Ollom Fotla

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Ollom Fotla ("the scholar of Fódla", a poetic term for Ireland; later spelled Ollamh Fodhla), son of Fíachu Fínscothach, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. His given name was Eochaid. [1] He took power after killing his predecessor, Faildergdóit, whose father, Muinemón, had killed his father. He ruled for forty years, and died of natural causes at Tara, succeeded by an unbroken sequence of six descendants, beginning with his son Fínnachta, followed by two more sons, Slánoll and Géde Ollgothach.

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He is said to have instituted the Feis Temrach or Assembly of Tara. Keating describes the Feis Temrach as an assembly like a parliament, at which the nobles, scholars and military commanders of Ireland gathered on Samhain every three years to pass and renew laws and approve annals and records. The Assembly was preceded and followed by three days of feasting. [2] He also built a structure at Tara called the Múr nOlloman or Scholar's Rampart.

In the 1870s E.A. Conwell made the claim that Cairn T in the Loughcrew megalithic tomb complex was the tomb of Ollamh Fodhla. [3] [4] The link was based on a claim by James Fergusson ("Rude Stone Monuments in All Countries", 1872, Ch. V, p. 199) that the tomb complex at Loughcrew was the cemetery known as Tailten (or Talten) known from historical documents, with the modern settlement of Teltown being representative of the old place name. [5] Conwell also linked a large stone with neolithic carvings on it at the site, known as Hag's chair, as the judicial seat of Ollamh Fodhla, who was recorded as being a law giver/maker - this supposed link was a large part of his thesis linking the king and site. [6] The claim is mostly conjecture. [3] [4]

Time frame

The Lebor Gabála Érenn synchronises his reign with those of Arbaces and Sosarmus, said to be kings of the Medes but now considered legendary Iranian rulers. [7] [8] The chronology of Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn dates his reign to 943–913 BC, that of the Annals of the Four Masters to 1318–1278 BC. The chronology of Roderick O'Flaherty's Ogygia dates his reign to 714–674 BC.

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Conall Collamrach, son of Eterscél Temrach, son of Eochaid Ailtlethan, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He succeeded to the throne on the death of his uncle Óengus Tuirmech Temrach, and ruled for five years, until he was killed by Nia Segamain. The Lebor Gabála synchronises his reign with that of Ptolemy VIII Physcon in Egypt. The chronology of Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn dates his reign to 232–226 BC, that of the Annals of the Four Masters to 326–320 BC.

Fiacha Finnolach, son of Feradach Finnfechtnach, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He took power after killing his predecessor, Fíatach Finn. He ruled for fifteen, seventeen, or twenty-seven years, depending on the source consulted, after which he, and the freemen of Ireland, were killed in an uprising of aithech-tuatha or "subject peoples", led, according to the Lebor Gabála Érenn and the Annals of the Four Masters, by Elim mac Conrach, or by Cairbre Cinnchait according to Geoffrey Keating. His wife Eithne, daughter of the king of Alba (Scotland), who was pregnant, fled home to Alba, where she gave birth to Fíachu's son, Tuathal Techtmar, who would ultimately return to Ireland to claim the throne. The Lebor Gabála Érenn synchronises his reign with that of the Roman emperor Nerva (AD 96–98). The chronology of Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn dates his reign to AD 28–55, that of the Annals of the Four Masters to AD 39–56.

Elim, son of Conrai, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland.

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 battle of Raigne. He ruled for twenty-two years. The Lebor Gabála Érenn gives two versions of his death. In one version, he was killed in single combat in Cruachan by Sétna Airt, who fought to protect his son Fíachu Fínscothach. In the other version, he died of his wounds in Tara. The chronology of Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn dates his reign to 1005–980 BC, that of the Annals of the Four Masters to 1383–1358 BC.

References

  1. ↑ Annals of the Four Masters M3882-3922
  2. ↑ Geoffrey Keating, Foras Feasa ar Éirinn 1.26
  3. 1 2 Conwell 1873.
  4. 1 2 Conwell 1879.
  5. ↑ Conwell 1879, p. 73.
  6. ↑ Conwell 1879, pp. 87–88.
  7. ↑ Omidsalar, Mahmoud (16 November 2011). Poetics and Politics of Iran's National Epic, the Shahnameh. Palgrave MacMillan. pp. 35–36. ISBN   978-0230113459.
  8. ↑ R. A. Stewart Macalister (ed. & trans.), Lebor Gabála Érenn: The Book of the Taking of Ireland Part V, Irish Texts Society, 1956, pp. 235

Sources

Preceded by High King of Ireland
AFM 1318–1278 BC
FFE 943–913 BC		Succeeded by


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