Ráith Mór and Connacht
Archived: 2 November 2026
Abstract
In 681 CE, Ireland’s surviving annalistic record preserves three securely associated notices: the killing of Cenn Fáelad, described as king of Connacht; a battle at Ráith Mór in Mag Line against Britons, in which Cathasach, king of the Cruithin, was killed; and the death of Suibne, superior of Corcach. These are short entries, but they reveal a political world in which royal authority remained precarious, conflict crossed the narrow seas, and ecclesiastical communities were led by figures important enough to be entered beside kings and battles. The evidence must be handled carefully. The Annals of Ulster place these items under