Editing Flaithbertach mac Loingsig (section)

{{short description|High King of Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
'''Flaithbertach mac Loingsig''' (died 765) was a [[High King of Ireland]]. He was a member of the [[Cenél Conaill]], a branch of the northern [[Uí Néill]]. He was the son of [[Loingsech mac Óengusso]] (died 703), a previous high king.<ref>Francis J.Byrne, ''Irish Kings and High-Kings'', Table 4</ref> He ruled from 728 to 734.<ref>the ''Laud Synchronisms'' and ''Rawlinson Genealogies'' give him a reign of 9 years; ''Book of Leinster'' gives him 7 years</ref>

He is considered to have been [[High King of Ireland]] following his victory over the previous High King, [[Cináed mac Írgalaig]] of the [[Síl nÁedo Sláine]], at the battle of Druim Corcain in 728 where Cináed was killed.<ref>''Annals of Ulster'' AU 728.1; ''Annals of Tigernach'' AT 728.1, 728.8</ref>

For much of Flaithbertach's reign his kingship was contested by his northern Uí Néill rival, [[Áed Allán]] of the [[Cenél nEógain]]. Áed's goal was the conquest of Mag nÍtha, a plain in the valley of the [[River Finn (County Donegal)|River Finn]] connecting northern and southern portions of Cenél Conaill territory.<ref>T.M. Charles-Edwards, ''Early Christian Ireland'', pg.573</ref> Prior to becoming high king he fought the Battle of Druim Fornocht with his rival in 727.<ref>''Annals of Ulster'' AU 727.2; ''Annals of Tigernach'' AT 727.2</ref> In 732 Flaithbertach was defeated by Áed in battle in which Flaithbertach's cousin Flann Gohan mac Congaile was slain.<ref>''Annals of Ulster'' AU 732.10</ref> Another encounter occurred in 733 in a battle fought in Mag nÍtha in which another cousin of Flaithbertach, Conaing mac Congaile was slain.<ref>''Annals of Ulster'' AU 733.3</ref> This was followed by a further encounter in 734 in Mag nÍtha.<ref>''Annals of Ulster'' AU 734.8</ref>

These defeats led Flaithbertach to call in the naval help of the men of [[Dál Riata]] but their fleet was destroyed at the mouth of the Bann in 734.<ref>Byrne, pg.114</ref> The less reliable ''Annals of the Four Masters'' state that the Scots did arrive to help Flaithbertach's army cut off the enemy and that the Ulaid and the [[Cianachta Glenn Geimin]] were allies of Áed in this battle.<ref>''Annals of the Four Masters'' M 728.3</ref>

After these series of battles Flaithbertach was deposed, or abdicated, and entered the monastery at [[Armagh]] where he died in 765.<ref>Charles-Edwards, pg.573; ''Annals of Ulster'', AU 734.10, 765.2</ref>

Flaithbertach was the last member of the Cenél Conaill to be generally counted as High King of Ireland, although [[Ruaidrí ua Canannáin]] (d. 950) is considered such by a minority of sources. Flaithbertach's sons included: [[Áed Muinderg]] (died 747) called King of the North; [[Loingsech mac Flaithbertaig]] (died 754) and [[Murchad mac Flaithbertaig]] (died 767) called chiefs of the Cenél Conaill. His daughter Dunlaith ingen Flaithbertaig (died 798) married the high king [[Niall Frossach]] (died 778).<ref>Geoffrey Keating, ''History of Ireland'', Book II, pg.153</ref>