Cathair Mór ("the great"), son of Feidhlimidh Fiorurghlas, a descendant of

Conchobar Abradruad Conchobar Abradruad ("red eyelashes"), son of Find File, son of Ros Ruad, son of Ferhus Fairgge, son of Nuadu Necht, of the Leinster, Laigin, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He succeeded to ...

, was, according to

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 ...

, 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 an ...

. Foras Feasa ar Éirinn, Section 40, page 259, http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100054/text050.html UCC CELT project. by

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 ...

. He took power after the death of Fedlimid Rechtmar. Cathair ruled for three years, at the end of which he was killed by the Luaigne of Tara, led by Conn Cétchathach. The ''

'' synchronises his reign with that of the Roman emperor

Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Latin: áːɾkus̠ auɾέːli.us̠ antɔ́ːni.us̠ English: ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD and a Stoic philosopher. He was the last of the rulers known as the Five Good E ...

(161–180). The chronology of

's ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn'' dates his reign to 113–116, 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 medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Deluge, dated as 2,24 ...

'' to 119–122.

Genealogy

According to Foras Feasa ar Éirinn, Cathaoir Mor was a son of Feidhlimidh Fiorurghlas, son of Cormac Gealta Gaoth, son of Nia Corb, son of Cu Corb, son of Mogh Corb, son of Conchubhar Abhradhruadh, son of Fionn File, son of Rossa Ruadh, son of Fearghus Fairrge, son of Nuadha Neacht, son of Seadna Siothbhac, son of Lughaidh Loithfhionn, son of Breasal Breac, son of Fiachaidh Foibhric, son of Oilill Glas, son of Fearadhach Foghlas, son of Nuadha Fullon, son of Ealloit, son of Art, son of Mogh Airt, son of Criomhthann Coscrach, son of Feidhlimidh Foirthriun, son of Fearghus Fortamhail, son of Breasal Breodhamhan, son of Aonghus Ollamh, son of Oilill Bracain, son of Labhraidh Loingseach of the race of Eireamhon.

Legends

He is said to have had thirty sons, but only ten of them had children; several medieval dynasties of

Leinster Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of ...

traced their ancestors to them.
The Testament of Cathair Mór
', translated by Miles Dillon His daughter Cochrann was said to have been the mother of the

fenian The word ''Fenian'' () served as an umbrella term for the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and their affiliate in the United States, the Fenian Brotherhood, secret political organisations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries dedicate ...

hero Diarmuid Ua Duibhne.James MacKillop, ''Dictionary of Celtic Mythology'', Oxford University Press, 1998, p. 72 He features in the saga '' Esnada Tige Buchet'' ("The Melody of the House of Buchet"). Cathair's daughter Eithne Tháebfhota is fostered by a hospitable Leinsterman named Buchet who has many herds of cattle, but Cathair's sons so exploit Buchet's hospitality that he is left with only one bull and seven cows, and the king, now old and enfeebled, is unable to restrain them. Buchet and his family, including Eithne, are reduced to living in a hut in the forest in

Kells, County Meath Kells (; ) is a town in County Meath, Ireland. The town lies off the M3 motorway, from Navan and from Dublin. Along with other towns in County Meath, it is within the " commuter belt" for Dublin, and had a population of 6,135 as of the 20 ...

. Later, when Cormac mac Airt is king, he marries Eithne and restores Buchet's fortunes (in other stories the king who marries Eithne is Cathair's successor Conn Cétchathach). In another saga, ''Fotha Catha Cnucha'' ("The Cause of the Battle of Cnucha"), Cathair gives the hill of Almu (Knockaulin,

County Kildare County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the count ...

) to the

druid A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...

Nuada son of Aichi. This hill will later be famous as the home of Nuada's great-grandson

Fionn mac Cumhaill Fionn mac Cumhaill ( ; Old and mga, Find or ''mac Cumail'' or ''mac Umaill''), often anglicized Finn McCool or MacCool, is a hero in Irish mythology, as well as in later Scottish and Manx folklore. He is leader of the ''Fianna'' bands of y ...

Offspring

* Ros Failgeach mac Cathair Mór, ancestor of the Ó Conchubhair of Uí Failghe * Daire Barrach mac Cathair Mór, ancestor of Uí Treasaig and

Mac Gormáin MacGorman (Irish: ''Mac Gormáin''), also known as McGorman, Gorman, or O'Gorman (Irish: ''Ó Gormáin''), is an Irish Gaelic clan based most prominently in what is today County Clare. The paternal ancestors of the clan are of the Laigin and e ...

Uí Bairrche Uí Bairrche ( Modern Irish: ''Uí Bhairrche'', IPA: �iːˈwaːɾʲɾʲçə was an Irish kin-based group that originally held lands in the south of the ancient province of Leinster (or ''Cóiced Laigen'' "the Fifth of the Laigin"). Another south ...

* Bresal Einechglas mac Cathair Mór * Fergus Luasgan mac Cathair Mór * Ailill Cethech mac Cathair Mór * Aengus Nic mac Cathair MórDaniel Byrne-Rothwell
The Byrnes and the O'Byrnes
Volume 2, House of Lochar, 2010 - Ireland, p. 8 * Eochu Timine mac Cathair Mór * Crimthann mac Cathair Mór, ancestor of Dubh of Leinster * Curigh mac Cathair Mór, killed by

Fionn mac Cumhail Fionn mac Cumhaill ( ; Old and mga, Find or ''mac Cumail'' or ''mac Umaill''), often anglicized Finn McCool or MacCool, is a hero in Irish mythology, as well as in later Scottish and Manx folklore. He is leader of the '' Fianna'' bands of ...

** Slectaire mac Curigh, maternal grandfather of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne and Oscar ** Uchdelbh mac Curigh, wife of Fionn Fothart, a son of Conn Cétchathach * Eithne Tháebfhota, wife of Conn Cétchathach * Landabaria mac Cathair Mór, wife of Conn Cétchathach * Cochrann, mother of the

hero Diarmuid Ua Duibhne. * Fiacha Baicheda mac Cathair Mór, ancestor of

Mac Murchada Mac or MAC most commonly refers to: * Mac (computer), a family of personal computers made by Apple Inc. * Mackintosh, a raincoat made of rubberized cloth * A variant of the word macaroni, mostly used in the name of the dish mac and cheese * Mac, ...

of the Uí Cheinnselaig * Sodhealbh ní Cathair MórOn the page of thi
book
the author wrote that Sodhealbh and her sister, Eithne, were the daughters of Baite, Cathair Mor don't be her father. Bu
later on the book
mentioned Sodhealbh as Cathair Mor's daughter and Oilill Olum's wife, probably a mistake of this author. Oilill Olum married Sadb, daughter of Eithne, another daughter of Cathair Mor.

References

External links

The Testament of Cathair
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cathair Mor Legendary High Kings of Ireland