Brian mac Maelruanaidh

Brian mac Maelruanaidh, King of Uí Briúin Seóla or West Connacht, died 959.

There is uncertainty over the succession between Donnchadh mac Urchadh and Brian. A Maelcairearda King of Uí Briúin, is recorded in the annals as dying in 993 but this may refer to Uí Briúin proper, or indeed its offshoots.

A notable event took place on the crannog home of Muintir Murchada, at Lough Cimbe (now Lough Hackett) in 991:

The wind sunk the island of Loch Cimbe suddenly, with its dreach and rampart, i.e. thirty feet.

All that is known of Brian is contained in his obit, dated 1003:

Brian, son of Maelruanaidh, lord of West Connaught, was slain by his own people

In that year, "the Ui-Fiachrach Aidhne aided by West Connaught fought a battle against the Uí Maine" and "the men of West Meath ... wherein fell Gillaceallaigh, son of Comhaltan Ua Cleirigh, lord of Ui-Fiachrach; Conchobhar, son of Ubban; Ceannfaeladh, son of Ruaidhri, and many others. Finn, son of Marcan, Tanist of Ui-Maine, fell in the heat of the conflict." It is not known if this conflict had any role in Brian's assassination. Both the Muintir Murchada and Uí Fiachrach Aidhne were allied with Brian Boru, who was the son of a daughter of Urchadh mac Murchadh.

References

• West or H-Iar Connaught Ruaidhrí Ó Flaithbheartaigh, 1684 (published 1846, ed. James Hardiman).
• Origin of the Surname O'Flaherty, Anthony Matthews, Dublin, 1968, p.40.
• Irish Kings and High-Kings, Francis John Byrne (2001), Dublin: Four Courts Press, ISBN 978-1-85182-196-9
• Annals of Ulster at CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork
• Byrne, Francis John (2001), Irish Kings and High-Kings, Dublin: Four Courts Press, ISBN 978-1-85182-196-9