Bran mac Fáeláin

Bran mac Fáeláin (died 838) was a King of Leinster of the Uí Dúnchada sept of the Uí Dúnlainge branch of the Laigin. This sept had their royal seat at Líamhain (Lyons Hill, on the Dublin-Kildare border). He was the nephew of Fínsnechta Cethardec mac Cellaig (died 808) and grandson of Cellach mac Dúnchada (died 776), previous kings. [Byrne, Table 9 with corrigenda, pg.xxiv] His father Fáelán (died 804) had been abbot of Kildare. Bran ruled from 835-838.

The annals record that in 835, the high king Niall Caille of the Cenél nEógain led an army into Leinster and set up Bran as king. ["Annals of Ulster", AU 835.1] The previous king Cellach mac Brain (died 834) of the Uí Muiredaig sept had been aligned with Feidlimid mac Cremthanin (died 847), the powerful king of Munster. The annals mention a co-ruler, his cousin Riacán mac Fínsnechtai who died in 837. [AU 837.2]

Viking raids occurred during his reign. In 837 a viking force of sixty ships operated on the Liffey river and plundered the surrounding plain. [AU 837.3]

Bran's sons Muiredach mac Brain (died 885) and Ruarc mac Brain (died 862) were also Kings of Leinster.

Notes

References

* "Annals of Ulster" at [http://celt.ucc.ie/index.html CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts] at [http://www.ucc.ie/ University College Cork]
* "Book of Leinster","Rig Laigin" at [http://celt.ucc.ie/index.html CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts] at [http://www.ucc.ie/ University College Cork]
* Byrne, Francis John (2001), Irish Kings and High-Kings, Dublin: Four Courts Press, ISBN 978-1-85182-196-9

External links

* [http://celt.ucc.ie/index.html CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts] at [http://www.ucc.ie/ University College Cork]