Muiredach mac Brain

Who was Muiredach mac Brain?

Muiredach mac Brain was a King of Leinster of the Uí Dúnchada sept of the Uí Dúnlainge branch of the Laigin. This sept had their royal seat at Líamhain. He was the son of Bran mac Fáeláin and brother of Ruarc mac Brain, previous kings.

There is much confusion in the king lists during this period for Leinster. Francis John Byrne suggests that the root of this apparent confusion lay in the fact that the Uí Dúnlainge kings exercised little real authority due to the aggressions of their western neighbour Cerball mac Dúnlainge, King of Osraige. Cerball, while unable to install himself as king of Leinster, was able to prevent any rival king exercising real power there. Muiredach himself appears in the annals as leader of Leinster forces and King of Leinster at a time when others were considered to be king.

His first appearance in the annals is in the year 870. In that year, the high king Áed Findliath invaded Leinster and overran it. Meanwhile his ally Cerball mac Dúnlainge of Osraige invaded Leinster from the west. He reached Dún Bolg where his camp was attacked by the Laigin who were at first successful, but in a counter-attack they were put to flight. Muiredach is named as leader of the Leinster forces and as king. The resistance was enough to prevent the high king from taking the hostages of Leinster.