Lugaid Íardonn, son of
Énna Derg, 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 ...
. His epithet,
Old Irish
Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic (, Ogham, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ; ; or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic languages, Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive written texts. It was used from 600 to 900. The ...
for "dark brown", came from the colour of his hair. He succeeded his father, who had died of plague, to the throne, and ruled for nine years before he was killed at Ráth Clochair by
Sírlám, son of
Finn mac Blatha. 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
Artaxerxes I of Persia (465–424 BC). The chronology of
Geoffrey Keating's ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn'' dates his reign to 658–649 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 881–872 BC.
['']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 ...
'
M4320-4328
/ref>
References
Legendary High Kings of Ireland
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