Rudraige mac Sithrigi (Irish:Ruairí; English:Rory mac Sitric), was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, aHigh King of Ireland. The son of Sitric, he took power after killing his predecessor,Crimthann Coscrach, and ruled for thirty or seventy years, after which he died of plague in Airgetglenn. He was succeeded byFinnat Már, son ofNia Segamain. He is the ancestor ofClanna Rudraige.
TheLebor Gabála synchronises the start of his reign with that ofPtolemy VIII Physcon (145–116 BC), and his death with that ofPtolemy X Alexander I (110–88 BC) inEgypt.[1] The chronology ofGeoffrey Keating'sForas Feasa ar Éirinn dates his reign to 184–154 BC,[2] that of theAnnals of the Four Masters to 289–219 BC.[3] The poem "Druim Cet céide na naomh"[4] states the convention of Druim Cet (held c.590 AD) was 700 years after the reign of Rudraige, which would imply a floruit of c.110 BC.
Rudraige was particularly associated with the northern part of Ireland: theUlaid, who later formed a confederation in easternUlster in the early Middle Ages, traced their descent from him, and theLebor Gabála Érenn names him as the grandfather of the Ulaid heroConall Cernach.John O'Hart lists the following issue in hisStem of the Irish Nation:
It is claimed that some traditions of the Clanna Rudraige assign the Bay of Dundrum in modern County Down, as the resting place of Rudraige.[5] This is the location of theTonn Rudraige (wave of Rory) one of the "Three Waves of Erin" mentioned in theAnnals of the Four Masters, and believed to be named after Rudraige.[5]
| Preceded by | High King of Ireland LGE 2nd–1st century BC FFE 184–154 BC AFM 289–219 BC | Succeeded by |