Petty King Faelan mac Brian of Munster, 1128

How things can change in 20 years. Petty King Brian II mac Murchad of Munster had died in 1111, leaving his son, now Petty King Faelan mac Brian of Munster, 43, in charge. He had inherited, of course, the Petty Kingdom of  Munster and the Earldoms of Thomond and Ossory. 

Rather than take on his smarter brother, Petty King Sean mac Brian of Ulster, now 26, he had chosen to ally with him and press the claims he had inherited from his mother Hunydd ferch Bleddyn Mathrafal and wrestle the titles of Petty Kingdom of Gwynedd and Powys, along with the Earldoms of Ynys Mon and Ceredigion,  from the defeated and now dead Petty King Cadwgan II ap Llywelyn of Powys. 

Thanks to a fabricated claim, Faelan had also conquered the Earldom of Leinster from his distant relative the Petty King Murchad mac Domnall of Meath, now 9, who had inherited the Petty Kingdom of Meath and the Earldoms of Leinster, Dubhlinn and Athlone from his father Petty King Domnall mac Murchad of Meath of the house Cheinnselaig (the great son of Countess Derbforgail nic Donnchad through a patrilineal marriage,  a sister of Faelan's grandfather King Murchad mac Donnchad)

An even bigger change had been Faelan's conversion to Paulicianism. Faelan, who was shy, struggled a lot with stress, and a new outlook on God seemed to bring relief.  Of course, this meant that everybody in his court, family and realm had to convert as well. He could not have foreseen how far the consequences of this conversion would have reached. An apparently small decision changed the history of Europe and the World forever. 

Apart from the territories he controlled directly, Faelan had also 8 vassals:

• Earl Olav mac Ragnvald of Ormond, who was also Earl of Desmond and Ui Mhaine
• Lady Onbrawst ferch Cadwgan of Penllyn
• The distant relative Lord Rhiwallon the Foolish of Ferlix ( son of Lord Meilys, a cousin of Faelan's mother Hunydd)
• Lord Gruffydd ab Idwal of Perfeddwla
• His uncle Lord Cynfyn ap Morien of Eryri  ( His mother Hunydd's brother) 
• His uncle Earl Enguerrand mac Murchad of Ennis (His father Brian II's brother) who had also received the Earldom of Breifne after Faelan had revoked it from his rebel brother-in-law, and his sister Cathan nic Brian's husband, Aed mac Domnall ua Neill Noigiallaich,  
• His cousin Lord Elidyr ab Iorwerth of Merionnydd ( His mother Hunydd's nephew) , who was also Lord of Dyfed 
• Mayor Lann of Caer Gybi, a city located in the Earldom of Yves Mon

Faelan's brother Sean controlled the Petty Kingdom of Ulster, the Earldom of Ulster and the Earldom of Oriel, revoked from the distant relative Domnall mac Flaithbertach ua Neill Noigiallach (great-great-great son of Bebinn Briain nic Brain, Faelan great-great father Donnchad Briain mac Brain's sister).  Sean had three vassals of his own: two mayors and Earl Ailpin mac Donnchad of Ailech, Faelan's cousin and his now deceased uncle Donnchad mac Murchad of Ailech's son.

Faelan's older sister Cathan nic Brain, who had a claim to all titles in the family, sat unlanded  

Two new houses had been founded in the Dal-gCais dinasty. Beside the Briain house, there were now Earl Enguerrad mac Murchad's gCais-Inis (after the Barony of Inis in the Earldom of Ennis) and Earl Ailpin mac Donnchad's gCais-Fathain (after the Bishopric of Fathain in the Earldom of Ailech) houses. 

Faelan had been blessed with many children, who were also promising: Cobflaith, f, 26, Brian, 15, m, Caindelban, 13, m, Conmal, 5, m and Flachnae, 2, m.

Faelan had also many nephews and nieces. His older sister Cathan had four children, his younger sister Lasairfiona had one daughter, who because of her patrilineal marriage would join the Flamens-Gladbach house. His brother Sean, married with the lowborn Finnguala, had a daughter, Cuanu, 6 and a son, Faelcar, 3.

His uncle Donnchad had died, leaving the daughter Cobflaith and the son Ailpin, now Earl of Ailech.  His other uncle Engerrhard had married again after his alcoholic wife Margrethe Haraldsdatter had died of malnutrition, not before giving him three children: Murchad (m) Bruatur.(m) and Mauda (f), born after the bastard Deirdre (f). His new wife was the Countess Aroc nic Muirchertach from the Mail Sechlainn house. 

Faelan's last uncle, the unlanded Ceithernach, had married Maria Arnulfdochter van Vlaanderen from the Vlaanderen house and had two children: Aed and Failenn.

Faelan's daughter Cobflaith nic Faelan, Faelan's cousins Cobflaith nic Donnchad (patrilineally married into Piast),  Ailpin mac Donnchad, Deirdre gCais-Inis and Murchad gCais-Inis had also children.

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Faelan's skills, (5 8 0 9 13), still failed to impress, and he was working his way up as a Theologian. His younger brother Sean had better overall skills, (8 10 5 6 8), but not enough to guarantee a seat in the council.