Eochu or Eochaid Feidlech ("the enduring"), was 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 ana ...

, according to medieval Irish legends and historical traditions. He is best known as the father of the legendary queen

Medb Medb (), later spelled Meadhbh (), Méibh () and Méabh (), 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 seve ...

of Connacht.

Family

Eochu was son of Finn, son of Fionnlogh, son of Rogen Ruad, son of Essamain Emna, son of Blathnachta, son of Labraid Lorc, son of

Enna Aignech Enna ( or ; grc, Ἔννα; la, Henna, less frequently ), known from the Middle Ages until 1926 as Castrogiovanni ( scn, Castrugiuvanni ), is a city and located roughly at the center of Sicily, southern Italy, in the province of Enna, towering ...

. Various Middle Irish tales give him a large family. With his wife Cloithfinn, he had six daughters (Derbriu, Eile, Mugain, Eithne,

Clothru Clothru was, according to medieval Irish legend, the daughter of Eochu Feidlech, a High King of Ireland, and the sister of queen Medb of Connacht and Ethniu. When her triplet brothers, the findemna, were fighting with their father Eochu Feidlech fo ...

and

) and four sons (the triplets known as the '' findemna'', and Conall Anglondach). Derbriu was the lover of

Aengus In Irish mythology, Aengus or Óengus is one of the Tuatha Dé Danann and probably originally a god associated with youth, love,Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí. ''Myth, Legend & Romance: An encyclopedia of the Irish folk tradition''. Prentice-Hall Press, ...

of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Her mother-in-law, Garbdalb, turned six men into pigs for the crime of eating nuts from her grove, and Derbriu protected them for a year until they were killed by Medb. Four of Eochu's daughters married Conchobar mac Nessa after he became King of Ulster, making him Eochu's son-in-law four times. The daughters were Mugain, Eithne, Clothru and Medb. The quad-wedding was compensation for the death of Conchobar's father, Fachtna Fáthach. According to one tradition, Clothru gave birth to Conchobar's eldest son, Cormac Cond Longas. However, other traditions make him the son of Conchobar with own mother,

Ness Ness or NESS may refer to: Places Australia * Ness, Wapengo, a heritage-listed natural coastal area in New South Wales United Kingdom * Ness, Cheshire, England, a village * Ness, Lewis, the most northerly area on Lewis, Scotland, UK * Cuspate ...

. With Eithne Conchobar had a son, Furbaide. After Medb drowned Eithne, Furbaide was born by posthumous caesarian section. Medb bore him a son called Amalgad. After Medb later left Conchobar, Eochu made her Queen of Connacht. Some time after that, Eochu held an assembly at Tara, which both Conchobar and Medb attended. The morning after the assembly, Conchobar followed Medb down to the river Boyne where she had gone to bathe, and raped her. Eochu made war against Conchobar on the Boyne, but was defeated.Joseph O'Neill (ed. & trans)
"''Cath Boinde''"
'' Ériu'' 2, 1905, pp. 173-185 The three ''findemna'' tried to overthrow their father in the Battle of Druimm Criaich. The night before the battle, their sister

, afraid that they would die without an heir, seduced all three of them, and the future High King Lugaid Riab nDerg, was conceived. The next day they were killed, and their father, seeing their severed heads, swore that no son should directly succeed his father to the High Kingship of Ireland.

Rule and Death

According to the 12th century '' Lebor Gabála Érenn'', he took power when he defeated the previous High King,

Fachtna Fáthach Fachtna Fáthach ("the wise"), son of Cas (or Ross), son of Rudraige, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He came to power when he defeated the previous High King, Dui Dallta Dedad, in the ba ...

, in the Battle of Leitir Rúaid.R. A. Stewart Macalister (ed. & trans.), ''Lebor Gabála Érenn: The Book of the Taking of Ireland Part V'', Irish Texts Society, 1956, p. 299 The Middle Irish saga ''Cath Leitrech Ruibhe'' tells the story of this battle. While Fachtna Fáthach was away from Tara on a visit to Ulster, Eochu, then king of Connacht, raised an army, had the provincial kings killed and took hostages from Tara. When news reached Fachtna at Emain Macha, he raised an army of Ulstermen and gave battle at Leitir Rúaid in the Corann (modern County Sligo), but was defeated and beheaded by Eochu. Eochaid Sálbuide, the king of Ulster, was also killed. Fergus mac Róich covered the Ulster army's retreat, and Eochu marched to Tara. He ruled for twelve years, and died of natural causes at Tara. Following his death, he was succeeded by his brother, Eochu Airem. The ''Lebor Gabála'' synchronises his reign with the dictatorship of

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

(48–44 BC). The chronology of Geoffrey Keating's '' Foras Feasa ar Éirinn'' dates his reign to 94–82 BC, that of the '' Annals of the Four Masters'' to 143–131 BC.'' Annals of the Four Masters'
M5057-5069
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eochu Feidlech Ulster Cycle Cycles of the Kings People from County Meath Legendary High Kings of Ireland 1st-century BC legendary rulers