Nemed is recorded in the ancient 11th century manuscript 'Lebor Gabala Erenn', also known as the 'Book of Invasions', so titled because it chronicled the arrival of the earliest settlers into Ireland. However a tome produced in roughly the same period as William the Conqueror’s Norman invasion of Britain and the commissioning of the Domesday book on the larger island across the Irish Sea.
The first known inhabitants of Ireland were the people of Cesair, followed sequentially by the people of Partholon who were more or less wiped out by the plague, then the Muintir Nemed arrived. For completeness’ sake, they were followed by the mysterious Fir Bolg, then the supernatural Tuatha De Danann, (you’ll enjoy the magick and mystery surrounding the latter two immensely!) and finally the Milesians who were essentially the Gaels from whom modern populace of Ireland are all descended.
Nemed (who was also known as Nimeth or Neimheadh) takes his name from the old Gaelic word 'nemed' meaning 'holy' or 'privileged'. The Book of Invasions observes that Nemed was of such an ancient lineage that his ancestry stretched back to the time of Noah of the Ark. In fact according to Lebor Gabala Erenn he was the son of Agnoman of Scythia ( an ancient land encompassing Ukraine, southern Russia, and western Kazakhstan), the son of Piamp, son of Tait, son of Sera, son of Sru, son of Esru, son of Friamaint, son of Fathochta, son of Magog, son of Japheth, one of the sons of Noah. Christianity had already arrived arrived in Ireland by the early 5th century, and spread through the works of early missionaries such as Palladius, and Saint Patrick, therefore an old Testament family tree was most worthy of record by the eleventh century.
Yet on the other hand in the Historia Brittonum circa 828, therefore written more than two centuries earlier than the Lebor Gabala , it is recorded that there were only three settlements of Ireland, with the Nemedians being the second wave. It also tells us that the Nemedians came from Iberia and stayed in Ireland for many years, but then returned to Iberia. The Lebor Gabala increases the number of settlements to six and makes the Nemedians the third group.
Nevertheless the location of origin Iberia remains credible in that there was also an ancient state of Iberia located to the east of the Caspian Sea (Scythia would have bordered this edition of Iberia), as well as the more modern Spanish equivalent of Iberia. The latter would have also have offered a sensibly significant port of call on the journey down the Mediterranean from the Caspian Sea. In fact it would have been and still is quite feasible to cross Spain north to south via the mighty River Ebro rather than a major circumvention involving an infinitely more perilous sea journey.
Nonnetheless, let us return to Lebor Gabala Erren as our more romantic Medieval guide, which insists that Nemed set sail on his voyage of discovery from the Caspian Sea; seeking gold and riches in a huge fleet of 44 ships which would have encountered some pretty rough waters en route, even hugging the coast. The voyage lasted over a year and a half but by which time the damage toll was so great that only Nemed's own ship made ground safely. They had arrived in Ireland! Nehmed’s fleet could have just as easily started at the Caspian Sea, traversed Spain completely by river then foundered crossing the long stretch of generally rough seas between northern Spain and Ireland.
Indeed the plethora of red haired Irish men and women in Ireland is almost certainly as a result of these incursions from Central Asia, where a mutation in the MC1R gene that fails to produce sun-protective, skin-darkening eumelanin and instead causes pale skin, freckles and makes red hair a common site. You will for example find many Syrians and Southern Russians with red, ginger or auburn hair today.
Fortunately Nemed had arrived with his four sons and his wife Macha, who was to die tragically however twelve days after their arrival, and who gave her name to the city and County of Armagh, ('Ard Mhacha' meaning 'Macha's high place'). I am assuming they did not arrive in Northern Ireland at first, although the coast of Wicklow, Wexford and Waterford are known for their high cliffs and therefore difficult landings.
The Nemedians including his four chieftain sons (Starn, Iarbonel, Annind, and Fergus 'Red-Side') plus wives, and others, immediately set about clearing the vast forests in Ireland, creating great plains and enormous lakes to in part rebuild their decimated fleet.
Four lakes were formed in Nemed's time possibly as a result of lake-bursts, including Loch Annind, which burst from the ground when Annind's grave was being dug. The other three lakes were Loch Cal in Ui Niallain, Loch Munremair in Luigne, and Loch Dairbrech in Mide. The Muintir Nemid cleared twelve plains in all: Mag Cera, Mag Eba, Mag Cuile Tolaid and Mag Luirg in Connacht; Mag Seired in Tethbae; Mag Tochair in Tir Eogain; Mag Selmne in Dal nAraidi; Mag Macha in Airgialla; Mag Muirthemne in Brega; Mag Bernsa in Leinster; Leccmag and Mag Moda in Munster.
Naturally there is always a hostile reception from incumbents and the Nemedian arrival was no different, greeted with aggression by the pirate tribe of Fomorioans who patrolled the waters around Ireland, making conflict inevitable.
Battle after battle ensued before Nemed had an opportunity to demonstrate his ruthlessness. Having defeated the Fomorians, he instructed four senior members of the tribe to construct a fortress, and to do so in a single day. Amazingly they delivered, building the mighty fort of Rath Chindeich, in twenty four hours. The four were sons of Formorian leader Matan Munremar, named Boc, Roboc, Ruibne and Rotan. Their feat obviously also made Nemed nervous of the possibility that the same quartet could repeat the task in an equally short timescale on behalf of his future rivals, and they were put to death the following dawn for their achievement.
The Fomors or the Powers of Evil Abroad in the World John Duncan Oil on canvas, 1912 Dundee Art Galleries and Museums, Dundee
Nemed ultimately defeated the mysterious Fomorians in four battles. Modern scholars believe the Fomorians were a group of deities who were thought to represent the darker, destructive evil aspects of nature: death, chaos, darkness, blight, starvation and drought. Yet as this whole mythohistory relates to a period which falls into the Bronze Age, there is physical evidence of settlements and indeed that some of these battles took place because of dated artefacts discovered.
However, interestingly enough, while the Nemedians thrived in the wake of their victory, it was a destructive force of nature, the plague that ultimately brought them down, signalling the end of Nemedian influence in Ireland. For nine years after setting foot on Irish shores, Nemed who longer term brought great prosperity to Irelan died of plague along with three thousand of his people, (yes a prolific rabbit-like birth rate in nine years I must admit!). He is buried on the hill of Ard Nemid on Great Island in Cork Harbour.
The Fomorians regained control and imposed an odious tribute on the last of Nemed’s followers. For at the end of every Summer (the feast of Samhain), they were forced to hand over two thirds of their children as slaves, two thirds of their corn harvest and two thirds of their milk production to the Fomorians. Thus they were subjugated.
However, while the Nemedians grew slowly in numbers they eventually became strong enough to rebel, so the legend goes attacking the Fomorians with a force of 30,000 men by land and 30,000 by sea. They were initially victorious but ultimately defeated by a Fomorian leader named Morc, when a tidal wave engulfed the Nemedian fleet, ending their presence in Ireland.
It is said that as they had begun, a single ship crewed by thirty men escaped, fleeing to Britain.
Ireland’s hinterland was to remain predominantly deserted for another two centuries as a result, patrolled at its perimeter by the essentially seafaring Formorians.