Eochaid Buide
Encyclopedia
Eochaid Buide was king of Dál Riata
from around 608 until 629. "Buide" refers to the colour yellow, as in the colour of his hair.
He was a younger son of Áedán mac Gabráin
and became his father's chosen heir upon the death of his elder brothers. Adomnán
's Life of Saint Columba
has Columba foresee that Eochaid, then a child, will succeed his father in preference to his adult brothers Artúr, Eochaid Find and Domangart.
In the last two years of his reign, 627–629, Eochaid was apparently co-ruler with Connad Cerr
, who predeceased him. Eochaid was followed by his son Domnall Brecc
.
Eochaid's other sons named by the Senchus fer n-Alban
are Conall Crandomna
, Failbe (who died at the Battle of Fid Eoin), Cú-cen-máthair (whose death is reported in the Annals of Ulster
for 604), Conall Bec, Connad or Conall Cerr (who may be the same person as Connad Cerr who died at Fid Eoin), Failbe, Domangart and Domnall Donn (not the same person as Domnall Donn
unless his obituary is misplaced by 45 years like that of Ferchar mac Connaid
)
According to the Fled Dúin na nGéd, Eochaid Buide was the grandfather of Congal Cáech
. The story has anachronistic features as it has Eochaid alive at the time of the battle of Mag Rath (securely dated to within a year of 637), but it is chronologically feasible that Congal Cáech could have been the son of Eochaid's daughter if the identification of Cú-cen-máthair and the dating of his death is correct.
Dál Riata
Dál Riata was a Gaelic overkingdom on the western coast of Scotland with some territory on the northeast coast of Ireland...
from around 608 until 629. "Buide" refers to the colour yellow, as in the colour of his hair.
He was a younger son of Áedán mac Gabráin
Áedán mac Gabráin
Áedán mac Gabráin was a king of Dál Riata from circa 574 until his death, perhaps on 17 April 609. The kingdom of Dál Riata was situated in modern Argyll and Bute, Scotland, and parts of County Antrim, Ireland...
and became his father's chosen heir upon the death of his elder brothers. Adomnán
Adomnán of Iona
Saint Adomnán of Iona was abbot of Iona , hagiographer, statesman and clerical lawyer; he was the author of the most important Vita of Saint Columba and promulgator of the "Law of Innocents", lex innocentium, also called Cáin Adomnáin, "Law of Adomnán"...
's Life of Saint Columba
Columba
Saint Columba —also known as Colum Cille , Colm Cille , Calum Cille and Kolban or Kolbjørn —was a Gaelic Irish missionary monk who propagated Christianity among the Picts during the Early Medieval Period...
has Columba foresee that Eochaid, then a child, will succeed his father in preference to his adult brothers Artúr, Eochaid Find and Domangart.
In the last two years of his reign, 627–629, Eochaid was apparently co-ruler with Connad Cerr
Connad Cerr
Connad Cerr was a king of Dál Riata in the early 7th century. He was either a son of Conall mac Comgaill or of Eochaid Buide. Connad appears to have been joint king with Eochaid Buide in the 620s....
, who predeceased him. Eochaid was followed by his son Domnall Brecc
Domnall Brecc
Domnall Brecc was king of Dál Riata, in modern Scotland, from about 629 until 642...
.
Eochaid's other sons named by the Senchus fer n-Alban
Senchus fer n-Alban
The Senchus Fer n-Alban is an Old Irish medieval text, believed to have been compiled in the 10th century. It may have been derived from earlier documents of the 7th century which are presumed to have been written in Latin...
are Conall Crandomna
Conall Crandomna
Conall Crandomna was king of Dál Riata from about 650 until 660.The Senchus fer n-Alban makes him a son of Eochaid Buide and thus a member of the Cenél nGabráin. The Duan Albanach has him succeed Ferchar mac Connaid of the Cenél Comgaill, which had not yet separated from the Cenél nGabráin...
, Failbe (who died at the Battle of Fid Eoin), Cú-cen-máthair (whose death is reported in the Annals of Ulster
Annals of Ulster
The Annals of Ulster are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years between AD 431 to AD 1540. The entries up to AD 1489 were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, under his patron Cathal Óg Mac Maghnusa on the island of Belle Isle on Lough Erne in the...
for 604), Conall Bec, Connad or Conall Cerr (who may be the same person as Connad Cerr who died at Fid Eoin), Failbe, Domangart and Domnall Donn (not the same person as Domnall Donn
Domnall Donn
Domnall Donn was king of Dál Riata . He was a son of Conall Crandomna.His death is reported by the Annals of Ulster, but without mention of a title. He is among the kings named by the Duan Albanach, following his father and Dúnchad mac Conaing, which assigns him an improbable reign of 13 years...
unless his obituary is misplaced by 45 years like that of Ferchar mac Connaid
Ferchar mac Connaid
Ferchar mac Connaid was king of Dál Riata from about 642 until 650.He was a son of Connad Cerr and thus probably a member of the Cenél Comgaill, although some older reconstructions make him a member of the Cenél nGabráin. His death appears in the Annals of Ulster for 694 along with a number of...
)
According to the Fled Dúin na nGéd, Eochaid Buide was the grandfather of Congal Cáech
Congal Cáech
Congal Cáech was a king of the Cruithne of Dál nAraidi, in modern Ulster, from around 626 to 637. He was king of Ulster from 627-637 and, according to some sources, High King of Ireland.-Sources:...
. The story has anachronistic features as it has Eochaid alive at the time of the battle of Mag Rath (securely dated to within a year of 637), but it is chronologically feasible that Congal Cáech could have been the son of Eochaid's daughter if the identification of Cú-cen-máthair and the dating of his death is correct.
External links
- CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork includes the Annals of Ulster, Tigernach, the Four Masters and Innisfallen, the Chronicon Scotorum, the Lebor Bretnach (which includes the Duan Albanach), Genealogies, and various Saints' Lives. Most are translated into English, or translations are in progress.
- Fled Dúin na nGéd at CELT