Eterscél Mór ("the great"), Son of Eogan MacAilella, grandson of Ailill Anglonnach MacIar, great grandson of Íar mac Dedad, a descendant of

Óengus Tuirmech Temrach 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 inc ...

, of the

Érainn The Iverni (, ') were a people of early Ireland first mentioned in Ptolemy's 2nd century ''Geography'' as living in the extreme south-west of the island. He also locates a "city" called Ivernis (, ') in their territory, and observes that this se ...

Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...

was, according to mediaeval 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 ...

during the first century BC or first century AD. He succeeded Eochu Airem. He features in the

Middle Irish Middle Irish, also called Middle Gaelic (, , ), is the Goidelic language which was spoken in Ireland, most of Scotland and the Isle of Man from AD; it is therefore a contemporary of Late Old English and Early Middle English. The modern Goideli ...

saga '' Togail Bruidne Dá Derga'' (the Destruction of Dá Derga's Hostel). He had no children, and it was prophesied that a woman of unknown race would bear him a son. He found and forcibly married the beautiful Mess Búachalla, daughter of Étaín and the former High King Eochu Feidlech (or, in '' Tochmarc Étaíne'', his brother Eochu Airem and his daughter by Étaín), who, because of her incestuous conception, had been exposed, but found, and brought up by a herdsman and his wife. One night, in Eterscél's house, she was visited by an unknown man who flew in her skylight in the form of a bird, and she had his child, the future High King Conaire Mór, who was brought up as Eterscél's son. Eterscél ruled for five or six years, at the end of which he was killed by Nuadu Necht in the battle of Aillenn. The ''

Lebor Gabála Érenn ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (literally "The Book of Ireland's Taking"; Modern Irish spelling: ''Leabhar Gabhála Éireann'', known in English as ''The Book of Invasions'') is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language inten ...

'' synchronises his reign with that of the Roman emperor

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

(27 BC – AD 14) and the birth of

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

, and makes him contemporary with legendary provincial kings

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 ...

, Cairbre Nia Fer, Cú Roí and Ailill mac Máta. The chronology of Geoffrey Keating's ''

Foras Feasa ar Éirinn ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn'' – literally 'Foundation of Knowledge on Ireland', but most often known in English as 'The History of Ireland' – is a narrative history of Ireland by Geoffrey Keating, written in Irish and completed .Bernadette Cun ...

'' dates his reign to 70–64 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 116–111 BC.''

'
M5084
/ref>

References

Further reading

Primary sources