What is Dúnchad mac Fiachnai?
'''Dúnchad mac Fiachnai''' (died circa 644)<ref>his death date is mentioned in the ''Annals of the Four Masters'', AFM 643</ref> was King of [[Ulaid]] from the [[Dal Fiatach]] dynasty. He was the son of [[Fiachnae mac Demmáin]] (died 627), a previous king.<ref>Byrne, Table 6; Charles-Edwards, appendix XXI; Mac Niocaill, pg.155</ref> He ruled from 637-circa 644. The Dal Fiatach recovered the kingship of Ulaid after the Battle of Mag Roth in 637 and were to retain it until 674. Family strife was a common theme among the dynasty at this time. Dúnchad's mother was Cumne Dub ingen Furudráin of the Uí Tuirtri (a tribe of the [[Airgialla]] west of [[Lough Neagh]] in modern [[County Tyrone]]). She had previously been married to Dúnchad's great uncle [[Baetan mac Cairill]] (died 581) by whom she had children. These children were eliminated by Dúnchad's full brother Máel Dúin mac Fiachnai in 605.<ref>''Annals of Ulster'', AU 605.2; ''Annals of Tigernach'', AT 604.3; Ó Cróinín, pg.217</ref> However, the ambitions of Máel Dúin were not to be fulfilled as he was murdered by Dúnchad at Óenach Deiscirt Maige, probably in southern Muirthemne in modern [[County Louth]].<ref>Ó Cróinín, pg.219</ref> His son [[Congal Cennfota mac Dúnchada]] (died 674) was also a King of Ulaid. ==Notes== {{reflist}} ==References== {{refbegin}} * ''Annals of Ulster'' at [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100001A/index.html] at [http://www.ucc.ie/ University College Cork] * ''Annals of Tigernach'' at [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100002/index.html] at [http://www.ucc.ie/ University College Cork] * Byrne, Francis John (2001), ''Irish Kings and High-Kings'', Dublin: Four Courts Press, {{ISBN|978-1-85182-196-9}} * Charles-Edwards, T. M. (2000), ''Early Christian Ireland'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, {{ISBN|0-521-36395-0}} * Gearoid Mac Niocaill (1972), ''Ireland before the Vikings'', Dublin: Gill and Macmillan * Dáibhí Ó Cróinín (2005), ''A New History of Ireland'', Volume One, Oxford: Oxford University Press {{refend}} ==Other