Meḋḃ (, Medb, Medhbh, Meabh, Maeve, Maev) is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Her father was Eochaid Feidlech (Eoċaid Feiḋleċ), the High King of Ireland. Her best-known husband was Ailill mac Máta, athough she had several husbands before him, all of whom were kings of Connacht while they were married to her. Her palace stood at Cruachan (now Rathcroghan, County Roscommon). She was probably originally a sovereignty goddess, whom a king would ritually marry as part of his inauguration. A separate character, Medb Lethderg, performs a similar function in Tara. Her name is said to mean 'she who intoxicates', and is cognate with the English word 'mead'; it is likely that the sacred marriage ceremony between the king and the goddess would involve a shared drink. Punt - Series B - Ireland Image taken by me djegan of Series B - One Punt Note of note owned by self. ... The Irish pound (Irish: punt) was the currency unit of the Republic of Ireland until 1999. ... Connaught redirects here. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branches of Celtic mythology. ... Eochaid Feidlech was High King of Ireland in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. ... The office of High King of Ireland (Irish: Ard Rí Érenn) was in origin a pseudohistorical construct of the eighth century that placed a king of all Ireland atop the fragmented pyramid of kingship that actually existed at that time. ... Ailill (Aillell, Oilioll) mac Máta was king of Connacht and husband of Medb in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. ... Cruachan (Cruachu, Cruachain, Ráth Cruachain) is the ancient capital of the kingdom of Connacht, and the seat of Ailill and Medb in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. ... County Roscommon (Ros Comáin in Irish) is a county located in central Ireland. ... In Irish mythology Medb Lethderg (red-side) (not to be confused with queen Medb of Connacht) was a goddess of sovereignty associated with Tara. ... The Hill of Tara, located near the River Boyne, is today a mound in County Meath, Leinster, Ireland, on which the grass has veiled the rich heritage of the country. ... Cognates are words that have a common origin. ... Mead Mead is a fermented alcoholic beverage made of honey, water, and yeast. ...

The name "Connacht" in the Ulster Cycle appears to be an anachronism. Connacht took its name from the Connachta, the descendants of Conn Cétchathach, who is supposed to have lived several centuries later than the events of the Ulster Cycle. Cóiced Ol nEchmacht is sometimes given as an earlier name of the province. The Connachta were a group of dynasties who claimed descent from the three eldest sons of Eochaid Mugmedon: Brion, Ailill and Fiachrae. ... In Irish mythology, Conn Cetchatach or Conn of the Hundred Battles (c. ... Cóiced Ol nEchmacht, ancient name for the province of Connacht, Ireland. ...

Medb's first husband was Conchobar mac Nessa (Conċobar) of Ulster, but that marriage didn't last. She then murdered Conchobar's next wife, her own sister Eithne, while she was pregnant. Eithne's son, Furbaide, was born by posthumous caesarian section. In Irish mythology, Conchobar mac Nessa (also Conchobor, Conchubar, Conchobhar, Conchubhar, Conchúr, Conchúir, Conor) was king of Ulster during the events of the Ulster Cycle. ... Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh) is one of the four provinces on the island of Ireland. ... A caesarean section (cesarean section AE), is a surgical incision through a mothers abdomen (laparotomy) and uterus (hysterotomy) to deliver one or more fetuses. ...

Her father installed her as queen of Connacht, driving out the then king, Tinni mac Conri; however, Tinni regained a share of the throne when he and Medb later became lovers. Conchobar later raped Medb after an assembly at Tara. War ensued between the High King and Ulster. Tinni challenged Conchobar to single combat, and lost. Eochaid Dála of the Fir Domnann, who had been Tinni's rival for the kingship, protected the Connacht army as it retreated, and became Medb's next husband and king of Connacht. The Hill of Tara, located near the River Boyne, is today a mound in County Meath, Leinster, Ireland, on which the grass has veiled the rich heritage of the country. ... Fir Domnann was an ancient Irish tribe or people located in the west of Connacht, in what is now the Erris Peninsula in County Mayo. ...

Medb demanded her husband satisfy her three criteria - that he be without fear, meanness or jealousy. The latter was particularly important as she had many lovers. While married to Eochaid Dála, she took Ailill mac Máta, chief of her bodyguard, as her lover. Eochaid discovered the affair, challenged Ailill to single combat, and lost. Ailill then married Medb and became king of Connacht.

Medb and Ailill had a daughter, Findabair, and seven sons, all called Maine. They originally all had other names, but when Medb asked a druid which of her sons would kill Conchobar, he replied, "Maine". She didn't have a son called Maine, so she renamed all her sons as follows: In Irish mythology, Findabair or Finnabair (whose name means fair eyebrows) was the daughter of Ailill and Medb of Connacht. ... In the Celtic religion, the word Druid denotes the priestly class in ancient Celtic societies which existed through much of Western Europe north of the Alps and in the British Isles. ...

• Fedlimid became Maine Athramail ("like his father")
• Cairbre became Maine Máthramail ("like his mother")
• Eochaid became Maine Andoe ("the swift")
• Fergus became Maine Taí ("the silent")
• Cet became Maine Mórgor ("of great duty")
• Sin became Maine Mílscothach ("honey-speech")
• Dáire became Maine Móepirt ("beyond description")

Maine Andoe went on to kill Conchobar son of Arthur, son of the king of Britain, and the prophesy was fulfilled.

Medb also insisted that she be equal in wealth with her husband, and started the Táin Bó Cúailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley) when she discovered that Ailill was one powerful stud bull richer than her. Fighting on her side in that campaign against the Ulster hero Cu Chulain, was Fergus mac Róich, exiled former king of Ulster and one of Medb's lovers. It is reported that it took seven men to satisfy her, or Fergus once. She had Conall Cernach kill Ailill after he had contrived Fergus's death. The Táin Bó Cúailnge, or Cattle Raid of Cooley, is the central tale in the Ulster Cycle, one of the four great cycles that make up the surviving corpus of Irish mythology. ... Young Cúchulainn, 1912 illustration by Stephen Reid. ... In Irish mythology, Fergus (or Fearghus) mac Róich (or mac Róeg) is the former king of Ulster during the events of the Ulster Cycle. ... Conall Cernach (Conall the Victorious) is a heroic warrior of the Ulaid in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. ...

In her later years she often went to bathe in a pool on an island. Furbaide took a rope and measured the distance between the pool and the shore, and practiced with his sling until he could hit an apple on top of a stake Medb's height from that distance. The next time he saw Medb bathing he put his practice to good use and killed her with a piece of cheese in revenge for his mother. She was succeeded to the throne of Connacht by her son Maine Athramail.

The LÉ Maev (02), a ship in the Irish Naval Service (now decommissioned), was named after her. LÉ Maev (02) was a ship in the Irish Naval Service. ... External links Official website Current ships History Categories: Ireland-related stubs | Navies | Irish Defence Forces | Irish Naval Service ...

Sources

• "Foras Feasa Eirann", Geoffrey Keating, 1636.
• "Leabhar Mor nGenealach", Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh, 1649-1666.
• "Ogyia", Ruaidhri O Flaithbheartaigh, 1684.
• "The History of Mayo", T.H.Knox, 1908.