Clothru was, according to medieval Irish legend, the daughter of

Eochu Feidlech Eochu or Eochaid Feidlech ("the enduring"), was a High King of Ireland, according to medieval Irish legends and historical traditions. He is best known as the father of the legendary queen Medb of Connacht. Family Eochu was son of Finn, son of ...

, a

High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and was later sometimes assigned anachronously or to leg ...

, and the sister of queen

Medb Medb (), later spelled Meadhbh (), Méabh(a) () and Méibh (), and often anglicised as Maeve ( ), is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Her husband in the core stories of the cycle is Ailill mac Máta, although she had ...

of Connacht and

Ethniu In Irish mythology, Ethniu (; , ) in modern spelling, is the daughter of the Fomorian leader Balor, and the mother of Lugh. She is also referred to as Ethliu (). Name Ethniu is a fine example of the difficulty of conducting research into Ir ...

. When her triplet brothers, the findemna, were fighting with their father Eochu Feidlech for the high kingship, she was concerned that her brothers might die without heirs. She is said to have seduced the three of them, and conceived Lugaid Riab nDerg.Joseph O'Neill (ed. & trans)
"''Cath Boinde''"
''

Ériu In Irish mythology, Ériu (; ), daughter of Delbáeth and Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was the eponymous matron goddess of Ireland. The English name for Ireland comes from the name Ériu and the Germanic languages, Germanic (Old Norse or ...

'' 2, 1905, pp. 173–185; Edward Gwynn (ed. & trans.), ''The Metrical Dindshenchas'', Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1906, Vol 4
Druimm Criaich Poem 13: Druimm Criach
pp. 43–57; Vernam Hull, (ed. & trans.)

, '' Speculum'' v.13 issue 1, Jan 1938, pp. 52–61 The next day, according to legend, her brothers were indeed killed, and when Lugaid was born, he was their heir. His epithet Riab nDerg ("the red-striped") came from two red stripes around his neck and waist, dividing him into three: above the neck he resembled Nár; from the neck to the waist he resembled Bres; and from the waist down he resembled Lothar. Lugaid later also became a

, thus Clothru's

incest Incest ( ) is sexual intercourse, sex between kinship, close relatives, for example a brother, sister, or parent. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by lineag ...

preserved the line of succession. Incest features further in Clothru's story: she is said to have then slept with Lugaid herself, conceiving Crimthann Nia Náir,R. A. Stewart Macalister (ed. & trans.), ''Lebor Gabála Érenn: The Book of the Taking of Ireland Part V'', Irish Texts Society, 1956, p. 301-303 who later also became a

. She was thus Crimthann's mother, aunt and grandmother. The island of

Inchcleraun Inchcleraun (), also called Quaker Island, is an island situated in Lough Ree on the River Shannon, in central Ireland. The island is home to the ruins of St. Diarmaid's Monastery, a monastery founded by Diarmaid the Just in AD 560. These build ...

(Irish ''Inis Cloithrinn'') in

County Longford County Longford () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford. Longford County Council is the Local government in the Republic ...

takes its name from her.

References

Ulster Cycle {{Ireland-bio-stub