts claimed Cairell in Ulaid, while Leinster lost Cathal of Uí Cheinnselaig, prior of Ferns. At Armagh, Whitsun rites were disrupted. Ecclesiastical obituaries underline churches’ political, social and learned importance, while rural communities endured warfare’s burdens.