Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair
He was the youngest son of Ruaidrí na Saide Buide (died 1118), and his mother was Mór, daughter of Toirdelbach Ua Briain (1009–14 July 1086).
Tairrdelbach's brothers Tadc and Domnall both gained the kingship at different times, but depended upon the support of Muircherteach Ua Briain.
In 1106, with the support of his uncle Muirchertach Ua Briain, eighteen-year-old Tairrdelbach deprived his older brother Domnall of the kingship of Connacht.
"Tairrdelbach carefully maintained his alliance with Ua Briain, sending troops to aid the High King against the Ui Ruaric of Bréifne in 1109.
But he was also determined to defend his kingdom against predators such as Domnall Mac Lochlainn of the Uí Néill (d. 1121), king of the north of Ireland.
He attacked the Northern Uí Néill the next year in 1111, plundering Termonn Dabeoc in Tír Chonaill and ravaging modern County Fermanagh as far as Lough Erne.
This can be seen in several instances, most notably the partition of Munster, which at the time, under the rule of the Ua Briain (O'Brien dynasty) was the most powerful kingdom in Ireland and had controlled the High Kingship for over a century, since the death of Brian Boru.
In 1114, Toirdelbhach took advantage of political turmoil in the Kingdom of Munster, which at the time was ruled by his uncle, Muircherteach Ua Briain, King of Munster and High King of Ireland, who had previously often supported Toirdelbach as he reigned in Connacht and was the one who backed him to take the Kingship from his brother, had become "sick to the point of a living Skeleton".
But they turned against Muircherteach at Glanmire in County Cork, allying with the MacCarthys to remove the High King from power once and for all.
But it was around this point that Muircherteach finally managed to successfully topple his brother Diarmuid from power and retook the Kingship, however, he was now only King of Thomond, not the whole of Munster.
Toirdelbach had now defeated and partitioned the Kingdom of Munster, gained the submission of several other kings, and notably ended the Ua Briain's hold of the High Kingship which had lasted since 1002.
Tairrdelbach constructed Dún Gaillimhe in 1124, for use as a fort and naval base, from which the King's fleets could attack all along the west coast of Ireland.
[4] He also created a new supply of water for settlements in eastern Connacht when he constructed a six-mile-long canal which redirected the River Suck around a castle and towards nearby towns and villages.
[3] A political strategy often utilised successfully by Toirdelbhach was the appointment of relatives or loyal nobles as rulers or governors of towns, cities and other lesser regions or kingdoms.
A superb military commander by any standards, his victory at Móin Mór in 1151 was among the most decisive in Irish history, inflicting 7000 enemy casualties ... An innovative tyrant, his creation of castles was novel in Éire ... as was his apparent wish to introduce male primogeniture ... Commercial and political networks connected him with fellow-rulers in Britain, Francia, and Scandinavia.
He reorganised lordships and kingdoms as suited him, carving out a well-defended personal domain within Connacht, an imperium that he would have span all Éire.
[2] As Toirdelbach did not want any tension between himself and the Catholic church in Ireland, eventually the family briefly reconciled before Ruadhrí again rebelled against his father in the year 1143, and was defeated yet again.
Toirdelbach did not make the same mistake twice or risk the life of another of his sons and instead divided the kingdom of Meath between three kings loyal to him; modern County Westmeath was given to the Northern Uí Néill, and 'East Meath' was divided between the Ua Ruaircs of Breifne (modern counties Leitrim and Cavan) and the third are was given to the King of Leinster.
[2] Toirdelbhach selected another son, Domhnall Mór mac Tairrdelbach, to be his Tánaiste and heir to the throne of Connacht and Ireland.
In what was one of the most decisive battles ever fought in Ireland, Tairrdelbach defeated the forces of Toirdelbach Ó Briain, killing "7000" enemy soldiers.
[5][4] Naval battle off Inishowen In the year 1156, Toirdelbhach organised a massive fleet gathered from all over western Connacht including men and ships from Dún Gaillimhe, Clew Bay on the coast of County Mayo (likely the seafaring Uí Mháille (O'Malley) clan and Connemara in western County Galway among others.
Muircherteach Mac Lochlainn (who would later succeed Toirdelbach as High King of Ireland), who was a member of the Cenel Eoghain branch of the Ui Néill Dynasty, decided to request the assistance of the Viking Norse-Gaels who inhabited the Norse Kingdom of the Isles in the modern Hebrides and Western Isles of Scotland.
The Vikings, under the command of a man by the name of Mac Scelling, sailed from western Scotland and the two fleets met in a battle off the peninsula of Inishowen.
[4] He was succeeded as King of Connacht by his son Ruadhrí mac Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobhair, who had previously been his Tánaiste.
[2] One of Toirdelbach's twenty sons, Ruadhrí, would become High King of Ireland following the death of Muircherteach mac Lochlainn, despite him rebelling against his father earlier in his life.
486–489): " Toirdhealbhach Mor s. Ruaidhri, high-king of Ireland, had many sons; Ruaidhri, king of Ireland also, Cathal Croibhdhearg, king of Connacht, Domhnall Mor, tainst of Connacht (to him was finally granted the hundredfold increase) were his three sons by his wife; Maol Iosa, coarb of Coman, was the eldest of his family (and his heir), and Aodh Dall and Tadhg Alainn and Brian Breifneach and Brian Luighneach, Maghnus and Lochlainn, Muircheartach Muimneach, Donnchadh, Maol Seachlainn, Tadhg of Fiodhnacha, Cathal Mioghran, two [sons named] Conchabhar, Diarmaid, Domhnall, Muirgheas, Tadhg of Dairean, Murchadh Fionn."
