Eochu Uairches, son of Lugaid Íardonn

Lugaid Iardonn

Lugaid Íardonn, son of Énna Derg, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. His epithet, Old Irish for "dark brown", came from the colour of his hair. He succeeded his father, who had died of plague, to the throne, and ruled for nine years before he...

, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland

High King of Ireland

The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...

. After Lugaid was overthrown and killed by Sírlám

Sirlám

Sírlám, son of Finn mac Blatha, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He took power after killing his predecessor, Lugaid Íardonn, in Ráth Clochair. His name means "long hand" or "long arm", and it is said his arms reached the ground when was...

, Eochu was driven into exile overseas, but he returned after twelve years, killed Sírlám with an arrow, and took the throne. His epithet is obscure: the Lebor Gabála Érenn

Lebor Gabála Érenn

Lebor Gabála Érenn is the Middle Irish title of a loose collection of poems and prose narratives recounting the mythical origins and history of the Irish from the creation of the world down to the Middle Ages...

says he gained it because of his exile, while Geoffrey Keating

Geoffrey Keating

Seathrún Céitinn, known in English as Geoffrey Keating, was a 17th century Irish Roman Catholic priest, poet and historian. He was born in County Tipperary c. 1569, and died c. 1644...

 explains it as meaning "bare canoes", because he had canoes for a fleet, in which he and his followers used to plunder neighbouring countries. He ruled for twelve years, before he was killed by Eochu Fíadmuine and Conaing Bececlach. The Lebor Gabála synchronises his reign with that of Artaxerxes I of Persia

Artaxerxes I of Persia

Artaxerxes I was the sixth king of kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 465 BCE to 424 BCE. He was the son of Xerxes I of Persia and Amestris, daughter of Otanes.*Artaxerxes I was the sixth king of kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 465 BCE to 424 BCE. He was the son of Xerxes I of Persia and...

 (465-424 BC). The chronology of Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn dates his reign to 633-621 BC, that of the Annals of the Four Masters to 856-844 BC.