Rudraige mac Sithrigi (; ), 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 ...

. The son of Sitric, he took power after killing his predecessor, Crimthann Coscrach, and ruled for thirty or seventy years, after which he died of plague in Airgetglenn. He was succeeded by Finnat Már, son of Nia Segamain. He is the ancestor of Clanna Rudraige.

Time frame

The '' Lebor Gabála'' synchronises the start of his reign with that of Ptolemy VIII Physcon (145–116 BC), and his death with that of

Ptolemy X Alexander I Ptolemy X Alexander I (, ''Ptolemaĩos Aléxandros'') was the Ptolemaic king of Cyprus from 114 BC until 107 BC and of Egypt from 107 BC until his death in 88 BC. He ruled in co-regency with his mother Cleopatra III as Ptolemy Philometor Soter ...

(110–88 BC) in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

. The chronology of Geoffrey Keating's ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn'' dates his reign to 184–154 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 289–219 BC. The poem "Druim Cet céide na naomh" states the convention of Druim Cet (held c.590 AD) was 700 years after the reign of Rudraige, which would imply a floruit of c.110 BC.

Issue

Rudraige was particularly associated with the northern part of Ireland: the

Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or (Irish language, Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic Provinces of Ireland, over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include , which ...

, who later formed a confederation in eastern

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

in the early Middle Ages, traced their descent from him, and the ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' names him as the grandfather of the Ulaid hero Conall Cernach. John O'Hart lists the following issue in his ''Stem of the Irish Nation'': * Bresal Bó-Díbad, High King of Ireland * Congal Cláiringnech, High King of Ireland *Conrach (father of Elim mac Conrach) * Fachtna Fáthach (father of

Conchobar mac Nessa Conchobar mac Nessa (son of Ness) is the king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Emain Macha (Navan Fort, near Armagh). He is usually said to be the son of the High King Fachtna Fáthach, although in some stories ...

) *Ros Ruadh (father of Fergus mac Róich) *Cionga (supposed ancestress of Conall Cernach)

Resting place

It is claimed that some traditions of the Clanna Rudraige assign the Bay of Dundrum in modern County Down, as the resting place of Rudraige. This is the location of the ''Tonn Rudraige'' (wave of Rory) one of the "Three Waves of Erin" mentioned in the

, and believed to be named after Rudraige.

References

Bibliography

External links

Stem of the Irish Nation, Ir to Feargal
by John O'Hart {{DEFAULTSORT:Rudraige Mac Sithrigi Legendary High Kings of Ireland 2nd-century BC legendary monarchs Ulaid Legendary progenitors Irish regicides Usurpers Infectious disease deaths in Ireland