Óengus Tuirmech Temrach, son of
Eochaid Ailtlethan, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a
High King of Ireland. He came to power after killing his predecessor, and his father's killer,
Fergus Fortamail. His sons included
Énna Aignech and Fiacha Fer Mara. Énna later became High King himself and was the ancestor of
Conn of the Hundred Battles and thus the
Connachta and
Uí Néill
The Uí Néill (Irish pronunciation: ; meaning "descendants of Niall") are Irish dynasties who claim descent from Niall Noígíallach (Niall of the Nine Hostages), a historical King of Tara who died c. 405. They are generally divided into t ...
High Kings, while Fiacha was the ancestor of
Ailill Érann and the
Clanna Dedad.
Óengus is said to have fathered Fíacha on his own daughter when drunk, and to have put him in a boat, wrapped in a purple robe with a golden fringe and accompanied by treasure, and set him out to sea – hence the epithet ''fer mara'', "man of the sea". He was found and brought up by fishermen, and became the ancestor of several High Kings of Ireland and the later
Dál Riata
Dál Riata or Dál Riada (also Dalriada) () was a Gaelic kingdom that encompassed the western seaboard of Scotland and north-eastern Ireland, on each side of the North Channel. At its height in the 6th and 7th centuries, it covered what is n ...
monarchs of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
. The ''
Lebor Gabála Érenn
''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (literally "The Book of the Taking of Ireland"), known in English as ''The Book of Invasions'', is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language intended to be a history of Ireland and the Irish fro ...
'' interprets his epithet as meaning "the reckoner of Tara", saying that "by him was 'reckoning' first made in Ireland".
Geoffrey Keating
Geoffrey Keating ( ga, Seathrún Céitinn; c. 1569 – c. 1644) was a 17th-century historian. He was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, and is buried in Tubrid Graveyard in the parish of Ballylooby-Duhill. He became an Irish Catholic priest and a ...
gives his epithet as ''Tuirbeach'', "ashamed", because of the incestuous conception of Fíacha.
He reigned for thirty or sixty years, and died at
Tara, succeeded by his nephew
Conall Collamrach
Conall Collamrach, son of Eterscél Temrach, son of Eochaid Ailtlethan, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He succeeded to the throne on the death of his uncle Óengus Tuirmech Temrach, and rul ...
. The ''Lebor Gabála'' synchronises his reign with that of
Ptolemy VI Philometor
Ptolemy VI Philometor ( gr, Πτολεμαῖος Φιλομήτωρ, ''Ptolemaĩos Philomḗtōr'';"Ptolemy, lover of his Mother". 186–145 BC) was a Greek king of Ptolemaic Egypt who reigned from 180 to 164 BC and from 163 to 145 BC.
Ptolemy ...
in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
(180–145 BC). The chronology of Keating's ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn'' dates his reign to 262–232 BC, that of the ''
Annals of the Four Masters
The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Flood myt ...
'' to 385–326 BC.
['']Annals of the Four Masters
The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Flood myt ...
'
M4815-4875
/ref>
References
Legendary High Kings of Ireland
3rd-century BC rulers
{{Ireland-royal-stub