Fergus Mac Roich

Fergus Mac Roich was the leader of the warriors of the Red Branch. Fergus was the son of Ross the Red and Roich (Roy). Fergus was also the brother of Sualtam and the uncle of Conchobar Mac Nessa, king of Ulster.

When Fergus' half-brother, Fachtna (king of Ulaid), died, Fergus was entitled to rule Ulaid (Ulster). However, Fergus wanted to marry Fachtna's widow, named Nessa, whom he was in love with. Nessa agreed to marry Fergus if her son was allowed to rule Ulster for one year before Fergus took over. Fergus agreed. But after one year, Conchobar was ruling Ulster with such wisdom that the people did not want Conchobar to step down from the throne. Fergus was not only willing to accept his nephew as king, he also preferred to be free from the responsibilities that came from ruling.

Fergus was one of the champions of the military order called the Red Branch. Fergus was one of Conchobar's warriors who found Cú Chulainn (Cu Chulainn) when he was born. He vowed that he would train Cú Chulainn as a warrior of the Red Branch. Fergus was also there when Cu Chulainn changed his name from Setanta at the mansion of Culann.

Fergus wanted to reconcile the sons of Uisnech and Conchobar, during the former's exile over the girl Deirdre. When Conchobar broke his word to not harm the sons of Uisnech, they were not only killed by the king's order, but one of Fergus' sons was killed while the other son betrayed him. Fergus and the other warriors renounced their fealty to Conchobar and went into exile. Fergus and his followers joined Ulster's arch-enemy, Connacht.

There, in the court of Connacht, Fergus became not only the most trusted adviser to Queen Medb (Maeve), but also her frequent lover, even though she was married to the king, Ailill.

As a former Red Branch warrior, Fergus took part in Connacht's cattle raid in Ulster, where he was an important military advisor of Maeve. Fergus refused to fight his former pupil Cu Chulainn in single combat. He would have killed Conchobar in battle, had Cormac not pleaded for his father's life.

Later, Ailill's jealousy caused the Connacht king to kill Fergus, while the warrior was swimming in a lake. Fergus was avenged when his former pupil, Conall Cernach, killed Ailill.

In the Welsh Culhwch and Olwen, Fergus was equated with Fercos son of Poch.