Cairbre Lifechair ("lover of the Liffey"), son of

Cormac mac Airt Cormac mac Airt, also known as Cormac ua Cuinn (grandson of Conn) or Cormac Ulfada (long beard), was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He is probably the most famous of the ancient High Kings ...

, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a

High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ga, Ardrí na hÉireann ) 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 later sometimes assigned an ...

. He came to the throne after the death of

Eochaid Gonnat Eochaid Gonnat or Gunnat ("wounding"?), son of Fiach, son of Imchad, son of Bresal, son of Sírchad, son of Fíatach Finn, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He came to the throne on the death ...

. During his time Bresal Belach was king of

Leinster Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of ...

, and refused to pay the ''bórama'' or cow-tribute to the High King, but Cairbre defeated him in the Battle of Dubchomar, and from then on exacted the ''bórama'' without a battle.

Reign

According to the 8th-century text known as ''

The Expulsion of the Déisi ''The Expulsion of the Déisi'' is a medieval Irish narrative of the Cycles of the Kings. It dates approximately to the 8th century, but survives only in manuscripts of a much later date. It describes the fictional history of the Déisi, a group ...

'', Cairbre takes the throne when his father Cormac is blinded by Óengus Gaíbúaibthech of the

Déisi The ''Déisi'' were a socially powerful class of peoples from Ireland that settled in Wales and western England between the ancient and early medieval period. The various peoples listed under the heading ''déis'' shared the same status in Gaeli ...

, it being against the law for the king to have any physical blemish. The chronicles indicate that

succeeded Cormac, but was soon succeeded by Cairbre following his death in battle. According to ''

Cath Gabhra ''Cath Gabhra'' (English: ''The Battle of Gabhair'' or ''Gowra'') is a narrative of the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. It tells of the destruction of the fianna and the deaths of most of its warriors in a battle against the forces of High King ...

'' (''The Battle of Gabhra''), a narrative of the

Fenian Cycle The Fenian Cycle (), Fianna Cycle or Finn Cycle ( ga, an Fhiannaíocht) is a body of early Irish literature focusing on the exploits of the mythical hero Finn or Fionn mac Cumhaill and his warrior band the Fianna. Sometimes called the Ossi ...

Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths native to the island of Ireland. It was originally oral tradition, passed down orally in the Prehistoric Ireland, prehistoric era, being part of ancient Celtic religion. Many myths were later Early Irish ...

, Cairbre married Aine, daughter of

Fionn mac Cumhaill Fionn mac Cumhaill ( ; Old and mga, Find or ''mac Cumail'' or ''mac Umaill''), often anglicized Finn McCool or MacCool, is a hero in Irish mythology, as well as in later Scottish and Manx folklore. He is leader of the ''Fianna'' bands of y ...

. During his reign, his sons

Fiacha Sraibhtine Fiacha (earlier Fíachu) is a name borne by numerous figures from Irish history and mythology, including: * Fiacha Cennfinnán, High King of Ireland in the 16th or 20th century BC * Fiacha mac Delbaíth, High King in the 14th or 18th century BC * ...

and Eochaid Doimlen killed Óengus Gaíbúaibthech. To make peace, Cairbre betroths his daughter, Sgiam Sholais, to a Déisi prince. However, the

fianna ''Fianna'' ( , ; singular ''Fian''; gd, Fèinne ) were small warrior-hunter bands in Gaelic Ireland during the Iron Age and early Middle Ages. A ''fian'' was made up of freeborn young males, often aristocrats, "who had left fosterage but had ...

demand a tribute of twenty gold bars, which they claimed was customarily paid on such occasions. Cairbre decides the fianna have become too powerful, and raises a huge army from

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...

Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and ...

and

against them. They are joined by Goll mac Morna and his followers, who turn against their comrades in the fianna, but

Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following t ...

and the Déisi side with the fianna. Cairbre's army wins in the Battle of Gabhra, but Cairbre himself falls in single combat against Fionn's grandson

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

, who dies of his wounds shortly afterwards. Fionn himself either dies in the battle, or had been killed on the

River Boyne The River Boyne ( ga, An Bhóinn or ''Abhainn na Bóinne'') is a river in Leinster, Ireland, the course of which is about long. It rises at Trinity Well, Newberry Hall, near Carbury, County Kildare, and flows towards the Northeast through C ...

the previous year. The only survivors of the fianna are

Caílte mac Rónáin Caílte (or Modern Irish Caoilte) mac Rónáin was a nephew of Fionn mac Cumhaill, a warrior and a member of the fianna in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. He is described as being able to run at remarkable speed and communicate with animals, ...

and Fionn's son

Oisín Oisín ( ), Osian, Ossian ( ), or anglicized as Osheen ( ) was regarded in legend as the greatest poet of Ireland, a warrior of the Fianna in the Ossianic or Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. He is the demigod son of Fionn mac Cumhaill and of ...

. Cairbre had ruled for seventeen, twenty-six or twenty-seven years. He was succeeded by

Fothad Cairpthech and Fothad Airgthech Fothad Cairpthech ("chariot-fighter"), and Fothad Airgthech ("pertaining to silver"), sons of Lugaid mac Con and Fuinche, daughter of Nár, were, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, joint High Kings of Ireland. According ...

, sons of

Lugaid mac Con Lugaid Mac Con, often known simply as Mac Con, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He belonged to the Corcu Loígde, and thus to the Dáirine. His father was Macnia mac Lugdach, and his mothe ...

, ruling jointly. The chronology of

Geoffrey Keating Geoffrey Keating ( ga, Seathrún Céitinn; c. 1569 – c. 1644) was a 17th-century historian. He was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, and is buried in Tubrid Graveyard in the parish of Ballylooby-Duhill. He became an Irish Catholic priest and a ...

's ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn'' dates his reign to 245–272, the ''

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Deluge, dated as 2,24 ...

'' to 267–284.James MacKillop, ''Dictionary of Celtic Mythology'', Oxford University Press, 1998, pp. 63-64

Family tree

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cairbre Lifechair Legendary High Kings of Ireland Fenian Cycle