Maelan mac Cathmogha


Maelan mac Cathmogha was King of Maigh Seóla.

Origins

Maelan appears to be one of the earliest recorded kings of the territory of Maigh Seola, later known as Uí Briúin Seóla. He is not recorded in the genealogies, of which Francis John Byrne has this to say:

The Uí Briúin pedigrees show every sign of falsification... Uí Briúin Seóla of the Tuam area in County Galway... trace their separate descent though lines of unrecorded or dubious ancestors to Brión or his suppositious son Dauí in the 5th century;... such an adoption guaranteed them the tribute-free status of sáer-thuatha and ensured that Uí Briúin power should stretch from the Shannon to Clew Bay.

Thus it would appear that Maelan, and by implication his possible descendants, the Muintir Murchada, were political allies and not blood-relatives of the Uí Briúin. Magh Seola was surrounded to the east by the Soghain and the Uí Maine; to the south Conmaicne Máenmaige and the Uí Fiachrach Aidhne; to the west by the Delbhna Tir Dha Locha; to the north and far north-west, the Conmhaícne.

The Viking Wars

In the first half of the 9th century, Ireland experienced raids by Vikings. Some occurred in Connacht:
During one such episode in 848, Maelan was slain by the foreigners. He is anachronistically referred to as lord of Ui Briuin of South Connaught.