Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Maelsechlainn II
MAELSECHLAINN II (949–1022), king of Ireland, called by Irish chroniclers Maelsechlainn the Great, was son of Domhnall, son of Donnchadh, king of Ireland (919–944), and great-grandson of Flann Sionna, king of Ireland (879–916), son of Maelsechlainn I [q.v.] , and therefore of the southern Ui Neill. His mother was Donnflaith, daughter of Muircheartach na Gcoiceall Creacan [q. v.]
Maelsechlainn was born in Meath in 949, and probably took part in 969 in the war between his people, Clan Colmain, and Domhnall O'Neill [q. v.] He succeeded to the chiefship of the clan before 979, when he defeated the Danes under Ragnall, son of Amlaff, in a great battle at Tara, co. Meath. In 980, on the death of Domhnall, a descendant of Eoghan Mor, and therefore of the northern Ui Neill, it was the turn of the southern Ui Neill to provide the king of all Ireland, and Maelsechlainn succeeded. He immediately made an alliance with Eochaidh, king of Ulidia, besieged Dublin for three days and nights, seized a great plunder from the Danes, and compelled them to release all their Irish captives. One of the few extant edicts of Irish kings was made by him on this occasion, ‘Cech oen do Gaodhealaibh fil hi ccrich gall i ndaeire ocus dochraide taed as dia thir fodhesin fri sidh ocus fri subha’ (‘Every Irishman that is in slavery and oppression within the foreigner's province, let him go forth to his own land in peace and delight’). In 982 he invaded Clare, defeated the Dal Cais, and cut up and uprooted the Bile or tribal tree of Moyre, co. Clare, under which their chiefs were then inaugurated. The place, though thus laid waste, continued to be used for inauguration for six hundred years (S. H. O'Grady, translation of Cathreim Thoirdhealbhaigh, p. 3), and probably owed its devastation to the fact that Brian Boroimhe [q.v.] was away plundering Ossory at the time. As Brian returned, Maelsechlainn marched across his track, fought a battle with the Danes of Waterford, and invaded Leinster. In 984 he invaded Connaught, destroyed Magh Aei, and burned several cranoges. The example of the Danes was infectious, and in 985 he plundered the church of Ardee, co. Louth, by carrying the shrine of Patrick out of the jurisdiction of Armagh, into that of Clonard, to Assey, co. Meath. For this, however, he had to pay a fine of twenty-one cows and other dues to Armagh, and to submit to its ecclesiastical visitation. The next year there was an epidemic of cattle plague, and he invaded Leinster and brought home a great spoil of cows to repair the loss by the mailgairbh, as this murrain was called. In 989 he won a battle over the Danes outside Dublin, and then besieged the city for three weeks, cutting off its water supply till the Danes agreed to a tribute, to be paid every Christmas eve, of an ounce of gold for each family in the place. The next year he again attacked Thomond, and captured Donnchadh, king of Leinster, on the way home. Brian attempted to attack him in Meath in 992, but had to retire, and Maelsechlainn in revenge burned Nenagh, co. Tipperary, and ravaged Ormond, sacking Dublin again on the way back, and carrying off two Danish trophies, the ring of Tomar and the sword of Karl. He repelled an invasion of a tribe from the borders of Oirghialla, and slew their leader, Oissin O'Maichanen, at Inismot, co. Meath, in 997. He then attacked the Danes in alliance with his former foe, Brian. Next year Brian sailed up the Shannon and met him at Plein Pattoigi, on Loch Ree, and they made peace, Maelsechlainn agreeing to send home all his Munster and Leinster captives. Brian in return was not to plunder Leth Chuinn. In 1000 he and Brian won the important battle of Glen Mama in Wicklow over the Danes. They afterwards burned the Danish stronghold at Dublin, and in spite of its former captures obtained much plunder, and carried off many women and children as slaves. After his return to Meath, Maelsechlainn, with the king of Connaught, Cathal O'Conor, made an artificial ford over the Shannon at Athliag, near Lanesborough, and another near Athlone. In 1001 he felt the need of help against Brian, and sent Gilla Comgaill O'Slebhinn, a great man of letters, chief ollav of the north, to Aedh O'Neill at Ailech, and to Eochaidh, king of Ulidia, to urge them to join him in fighting Brian and Leth Mogha. A famous poem is extant, containing the address of the ollav to Aedh (Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh, p. 120, ed. Todd), but Aedh replied that the northern Ui Neill would not defend Tara for him, since when they had it they defended it alone. Maelsechlainn was not strong enough to fight Brian, so in 1002 he recognised the superiority of Brian as king, and gave him a tribute of twelve score steeds, as well as hostages. In 1003 he was obliged to lead his men with Brian's forces into North Connaught, but the northern Ui Neill guarded the shore between Ben Bulben and the sea, and they had to retreat. After this he lived among his own clan in Westmeath till 1011, when he attacked the northern Ui Neill, and ravaged Tyrone as far as Tullaghoge. He married first Gormflaith, widow of Olaf Cuaran the Dane, and after her death Maelmaire, sister of Sitric, another Danish king of Dublin. His son, Donnchadh, was killed in 1012 in a fight with a marauding party in Westmeath. Maelsechlainn pursued them and slew the leader Ualgarg O'Ciardha. He then marched south to Howth, and fought the Danes of Dublin, but at Drinan, co. Dublin, his son Flann was slain, and he had to retreat. Flaithbhertach, lord of Ailech, in revenge for the raid of Tullaghoge, invaded Meath by emerging from the hills at Moynalty. The site of this invasion may be traced on the spot. The words of the chronicle are ‘co Maighin attaed i ttaobh Cenannsa’ (Annala Rioghachta Eireann, ii. 768); and this is the modern Moynalty, near Kells, from the hills behind which is an ancient pass into Ulster. A misprint in O'Donovan's translation misinterprets the words ‘i ttaobh,’ and perhaps prevented the previous identification of the place. Maelsechlainn had to retire before the northern O'Neill. On 23 April 1014 he fought with Brian in the battle of Clontarf, in which the Danes were finally overthrown. Brian was slain, and Maelsechlainn, without dispute, again became king of all Ireland, and the remainder of the year was occupied in smaller fights with the Danes and with subordinate chiefs. In 1016 he invaded Ulidia, and carried off hostages, and attacked Ossory twice. The second time he marched on to Ui Ceinnsealaigh in Leinster and plundered it. The next year he fought another battle with the Danes, and in 1018 had a war with the northern Ui Neill and with some of the tribes of central Ireland. His second wife, Maelmaire, and his chief reachtaire or steward, MacConailligh, both died in 1021. He again fought the Danes and the Cinel Eoghain. He died on Sunday, 2 Sept. 1022, on a small fortress called Cro-inis, an island in Loch Ennell, co. Westmeath. On the shore of the lake his chief residence, Dun na sciath, was situated, and remains of its earthworks are to be seen there at the present day. It was probably for safety that he lay upon the island. He received extreme unction from Amhalghaidh, archbishop of Armagh, in the presence of other great ecclesiastics. He was the last formally inaugurated king of all Ireland, and with him the alternate succession of northern and southern Ui Neill, after lasting six hundred years, came to an end.
[Annala Rioghachta Eireann, ed. J. O'Donovan, vol. ii.; Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh, ed. J. H. Todd (Rolls Ser.) (this is an almost contemporary authority); Annals of Ulster, ed. W. M. Hennessy (Rolls Ser.); R. O'Flaherty's Ogygia, London, 1685; personal observation at Loch Ennell and near Moynalty.]