Real Red Branch

[Standing-Stone]

Are they or were they?

Was there really a bunch Red Branch warriors back in the days of Eire?

I was surpised to hear the name mentioned in some documentry on television.

Though I am still wondering they were ficticous?

 

[Tathlum]

Maybe. This type of warrior society did exist. It maybe a mistranslation of Royal branch instead of Red branch (ria/rua in Irish). So a group called the royal branch is almost certain and a "red" branch a definate possability...

 

[Standing-Stone]

Anyway, I had then had the presence of mind to look it up on the wiki after I had posted this question last night.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Branch

It would also appear that you are corrct about the confusion over wether they were called 'The Red Branch' or 'The Royal Branch'. Apparently some monks misinterpreted the words riadh ("royal") as ruadh ( Red or Rouge.)

 

[toothill man]

but they were the core to most of the cycles as the warriors of valour and bane of the formorrians lead by balor