ABSTRACT
During the reign of Cerball mac Dúnlainge (842-88) the Osraige rose from relative obscurity to become a major player in Irish politics. The most lavish account of his deeds survives in an eleventh-century saga embedded in The Fragmentary Annals of Ireland. This saga appears to have been written under the sponsorship of Cerball’s great-great grandson Donnchad mac GillaPátraic, who ruled Osraige (1003-1039) and Leinster (1033-1039). The exaggerations and anachronisms found in the saga urge a degree of caution in its use as a historical source. Cerball is also mentioned in the Icelandic Landnámabók and later sagas. These demonstrate that a number of prominent Icelandic families claimed descent from Cerball as a figure of legend.
