Historical context Túathal Techtmar

1 historical context

1.1 dates
1.2 first of goidels?
1.3 romans in ireland?

historical context
dates

the annals of 4 masters gives date of túathal s exile ad 56, return 76 , death 106. geoffrey keating s foras feasa ar Érinn broadly agrees, dating exile 55, return 80 , death 100. lebor gabála Érenn places him little later, synchronising exile reign of roman emperor domitian (81–96), return in reign of hadrian (122–138) , death in reign of antoninus pius (138–161).

the first of goidels?

the scholar t. f. o rahilly suggested that, in many such returned exile stories, túathal represented entirely foreign invasion established dynasty in ireland, dynastic propagandists fabricated irish origin him give him spurious legitimacy. in fact, proposed túathal s story, pushed 1st or 2nd century bc, represented invasion of goidels, established on earlier populations , introduced q-celtic language become irish, , genealogists incorporated irish dynasties, goidelic or otherwise, , ancestor deities pedigree stretching on thousand years fictitious míl espáine.

romans in ireland?

taking native dating broadly accurate, theory has emerged. roman historian tacitus mentions agricola, while governor of roman britain (ad 78–84), entertained exiled irish prince, thinking use him pretext possible conquest of ireland. neither agricola nor successors ever conquered ireland, in recent years archaeology has challenged belief romans never set foot on island. roman , romano-british artefacts have been found in leinster, notably fortified site on promontory of drumanagh, fifteen miles north of dublin, , burials on nearby island of lambay, both close túathal supposed have landed, , other sites associated túathal such tara , clogher. however, whether evidence of trade, diplomacy or military activity matter of controversy. possible romans may have given support túathal, or him, regain throne in interests of having friendly neighbour restrain irish raiding. 2nd-century roman poet juvenal, may have served in britain under agricola, wrote arms had been taken beyond shores of ireland , , coincidence of dates striking.