Art Imlech, ("having an edge or border" or "bordering on a lake or marsh") son of Elim Olfínechta, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, 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 ...

, who took power after killing his predecessor, and his father's killer,

Gíallchad Gíallchad, the son of Ailill Olcháin, son of Sírna Sáeglach, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, the 37th High King of Ireland. Gíallchad took power after killing his predecessor, and the son of his grandfather' ...

. He is said to have dug seven forts in a reign that lasted twelve or twenty-two years,

Geoffrey Keating Geoffrey Keating (; – ) was an Irish historian. He was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, and is buried in Tubrid Graveyard in the parish of Ballylooby-Duhill. He became a Catholic priest and a poet. Biography It was generally believed unt ...

, ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn'
1.26
/ref> before he was killed in battle by Gíallchad's son Nuadu Finn Fáil. The ''

Lebor Gabála Érenn ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (literally "The Book of Ireland's Taking"; Modern Irish spelling: ''Leabhar Gabhála Éireann'', known in English as ''The Book of Invasions'') is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language inten ...

'' synchronises his reign with those of

Phraortes Phraortes, son of Deioces, was the second king of the Median kingdom. Like his father Deioces, Phraortes started wars against Assyria, but was defeated and killed by the Assyrian king, probably Ashurbanipal (r. 669-631 BC). Biography All an ...

(665–633 BC) and

Cyaxares Cyaxares was the third king of the Medes. He ascended to the throne in 625 BC, after his father Phraortes lost his life in a battle against the Assyrians, probably Ashurbanipal. Assyrian allies, the Scythians then ruled Media for 28 years befo ...

(625–585) of the

Medes The Medes were an Iron Age Iranian peoples, Iranian people who spoke the Median language and who inhabited an area known as Media (region), Media between western Iran, western and northern Iran. Around the 11th century BC, they occupied the m ...

. The chronology of

's ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn'' dates his reign to 777–755 BC, that of the ''

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' () or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' () are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Genesis flood narrative, Deluge, dated as 2,242 Anno Mundi, years after crea ...

'' to 1014–1002 BC.

References

Legendary High Kings of Ireland {{Ireland-royal-stub