| A Brief Chronology (dates are uncorrected) |
Sources |
| Date of birth: unknown at this time. Ceallachan's father's
name was Buadachan. According to the saga his mother, "the noble queen,
was the wife of the coarb [successor of St. Patrick] of Cashel. And Cellachan
had been begotten in violation of her marriage with him. " (Bugge 1905:59).
Her name was not indicated. |
Caithreim Ceallachain Caisil |
Date of retirement or death of the preceeding king
of Munster? Lorcan mac Coinligain (Condligan), (Lorcan's son was Cennedigh)
The saga indicates Lorcan's reign was "one year and a half, and he
died a natural death."(Bugge 1905:58). "According to the Book
of leinster, however, his predecessor Lorcan reigned 7 years, in consequence
of which Ceallachan must have begun his reign A.D. 934, which is probably
the right date" (Bugge 1905:121). The Cogadh p. XCIII n. indicates
Lorcan's reign began in 922 AD
Before Lorcan mac Coinligain the King of Munster was Flaithbertach
mac Inmainen (ob. 944, suggesting an early retirement). The saga indicates
Flaithbertach's reign was "37 years" and he was preceeded by "Cormac,
son of Cuilennan, 7 years, and the Leinstermen killed him in the battle
of Leithglinn" (Bugge 1905: 57-58). Cormac, son of Cuilennan died in
908 AD |
Byrne 1973: p. 278
Caithreim Ceallachain Caisil (Bugge 1905: pp. 57-58)
The Book of Leinster |
Date of inauguration: 934 (?) Eugene
O'Curry in his Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History
indicates that in The Book of Munster there is a "detailed account
. . . of the contests and circumstances attending the accession to the throne
of Munster of . . . Ceallachan of Cashel, about 934" (O'Curry 1861:238). |
The Book of Munster |
The saga suggests that at the very beginning of his reign
Ceallachan fought battles within Munster with the Vikings at Limerick, Cork,
Cashel and Waterford and later came to an accomodation with the Desies.
Some time afterwards he was captured by the Vikings of
Dublin and released following an expediton to Armagh and Dundalk. The historical
accuracy of the saga is in dispute. |
Caithreim Ceallachain Caisil |
| Plunders Clonmacnoise: 936 AD |
Chronicon Scotorum: 935 AD
Annals of Four Masters 941 AD |
| Plunders Meath (Midhe), and Clonenagh (Cluan-eidhnech), and
Killeigh (Cill-aidedh), as far as Clonard (Cluan-Iraaird): 939 AD. He is
explicitly referred to as a king. |
Chronicon Scotorum 938 AD
Annals of Clonmacnoise 933 AD
Annals of the Four Masters 936 AD |
| Murchertach mac Neill (Mortaugh mcNeale or Murtaugh of the
leather coats) obtains the submission of the Osraige (east Munster) and
ravages the Deisi of Munster: 941 AD. "King Donnough o'Melaghlyn and
Mourtaugh mcNeale went over all Munster and Leinster and took their hostages"
A.Clon. 933 AD |
Annals of Clonmacnoise 933
Annals of Ulster 940 AD |
Ceallachan defeats the Ossorie (east Munster).
Mortaugh mcNeale with the forces of the north went to Ossory
and Desies and preyed them.
Ceallachan defeats the Deisi in a battle: 941 AD. |
Annals of Clonmacnoise 933
Annals of the Four Masters 936 AD
Annals of Clonmacnoise 934
Chronicon Scotorum 940 AD
Annals of Inisfallen 941 AD
Annals of the Four Masters 939 AD |
| The Deisi combined with the Osraige against Ceallachan and
gained a battle. |
Annals of the Four Masters 939 AD |
| Taking advantage of this, Muirchertach mac Neill in the winter
of 941 AD makes a surprise wintertime circuit of Ireland with 1000 men and
takes Ceallachan and others hostage. They may have been held at Aileach
for 5 months, when Donnchadh, (Donnogh mcMelaghlin) the king of tara or
Ireland refused the hostages, or as long as until Muirchertach's death in
943 AD. |
Annals of the Four Masters 939 AD
Circuit of Ireland 941 AD
Annals of Clonmacnoise 934
Annals of Ulster 940, alias 941 |
| Muirchertach son of Niall, royal heir of Ireland dies a violent
death "at the hands of the heathens" (Norse) in 943 AD. |
Annals of Inisfallen 943 AD
Annals of Ulster 942, alias 943 |
| After his release, Ceallachan defeats the Dal Cais led by
Cennedigh (Kennedy), son of Lorcan, father of Brian Boru at Magh-duine (Moyddwyne)
: 944 AD (Did Kennedy try to usurp Ceallachan's office while he was held
hostage?) |
Chronicon Scotorum 943 AD
Annals of Clonmacnoise 937 AD
Annals of the Four Masters 942 AD
Annals of Ulster 943, alias 944 |
| Donnchadh, or Donough, son of Flann, the high king of Tara
or Ireland dies 944 AD (25 year reign) |
Circuit of Ireland 944 AD
Annals of Ulster 943, alias 944 |
| Cennedigh, son of Lorcan, King of Dal-Cais, dies. |
Chronicon Scotorum 950 AD
Annals of Inisfallen 951 AD
Annals of Clonmacnoise 964 AD
Annals of Ulster 950 AD |
| Ryan and Bugge's inference that the last conflict with Leinster
described in the saga occurred in 951 AD is dependent upon an assumption
that the author of the saga correctly knew the date of death of Cormac mac
Cuileannain to be 908. However, by 951 AD Donnchadh, king of Tara was dead
(he died in 944) and the saga clearly indicates several times that he was
alive during the events at Dundalk, Dublin, and Leinster. This suggests
a much earlier date for the events in the saga. |
Caithreim Ceallachain Caisil |
A foray by Ceallachan and by Donnchad, "plundering
Cluan Ferta Brenainn and Cluan Moccu Nois" also "Deaghna-Beathra
and Daimh-liag of Gailne"
Clonmacnoise was plundered by the men of Munster with the
Vikings of Limerick ("Foreigners of Luimnech") 953 AD. |
Annals of Inisfallen 951 AD
Annals of the Four Masters 949 AD
Chronicon Scotorum 952 AD
Annals of the Four Masters 951 AD
Annals of Ulster 952, alias 953 |
| Date of death: 954 AD (age at death unknown at this time) |
Chronicon Scotorum 953 AD
Annals of Inisfallen 954 AD
Annals of Clonmacnoise 949 AD
Annals of the Four Masters 952 AD
Annals of Ulster 953, alias 954 |
| Death of Donnchad, son of Ceallachan, also a king of Cashel.
According to the Irelandseye website "The O'Donovan pedigree goes back
to Callaghan, a 10th-century King of Munster. From his son, Donnabhain,
came the family name (donn meaning 'brown' and dubhann meaning 'black').
. . Another O'Donovan family of Kilkenny who claimed descent from Eoghan,
a 3rd-century King of Munster, produced one of the most celebrated historians,
John O'Donovan. He published an Irish Grammar and translated and edited
the first complete edition of the Annals of the Four Masters. " |
Annals of Inisfallen 963 AD |