A Ulster Period, once a Red Branch Period, occurs as big body of prose & verse centering around a traditional heroes of the Ulaid in what is now eastern Ulster. This is one of a quatern major rounds of Irish Mythology, along with a Mythological Cycle, the Fenian Cycle and the Historical Cycle.

A period centres as much as a reign of Conchobar mac Nessa, who is said to keep close at hand been king of Ulster about a instance of Christ. He ruled from either Emain Macha (now Navan Fort touching Armagh), and got the fierce contention by having queen Medb and king Ailill of Connacht and their ally, Fergus mac Róich, former king of Ulster. A first hero of the period is Conchobar's nephew Cúchulainn.

A society depicted in the tales of the Ulster Period is substantially that of the pre-Christian Iron Age, although filtered through the perspective of its medieval Christian redactors, and contains numbers of parallels by having a society of the Celts of Europe as described by definitive writers. Warriors fight from either chariots, take their opponents' heads when trophies, contend for precedence at feasts, come advised by druids, and fight within lone combat at fords. Poets st& world power & privilege and wealth is reckoned inside cows.

A period consists of astir lxxx stories, a centrepiece of the which is Táin Bó Cúailnge, or a Bos taurus Raid of Cooley, where Medb invades Ulster at a head of a vast army to steal the Dark brown Bull of Cooley, & merely Cúchulainn fill in her way.

Characters
Main Characters
Conchobar mac Nessa (also Conor mack Nessa), king of Ulster Cúchulainn, Ulster hero Deirdre, tragic heroine Medb, queen of Connacht and Conchobar's enemy Ailill mac Máta, king of Connacht Fergus mac Róich, former king of Ulster world health organization goes into exile inside Connacht The Mórrígan, goddess of war and death Lugh, solar god

Important Characters
Amairgin mac Echit, poet and warrior Athirne, poet and troublemaker Blaí Briugu, hostel keeper and execution victim Briccriu, troublemaker Cathbad, chief druid in Conchobar's court Celtchar, Ulster warrior Cet mac Mágach, Connacht warrior Cethern mac Fintain, Ulster warrior and 100%-all-around hard guy Conall Cernach, Ulster hero Connla, Cúchulainn's son Cormac Cond Longas, Ulster prince in exile by using Fergus Cú Roí, Munster king with supernatural powers Culann, smith Dáire mac Fiachna, cattle-lord Deichtine, Conchobar's sister and mother of Cúchulainn Donn Cuailnge, stud bull Dubthach Dóeltenga, cynical Ulster exile Emer, Cúchulainn's wife Finnbhennach, stud bull Fráech, Connacht hero Lóegaire Búadach, hapless Ulster would-manque hero Lugaid mac Con Roí, Cú Roí's son retired for revenge Macha, slighted goddess Naoise, Ulster warrior, hunter, singer and lover of Deirdre Nera, Connacht nobleman Ness, Ulster princess, mother of Conchobar Scáthach, warrior-woman who trains Cúchulainn around Scotland

Minor characters
Achall �ed Ruad Bélchú Cairbre Cuanach Cairbre Nia Fer Condere mac Echach Cruinniuc Cúscraid Fedelm Noíchrothach Fedlimid mac Daill Fergus mac Leti Fiachu mac Fir Febhe Follomain mac Concobair Friuch Furbaide Ferbend Garb mac Stairn Goll mac Carbada Lugaid Riab nDerg Maine Mugain Sencha mac Ailella Uathach

Narratives
Compert Conchobuir: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/conchobar1.html The Birth of Conchobar] Scéla Conchobuir mack Nessa: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/conchobar2.html Tidings of Conchobar son of Ness] Ferchuitred Medba aka Cath Bóinde: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/boyne.html Medb's Men, or the Battle of the Boyne] Compert Con Culainn: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/cuchulain1.html The Birth of Cú Chulainn] Tochmarc Emire: [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T301021/ The Wooing of Emer] Assisted Óenfir Aífe [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/aoife.html The Death of Aífe's Only Son] Assisted Derbforgaill: A Dying of Derbforgaill Aided Guill maic Carbada ocus Aided Gairb Glinne Rige: A Deaths of Goll macintosh Carbada & Attire of Glenn Rige Scéla Muicce Maic Dathó: [http://vassun.vassar.edu/~sttaylor/MacDatho/ The Story of Mac Dathó's Pig] Fled Bricrenn: [http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~dc920/bricriu.html Bricriu's Feast] Longes mackintosh nDuíl Dermait: A Exile of the Sons of Dóel Dermait Longes Mac nUisnech: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/usnech.html The Exile of the Sons of Usnech] Aislinge Óenguso: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/oengus.html The Dream of Óengus] Táin Bó Fráich: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/fraech.html The Cattle Raid of Fráech] Tochmarc Treblainne: A Suit of Treblann Táin Bó Regamain: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/regamon.html The Cattle Raid of Regamon] Táin Bó Dartada: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/dartaid.html The Raid for Dartaid's Cattle] Táin Bó Flidaise: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/flidais.html The Driving of Flidais's Cattle] Tochmarc Ferbe: A Courting of Ferb [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/ferb1.html Book of Leinster version]; [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/ferb2.html Egerton version] Echtra Nerae: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/nera.html The Adventures of Nera] Táin Bó Regamna: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/regamna.html The Cattle Raid of Regamna] Noínden Ulad: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/debility.html The Debility of the Ulstermen] De Chophur within Dá Muccida: A Quarrel of the 2 Pig-Keepers Táin Bó Cuailnge: The Bos taurus Raid of Cooley [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T301012/index.html Recension 1]; [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T301035/index.html Recension 2] Assisted Con Roí: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/curoi.html The Death of Cú Roí] Mesca Ulad: [http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Bistro/2330/intox.html The Intoxication of the Ulaid] Tochmarc Luaine ocus Aided Athirni: A Suit of Luaine & a dying of Athirne Togail Bruidne Da Derga: [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1100derga.html The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel] Aided Cheltchair maic Uthechair: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/celtchar.html The Death of Celtchar mac Uthechair] Serglige Con Culainn ocus Óenét Emire: [http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Bistro/2330/jemer.html The Wasting Sickness of Cú Chulainn and the Only Jealosy of Emer] Cath Étair: A Battle of Howth Cath Ruis na Ríg: A Battle of Ros na Rig Assisted Con Culainn: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/cuchulain3.html The Death of Cú Chulainn] Aided Ceit maic Mágach: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/cet.html The Death of Cet mac Mágach] Assisted Lóegairi Búadaig: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/loegaire.html The Death of Lóegaire Búadach] Assisted Conchobuir: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/conchobar3.html The Death of Conchobar] Bruiden Da Chocae: Da Choca's Hostel Cath Airtig: A Battle of Airtech Aided Fergusa maic Róig: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/fergus.html The Death of Fergus mac Róich] Goire Conaill Chernaig ocus Aided Ailella ocus Conaill Chernaig: A Cherishing of Conall Cernach, & a Deaths of Ailill & Conall Cernach Assisted Meidbe: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/medb.html The Violent Death of Medb] Siaburcharpat Con Culainn: [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/cuchulain4.html The Phantom Chariot of Cú Chulainn] De Faillsigud Tána Bó Cuailnge: A Rediscovery of the Kine Raid of Cooley

Sources

Virtually all of the significant Ulster Period tales may be observed in the as a result publications

Thomas Kinsella (1969), The Táin, Oxford University Press Jeffrey Gantz (1981), Early Irish Myths & Sagas, Penguin Tom Peete Cross & Clark Harris Slover (1936), Ancient Irish Tales, Barnes & Noble John T Koch & John Carey (2000), The Celtic Heroic Age, Celtic Studies Publications Kuno Meyer (1906), A Demise-Tales of the Ulster Heroes, Dublin Institute for Advances Studies The H Leahy, Heroic Romances of Ireland (1905-1906), [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/hroi/]