- Fallomon mac Con Congalt
Fallomon mac Con Congalt (died 766), also written Follaman mac Con Congelt, was
King of Mide , a kingdom of theUí Néill in central Ireland in modernCounty Westmeath andCounty Meath .Background
Fallomon belonged to the
Clann Cholmáin Bicc branch of the southern Uí Néill, a kin group which traced its descent fromColmán Bec , son ofDiarmait mac Cerbaill and, rather less certainly, fromNiall of the Nine Hostages . Clann Cholmáin Bicc's own lands lay aroundLough Lene , in Mide, the west-central part of the southern Uí Néill kingdoms, from which the names Meath and Westmeath are derived. The remainder of the southern Uí Néill formed the kingdoms of Tethbae, in the north-west midlands, north and west of theRiver Inny and east of theRiver Shannon , andBrega in the east midlands, east of the upper part of theRiver Boyne and its tributary theRiver Blackwater .The leading branch of Clann Cholmáin Bicc was later known as the Coille Fallomain, or Caille Follamain, after Fallomon himself. Its name is preserved in that of Killallon, some miles north-west ofClonmellon . [For the lands and peoples of the southern Uí Néill, see Byrne, "Irish Kings", pp. 87–94; Charles-Edwards, "Early Christian Ireland", pp. 15–36.]Clann Cholmáin Bicc were perhaps in the shadow of the neighbouring
Clann Cholmáin , in full Clann Cholmáin Máir, the descendants of Colmán Bec's brotherColmán Már , whose lands lay to the south-west around the hill ofUisnech . Until the 8th century, both were in a secondary position, the leadership of the southern Uí Néill being held by theSíl nÁedo Sláine of Brega, descended from Diarmait's sonÁed Sláine . During the period when the Síl nÁedo Sláine were dominant in the midlands, only one descendant of Colmán Bec was prominent, his sonÓengus mac Colmáin who may, perhaps, have beenKing of Tara , or more probably was appointed as deputy in the midlands&mash;he is called "king of the Uí Néill" at his death—by northernerSuibne Menn . [Charles-Edwards, "Early Christian Ireland", pp.476–481.]In the 8th century, a prolonged internal struggle among the various branches of the Síl nÁedo Sláine led to their decline and the rise of Clann Cholmáin Máir and perhaps also Clann Cholmáin Bicc. [Charles-Edwards, "Early Christian Ireland", pp. 571–573; Herbert "Vita Columbae", p. 37.]
Life
The last of Fallomon's ancestors to be reported in the
Irish annals is his great-grandfather Fáelchú, who died in the early 660s. ["Annals of Tigernach", AT 662.4.] The earliest record of Fallomon is in 733. Early in that year open warfare broke out among the northern Uí Néill, betweenFlaithbertach mac Loingsig ofCenél Conaill , who was the reigningHigh King of Ireland , andÁed Allán ofCenél nEógain , who would eventually force Flaithbertach to abdicate and become a pilgrim or monk. ["Annals of Ulster", AU 732.10 & 733.3; "Annals of Tigernach", AT 733.3 & 733.4.]Later in the year, war is reported in the midlands. The "
Annals of Ulster " record that Cathal—usually taken to beCathal mac Finguine ,King of Munster —was first of all defeated byDomnall Midi and Clann Cholmáin MáirTailtiu , site of the main Uí Néillóenach , and then vuctorious against Fallomon and Clann Cholmáin Bicc at theHill of Ward , site of the óenach ofTlachtga , second in importance only to that of Tailtiu. ["Annals of Ulster", AU 733.7; Byrne, "Irish Kings", p. 208.] However, a recent reinterpretation of this record has been proposed. Rather than identifying Cathal with Cathal mac Finguine, Charles-Edwards suggests that this isCathal mac Áeda of the Síl nÁedo Sláine,King of Lagore . [Charles-Edwards, "Early Christian Ireland", pp. 477–480.]Nothing further is recorded of Fallomon until after the death of Domnall Midi in 763, at which time he appears as an ally of Domnall's kin and, in particular, Domnall's son
Donnchad Midi . This alliance is presumed to have existed from the earliest part of Domnall's reign, if not before, which began when he defeated and killed Áed Allán in 743. [On the alliance, Herbert, "Vita Columbae", p. 37; Charles-Edwards, "Early Christian Ireland", p. 477.]In 765 Fallomon is recorded as aiding Donnchad against Murchad, another of Domnall Midi's sons. Murchad was killed at "Carn Fiachach", near present-day
Rathconrath , fighting against Fallomon and Donnchad. [Doherty, "Donnchad"; "Annals of Ulster", AU 765.5.] Fallomon was killed in 766, at which time he is called king of Mide. ["Annals of Ulster", AU 766.2; Charles-Edwards, "Early Christian Ireland", p. 480.] The "Annals of Ulster" call the killing "treacherous", while the "Annals of Tigernach " call it "dolose" (deceitfully). Since Donnchad was the main beneficiary—he became King of Mide after this—it has been suggested that the killing was on his orders. [Herbert, "Vita Columbae", p. 38.]###@@@KEYEND@@@###
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.