Rúadán

Rúadán, Ruadán, Rúadhán
1. sometimes confused with Rónán (5) [Ir. rúad, red-haired]. Sixth-century saint thought to have put a curse upon Tara. Although he still finds a place on the calendar of saints, 15 April, Rúadán has very shaky historicity. His Latin life, written many centuries after his time, is now considered unreliable; many commentators describe Rúadán as a fanciful saint. Purportedly born in Leinster, he was thought to have founded the monastery of Lothra, in what is now Tipperary. According to the story invented by later ecclesiastics, Rúadán cursed Tara because Diarmait mac Cerbaill, its last king to celebrate the pagan feis temrach [feast of Tara], insulted him in a Church/State dispute. Shortly afterwards, according to the story, Diarmait was struck by a roof-beam and Tara was abandoned. Abundant historical information elsewhere attests that Tara was not neglected, however, as it continued to be the site of the crowning of the ard rí and of an annual óenach [fair]. See Charles Plummer (ed.), Vitae Sanctorum Hiberniae (Oxford, 1910), ii. 240–52; Irish-language edn. Bethada Náem nÉrenn (Oxford, 1922), i. 316–29.

2.. Son of Bres (1) and Brigit (under the name Bríg[h]) who failed in his attempt to kill Goibniu, the smith-god. When Goibniu slew him in revenge, Rúadán's mother lamented his death with the first keening heard in Ireland. Many commentators see a link between Goibniu's killing of Rúadán and that of the Welsh smith-god, Gofannon, of his nephew Dylan.