Colmán Rímid

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Colmán Rímid (or Colmán mac Báetáin) (died 604) was an Irish king who is included in some lists as a High King of Ireland. Colmán was the son of Báetán mac Muirchertaig (died 572), also considered to be a high king, and belonged to the Cenél nEógain branch of the northern Uí Néill.[1] He ruled in Ailech from 578 to 602.[2] His byname Rímid meant "the Counter".

The high kingship of Ireland rotated between the Cenél nEógain and Cenél Conaill branches in the late 6th century.[3] He is said to have shared the High Kingship with Áed Sláine. The accession of Colmán and Áed to the high kingship is recorded in the annals in 598.[4] They are also listed as kings in the king lists.[5] They are however omitted from the earliest king list, the Baile Chuind (The Ecstasy of Conn), a late 7th-century Irish poem. Fiachnae mac Báetáin of Ulaid may have been effectively king.[6]

In 602 Colmán defeated his Cenél Conaill rival, Conall Cú mac Áedo (died 604) at the Battle of Cúl Sleamna (in Raphoe barony) and Conall was put to flight.[7] Colmán met his death in 604 when he was killed by a kinsman, Lochán Dilmana.[8] The Annals of Ulster state of this:[9]

Of what value kingship, of what value law; of what value power over princes; Since it is king Colmán the Counter whom Lochan Dithnadha has slain?

His daughter, or perhaps granddaughter, Fín, was the mother of Aldfrith son of Oswiu.[10] The poet Cenn Fáelad mac Aillila (died 679) was his nephew.[11] His brother Máel Umai (died 610) fought at the Battle of Degsastan where he is said to have killed the brother of King Æthelfrith of Bernicia.

Family tree of Colmán Rímid
Báetán mac
Muirchertaig
Colmán RímidMáel UmaiFergusForannánAilill
Fín ingen
Colman		Oswiu of
Northumbria		Cenél
Forgusa		Hui
Forannáin		Cenn Fáelad
mac Aillila		Sabina
Aldfrith of
Northumbria		Cuthburh
of Wessex		Cuthbert of
Lindisfarne
OsredOffaOsricOsana
 Documented relationships
Speculative relationships
italics
 Family name

Notes[]

  1. ^ T.M. Charles-Edwards, Early Christian Ireland, Appendix V
  2. ^ he is given a reign of 24 years in the Laud Synchronisms
  3. ^ Charles-Edwards, pg.494-495
  4. ^ Annals of Ulster AU 598.5; Annals of Tigernach AT 596.3
  5. ^ given reigns of 6 years in Laud Synchronisms, 7 years in Book of Leinster
  6. ^ Charles-Edwards, pg.499-500
  7. ^ Annals of Ulster AU 601.3, 602.2; Annals of Tigernach AT 600.2
  8. ^ Annals of Ulster AU 604.1; Annals of Tigernach AT 602.1
  9. ^ Annals of Ulster 604.1
  10. ^ Francis J.Byrne, Irish Kings and High-Kings, pg.260
  11. ^ [1] Archived 2009-04-24 at the Wayback Machine. Aldfrith of Northumbria and the Irish genealogies. Ireland, C. A., in Celtica 22 (1991].

References[]

  • Annals of Ulster at CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork
  • Annals of Tigernach at CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork
  • Charles-Edwards, T.M., Early Christian Ireland. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000. ISBN 0-521-36395-0
  • Byrne, Francis John (2001), Irish Kings and High-Kings, Dublin: Four Courts Press, ISBN 978-1-85182-196-9
  • Grimmer, Martin (October 2006). "The Exogamous Marriages of Oswiu of Northumbria". The Heroic Age, issue 9. Retrieved 2007-04-06.
Retrieved from ""