Muirisc, Muireasc, or Muireasg was a legendary but possibly historical woman who ruled over a territory called Mag Muirisce (later the Barony of

Murrisk Murrisk () is a village in County Mayo, Ireland, on the south side of Clew Bay, about 8 km west of Westport and 4 km east of Lecanvey. Murrisk lies at the foot of Croagh Patrick and is the starting-point for pilgrims who visit the m ...

) in what is now

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...

Biography

What little is now known about Muirisc can be traced to two short medieval poetic references. Muirisc was given rule by her father,

Úgaine Mór Úgaine Mór, son of Eochu Buadach, son of Dui Ladrach, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, the 66th High King of Ireland. Biography He was the foster-son of Cimbáeth and Macha#Macha Mong Ruad, Macha Mong Ruad and he ...

(aka Hugony the Great), the sixty-sixth high king of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

who is said to have divided Ireland into twenty-five shares, one for each of his children. Her siblings included

Lóegaire Lorc Lóegaire Lorc, son of Úgaine Mor, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. The ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' says he succeeded directly after his father was murdered by Bodbchad, although Geoffrey Ke ...

(who ruled Life),

Cobthach Cóel Breg Cobthach Cóel Breg or Cobthach Fion, son of Úgaine Mor, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He took power after murdering his brother Lóegaire Lorc. The story is told that he was so consum ...

(who ruled Bregia), as well as a sister named

Lathar Lathar was a daughter of Úgaine Mór, a High King of Ireland during pre-Christian times. Ugaine reputedly gave Lathar a stretch of land along the coast of County Antrim, from Glenarm to the Inver; which would one day make Larne Larne (, , ...

. Muirisc placed her stronghold near

Clew Bay Clew Bay (; ga, Cuan Mó) is a natural ocean bay in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland. It contains Ireland's best example of sunken drumlins. The bay is overlooked by Croagh Patrick to the south and the Nephin Range mountains of North Mayo. C ...

in the shadow of Cruachan Aigli (Conical Mountain), now known as

Croagh Patrick Croagh Patrick (), nicknamed 'the Reek', is a mountain with a height of and an important site of pilgrimage in County Mayo, Ireland. The mountain has a pyramid-shaped peak and overlooks Clew Bay, rising above the village of Murrisk, several mil ...

.R. A. Stewart Macalister (ed. & trans.), ''Lebor Gabála Érenn: The Book of the Taking of Ireland, Part V'', Irish Texts Society, 1956, p. 469. She was known as a sea captain and a warrior who "ruled o'er hardy sailors and great men" and was famed as much for being "daring" and "bold" as she was for her beauty and "snowy hands."Anne Chambers, ''Ireland's Pirate Queen: The True Story of Grace O'Malley'', New York: MJF Books, 2003, p. 16.

Timeframe

Estimates vary across a 1,100-year span as to when Muirisc (as well as her father) may have lived—from around the year 500 of the Common Era to as far back as 600 Before the Common Era.Roderick O'Flaherty, ''Ogygia, or, a Chronological Account of Irish Events,'' Part III (1685) as translated by James Hely in hi
Volume II, Dublin: 1793
p. 400.

References

{{reflist Ancient princesses Irish legends Irish sailors Irish folklore Women in ancient European warfare Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown