Red Branch facts for kids
The Red Branch is a famous name from ancient Irish mythology. It refers to two of the three royal houses of King Conchobar mac Nessa. He was the king of Ulster, and his capital city was Emain Macha, also known as Navan Fort, near Armagh.
In stories from the Ulster Cycle, the Red Branch was a very important place. Sometimes, in modern retellings, people imagine it as an order of brave warriors called the Red Branch Knights.
The name "Red Branch" comes from two old Irish words for "red." Derg meant a bright red, like fresh blood or fire. Ruad meant a russet or dull red, like red hair.
The Cróeb Ruad (pronounced "Cray-uv Roo-ad") was one of these houses. It meant "russet branch" and was where the king himself sat. You can still find its name today in a place called Creeveroe in County Armagh. The other house with "red" in its name was the Cróeb Derg, meaning "bright red branch."
King Conchobar's third house was called the Téite Brec. This name means "speckled hoard." It was the special place where the heroes kept all their weapons.
The Red Branch in Modern Times
The name "Red Branch" has been used in different ways more recently.
Groups Using the Name
- A music group in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is called Craobh Rua. They play traditional Celtic music.
- In the 1800s and early 1900s, an Irish Catholic group in America used the name "Knights of the Red Branch." They were a friendly society that helped their members. They started in Ireland as a group focused on patriotism and military ideas.
