Conchobar Maenmaige Ua Conchobair Conchobar Maenmaige Ua Conchobair , son of High King of Ireland Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair , was King of Connacht from 1183 to 1189 . He was a military commander and opponent of the Norman invasion of Ireland . Early life . Conchobar Maenmaige took his nickname from the territory of Trícha Máenmaige where he had been fostered as a child . Conchobar was apparently the eldest of at least eight sons of Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair . He first comes to notice in 1163 when his father was already King of Connacht . Niall mac Muircheartach Ua Lochlainn , son of the High King had , on a " royal heir ' s feasting visitation . . . through Leath Cuinn . . . committed various acts of violence in territories and churches " . Coming to Ath Luain he led a force of twelve score men across the bridge and into Connacht , invading Hy - Many . However , " " tria fheill & mheabhail " " ( " " through treachery and guile " " ) " " ro marbait uile lá Conchobhar Ua Ceallaigh & la Concobhar Maonmhaighe , & lá h - Uibh Máine " " ( " " they were all killed by Conchobhar Ua Ceallaigh and Conchobhar Maonmhaighe , and the Ui Maine " " ) . Niall was captured " " and conducted in safety to his house , by advice of their meeting . " " Wars against the Normans and Irish . Conchobar Maenmaige is next mentioned in the Annals of Ulster in 1174 in the following terse statement : " " The battle of Durlus [ was gained ] by Domnall Ua Briain and by Conchobur Maenmhaighi upon the people of the son of the Empress ( namely , of the king of the Saxons ) . " " The Annals of the Four Masters list his presence at The Battle of the Connors in Hy - Many in 1180 . In 1184 the King of Meath , Art Ua Melaghlin , " " was treacherously slain by Dermot O ' Brien ( i . e . the son of Turlough ) , at the instigation of the English . " " Ruaidri supported the O ' Melaghlins as he had annexed much of the midlands to Connacht and Art ' s successor , Melaghlin Beg O ' Melaghlin was aided by Conchobar . The armies of Connacht and Meath , led by both men , attacked and destroyed castles in areas conquered by the invaders , the result being " " many of the English were slain . " " In 1185 war broke out among the Princes of Connacht ( " " ríogh - dhamhna " " , literally " " king material " " ) , as three contenders for the kingship of Connacht assailed both Ruaidrí and each other . One of them was Connor ' s own son , Cathal Carragh Ua Conchobair , the other two being Conor mac Cormac Ua Conchobar and Cathal Crobdearg Ua Conchobair . Conchobar appears to have supported his father , but as events of the following year would show he too appears to have become impatient for change and a chance to turn the tide . At any rate , for now , though " " the contests between them many were slain , " " Ruaidrí " " and his son afterwards made peace with the other chiefs . " " Reconciled , Conchobair and Cathal Carragh " burned Killaloe , as well churches as houses , and carried off all the jewels and riches of the inhabitants . . . [ left Thomond ] . . . destroyed and pillaged " . In this Conchobar commanded Norman allies , who " came as far as [ from ] Roscommon " , where Ruaidri " gave them three thousand cows as wages " . King of Connacht . In 1186 warfare finally erupted between father and son , and " by the contests between both the Connacians were destroyed " . At length " . . . by the advice of the Sil - Murray " , Ruaidri was allowed to return , and " a trícha cét of land was given to him " . Conchobar immediately began establishing his rule , bringing the troublesome Ui Maine under firm control by killing their king , Murrough O Cellaig . The following year he returned to Lenister and along with Melaghlin Beg Ua Melaghlin burned and demolished the castle of Kildare , where " not one of the English escaped , but were all suffocated , or otherwise killed . They carried away their accoutrements , arms , shields , coats of mail , and horses , and slew two knights " . Two years later it was Connacht ' s turn to be on the receiving end , as John de Courcy led a Norman incursion into the province , accompanied by Conor mac Cormac . Conchobar roused the Connacht chieftains , and was joined by Donnell Mor Ua Brian , King of Thomond . Apparently all the Normans could do was stay on the move because the Connacht forces " would not suffer them to tarry any longer in their country " . While camped at Ballysadare , the King of Tirconnell likewise assembled his forces to deny them access north into Tirconnell . Forced back , the English were returning by way of the Curlew Mountains " where they were attacked by the Connacians and Momonians . . . those who survived retreated with difficulty from the country , without effecting much destruction on this incursion " . Assassination . This successful first act was denied a sequel when in 1189 Conchobar was killed in Clanconway . The assassins were Manus mac Flann Ua Finaghty , Aodh mac Brian ( his first cousin ) , Muircheartach mac Cathal mac Dermot mac Tadhg , and Giolla na Naomh Ua Mulvihill of the Tuathas . His murderers were described as " a party of his own people and tribes " , though the real culprit seems to have been that other contender for the kingship of Connaucht , Connor mac Cormac . In the same sentence he was described as the " King of all Connacht , both English and Irish " . The annalist further stated : " Alas for the party who plotted this conspiracy against the life of the heir presumptive to the throne of Ireland ! To him the greater part of Leth - Mhogha had submitted as king . Donnell O ' Brien had gone to his house at Dunloe , where he was entertained for a week ; and Ó Conor gave him sixty cows out of every cantred in Connacht , and ten articles ornamented with gold ; but Ó Brien did not accept of any of these , save one goblet , which had once been the property of Dermot Ó Brien , his own grandfather . Rory Mac Donslevy , King of Ulidia , had gone to his house . Mac Carthy , King of Desmond , was in his house , and Ó Conor gave him a great stipend , namely , five horses out of every cantred in Connacht . Melaghlin Beg , king of Tara , was in his house and took away a large stipend ; and Ó Rourke had gone to his house , and also carried with him a great stipend " . Successors and descendants . Ruaidri was once more recalled to be king , though only briefly and ended his days as a monk at Cong . Cathal Carragh killed Connor mac Cormac later the same year " in revenge of the death of his father " . Cathal would become a King of Connacht , with opposition , before his death in 1202 . The ultimate winner for the kingship was Conchobar ' s uncle , Cathal Crobdearg , who was his ultimate successor . Of Conchobar ' s remaining known children : Family Tree ( simplified ) . Toirdelbach , King of Connacht , d . 1156 .