Eochu Apthach

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other persons of the same name, see Eochaid.

Eochu (or Eochaid) Apthach ("outlaw" or "fatal")[1] of the Corcu Loigde of County Cork, a distant descendant of Breogán, the father of Míl Espáine, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He took power after killing the previous incumbent, Bres Rí. He only ruled for a year, and it is said there was a plague every month during that year. He was killed by Finn mac Blatha, a descendant of Ollom Fotla. The Lebor Gabála Érenn synchronises his reign with that of Darius the Great of Persia (522-485 BC).[2] The chronology of Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn dates his reign to 726-725 BC,[3] that of the Annals of the Four Masters to 953-952 BC.[4]

Preceded by
Bres Rí		 High King of Ireland
LGE 6th/5th century BC
FFE 726-725 BC
AFM 953-952 BC		 Succeeded by
Finn mac Blatha

[edit] References

  1. ^ Dictionary of the Irish Language, Compact Edition, Royal Irish Academy, 1990, p. 46
  2. ^ R. A. Stewart Macalister (ed. & trans.), Lebor Gabála Érenn: The Book of the Taking of Ireland Part V, Irish Texts Society, 1956, p. 247-249
  3. ^ Geoffrey Keating, Foras Feasa ar Éirinn 1.26
  4. ^ Annals of the Four Masters M4247-4248


This biography of a member of an Irish royal house is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.