Conaire Mór facts for kids

Conaire Mór (pronounced Koh-NAH-reh More), meaning "the Great," was a legendary High King of Ireland. According to old Irish stories, his mother was Mess Búachalla. His father was said to be Eterscél, though some legends say his true father was a mysterious bird-man named Nemglan. Nemglan supposedly visited his mother in the form of a bird, and Conaire was raised as Eterscél's son.

Becoming King

There are a couple of stories about how Conaire became king. One story says he took power after defeating Nuadu Necht. Another, from an old tale called Togail Bruidne Dá Derga, says he became king right after Eterscél died.

When a king died, a special ceremony called a "bull-feast" was held. A bull was killed, and a chosen man would eat its meat and drink its broth. Then, while chants were sung over him, he would fall asleep. The person he saw in his dream would be the next king.

In the story, young Conaire was out hunting birds in his chariot. He chased them all the way to the sea. There, the birds suddenly turned into armed men! They told him they were his father's bird-troop and that he was not allowed to hunt birds. Their leader, Nemglan, told Conaire to go to Tara (a very important ancient site) without his usual clothes. He would be made king there. Nemglan also gave Conaire several geasa (pronounced GESH-uh), which were special rules or taboos he had to follow. Breaking a geis would bring bad luck. One important geis was that he must never be followed into a red man's house by three red men. As Conaire approached Tara, three kings met him with new clothes. When he arrived, he was made king.

Conaire's Reign

Conaire's time as High King was mostly peaceful and lasted a long time. However, his end is told in a famous old Irish epic called Togail Bruidne Dá Derga, which means "The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel." In this story, events unfold that cause him to break his geasa one by one.

After breaking some of his rules, Conaire was traveling south along the coast of Ireland. He was advised to stay the night at a place called Da Derga's Hostel. As he got closer, he saw three men dressed in red, riding red horses, arriving at the hostel before him. "Da Derga" means "Red God." Conaire realized he had just broken another geis: three red men had gone into a red man's house before him.

Conaire's three foster-brothers, the sons of Dond Désa, had been sent away to Alba (which is now Britain) because of their crimes. They had teamed up with the king of the Britons, Ingcél Cáech. Together, they were causing trouble across Ireland with a large group of followers. They attacked Da Derga's Hostel. They tried to burn it down three times, but each time the fire was put out.

Conaire, helped by his champion Mac Cécht and the hero Conall Cernach, fought bravely. He killed many enemies even before he got to his weapons, and many more with them. He asked for a drink, but all the water had been used to put out the fires. Mac Cécht traveled across Ireland with Conaire's cup, but no rivers would give him water. He finally returned with water just in time to save Conaire from two attackers. Conaire drank the water and praised Mac Cécht in a poem. The battle continued for three more days. Mac Cécht was eventually killed, but Conall Cernach managed to escape.

How Long He Ruled

Different old texts give different lengths for Conaire's reign. Some say he ruled for thirty years, while others say seventy years.

• The Lebor Gabála Érenn (Book of the Taking of Ireland) suggests his rule was around the time of the Roman emperor Augustus (27 BC – AD 14) and after the birth of Christ. It also places him at the same time as other legendary kings like Conchobar mac Nessa.
• Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn (History of Ireland) dates his reign to 63–33 BC.
• The Annals of the Four Masters (a collection of Irish historical records) dates his reign to 110–40 BC.

His Family Line

Conaire Mór was a descendant of Íar mac Dedad and belonged to the legendary Clanna Dedad, a royal family of the Érainn people. His descendants in Ireland and Scotland were known as the Síl Conairi. The last Gaelic king of Scotland who was from Conaire Mór's family line was Alexander III of Scotland.