Cormac mac Airt: Ireland's Legendary High King

Cormac mac Airt, also known as Cormac Ulfada ("long beard"), is arguably the most famous and influential of Ireland's legendary High Kings, with his reign variously dated between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD. He is said to have ruled for forty years from Tara, presiding over a period of great prosperity and being credited with building significant monuments like the Banqueting Hall. Cormac was celebrated for his wise, just, and generous judgments, with one historical account describing him as "absolutely the best king that ever reigned in Ireland."

His era is famously intertwined with the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill and the Fenian Cycle, further cementing his mythical stature, which also includes an intriguing tale of his childhood spent being raised by a she-wolf. Cormac's ascension to the throne often highlights a display of superior wisdom that led to the abdication of his predecessor, Lugaid mac Con, solidifying his pivotal role in ancient Irish tradition.