Conchobar Maenmaige Ua Conchobhair, son of High King of Ireland Ruaidri mac Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair, was King of Connacht from 1186-1189. He was a military commander and opponent of the Norman invasion of Ireland. This does not cite its references or sources. ... Note: Rory OConnor can also refer to the Irish Republican of the 1920s, who fought in the Anglo-Irish War and the Irish Civil War Ruaidri Ua Conchobair (d. ... The Kings of Connacht were rulers of the cóiced (variously translated as portion, fifth, province) of Connacht, which lies west of the River Shannon, Ireland. ... Events John the Chanter becomes Bishop of Exeter. ... Events January 21 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade September 3- Richard I of England is crowned as king of England. ... Norman conquests in red. ...

Early life

Conchobar Maenmaige took his nickname from the territory of Maenmaigh (the plain surrounding Loughrea to the west, north and north-east) where he had being fostered as a child. The ruling dynasty of Maenmaigh were the Hy Fiachrach Fionn, who consisted of the families of O Neachtain and O Mulally. WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ...

Conchobar was apparently the eldest of at least eight sons of Ruaidri mac Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair. He first comes to notice in 1163 when his father was already King of Connacht. Niall mac Muircheartach Ua Lochlainn, son of the High King had, on a royal heir's feasting visitation ... through Leath Cuinn ... committed various acts of violence in territories and churches. Note: Rory OConnor can also refer to the Irish Republican of the 1920s, who fought in the Anglo-Irish War and the Irish Civil War Ruaidri Ua Conchobair (d. ... // Events Owain Gwynedd is recognized as ruler of Wales. ... A high king is a king who holds a position of seniority over a group of other kings. ... Leath Cuinn, or Conns Half, was a division of Ireland taking in the island north of the Esker Riada (east-west drumlin belt from Dublin to Galway Bay). ...

Coming to Ath Luain he led a force of twelve score men across the bridge and into Connacht, invading Hy-Many. However, "tria fheill & mheabhail" ("through treachery and guile") "ro marbait uile lá Conchobhar Ua Ceallaigh & la Concobhar Maonmhaighe, & lá h-Uibh Máine" ("they were all killed by Conchobhar Ua Ceallaigh and Conchobhar Maonmhaighe, and the Ui Maine"). Niall was captured "and conducted in safety to his house, by advice of their meeting." Hy-Many, or Ui Maine, was one of the oldest and largest kingdoms located in Connacht, Ireland. ...

Although it would be a further eleven years before he was again explicitly named in the annals, circumstantial evidence suggests that he was active in keeping his father's vassals within Connacht in line, in bringing the fight to his opponents as High King, and later against the Normans in their attempts to both destroy the High Kingship and invade Connacht ^{[citation needed]}.

Wars against the Normans and Irish

Conchobar Maenmaige is next mentioned in the Annals of Ulster in 1174 in the following terse statement: "The battle of Durlus [was gained] by Domnall Ua Briain and by Conchobur Maenmhaighi upon the people of the son of the Empress (namely, of the king of the Saxons)." The Annals of the Four Masters list his presence at The Battle of the Connors in Hy-Many in 1180. The Annals of Ulster are a chronicle of medieval Ireland. ... Signature page from the Annals of the Four Masters Entry for A.D. 432 The Annals of the Four Masters or the Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history. ...

In 1184 the King of Meath, Art O Melaghlin, "was treacherously slain by Dermot O'Brien (i.e. the son of Turlough), at the instigation of the English." Ruaidri supported the O'Melaghlins as he had annexed much of the midlands to Connacht and Art's successor, Melaghlin Beg O'Melaghlin was aided by Conchobar. The armies of Connacht and Meath, led by both men, attacked and destroyed castles in areas conquered by the invaders, the result being "many of the English were slain." // Events Abbeville receives its commercial charter. ...

In 1185 war broke out among the Princes of Connacht ("ríogh-dhamhna", literally "king material"), as three contenders for the kingship of Connacht assailed both Ruaidri and each other. One of them was Connor's own son, Cathal Carragh Ua Conchobair, the other two being Connor mac Cormac Ua Conchobar and Cathal Crobdearg Ua Conchobair. Conchobar appears to have supported his father, but as events of the following year would show he too appears to have become impatient for change and a chance to turn the tide. At any rate, for now, though "the contests between them many were slain, Roderic and his son afterwards made peace with the other chiefs." Events April 25 - Genpei War - Naval battle of Dan-no-ura leads to Minamoto victory in Japan Templars settle in London and begin the building of New Temple Church End of the Heian Period and beginning of the Kamakura period in Japan. ... Cathal Carragh Ua Conchobair, King of Connacht with opposition. ... Cathal Crobderg Ua Conchobair (or Cathal OConnor, born 1153, died 1224), the youngest son of the Irish High King Tairrdelbach mac Ruaidri Ua Conchobair, was a King of Connacht. ...

Reconciled, Conchobair and Cathal Carragh burned Killaloe, as well churches as houses, and carried off all the jewels and riches of the inhabitants ... [left Thomond] ... destroyed and pillaged. In this Conchobar commanded Norman allies, who came as far as [from] Roscommon, where Ruaidri gave them three thousand cows as wages. Killaloe is a town in east County Clare, Republic of Ireland, situated in the midwest of Ireland. ... Roscommon (Ros Comáin in Irish) is the county town of County Roscommon in the Republic of Ireland. ...

King of Connacht

In 1186 warfare finally erupted between father and son, and by the contests between both the Connacians were destroyed. At length ... by the advice of the Sil-Murray [Ruaidri was allowed to return] ... a triocha-ched of land was given to him. Events John the Chanter becomes Bishop of Exeter. ...

Conchobar immediately began establishing his rule, bringing the troublesome Ui Maine under firm control by killing their king, Murrough mac Teige O Cellaig. The following year he returned to Lenister and along with Melaghlin Beg O Melaghlin burned and demolished the castle of Kildare, where not one of the English escaped, but were all suffocated, or otherwise killed; They carried away their accoutrements, arms, shields, coats of mail, and horses, and slew two knights. WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ...

Two years later it was Connacht's turn to be on the receiving end, as John de Courcy led a Norman incursion into Connaught, accompanied by Connor mac Cormac. Conchobar roused the Connacht chieftains, and was joined by Donnell Mor O Brian, King of Thomond. Apparently all the Normans could do was stay on the move because the Connacht forces would not suffer them to tarry any longer in their country. >>..John de Courcy. ... Thomond (Irish: Tuadh Mumhan, meaning North Munster) sometimes called County Thomond was an ancient Kingdom of Ireland which included much of what is now County Clare and at its greatest extents included parts of the counties of Kerry, Limerick, Offaly and Tipperary. ...

While camped at Ballysadare, the King of Tirconnell likewise assembled his forces to deny them access north into Tirconnell. Forced back, the English were returning by way of the Curlew Mountains where they were attacked by the Connacians and Momonians ... those who survived retreated with difficulty from the country, without effecting much destruction on this incursion. Ballysadare, commonly spelled Ballisodare locally, (Baile Easa Dara in Irish) is a village in County Sligo, Ireland. ... Tyrconnell (from Irish Tír Chónaill) can refer to: Ostensibly, the last truly independent Gaelic sovereignty, which had achieved a status of medieval statehood, and hence the last Celtic state in Ireland, although never covering more than a part of the island, until its rulers, the ODonnells, who...

Assassination

This successful first act was denied a sequel when in 1189 Conchobar was killed by Manus mac Flann O Finaghty, Aodh mac Brian (his first cousin), Muircheartach mac Cathal mac Dermot mac Tadhg, and Giolla na Naomh O Mulvihill of the Tuathas. His murderers were described as a party of his own people and tribes, though the real culprit seems to have being that other contender for the kingship of Connaucht, Connor mac Cormac. In the same sentence he was described as the King of all Connaught, both English and Irish. The annalist further stated: Events January 21 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade September 3- Richard I of England is crowned as king of England. ...

Alas for the party who plotted this conspiracy against the life of the heir presumptive to the throne of Ireland! To him the greater part of Leth-Mhogha had submitted as king. Donnell O'Brien had gone to his house at Dunloe, where he was entertained for a week; and O'Conor gave him sixty cows out of every cantred in Connaught, and ten articles ornamented with gold; but O'Brien did not accept of any of these, save one goblet, which had once been the property of Dermot O'Brien, his own grandfather. Rory Mac Donslevy, King of Ulidia, had gone to his house. Mac Carthy, King of Desmond, was in his house, and O'Conor gave him a great stipend, namely, five horses out of every cantred in Connaught. Melaghlin Beg, king of Tara, was in his house and took away a large stipend; and O'Rourke had gone to his house, and also carried with him a great stipend.

Successors and Descendants

Ruaidri was once more recalled to be king, though only briefly and ended his days as a monk at Cong. Cathal Carragh killed Connor mac Cormac later the same year in revenge of the death of his father. Cong (Conga Fheichín or Cúnga Fheichín in Irish) is a village in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland, next to the Galway border. ...

Cathal would become a King of Connacht, with opposition, before his death in 1202. The ultimate winner for the kingship was Conchobar's uncle, Cathal Crobdearg, who was his ultimate successor. // Events August 1 - Arthur of Brittany captured in Mirebeau, north of Poitiers Beginning of the Fourth Crusade. ...

Of Conchobar's remaining known children, Mathghamhain was killed in 1196, as was Muirchertach in 1204, and Donnchadh in 1207; Tadhg was recorded as alive in 1210, Maelsechlain was killed in 1220, while Aodh, or Hugh, died in 1224 on his return from Jerusalem and the River Jordan. Events Spring, London, popular uprising of the poor against the rich led by William Fitz Osbern. ... // Events February - Byzantine emperor Alexius IV is overthrown in a revolution, and Alexius V is proclaimed emperor. ... Events Stephen Langton consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury June 17 by Pope Innocent III Births September 8 - King Sancho II of Portugal October 1 - King Henry III of England (d. ... Events End of the reign of Emperor Tsuchimikado, emperor of Japan Emperor Juntoku ascends to the throne of Japan Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor excommunicated by Pope Innocent III for invading southern Italy in 1210 Gottfried von Strassburg writes his epic poem Tristan about 1210 Beginning of Delhi Sultanate Births... // The world in 1220 Middle Ages in Europe Fifth Crusade (1217-1221) Events Mongols first invade Abbasid caliphate - Bukhara and Samarkand taken End of the Kara-Khitan Khanate, destroyed by Genghis Khans Mongolian cavalry Dominican Order approved by Pope Honorius III Frederick II crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope... // Events Foundation of the University of Naples Livonian Brothers of the Sword conquers Latgallians Last of Arabs expelled from Sicily Births Deaths Cathal Crobdearg Ua Conchobair, King of Connacht (born 1153) Hojo Yoshitoki, regent of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan (born 1163) Monarchs/Presidents Aragon - James I King of Aragon...

Note: Rory OConnor can also refer to the Irish Republican of the 1920s, who fought in the Anglo-Irish War and the Irish Civil War Ruaidri Ua Conchobair (d. ... The Kings of Connacht were rulers of the cóiced (variously translated as portion, fifth, province) of Connacht, which lies west of the River Shannon, Ireland. ... Events John the Chanter becomes Bishop of Exeter. ... Events January 21 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade September 3- Richard I of England is crowned as king of England. ... Cathal Carragh Ua Conchobair, King of Connacht with opposition. ...

Family Tree (simplified)

Toirdelbach mac Ruaidhri Ua Conchobair, High King of Ireland, d.1156.

 | |______________ | | | | Ruaidhri Cathal Crobdearg, 1152-1224. | issue |______________________________________________ | | | | | | | | Conchobar Toirdhealbhach Aodh Diarmait | issue issue issue |______________________________________________________________ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Cathal Mathghamhain Tadhg Muircheartach Donnchadh Aodh Maelsechlain | | Maelsechlainn killed 1212. 

Sources

• Annals of Ulster
• Annals of the Four Masters
• Annals of Connacht
• O'Byrne, Emmet. War, Politics and the Irish of Lenister 1156-1606, 2004.