Background: Áine was the wife of Laoghaire Lorc, the high king of Ireland. When her husband was killed by his jealous brother, Áine protected her young son, and raised him to be a great king. Stories of Áine: Laoghaire Lorc was high king of Ireland. His brother Cobhthach was jealous, and killed him. He then… [Read More]
Labhraidh Loingseach
There was once a High King in Ireland called Laoghaire Lorc. He had a brother named Cobhthach, who was the King of Leinster. Now, although he was a king in his own right, Cobhthach became intensely jealous of Laoghaire. Everything Laoghaire did, he saw as a sleight against him, and every victory of Laoghaire‘s felt… [Read More]
Niall
Background: Niall was the youngest son of the king. He himself reigned as king, and so did his descendants for 26 generations. The Story of Niall: The high king of Ireland, Eochaidh Mugmedon, had four sons by his first wife by Mongfind, and a fifth son by his second wife, Caireann Chasdubh. While Caireann was… [Read More]
Meas Buachalla
Background: Daughter of King Cormac of Ulster and Etain, who was daughter of a fairy-woman, she was abandoned because her father had wanted a son and was furious that the only child his wife bore him was a girl-child. Meas Buachalla’s Story: Rejected from the time of her birth, Meas Buachalla was cast aside by… [Read More]
Labhraidh Loingseach
Background: Labhraidh Loingseach was a king of Leinster, famed for his generosity. The story of Labhraidh Loingseach: Cobhthach was jealous of his brother Laoghaire, the king of Leinster. He feigned illness, and Laoghaire visited him. As Laoghaire bent over him, Cobhthach stabbed him in the stomach, killing him. He then poisoned Laoghaire’s son Ailill and… [Read More]
Fergus MacRoich
Background: Fergus MacRoich was the original king of Ulster, and later the patron of Conor MacNessa. The story has it that Fergus married the beautiful woman Neas, who was the mother of Conor, on condition that he allow Conor to rule the province for one year. When the year was up, the people claimed to… [Read More]
Cormac Mac Airt
Background: Cormac Mac Airt was a mythical high king of Ireland and one of the most celebrated kings in Irish tradition. He was sometimes given the epithet Ulfhada (longbearded), which denoted his great wisdom. He was portrayed as an ideal king whose power brought good fortune and prosperity to the whole country. “In his reign… [Read More]
Conaire Mór
Background: When Eochaid married Etain, Etain produced one child, a daughter. The king was furious at this and ordered that she be taken to a pit and killed. The men who were to carry out the king’s wishes set her free and she fled to the cow sheds of the King of Tara. There her… [Read More]
Mongan
Long ago in Ireland, Ulster was ruled by two kings. Their names were Fiachra Finn and Fiachra Dubh, and they were cousins. Each one took a turn to rule Ulster for one year, while the other had a year of leisure, to travel and see the world, or to spend their time as they pleased,… [Read More]
Niall of the Nine Hostages
There was once a High King of Ireland called Eochaid. His wife was a beautiful dark-haired woman called Mong Find. She had four sons with King Eochaid: Brian, Aillil, Fergus and Fiachra. But Eochaid was in love with someone else. He had a hostage he’d taken from the King of the Saxons. She was named… [Read More]