Conchobar mac Nessa facts for kids

Conchobar mac Nessa (meaning "son of Ness") was a legendary king of Ulster in ancient Irish mythology. He is a main character in the famous Ulster Cycle stories. Conchobar ruled from his royal fort called Emain Macha, which is near modern-day Armagh. His mother was Ness, the daughter of a king of Ulster. His father is usually said to be Fachtna Fáthach, a High King, but some stories say his father was the druid Cathbad. He was known as "mac Nessa" because his mother Ness was so important.

The Birth of King Conchobar

There are different stories about how Conchobar was born.

A Druid's Prophecy

In one tale, his mother Ness asked the druid Cathbad what was a good time for something special. Cathbad said it was a good time to have a king. Since no other men were around, Ness and Cathbad had a son.

Born by a River

Another story says Ness was raised by twelve foster-fathers. A war-band led by Cathbad attacked their home and killed them. Ness then formed her own group to find Cathbad. She found him bathing and he captured her. He agreed to spare her life if she married him. They settled near a river called Conchobar. Ness became pregnant, but the father was actually Fachtna Fáthach, the High King and Ness's lover.

As Ness and Cathbad traveled to see Fachtna, Ness started to give birth. Cathbad told her that if she could wait until the next day, her son would become a very famous king. Ness sat on a stone by the river Conchobar. The next morning, she gave birth. The baby fell into the river, but Cathbad rescued him. He named the baby Conchobar after the river and raised him as his own son.

How Conchobar Became King

When Conchobar was only seven years old, Fergus mac Róich was the king of Ulster. Fergus fell in love with Ness, Conchobar's mother. Ness agreed to marry Fergus, but only if he let Conchobar be king for one year. This was so her children could be called the sons of a king. Under old Irish laws, only those with a king as a male ancestor could become kings themselves.

The nobles of Ulster told Fergus this would not change his own power. They thought the boy would only be king in name. So, Fergus agreed. But Conchobar, guided by his clever mother, ruled so well that everyone decided he should stay king permanently.

Fergus was upset and joined forces with the new High King, Eochu Feidlech. They fought against Ulster. After many battles, Conchobar offered peace. Fergus was given land and a special place of honor at Emain Macha. He was also named Conchobar's heir. Conchobar also demanded payment from Eochu for killing his father, Fachtna Fáthach. He received land, status, and the High King's daughter in marriage.

Conchobar's Family and Marriages

Conchobar married several of King Eochu's daughters.

His Wives and Children

• Medb, who later became the powerful queen of Connacht, was his first wife. She had a son named Amalgad with him, but she soon left him.
• Her sister Eithne also had a son with Conchobar. This son, Furbaide, was born after his mother died.
• Mugain was another wife and had a son named Glaisne. She remained his main wife.
• His oldest son, Cormac Cond Longas, was raised by Fergus mac Róich.
• Other sons included Cúscraid Mend Macha and Folloman.
• His daughter Fedelm Noíchrothach married the King of Tara, Cairbre Nia Fer. They had a son, Erc, and a daughter, Achall.

His Sisters and Nephew

Conchobar had two sisters:

• Findchóem married the poet Amergin. Their son was the famous warrior Conall Cernach.
• Deichtine was the mother of the greatest Ulster hero, Cú Chulainn. This made Conchobar his uncle.

The Sad Story of Deirdre

One day, Conchobar was visiting his storyteller's house. The storyteller's wife gave birth to a daughter. Cathbad, Conchobar's chief druid, made a sad prediction. He said the girl would be so beautiful that kings would fight over her, and she would bring only sorrow. The child was named Deirdre.

Conchobar decided to raise Deirdre away from all men. He planned to marry her when she grew up. However, Deirdre fell in love with a young warrior named Naoise. She ran away with him and his two brothers. They had to hide and eventually fled to Scotland. Wherever they settled, local kings tried to kill the brothers to get Deirdre.

Conchobar eventually found them. He sent Fergus to them, promising them safe passage home. But on the way back, Conchobar tricked Fergus into leaving them. Deirdre, Naoise, and his brothers were then escorted back to Emain Macha by Fergus's son. When they arrived, Conchobar ordered them to be killed by Éogan mac Durthacht. Deirdre was forced to marry Conchobar.

Fergus was furious about the death of his son and the betrayal of his honor. He went to war against Conchobar. Cormac Cond Longas, Conchobar's own son, sided with his foster-father Fergus. They burned Emain Macha and caused much destruction. Fergus and Cormac then went into exile in Connacht with Queen Medb and her husband Ailill.

Deirdre lived with Conchobar for a year, but she was always sad. She rarely smiled, ate, or slept. Conchobar asked her what she hated most. She replied, "you, and Éogan mac Durthacht." Conchobar then gave her to Éogan.

The Great Cattle Raid of Cooley

Later, Queen Medb of Connacht gathered a huge army from four of Ireland's five provinces. She invaded Ulster to steal a famous bull called Donn Cúailnge. This event is known as the Táin Bó Cúailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley).

At this time, Conchobar and most of the Ulster warriors were unable to fight. They were under a curse from the goddess Macha. Only Cú Chulainn was unaffected. Cú Chulainn fought many single battles against Connacht champions. He hoped to give the Ulstermen time to recover.

Eventually, Cú Chulainn's father, Sualtam, came to Conchobar at Emain Macha. He warned the king about the damage the Connacht army was doing. He demanded that Conchobar raise his army. Conchobar and his druids decided Sualtam should be punished for speaking before the king without permission. Sualtam ran out and died trying to warn them.

Conchobar then raised his army and led them into battle. During the fight, Fergus had Conchobar at his mercy. But Cormac Cond Longas, Conchobar's son, stopped Fergus from killing his father. Fergus instead struck off the tops of three hills in anger. Medb was eventually forced to retreat by Cú Chulainn. However, she managed to bring the bull back to Connacht. There, it fought her husband Ailill's bull, Finnbhennach, killed it, and then died from exhaustion.

The Battle of Ros na Ríg

After the Cattle Raid, Conchobar became very ill. He wouldn't eat or sleep. The Ulstermen asked Cathbad to find out what was wrong. Conchobar said he was sick because the other provinces had attacked him without punishment. Even though he won against Ailill and Medb, they were not killed, and he lost his bull. He wanted to go to war against Connacht.

Cathbad advised him to wait until summer when his men and horses would be strong. In the meantime, he should call on his allies from other lands. Conchobar sent word to Conall Cernach, who was in the Scottish islands. Conall gathered a large fleet of allies from Scandinavia and the Faroe Islands and brought them to Ulster.

In response, the other provinces prepared for war. The king of Munster, Eochu mac Luchta, convinced Ailill and Medb to offer peace to Conchobar. Conchobar rejected their offer. He said he would not be satisfied until he could set up his tent anywhere in Ireland. He chose Ros na Ríg (Rosnaree) on the River Boyne for that night.

A battle began at Ros na Ríg. The Ulstermen fought against the kingdom of Meath, led by Conchobar's son-in-law Cairpre Nia Fer, and the Gailióin of Leinster. The battle was going badly for Ulster until Conall Cernach joined. The Ulstermen were too afraid of Conall to retreat. Conall killed many men. Cairpre Nia Fer was killed by Cú Chulainn. The Gailióin retreated, and the Ulstermen took Tara. Erc, Cairpre's son and Conchobar's grandson, became the new king of Tara. He promised loyalty to Conchobar and married Cú Chulainn's daughter.

The Death of King Conchobar

The story of Conchobar's death was very popular in medieval times.

Conchobar died because of a wound from a Connacht warrior named Cet mac Mágach. Cet had stolen a battle trophy from Ulster: the hardened brain of a dead king. Cet shot this brain from his sling, and it got stuck in Conchobar's head. This happened at a place called Baile Ath in Urchair.

Conchobar's doctors could not remove it. They sewed up the wound and told the king he would live as long as he stayed calm and didn't get too excited. Seven peaceful years later, Conchobar heard about the death of Jesus Christ. He became so angry that the brain fragment burst from his head, and he died. The blood from the wound was seen as a kind of Christian baptism, and his soul was believed to go to heaven.

After Conchobar's death, the Ulstermen invited his son Cormac Cond Longas, who was still in exile, to become king. But on his way to Emain Macha, Cormac was killed in battle. Then, on the advice of Conall Cernach, Conchobar's other son, Cúscraid Mend Macha, became the new king.

See also

• Brain balls

Links to stories

• Tidings of Conchobar son of Ness
• The Birth of Conchobar
• Medb's Men, or the Battle of the Boyne
• The Birth of Cú Chulainn
• The Exile of the Sons of Usnech
• The Battle of Ros na Ríg
• The Death of Conchobar