 The High King was said to <unk> over the provincial kingdoms that together formed Ireland . All of these kingdoms had their own kings but were at least nominally subject to the High King . The High King was drawn from the ranks of the provincial kings and ruled also the royal kingdom of Meath , with a ceremonial capital at the Hill of Tara . The concept only became a political reality in the Viking Age and even then was not a consistent one . Ireland did have a culturally <unk> rule of law : the early written judicial system , the <unk> Laws , administered by a professional class of jurists known as the <unk> . However , a united kingdom of Gaelic Ireland was never achieved . 
