Rudraige mac Sithrigi ( ga, Ruairí; en, Rory mac Sitric), was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. The son of Sitric, he took power after killing his predecessor, Crimthann Coscrach, and ruled for thirty or seventy years, after which he died of plague in Airgetglenn. He was succeeded by Finnat Már, son of

Nia Segamain Nia Segamain, son of Adamair, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He took power after killing his predecessor, Conall Collamrach. Geoffrey Keating says his mother was the presumed woodland god ...

. He is the ancestor of Clanna Rudraige.

Time frame

The '' Lebor Gabála'' synchronises the start of his reign with that of

Ptolemy VIII Physcon Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II Tryphon ( gr, Πτολεμαῖος Εὐεργέτης Τρύφων, ''Ptolemaĩos Euergétēs Tryphon'' "Ptolemy the Benefactor; c. 184 BC – 28 June 116 BC), nicknamed Physcon ( "Fatty"), was a king of the Ptolema ...

(145–116 BC), and his death with that of Ptolemy X Alexander I (110–88 BC) 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 ...

. The chronology of

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 ...

's ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn'' dates his reign to 184–154 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 289–219 BC. The poem "Druim Cet céide na naomh" states the convention of Druim Cet (held c.590 AD) was 700 years after the reign of Rudraige, which would imply a floruit of c.110 BC.

Issue

Rudraige was particularly associated with the northern part of Ireland: the

Ulaid Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or Ulaidh ( Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include Ulidia, which is the Latin form of Ulaid, and i ...

, who later formed a confederation in eastern

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...

in the early Middle Ages, traced their descent from him, and the ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' names him as the grandfather of the Ulaid hero

Conall Cernach Conall Cernach (modern spelling: Conall Cearnach) is a hero of the Ulaid in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He had a crooked neck and is said to have always slept with the head of a Connachtman under his knee. His epithet is normally transla ...

John O'Hart John O'Hart (1824–1902) was an Irish genealogist. He was born in Crossmolina, County Mayo, Ireland. A committed Roman Catholic and Irish nationalist, O'Hart had originally planned to become a priest but instead spent two years as a poli ...

lists the following issue in his ''Stem of the Irish Nation'': *

Bresal Bó-Díbad Bresal Bó-Díbad, son of Rudraige, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He took power after killing his predecessor, Finnat Már, and ruled for eleven years, during which there was a plague on ...

, High King of Ireland * Congal Cláiringnech, High King of Ireland *Conrach (father of Elim mac Conrach) * Fachtna Fáthach (father of

Conchobar mac Nessa Conchobar mac Nessa (son of Ness) is the king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Emain Macha (Navan Fort, near Armagh). He is usually said to be the son of the High King Fachtna Fáthach, although in some stories hi ...

) *Ros Ruadh (father of

Fergus mac Róich Fergus mac Róich (literally " manliness, son of great stallion") is a character in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Formerly the king of Ulster, he is tricked out of the kingship and betrayed by Conchobar mac Nessa, becomes the ally and lo ...

) *Cionga (supposed ancestor of

)

Resting place

It is claimed that some traditions of the Clanna Rudraige assign the Bay of Dundrum in modern County Down, as the resting place of Rudraige. This is the location of the ''Tonn Rudraige'' (wave of Rory) one of the "Three Waves of Erin" mentioned in the

, and believed to be named after Rudraige.

References

Bibliography

External links

Stem of the Irish Nation, Ir to Feargal
by

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rudraige Mac Sithrigi Legendary High Kings of Ireland 2nd-century BC legendary rulers Ulaid