Cináed ua hArtacáin (died 975) was an IrishGaelic poet.

The chief poet ofLeth Cuinn according to theAnnals of Tigernach and the chief poet of all Ireland according to theAnnals of Ulster, Cináed wrotedinsenchas pertaining to theKingdom of Brega.^[1] Irish scholarEdward O'Reilly gives a full account of his works in his 'Irish Writers', LXXXVIII sq.; d. anno 975.^[2] A marginal note in theAnnals of Ulster suggests he was one of the southern branch of theUí Néill dynasty ofSíl nÁedo Sláine.^[1] Apart from the year of his death (975), no further biographical facts are known about him.

His most ambitious poem was a list of the graves of prominent warriors entitled ‘Fianna bátar i nEmain’.^[1] He wrote a eulogy for the Brega kingCongalach mac Mael Mithig (died 956).^[3] He also appears to have been patronised by the Viking king of DublinOlaf Cuarán (Olaf Sihtricson).^[1]

• 975 deaths
• 10th-century Irish people
• 10th-century deaths
• 10th-century Irish writers
• 10th-century Irish poets
• Writers from County Meath
• Irish-language writers
• Irish male poets

• Use dmy dates from April 2022
• Year of birth unknown