Sírna Sáeglach ("the long-lived"), son of Dian mac Demal, son of Demal mac Rothechtaid, son of

Rothechtaid mac Main Rothechtaid, son of Maen, son of Óengus Olmucaid, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He came to power by killing the previous incumbent, his grandfather's killer Énna Airgdech, in the bat ...

, 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 separated the province of

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

from the authority of the High King, and is said to have made war against the

Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or (Irish language, Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic Provinces of Ireland, over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include , which ...

, who had killed his great grandfather, for a hundred years according to 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 ...

'', 150 years according to 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 ...

'', but

Geoffrey Keating Geoffrey Keating (; – ) was an Irish historian. He was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, and is buried in Tubrid Graveyard in the parish of Ballylooby-Duhill. He became a Catholic priest and a poet. Biography It was generally believed unt ...

, citing an ancient poem, gives him only twenty-one years.

, ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn'
1.26
/ref> According to one version of the ''Lebor Gabála'', the Ulaid united with the

Fomorians The Fomorians or Fomori (, Modern ) are a supernatural race in Irish mythology, who are often portrayed as hostile and monstrous beings. Originally they were said to come from under the sea or the earth. Later, they were portrayed as sea raider ...

and gave him battle at Móin Trógaide in

County Meath County Meath ( ; or simply , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, County ...

, but a plague fell on them and the leaders of both sides died. According to another version, agreed by Keating and the Four Masters, Sírna was killed by Rothechtaid Rotha at Alind. The ''Lebor Gabála'' synchronises the start of his reign with the reign of

Deioces Deioces was the founder and the first king of the Median Kingdom, an ancient polity in western Asia. His name has been mentioned in different forms in various sources, including the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. The exact date of the era of ...

of the

Medes The Medes were an Iron Age Iranian peoples, Iranian people who spoke the Median language and who inhabited an area known as Media (region), Media between western Iran, western and northern Iran. Around the 11th century BC, they occupied the m ...

(694–665 BC), and his death with his successor

Phraortes Phraortes, son of Deioces, was the second king of the Median kingdom. Like his father Deioces, Phraortes started wars against Assyria, but was defeated and killed by the Assyrian king, probably Ashurbanipal (r. 669-631 BC). Biography All an ...

(665–633 BC). The chronology of Keating's ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn'' dates his reign to 814–794 BC, that of the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' to 1181–1031 BC.

References

Legendary High Kings of Ireland {{Ireland-royal-stub