Conchúir

Conchúir was a significant settlement in medieval Ireland, situated on the west bank of the River Inny in County Longford. The town's early history is largely unknown, but it was an important center even before the arrival of Christianity. St. Comgall, a monk and founder of Bangor Abbey, lived and ministered in the Conchúir area, and it is possible that a monastic settlement existed there during his time.

Conchúir's strategic position, near the border of the kingdom of Brega, made it an essential locus for the integration of the Law of the Brega and the Law of Mide. The Annals of Tigernach, an Irish chronicle, reported that the town was divided among several coarb (hereditary abbots) in the 10th century. This division of power may have led to the abandonment of Conchúir as an important center, although the town remained inhabited until at least the 13th century.

It is suggested that Conchúir was connected to the operations of the high-king of Ireland, and possibly, their enthronement at Tara, although little direct information is available to support this association. Despite this, the archaeological evidence shows extensive settlement and habitation, which continued until the early alarms that heralded the Norman invasion and recolonization of Ireland during the 12th and 13th centuries. Research indicates that Conchúir may hold a richer and more complex history than the large and exclusive literature, an issue for future investigation.