Editing Connacht (section)

=== Kings and High Kings ===
{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2020}}
[[File:Rory O'Connor Stone Carving.jpg|thumb|Stone carving of Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair from [[Cong Abbey]] ]]

Under kings [[Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair]] (1088–1156) and his son [[Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair]] (c. 1120–1198), Connacht became one of the five dominant kingdoms on the island. Tairrdelbach and Ruaidrí became the first men from west of the [[River Shannon|Shannon]] to gain the title ''Ard-Rí na hÉireann'' ([[High King of Ireland]]). In the latter's case, he was recognised all over the island in 1166 as ''Rí Éireann'', or [[King of Ireland]].

Tairrdelbach was highly innovative, building the first stone castles in Ireland, and more controversially, introducing the policy of [[primogeniture]] to a hostile Gaelic polity. Castles were built in the 1120s at [[Galway]] (where he based his [[Naval fleet|fleet]]), [[Dunmore, County Galway|Dunmore]], [[Sligo]] and [[Ballinasloe]], where he dug a new six-mile canal to divert the river Suck around the castle of Dun Ló. Churches, monasteries and dioceses were re-founded or created, works such as the Corpus [[Missal]], the High Cross of [[Tuam]] and the [[Cross of Cong]] were sponsored by him.

Tairrdelbach annexed the [[Kingdom of Mide]]; its rulers, the [[Clann Cholmáin]], became his vassals. This brought two of Ireland's five main kingdoms under the direct control of Connacht. He also asserted control over [[Dublin]], which was even then being recognised as a kind of national capital.

His son, Ruaidrí, became king of Connacht ''"without any opposition"'' in 1156. One of his first acts as king was arresting three of his twenty-two brothers, ''"Brian Breifneach, Brian Luighneach, and Muircheartach Muimhneach"'' to prevent them from usurping him. He blinded Brian Breifneach as an extra precaution.

Ruaidrí was compelled to recognise [[Muirchertach Mac Lochlainn]] as Ard-Rí, though he went to war with him in 1159. Mac Lochlainn's murder in 1166 left Ruaidrí the unopposed ruler of all Ireland. He was crowned in 1166 at [[Dublin]], ''"took the kingship of Ireland ...[and was] inaugurated king as honourably as any king of the Gaeidhil was ever inaugurated;"'' He was the first and last native ruler who was recognised by the Gaelic-Irish as full [[King of Ireland]].

However, his expulsion of [[Dermot MacMurrough]] later that year brought about the [[Norman invasion of Ireland]] in 1169. Ruaidrí's inept response to events led to rebellion by his sons in 1177, and his deposition by [[Conchobar Maenmaige Ua Conchobair]] in 1183. Ruaidrí died at [[Cong, County Mayo|Cong]] in 1198, noted as the annals as late ''"King of Connacht and of All Ireland, both the Irish and the English."''