Kellah Mack Rogallig

The early years

Kellah was one of the sons of the governor Connacht Rogallah, poppy of Watah and Murenn of the Kenel Kairpri clan. According to medieval genealogies , it belonged to Wu Brijun Ai, one of the branches of the Wu Brijun clan ^{[1] [2]} . The lands of Wye Brijun were located on the plain of Mage Ay, located around the ancient Irish complex Kruahan ^[3] . In historical sources, Kellah is mentioned with the epithet "Loha Kime", which he received on the Loch Hacket Lake (in the modern county of Galway ) ^[4] .

After the death of King Rogallah in 649, the poppy of Watah in Connacht began a struggle for power. On the one hand, the sons of the deceased monarch, Fergus, Katal and Kellah, hoped to inherit power over the kingdom, enlisted the support of King Bregi Diarmait Mak Aedo Slane . On the other hand, Guaira Aydne of the influential Connacht family, Wu Fiachrah, claimed his right to the throne. Opponents came together for a battle near modern Gort . In the battle known as the Battle of Karn Conayle , Diarmait’s army defeated Guayre Aydne’s army, barely able to escape from the battlefield. According to the Annals of Tigernach , the Munsters were allies of Guayre Aydne in the battle, but this information is not available in the Annals of Inishfalllen and Annals of Ulster ^{[5] [6] [7]} . At the same time, historical sources indicate that, despite the outcome of the battle, the throne of Connaught passed not to the sons of Rogallah, but to his brother Guayre Aydne Loingsheh mack Colmain ^{[1] [2]} .

Over the next half century, Connacht was ruled by both representatives of the Wie Fiachra clan and members of the Wye Brijun clan. Medieval sources describing Connacht events of this time contain factual and chronological errors. Thus, in some of their reports on the Birr synod held in 697, at which the “ Law of Adomann ” was approved, Kellach was already endowed with the royal title, while according to the Irish annals, the throne of Connaught was then owned by Muiredah Mulletan ^{[8] [9]} .

King Connacht

In fact, Kellah poppy Rogallaig gained power over Connaught only in 702, when he succeeded his nephew, the deceased King Muiredah Mulletan, on the throne ^[10] . The lists of Connaught monarchs contained in the Leinster Book and the treatise Laud Synchronisms incorrectly indicate the time of Kellach’s reign, placing it between the kings Dunhad Muriski and Fergal Aydne . In the first of these sources, Kellah is also erroneously endowed with seven years of rule, while in the second it is reported that he ruled for four years ^{[11] [12]} .

According to the annals, in the summer of 704, the supreme king of Ireland, Loingseh poppy Engusso of the Kenel Conill clan invaded Connacht with a large army. Perhaps he either wanted to expand the ownership of Kenel Conill, or intended to impose tribute to put King Kellah poppy Rogallaig under his authority. It is also believed that the cause of the war could have been the expansion of Wye Brijne into the territory of the Sept. Kenel Kairpri subordinate to Loingsheh , who owned the lands in Brefna ^[13] . However, the governor of the Connaughtians managed to assemble an army, personally led it, and in the battle of the Koran (in the modern county of Sligo ) July 12 inflicted a crushing defeat on the army of the supreme king. According to the poem “Basa adhaigh i ccorann, basa uacht, basa omum”, Loingsheh hoped to easily overcome King Kellach, who was already in his old age. This is also reported in the " Fragmentary Annals of Ireland ", in which it is reported that the bards of the supreme king reproached the ruler of Connaught before the battle, calling him old and weak, and that Kellah, offended by such words, personally led his soldiers to battle and won a complete victory . In the battle, Loingseh himself, three of his sons (Artgal, Connaught and Flann Gerg) and many soldiers of the High King died ^{[14] [15] [16] [17]} .

Kellah poppy Rogallig died in 705. In the recordings of this event, the Annals of Ulster and the Annals of Tigernach endow him with the title King of Connaught. The same sources report that shortly before his death, Kellah renounced the worldly life and took the priesthood ^[18] . After Kellach, the throne of Connacht passed to Indrechtah the poppy Dunhado from the clan Wui Fiahrah ^[4] .

Kellah poppy Rogallayg was the father of Domnall and Forggus . Like their father, they were both Connaught monarchs ^{[1] [2]} . The descendants of Kellach were the septus of Seal Kellig, four representatives of which in the 8th century owned the throne of Connaught ^[4] .

• Byrne F. D. Kings and supreme rulers of Ireland. - SPb. : Eurasia , 2006 .-- 368 p. - ISBN 5-8071-0169-3 .
• Charles-EdwardsTM Early Christian Ireland . - Cambridge: Cambridge University Press , 2000 .-- 707 p. - ISBN 978-0-5213-6395-2 .