Achall, daughter of
Cairbre Nia Fer, king of
Tara, and his wife
Fedelm Noíchrothach, is a minor character from the
Ulster Cycle
The Ulster Cycle (), formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the Ulaid. It is set far in the past, in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly counties Armagh, Do ...
of Irish mythology. After her brother
Erc was killed by
Conall Cernach, she died of grief on a hill near
Tara, which was named Achall after her.
The legendary
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 ...
Túathal Techtmar is said to have taken power after defeating the previous High King,
Elim mac Conrach, in battle on the hill of Achall. According to ''
The Expulsion of the Déisi'', another legendary High King,
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 ...
, lived on the hill of Achall after he lost an eye, his physical imperfection meaning he could no longer rule at Tara. The hill is now known as
Skryne
Skryne or Skreen ( , or originally called The Hill of Acaill) is a village in County Meath, Ireland. On and around a hill between the N2 and N3 roads, it is 10 km south-east of the centre of Navan and 35 km north-west of the centre ...
.
References
{{Irish mythology (Ulster)
Ulster Cycle