The Kings of Brega were rulers of Brega, a petty kingdom north of Dublin in medieval Ireland. Overview Brega took its name from (), meaning "fine plain", in modern County Meath, County Louth and County Dublin, Ireland. They formed part of the Uí Néill kindred, belonging to the Síl nÁedo Sláine branch of the southern Uí Néill. The kingdom of Brega included the Hill of Tara, the site where the High King of Ireland was proclaimed. Brega was bounded on the east by the Irish Sea and on the south by the River Liffey. It extended northwards across the River Boyne to include Sliabh Breagha the line of hills in southern County Louth. The western boundary, which separated it from the Kingdom of Mide, was probably quite fluid and is not accurately known. Brega was annexed in the 6th century by the Uí Néill. By the middle of the 8th century the Síl nÁedo Sláine had split into two hostile branches: Southern Brega, or the Kingdom of Loch Gabhair, which was ruled by the Uí Chernaig; and Northern Brega, or the Kingdom of Cnogba/Knowth, which was ruled by the Uí Chonaing. Despite this, many kings of Brega ruled over both areas, and thus Brega as a whole, until the kingdom's extinction in the early years of the Norman invasion of Ireland. In later centuries Brega was threatened by the rise of the Viking Kingdom of Dublin and came under the suzerainty of the kings of Mide. In the divisions of that kingdom in the twelfth century parts of Brega, or East Mide, came under the control of Tigernán Ua Ruairc of Breifne and Diarmaid mac Murchadha of the Laighin. Donnchad Ua Cerbaill of Airgíalla, the half-brother of Ua Ruairc, took Árd Ciannachta and consolidated his position by donating land from it for Mellifont Abbey. Persons in bold considered to be High Kings of Ireland. Áed Sláine (died 604) son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill Conall Laeg Breg mac Áedo Sláine (died 612) Congal mac Áedo Sláine (died 634) Ailill Cruitire mac Áedo Sláine (died 634) Blathmac (died 665) and Diarmait (died 665), sons of Áed Sláine Conaing Cuirre mac Congaile (died 662) Sechnassach (died 671) son of Blathmac Cenn Fáelad (died 675) son of Blathmac Finsnechta Fledach (died 695) son of Dúnchad son of Áed Sláine Congalach mac Conaing Cuirre (died 696) Irgalach mac Conaing Cuirre (died 702) Amalgaid mac Congalaig