Eochu Feidlech

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Eochu or Eochaid Feidlech ("the enduring"),[1] was a High King of Ireland, according to medieval Irish legends and historical traditions. He is best known as the father of the legendary queen Medb of Connacht.

Family

Eochu was son of Finn, son of Fionnlogh, son of Rogen Ruad, son of Essamain Emna, son of Blathnachta, son of Labraid Lorc, son of

Enna Aignech
.

Various Middle Irish tales give him a large family. With his wife Cloithfinn,[2] he had six daughters (Derbriu, Eile, Mugain, Eithne, Clothru and Medb) and four sons (the triplets known as the findemna, and Conall Anglondach). Derbriu was the lover of Aengus of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Her mother-in-law, Garbdalb, turned six men into pigs for the crime of eating nuts from her grove, and Derbriu protected them for a year until they were killed by Medb.[3]

Four of Eochu's daughters married

caesarian section
. Medb bore him a son called Amalgad.

After Medb later left Conchobar, Eochu made her Queen of Connacht. Some time after that, Eochu held an assembly at Tara, which both Conchobar and Medb attended. The morning after the assembly, Conchobar followed Medb down to the river Boyne where she had gone to bathe, and raped her. Eochu made war against Conchobar on the Boyne, but was defeated.[4]

The three findemna tried to overthrow their father in the Battle of Druimm Criaich. The night before the battle, their sister Clothru, afraid that they would die without an heir, seduced all three of them, and the future High King Lugaid Riab nDerg, was conceived. The next day they were killed, and their father, seeing their severed heads, swore that no son should directly succeed his father to the High Kingship of Ireland.[5]

Rule and Death

According to the 12th century

Emain Macha, he raised an army of Ulstermen and gave battle at Leitir Rúaid in the Corann (modern County Sligo),[4] but was defeated and beheaded by Eochu. Eochaid Sálbuide, the king of Ulster, was also killed. Fergus mac Róich covered the Ulster army's retreat, and Eochu marched to Tara.[7]

He ruled for twelve years, and died of natural causes at Tara. Following his death, he was succeeded by his brother, Eochu Airem. The Lebor Gabála synchronises his reign with the dictatorship of Julius Caesar (48–44 BC).[6] The chronology of Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn dates his reign to 94–82 BC,[8] that of the Annals of the Four Masters to 143–131 BC.[9]

Preceded by High King of Ireland
LGE 1st century BC
FFE 94–82 BC
AFM 143–131 BC 		Succeeded by
Eochaid Airem

References

  1. ^ Dictionary of the Irish Language, Compact Edition, Royal Irish Academy, 1990, p. 297. His name is also spelt Eochaidh, Eochy, and his epithet is variously spelled Feidleach, Feidhleach, Feidlioch, Feidhlioch.
  2. ^ Margaret C. Dobs (ed. & trans.), "Cath Cumair", Revue Celtique 43, 1926, pp. 277-342
  3. Metrical Dindshenchas Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1906, Vol 3, Poem 70: Duma Selga
    , pp. 387-395
  4. ^ a b Joseph O'Neill (ed. & trans), "Cath Boinde", Ériu 2, 1905, pp. 173-185
  5. ^ Gwynn, The Metrical Dindshenchas Vol 4, Druimm Criaich Poem 13: Druimm Criach, pp. 43-57; Vernam Hull, (ed. & trans.), "Aided Meidbe: The Violent Death of Medb" Archived 2013-11-29 at the Wayback Machine, Speculum v.13 issue 1, Jan 1938, pp. 52-61; O'Neill, "Cath Boinde"; Dobs, "Cath Cumair"
  6. ^ a b R. A. Stewart Macalister (ed. & trans.), Lebor Gabála Érenn: The Book of the Taking of Ireland Part V, Irish Texts Society, 1956, p. 299
  7. Revue Celtique
    39, 1922, pp. 1-32
  8. ^ Geoffrey Keating, Foras Feasa ar Éirinn 1.31
  9. ^ Annals of the Four Masters M5057-5069
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