Everything about High Kings Of Ireland totally explained
Medieval Irish historical tradition held that Ireland had been ruled by an
Ard Rí or
High King since ancient times, and compilations like the
Lebor Gabála Érenn, followed by early modern works like the
Annals of the Four Masters and
Geoffrey Keating's
Foras Feasa ar Éirinn, purported to trace the line of High Kings. The corpus of
early Irish law doesn't support the existence of such an institution, and scholars now believe it's a
pseudohistorical construct of the eighth century AD, a projection into the distant past of a political entity that didn't become reality until
Máel Sechnaill mac Máele Ruanaid in the ninth century. The traditional list of High Kings of Ireland is thus a mixture of fact, legend, fiction and
propaganda. The individuals appearing prior to the fifth century AD are generally considered legendary, and the application of the title to individuals before the ninth century is considered anachronistic.
The annalists frequently describe later high kings as
rígh Érenn co fressabra ("Kings of Ireland with Opposition"), which is a reference to the instability of the kingship of Tara from the death of
Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill, the last
Uí Néill king, in 1022. Máel Sechnaill had been overthrown by
Brian Boru in 1002, and restored in 1014 following Brian's death, but the example of Brian's coup was followed by numerous other families in the century following 1022, and the High Kingship was effectively ended by the Norman quasi-conquest of Ireland in 1171.
Legendary kings
Kings in the Baile Chuind
The earliest surviving list appears in the
Baile Chuind (The Ecstasy of Conn) a late seventh century poem in which
Conn of the Hundred Battles experiences a vision of the kings who will succeed him. Many of these kings appear to correspond with the kings of later traditions, although the order is different, and some of the kings can't be identified. The last four kings following Snechta Fína (
Fínsnechta Fledach) don't correspond with any of the kings in later lists. The poem is therefore presumed to have been written during his time, and the kings who follow him are presumed to be fictional.
Synthetic lists
The
Lebor Gabála Érenn, dating to the 11th-12th century, purports to list every High King from remote antiquity to the time of
Henry II's Lordship of Ireland in 1171. The High Kingship is established by the
Fir Bolg, and their nine kings are succeeded by a sequence of nine kings of the
Tuatha Dé Danann, most if not all of whom are considered
euhemerised deities. After the
Milesian (Gaelic) conquest the High Kingship is contested for centuries between the descendants of
Eber Finn and
Érimón, sons of
Míl Espáine. The original compilation stopped at the reign of
Tuathal Techtmar. The kings of the Goidelic dynasties established by Tuathal were added by other editors. Later editions of the
Lebor Gabála tried to synchronise its chronology with dateable kings of
Assyria,
Persia and
Ptolemaic Egypt and
Roman emperors.
Early modern works like the
Annals of the Four Masters and Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn continued this tradition based on later Irish annals. Keating's chronology, based on reign lengths, is longer than the synchronised chronology of the Lebor Gabála, and the Four Masters' chronology is even longer.
Fir Bolg High Kings
Tuatha Dé Danann High Kings
Milesian High Kings
Goidelic High Kings
Kings in the
Baile Chuind are in
boldface.
Semi-historical High Kings of Ireland
These kings are likely historical figures, but naming them High Kings of Ireland is probably anachronistic. Kings in the
Baile Chuind are in
boldface.
Historical High Kings of Ireland
These kings can be considered genuinely historical High Kings (with or without opposition).
Further Information
Get more info on 'High Kings Of Ireland'.
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