Ailill (Aillell, Oilioll) mac Máta was king of Connacht and husband of Medb in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Medb ( Old Irish spelling mɛðv Meḋḃ Meaḋḃ modern Meadhbh mɛɣv reformed modern Irish Meabh, Meːv sometimes Anglicised Maeve or Maev Texts in translation Most of the important Ulster Cycle tales can be found in the following publications Thomas Kinsella, The Táin, Oxford University The Mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved shorn of its religious meanings

He was the owner of the phenomenally fertile White-horned bull of Connacht, called Finnbhennach. In the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, Finnbhennach ("white-horned" sometimes rendered as "Whitehorn" was an extremely fertile stud Although the bull was born into Medb's herd, the legend says that the animal thought that belonging to a woman was lower in dignity than belonging to a man, and transferred itself into Ailill's ownership. A legend ( Latin, legenda, "things to be read" is a Narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to A man is a Male Human. The term man (irregular plural When it was discovered that this bull was the difference in wealth between them, Medb started the Táin Bó Cúailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley) to steal the equally potent Donn Cuailnge from Ulster and restore equality with her husband. In the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology Donn Cúailnge, the Brown Bull of Cooley, was an extremely fertile stud bull over whom the Táin Bó Cúailnge The Ulaid (pron /'ʊləɣ′/ were a people of early north-eastern Ireland, who gave their name to the modern province of Ulster: modern Irish Cúige

He had to satisfy Medb's critieria that her husband must be without fear, meanness and jealousy - especially the latter as Medb had many lovers. Despite this he contrived the death of Fergus mac Róich over the latter's affair with Medb, and was himself killed by Conall Cernach, at Medb's prompting, in revenge for Fergus. Fergus mac Róich (son of Ró-ech or "great horse" also mac Róig, mac Rossa) is a character of the Ulster Cycle of Irish Conall Cernach is a heroic warrior of the Ulaid in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology.

Ailill was the father of Findabair by Medb. In Irish mythology, Findabair or Finnabair (whose name means "fair eyebrows" was the daughter of Ailill and Medb of Connacht Medb ( Old Irish spelling mɛðv Meḋḃ Meaḋḃ modern Meadhbh mɛɣv reformed modern Irish Meabh, Meːv sometimes Anglicised Maeve or Maev

Texts

• Ferchuitred Medba, aka Cath Bóinde: Medb's Men, or the Battle of the Boyne
• Fled Bricrend: Bricriu's Feast
• Aisling Óenguso: The Dream of Óengus
• Táin Bó Fraích: The Cattle Raid of Fráech
• Táin Bó Regamain: The Cattle Raid of Regamon
• Táin Bó Dartada: The Raid for Dartaid's Cattle
• Táin Bó Flidaise: The Driving of Flidais's Cattle
• Echtra Nerae: The Adventures of Nera
• Táin Bó Cuailnge: The Cattle Raid of Cooley Recension 1, Recension 2
• Aided Fergusa meic Róig: The Death of Fergus mac Róich