Cathal Crobderg Ua Conchobair had owed his position as King of Connacht to King John, and the support of the latter's vassals in Ireland. In addition, he was able to obtain recognition of his son, Aedh mac Cathal Crobdearg Ua Conchobair as his heir.
In the year after Cathal's death in 1224, Aedh had to face a rebellion by Donn Oge Mageraghty of Sil Muirdeag, Aedh Ua Flaithbertaigh of Maigh Seola and an invasion by O Neill of Tir Eoghain from Ulster. O Neill and Aedh's rebellious vassals then crowned Turlough mac Ruaidri O Conchobair King of Connacht in opposition to Aedh, who was supported by only a few vassals such as MacDermott of Moylourg and O Flynn of the Cuirc remaining loyal. With the help of his Norman allies, Aedh was eventually able to suppress the rebellion, though "there was not a church or territory in Connaught at that time that had not been plundered and desolated." The war was made worse by "An oppressive malady raged in the province of Connaught at this time: it was a heavy burning sickness, which left the large towns desolate, without a single survivor."
One incident during the war had given Aedh cause for concern: his erstwhile allies, the Normans of Leinster and Munster, had invaded south Connacht "and slew all the people that they caught, and burned their dwellings and villages." Aedh was furious at this because it was not by his command, and because the Normans "were themselves excited by envy and rapacity, as soon as they had heard what good things the Lord Justice and his English followers had obtained in Connaught at that time." It was a sign of things to come.
Aedh mac Cathal was murdered by the Normans in 1228 and Aedh mac Ruaidri Ua Conchobair was chosen by the Normans and the chiefs of Connacht to take his place. Yet in 1230 Aedh and his vassals turned on the Normans, vowing "they would never own a lord who should bring them to make submission to the Galls. They made then great raids on the Galls, Aed son of Ruaidri and the men of West Connacht plundering the young son of William and Adam Duff, while Donn Oc and the sons of Magnus with the new levies of Sil Murray plundered Mac Gosdelb and Tir Maine as far as Athlone." It was in response to this that Richard Mor de Burgh led an army into Connacht "and desolated a large portion of that country." De Burgh brought with him Felim mac Cathal Crobderg Ua Conchobair whom he intended to make king in place of Aedh. They crossed the Shannon at Athlone and made straight for Gallimhe.
The Dún at Gallimhe was being held and defended by Aedh Ua Flaithbertaig, who still held for Aedh mac Ruaidri (Ua Flaithbertaigh had being exiled into Iar Connacht by Aedh mac Cathal for his rebellion) . Apparently de Burgh was just reaching the Dún (and a highly apprehensive Ua Flaithbertaigh) "when Aed mac Ruaidri came to his help with the Connachtmen, including the sons of Muirchertach O Conchobair." At some point in the fighting Aedh seems to have lost, or ceded possession of, the Dún, because the Annals of Connacht states that "They were on the western bank of the Galway River and the Galls on the eastern." However, this does not seem to have being a decisive factor for de Burgh; as much as a week passed with "much fighting ... between them every day, and in this condition the Galls remained, obtaining neither pledge nor hostage nor submissions from the Connachtmen." Dissatisfied with the inconclusiveness of the conflict, de Burgh cut his losses and left in the direction of Cong "to pursue the cattle and folk which had fled into the mountains and recesses of the countryside and the sea-islands."
But as subsequent events would show, the strategic position of Dún Béal Gallimhe had made an impression upon de Burgh, and he would be back.
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