Cathal mac Finguine

Cathal mac Finguine (died 742) was an Irish King of Munster or Cashel, and effectively High King of Ireland as well. He belonged to the Eóganacht Glendamnach sept of the dominant Eóganachta kin-group whose members dominated Munster from the 7th century to the 10th. His father, uncle, grandfather, and great-grandfather had also been kings of Cashel, so too were his son and grandson.

Cathal's conflict with the Uí Néill kings, Fergal mac Máele Dúin, Flaithbertach mac Loingsig, and Áed Allán, son of Fergal mac Máele Dúin, is reported at some length in the Irish annals, and again northern and southern versions provide differing accounts. Cathal also appears as a character, not always portrayed sympathetically as in Aislinge Meic Con Glinne where he is possessed by a demon of gluttony, in a number of prose and verse tales in the Middle Irish language.

Widely regarded as the most powerful Irish king of the first half of the 8th century, and the strongest (historical) king from Munster before Brian Bóruma, Cathal mac Finguine is believed to be the last king mentioned in the Baile Chuinn Chétchathaig. The most expansionist historical Eóganacht king before him was Faílbe Flann mac Áedo Duib (d. 639).

The Eóganachta kingship, which had its chief seat at Cashel and chief church at Emly, was the most powerful in the southern half of Ireland, while the various branches of the Uí Néill and Connachta dominated the northern half. At this time the Uí Néill were striving to be the sole Kings of Tara, with the succession generally alternating between the northern and southern branches of the Uí Néill, although the ancient ceremonial kingship had not long before been held by the Laigin and Ulaid, and more distantly the Dáirine and Érainn. The kingship of Cashel, argued in early Munster sources, e.g. the Uraicecht Becc, as actually the most powerful in Ireland, was founded in the middle of the 5th century by the descendants of Conall Corc and Aimend, the "inner circle" of the Eóganachta, who after a century and a half of able politicking had come to supersede the overlordship of the Corcu Loígde in Munster.

...
Wikipedia