Augaire mac Ailella

The Kingdom of Leinster around 900

Augaire mac Ailella (also written Ugaire or Aililla) († 917 ) was the 35th King of Leinster , Ireland, who ruled from 909 to 917 and fell after an invasion by Vikings under their king Sitric Caéch in 917 at the Battle of Confey.

origin

Augaire mac Ailella comes from the dynasty of the kings of Leinster, also called Laigin ( Irish Cúige Laighean , / ˌkuːg´ə ˈlai ^ə n /, "fifth (of the tribe) of the Laigin") from the house of Ui Dúnlainge (which in old Irish Language means "grandson of Dúnlaing"), which is derived from the eponymous progenitor Dúnlaing mac Énna, who lived at the beginning of the 6th century. In addition, there was a second house in Leinster with the same origins, which was named Ui Chennsalaig after its progenitor, Énna Cennsalach - a cousin of Dúnlanig. Both houses were jointly responsible for the Kingdom of Leinster. The house of Ui Dúnlainge was also divided into three lines among the sons of King Murchad mac Bran († 727). Dúnnchad († 728) founded the branch of the Ui Dúnchada based on Lions Hill / Limhain near Dublin, from which the Fitz Dermots later emerged. Fáelán († 738) became the progenitor of the Ui Faelan, who sat in Naas / Nás na Riog, while the Ui Muiredaig were derived from Muiredach († 760), who had their focus in Mullaghmast / Máistín and later called themselves O'Toole.

It was noteworthy that the Leinster crown rotated between these lines, so that the son only succeeded the father in exceptional cases. Augaire comes from the youngest of the three lines, which is derived from Muiredach mac Murchad, who ruled from 738 to 760 as the 18th king of Leinster. Augaire was a son of Ailill mac Dúnlaing, the 31st king of Leinster who wore the crown from 947 to 969.

Life

Ireland around 1014, Leinster in gray, the Viking settlements in red

Early years

Although he was the king's son and heir, Augaire had to be patient for a while before he could wear the Leinster crown himself. After his father, King Ailill mac Dúnlaing died in 869, first Domnall mac Muirecán († 884) of the Ui Fáelán as 32nd King of Leinster, then Muiredach mac Bran († 885) of the Ui Dúnchada as 33 King, and then Cerball mac Muirecán of the Ui Fáelán as 34th king. Only after his death in 909 was Augaire able to ascend the throne of Leinster as the 35th king.

In his time, life in Ireland was rather eventful, as not only did strife and wars over rule and rule break out regularly between the numerous Irish kings, but also the Vikings who had settled in Ireland since around 840 from their centers - the Kingdom of Dublin , Wexford , Waterford , Limerick and Corc - made raids on local people.

In 868, 870 and 874 there were raids on the Kingdom of Leinster. According to the annals of the four masters M869.8 (year 869), Augaire's father, King Ailill, was defeated and slain in 869 by "Northmen" - probably from Dublin. Soon afterwards, King Cerbail mac Dúnlainge († 888), who had been expelled from his Kingdom of Ossory by the Ui Ceinselaig, allied with the High King of Ireland Áed Findliath († 879) and defeated King of Leinster, Muiredach mac Bran, in 870 Battle of Dunbayke. He even allied himself with King Olav of Dublin, who with his feared Vikings not only burned Naas ( County Kildare ), the political center of the Ui Fáelán, but even churches and monasteries, such as the abbeys of Finglas, Clondalkin and Glendalough .

King of Leinster

After Augaire became the 35th King of Leinster in 909, the situation only changed to the extent that the internal wars between the Irish small kingdoms were increasingly fought with varying support from Viking troops. The climax - and at the same time the end - of his career was the Battle of Confey, also called Cenn Fuait, in 917.

A few years earlier, his predecessor Cerball mac Muirecáin and the King of Brega, Máel Finnia mac Flannacán, had completely surprisingly succeeded in defeating the almost invincible Vikings, who had been under the leadership of the Viking prince Ivar (Imar) († um 873) to create a Nordic kingdom in Dublin, expelling them from Dublin in 902. In the following years there was therefore a decrease in the number of Viking raids and a certain calming down of the situation.

This period ended abruptly in 917, when Sitric Caéch († around 927), "King of the light (Norwegian) and the dark (Danish) foreigners", the most powerful representative of the old Irish "Ui Imair" (grandson or descendants of Imar or dynasty. Ivar) mentioned by Viking kings, traditionally focused its operations on Ireland in Dublin and in England in the Scandinavian York (within the present city of York had), came up with a huge fleet to Ireland to the lost Kingdom of Dublin again into his power to get. He landed on the coast of Leinster, while at the same time Ragnall, another grandson of Ivars, attacked with his fleet the Vikings settled in Waterford, who were allied with the Irish.

Battle of Confey

In view of the danger, Niall Glúndub mac Aed Findliath, who was High King of Ireland from 916 to 919, gathered an army from the two kingdoms of the Ui Neill - the northern and the southern -, marched with it to Munster and from there attacked the Northmen in August 917 successful. However, since these were reinforced by fresh troops, the Irish withdrew to their camp. Niall succeeded. to repel an attack by the Vikings under Ragnall, which in the meantime had closed itself off from the main Viking army, and to hold its position for twenty days.

At the same time he asked the King of Leinster Augaire to enclose the Viking camp. This resulted in the Battle of Confey, also known as the Battle of Cenn Fuait, described in the annals of Ulster. While there is no unanimous opinion about the location of the battle - according to the annals of the four masters to the year 917 (915.6) the battle took place “in the valley above Tech Moling” (in County Carlow , on the western border of Leinster), while modern Historian Cenn Fuait rather identify with today's Leixlip (salmon jump) in the northeast of County Kildaire - there is no doubt about the outcome of the battle. It was a crushing defeat for the Irish, killing not only the majority of their fighters but also many of their leaders. Among the dead were Mael Mórda mac Muirecán, the King of East Life, Mael Maedóc mac Diarmait, the Archbishop of Leinster, Ugrán mac Cennétig, the King of Laois and, last but not least, Augaire mac Ailella, the King of Leinster.

As a result, there was not only extensive looting in Kildaire, but also the reconquest of Dublin by King Sitric Caéch, with the result that Dublin remained a Nordic base until it was conquered by the Anglo-Normans in the 12th century. Sitric also succeeded in bringing the Viking-controlled Northumbria under his control.

Succession

After Augaire's death in 917, the Crown of Leinster passed to the other branches of the House of Ui Dúnlaing for 30 years. It followed from 917 to 942 Faélan mac Muiredach of the Ui Dúnchada as 36th king, then exceptionally his son, Lorcán mac Fáelán from 942 to 943, then Bróen mac Maelmórda from the Ui Fáelan from 943 to 947 and only then can the son of Augaire, Tuathal mac Augaire, 39th King to the throne of Leinster from 947 to 958.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Francis J. Byrne, "Irish Kings and High-Kings," Appendix II, Plate 9: Ui Dúnlainge Kings of Laigin; Four Courts Press, Dublin, 1973 (2004)
2. ↑ Francis J. Byrne, op. Cit. Appendix, plate 9
3. ↑ Annals of the Four Masters M869.8 http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100005A/
4. ↑ [1]
5. ↑ Annals of the four masters for the year 872 (entry M 872.11) [2]
6. ↑ Annals of Ulster 917.2, 917.3 and 917.4., [3]
7. ^ Francis J. Byrne, "Irish Kings and High-Kings," Appendix II, Plate 9: Ui Dúnlainge Kings of Laigin; Four Courts Press, Dublin, 1973 (2004)

swell

• Annals of Ulster in English translation
• Annals of the Four Masters in English translation

literature

• Francis J. Byrne: "Irish Kings and High-Kings" Appendix II, Plate 9: Ui Dúnlainge Kings of Laigin; Four Courts Press, Dublin 1973 (2004)

predecessor	Office	successor
Cerball mac Muirecán	King of Leinster 909 - 917	Fáelá mac Muiredach