Anmchad mac Con Cherca

Anmchad mac Con Cherca (died circa 761) [his death date is not given in the annals] was a King of Osraige in modern County Kilkenny. He was the son of Cú Cherca mac Fáeláin (died 712), a previous king. ["Rawlinson Genealogies", pg.111] He ruled from 740-circa 761. His exact death date is unknown, he is last mentioned in the annals in 761 and the next mention of a ruler of the Osraige in the annals is 769.

Anmchad appears as an aggresive king in the annals. Osraige was subject to the kingdom of Munster but with the death of Cathal mac Finguine in 742 Munster went into a decline. In 742 the Osraige devestated the territory of the Cenél Fiachach and Delbna located in the southern portion of County Meath and northern section of County Offaly, areas traditionally subject to the southern Ui Neill. ["Annals of Ulster" AU 742.2; "Annals of Tigernach" AT 742.2]

The Osraige were often involved in conflict with the men of Leinster in the 8th century. Anmchad's ambitions were directed against the Uí Bairrche and Uí Cheinnselaig branches of the southern Laigin neighboring to the east [Charles-Edwards, pg.576] Battles of Anmcahd are mentioned in 747 and 750. [AT 747.16, 750.10] In 754 the Osraige destroyed a territory to their east known as Fotharta Fea, in the eastern portion of modern Co. Carlow in Leinster. [AU 754.7; AT 754.6] Anmchad won a battle at Belach Gabrain (the pass of Gowran in east-central Osraighe) in 759 on the border of Uí Bairrche [AT 759.6] He again won the Battle of Belach Gabrain in 761 where the Osraige defeated the men of Leinster and Donngal mac Laidcnén, King of the Uí Cheinnselaig of south Leinster, was slain. [AU 761.3; AT 761.2]

The Osraige began to fight among themselves after his death. His son Fergal mac Anmchada (died 802) was also King of Osraige.

Notes

References

* "Annals of Tigernach" at [http://celt.ucc.ie/index.html CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts] at [http://www.ucc.ie/ University College Cork]
* "Annals of Ulster" at [http://celt.ucc.ie/index.html CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts] at [http://www.ucc.ie/ University College Cork]
* Charles-Edwards, T. M. (2000), "Early Christian Ireland", Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-36395-0
* "Genealogies from Rawlinson B 502", compiled by Donnchadh Ó Corráin at [http://celt.ucc.ie/index.html CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts] at [http://www.ucc.ie/ University College Cork]

External links

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