The Battle of Mag Rath

Doorway at Teampall Mór, St Mullins

Close-up view of the pointed west doorway of Teampall Mór at St. Mullins. The pointing is not an original feature of the ruin but rather a later insertion. Teampall Mór or "great church" is the oldest church on this ancient site.

Carlow County Library

Doorway at Teampall Mór, St Mullins
Carlow County Library

Doorway at Teampall Mór, St Mullins

Close-up view of the pointed west doorway of Teampall Mór at St. Mullins. The pointing is not an original feature of the ruin but rather a later insertion. Teampall Mór or "great church" is the oldest church on this ancient site.

Carlow County Library

Enlarge image

The Battle of Mag Rath (Moira, County Down) took place in the year A.D. 637. It was fought between Congal Caech who was King of the Ulaid and his foster-father Domhnall, King of Ireland whose fort was at Dún na nGedh on the Boyne and later at Ard Fothaid in Donegal.

While the clerics supported Domhnall, Mad Sweeney supported Congal Caech and he also had the support of the Scots. The horrors of this battle caused Sweeney to go insane and he wandered around Ireland in this mad frenzy until he came to St. Mullins in South Carlow and met with St. Moling and his community there.