Irish Iron Age in the context of "Kingdom of Leinster"

The kings of Leinster (Irish: Ríthe na Laighean) ruled from the establishment of Leinster during the Irish Iron Age until the 17th century Early Modern Ireland. According to Gaelic traditional history found in works such as the Book of Invasions, Leinster was created during the division of Ireland among the Irish Gaels, descendants of Milesius: Leinster was one of the territories held by the offspring of Heremon. In the 7th century BC, the branch of the Heremonians who would establish Leinster, starting with Úgaine Mór, were also High Kings of Ireland and Kings of Tara. Their ascent to hegemony in Ireland was associated with the decline in influence of their Ulster-based Heremonian kinsmen from the Érainn.

Apart from Úgaine Mór, other prominent Kings of Leinster from this period who were also High Kings of Ireland were Labraid Loingsech and Cathair Mór. A mythology developed that Labraid Loingsech had horses ears: he spent some time exiled in Transalpine Gaul (dated roughly to the period of the Roman–Gallic wars) where his grandmother was from and returned to Ireland with Gaullish mercenaries. He established a base in the area, which was renamed from "Gailian" to Leinster, in reference to the pointed-spears held by the Gaullish Gaesatae mercenaries who provided the backbone of Labraid Loingsech's powerbase and brought him to the High Kingship. Cathair Mór, who was also a High King of Ireland, is perhaps the most important figure genealogically in Leinster as all of the subsequent kinship groups which ruled Gaelic Leinster claimed descent and legitimacy to rule from one of his ten sons who had offspring.