Eochaid Mugmedón () was a semi-legendary Irish king. According to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, Eochaid 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 an ...

, best known as the father of

Niall of the Nine Hostages Niall ''Noígíallach'' (; Old Irish "having nine hostages"), or Niall of the Nine Hostages, was a legendary, semi-historical Irish king who was the ancestor of the Uí Néill dynasties that dominated Ireland from the 6th to the 10th centurie ...

and ancestor of the Uí Néill and

Connachta The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King Conn Cétchathach (Conn of the Hundred Battles). The modern western province of Connacht ( Irish ''Cúige Chonnacht'', province, literally ...

dynasties. He is not mentioned in the list of kings of Tara in the '' Baile Chuind'' (The Ecstasy of Conn), but is included in the synthetic lists of High Kings in 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 ...

'', the Irish annals, Geoffrey Keating's history, and the ''Laud Synchronisms''. According to the ''

'' and its derivative works, Eochaid was the son of the former High King Muiredach Tírech, a descendant of Conn Cétchathach. Muiredach was overthrown and killed by Cáelbad son of Cronn Bradruí, an Ulster king, but Cáelbad only ruled one year before Eochaid killed him and took the throne. The ''Lebor Gabála'' says he extracted the ''bórama'' or cow tribute from

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 ...

without a battle. However, Keating records that he was defeated in the Battle of Cruachan Claonta by the Leinster king Énnae Cennsalach. Geoffrey Keating, ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn'
1.47
He was known as King Achaius to the Romans. According to the saga "The Adventures of the Sons of Eochaid Mugmedon",

Tom Peete Cross Tom Peete Cross (December 8, 1879 – December 25, 1951) was an American Celticist and folklorist. Education and career Cross did his undergraduate education at Hampden–Sydney College, receiving his B.A. in 1899. He went on to Harvard Univers ...

& Clark Harris Slover (eds.)
"The Adventures of the Sons of Eochaid Mugmedon"
''Ancient Irish Tales'', 1936, pp. 508–513. he is said to have had two wives:

Mongfind Mongfind (or Mongfhionn in modern Irish)—meaning "fair hair" or "white hair"—is a figure from Irish legend. She is said to have been the wife, of apparent Munster origins, of the legendary High King Eochaid Mugmedón and mother of his eldes ...

, daughter of Fidach, who bore him four sons, Brion, Ailill, Fiachrae and Fergus; and Cairenn Chasdub, daughter of Sachell Balb, king of the

Saxons The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

, who bore him his most famous son, Niall. Mongfind is said to have hated Cairenn, and forced her to expose her child, but the baby was rescued and raised by a poet called Torna. When Niall grew up he returned to Tara and rescued his mother from the servitude Mongfind had placed her under. Mongfind appears to have originally been a supernatural personage: the saga "The Death of Crimthann mac Fidaig" says the festival of Samhain was commonly called the "Festival of Mongfind", and prayers were offered to her on Samhain eve."The Death of Crimthann son of Fidach"
(translator unknown). Although it is probably anachronistic for Eochaid to have had a Saxon wife, T. F. O'Rahilly argues that the name ''Cairenn'' is derived from the Latin name Carina, and that it is plausible that she might have been a Romano-Briton. T. F. O'Rahilly, ''Early Irish History and Mythology'', 1946, Chapter 12 Indeed, Keating describes her not as a Saxon but as the "daughter of the king of Britain". After ruling for seven or eight years, Eochaid died of an illness at Tara, and was succeeded by Mongfind's brother

Crimthann mac Fidaig Crimthann Mór, son of Fidach , also written Crimthand Mór, was a semi-mythological king of Munster and High King of Ireland of the 4th century. He gained territory in Britain and Gaul, but died poisoned by his sister Mongfind. It is possible ...

, king of

Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following t ...

. Keating dates his reign to 344–351, 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 357–365. Daniel P. McCarthy, based on the Irish annals, dates his death to 362.Daniel P. McCarthy, 'The Chronology of the Irish Annals', ''Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, Culture, History, Literature'' 98C (6) (1998), pp. 203-255.

The Connachta

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eochaid Mugmedon Legendary High Kings of Ireland 4th-century Irish people 4th-century Irish monarchs