Óengus Tuirmech Temrach, son of Eochaid Ailtlethan, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a

High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ) 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 was later sometimes assigned anachronously or to leg ...

. 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 The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasty, dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King of Ireland, High King Conn of the Hundred Battles, Conn Cétchathach (Conn of the Hundred Battles). The modern western Provinces of ...

and Uí Néill 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 Gaels, Gaelic Monarchy, kingdom that encompassed the Inner Hebrides, western seaboard of Scotland and north-eastern Ireland, on each side of the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North ...

monarchs of

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. The '' Lebor Gabála Érenn'' interprets his epithet as meaning "the reckoner of Tara", saying that "by him was 'reckoning' first made in Ireland". Geoffrey Keating 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. The ''Lebor Gabála'' synchronises his reign with that of Ptolemy VI Philometor in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

(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'' () or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' () are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Genesis flood narrative, Deluge, dated as 2,242 Anno Mundi, years after crea ...

'' to 385–326 BC.''

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References

Legendary High Kings of Ireland 3rd-century BC legendary monarchs Usurpers Irish regicides {{Ireland-royal-stub