Ailill Mac Máta is an Irish king from Celtic mythology. He was one of the main characters in the major Irish story “The Cooley Cow Razzia”.
Aillil is depicted in most writings as the son of Rossa Ruadh mac Ferghus Feirghe king of Laigin. As an adult, he married Queen Medb, also known as Queen Maeve.
The royal couple are also part of the text of “La Razzia des Vaches de Cooley”. At the very beginning of the story, they argue over wealth: each assures the other that he is richer than the other. At the end of the discussion, all the spouses’ assets are then counted and listed, until a judgment is obtained. It turns out that Ailill owns one more bull than his wife.
Unwilling to let Ailill win, Queen Medb decided to go for one of Ulster’s finest bulls: the Cooley Brown. The bull was initially given to him wholeheartedly, but very soon the animal’s owner recanted, learning that if he had refused the gift, the bull would have been taken from him by force.
Medb then goes into a rage, and decides to launch his army and the troops of all the kings in his coalition against Ulster to recover the Bull. They will then come up against the valiant Cúchulainn, who will fight day and night until victory.
In addition to these writings, numerous manuscripts also recount that many years later Aillil and his wife would give birth to a son named Maine Aithreamhail Mac Oilioll. After Medb’s death, he will take over Connacht.
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