1011 - 1014 AD
1011
AD
*105.Brian Boru - of the Tributes the
Heberian Dal gCais
Ui Bloid Ui Turlogh
175th High King of Ireland
- still with opposition
intending to gain overall control to do something
constructive about the Teutonic Viking menace, decided to besiege the north -
west of the Ulster Province from the sea, as well as overland,
and was now finally able to submit the
Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern"
Ui Niaill
Cenel Conaill
Sept in Tir Conaill / Tyrconnell /
(The Land of 91.Conall Gulban) now known as Co. Donegal
/ The Fort of the Strangers, while also securing
booty from there as well. Taking the Cenel Conaill King as
a hostage,
he took him back to
Co. Clare in
Northern Munster
/
Thomond
to get his point of view well and truly across to him, and then released him, and this
now meant that all
of the
Irish Kings had submitted to him and he was finally the overall
Heberian Dal gCais High King
/ Ard Ri
of Ireland - without opposition.
1012 AD 107.Flaherty / Flaithbertach an Trostain O Niall the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern" Ui Niaill Cenel nEogain 40th King of Aileach who had his Sept's territory in Tyrone / Tir Eogan (The Land of 91.Eogan) in the Ulster Province tried once again this year to further express his personal authority as the overall leader of all of the Septs in Ulster. and because of his overall success at acheiving this that it would be now be through his particular male line that the O Nialls / O Neills of Ulster would descend from his ancestor 103.Niall Glun Dubh - of the Black Knee the previous 170th King of Ireland. This year he also conducted an expedition to further express his authority into the territory of his kinsmen the "southern" kingdom of Meath as far as Ceanannus Mor / Kells in the the south - east of Northern Leinster where *107.Malachy 11 / Mael Sechlainn had now been relegated to being the "southern" Ui Niaill Clann Cholmain King of Meath only, who had previously been the 174th King of Ireland and he too also abandoned the hill to him there.
108.Murtogh O Niall, who was also from the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern" Ui Niaill Cenel nEogain Sept, who was a son of the previously deceased 107.Aedh O Niall of Craeb Tulca, was slain this year during a conflict with the the Heremonian Ui Laoghaire Ui Conaire Dal Riada / riata Sept who still also had territory in the very north - east of the Ulster Province connected to their kingdom of Dal Riada across the Irish Sea in the Scottish Highlands.
This year also, St. Colman was murdered while he was in Austria going on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and the Emperor Henry 11 responded to his demise by bringing his body back to Mitiz were miracles were then to be recorded in his name, and he was renamed St. Kiliman there and became the Patron Saint of Austria.
Although *105. Brian Boru the Heberian Dal gCais 175th High King of Ireland had by now gained total overall submission in Ireland from the other Septs, there was always still to be pockets of resistance and trouble brewing somewhere, due to the ongoing indiscriminate Viking disturbances and the influences of other personal agendas of those now involved in the overall scheme of things in Ireland, and he soon found that he had to also lay siege once again to the Dal Cuinn "southern" Ui Niaill kingdom of Meath in Northern Leinster, and although *107.Malachy 11 / Mael Sechnaill who was now the Heremonian 40th King of Meath / Midhe only and previous 174th King of Ireland was at first to resist him, he soon retreated. To strengthen his position further,*105.Brian Boru decided to construct fortresses throughout his own territory in Thomond / Northern Munster and he also found that he had to resubmit the Heremonian Ui Laoghaire Ui Connla kingdom of Ossory again, situated to the east of Northern Munster in the south - west of Southern Leinster in Mogha's Half, while his son 106.Murrogh / Murchad went off to also submit their Heremonian Ui Laoghaire kinsmen, the Ui Lughaidh Cu Corb Septs who had their territory nearby in Southern Leinster.
September: *105.Brian
Boru and
his son,
106.Murrogh
/ Murchad also had to lay siege to
Dublin
once again in
Southern Leinster,
which was still under the control of Sitric
Silkbeard, and this action had to be continued up until Christmas, but
he failed to regain overall control over the
Viking settlement there, and returned to the Munster
Province, with this conflict result an unfortunate circumstance as Sitric Silkbeard the half
- Viking King of Dublin, egged on by
his disaffected mother
110.Gormflath
/ Gormley / Kormloda,
now
went off to the
Orkney Islands where he made an
arrangement with Earl Sigurd the Viking King there, to come to
Dublin and
support him against *105.Brian Boru,
and during the trip he also made an alliance with
the Vikings on the Isle of Man.
1013 AD *107.Malachy
11
/
Mael Sechnaill
who now only held his previous position
as the
Heremonian "southern"
Ui Niaill Clann Cholmain
40th King
of
Meath
had
*105.Brian
Boru the
Heberian Dalcassian 175th High King of Ireland assist him
to besiege the Vikings in
Dublin
again, who
were still giving him trouble in his kingdom to the north of there nearby in
Meath in Northern
Leinster, raiding from out of their settlement in Dublin
still under
the leadership of Sitric
Silkbeard, but even with
the added assistance of *105.Brian Boru he too was
also forced to back off as
Sitric Silkbeard
was also backed up by his maternal uncle,
110.Mael Morda the Heremonian Ui
Laoghaire Cu Corb Ui Dunlainge Ui Faelain
45th King of Leinster.
The Danish Vikings / Dubh Ghall in England had by now also captured Wessex, which gave them control over England, while the Norwegian Vikings / Fionn Ghall were still on the River Liffey in Co. Dublin in the north - east of Southern Leinster, as the Danish kingdom in Northumbria had enabled the Vikings also to not only hold onto Dublin, but also to the Isle of Man, and York in England, and King Sweyn Forkbeard who was now in control of England decided to gather together all of the other Vikings in Dublin Bay intending to land at Clontarf near Dublin to eventually also take over in Ireland.
Thorgils the actual Danish Viking leader in Ireland, had in the meantime tried to set himself up at Armagh in the south - east of the Ulster Province where he was able to be defeated there by *107.Malachy 11 the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "southern" Ui Niaill 40th King of Meath who had then thrown him bodily into Loch Nair.
During the 200 years of raids carried out against the Irish Septs by the Vikings no Irish kingdom or Sept / Family Branch had been done away with, or destroyed altogether, such as was to occur under the ongoing ethnic and religious discrimination and oppression of the Anglo - Norman English in the future.
1014 AD *107.Malachy 11 / Mael Sechnaill the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "southern" Ui Niaill 40th King of Meath along with the O Mulderry / Ui Mael Doraigh Sept, and the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Breifne O Rourke / Ui Ruairc Sept from their kingdom of West Breifne, during this year, were to besiege the Heremonian Ui Laoghaire Ui Connla kingdom of Ossory in Co. Kilkenny in the south - west of Southern Leinster.
110.Mael
Morda the
Heremonian
Ui Laoghaire
Cu Corb
Ui Dunlainge Ui Faelain
45th King of
Leinster tried to get the other Southern Leinster
Kings to join in with him and his
Viking allies against *105.Brian
Boru without
any success,
while on the other hand none of the Heremonian
Dal Cuinn "northern" Ui Niaill
Kings would
assist *105.Brian Boru
against 110.Mael Morda and his Viking
allies, and he had only the support of
2
of the Heremonian
Dal Cuinn Septs from the
Connacht Province, while the nearby
Heremonian
Ui Laoghaire
Ui Connla
kingdom of Ossory in
the south - west of Southern Leinster
was
also not to be involved. *105.Brian
Boru now mainly had to rely
on his Munster Province forces, including
Dungal O Donoghue who was now the King
of Cashel / Munster, but
*107.Malachy 11 / Mael Sechnaill the
Heremonian
Dal Cuinn 40th King of Meath and his
aristocratic Dal Cuinn "southern" Ui Niaill
warriors were still to be there with him as added support, if they were required, at the great
Battle of Clontarf, that was
about to occur, although his Dal Cuinn "southern"
Ui Niaill forces were to be held in reserve
until it was to be allover.
*105.Brian Boru the Heberian Dalcassian 175th High King of Ireland gathered all of his Dal gCais warriors and horsemen from Thomond / Northern Munster at his royal residence at Killaloe in the north - east of Co. Clare in the north - west of the Munster Province and called on the Heberian Eoghanachta in Munster and the Heremonian Ui Conaire Muscraige O Connors / Ui Conchobair in the south of the Connacht Province who now also had territory in Co. Kildare in Central Southern Leinster, while Teague Mor O Kelly / Tadhg Ua Ceallaigh the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Colla Da Crioch Ui Maine King, was there to support him with his followers and he would be amongst those to be killed during the battle. The Heremonian Ui Conaire Dal Riada Scottii Septs from the Highlands of Scotland were to be there also, and together these Septs all marched on towards Dublin to try and bring a halt once and for all to the impending Viking menace that was continually hanging over Ireland,
*105.Brian
Boru
the Heberian Dal gCais 175th High King of Ireland was now
aged, and although he had wanted to retain his command he was now physically
unable to fight the gruelling day long hand to hand combat required, so
his son,
106.Murrogh
/ Murchad and grandson,
107.Turlogh
O Brian were chosen to lead the combined Celtic
Irish
forces into battle
at Clontarf against the
Vikings, and their
Heremonian Cu Corb Ui Dunlainge
Southern
Leinster allies
who were under 110.Mael Morda the
Cu Corb
Ui
Faelain
45th King
of Leinster.
April 23rd - Good Friday:
At
Sunrise around
5 a.m. the Irish
forces under their striped banners of green, red and yellow approached the combined
Viking army
who were under the control of
Sigurd
the Stout, the
Danish leader, who was in reality the Jarl
of the Orkney Islands and
Caithness, who had as his standard the
Raven, and the Irish
forces immediately charged head on into battle at
Clontarf with their battle cry of
Lamh Laider Abu
(The
Strong Hand Forever) ringing out
as the battle was then to be carried on all over the north side of
Dublin, from the woods down to
were the Four Courts now stand
along the River Liffey,
which was were the only bridge at this time was set in place over the
River. Among
the Viking forces also were
2,000
Norse warriors from
Ireland, Scotland and the
Isle of Man, plus their
Heremonian Cu Corb Ui
Dunlaing Southern
Leinster
allies
who had joined in with them against
*105.Brian
Boru's
Irish forces, and
all up
20,000 warriors from both sides surged forth into
battle, in hand to hand combat, and the bloody conflict then continued on from the rising of the
Sun to it's setting in the dusk.
106.Murrogh
/ Murchad,
*105.Brian Boru's son,
who led the combined Irish
forces, wielded 2 swords, one in his right hand and
one in his left hand, and with great fury he soon broke through the Viking lines,
slaying everyone and anyone who stood in his way, and his courageous example was
also followed by his Heberian Dal gCais warriors who were in
the forefront of the battle as the committed fury displayed by the
Dal gCais on this occasion was to be so impressive that
many of the Vikings who were by now fearing for their lives at the sight of such
commitment
turned and ran, while
Sigurd
the Stout, the overall Viking leader, stood his ground.
110.Gormflath had
also promised to marry him if he was to support her son,
Sitric Silkbeard against
*105.Brian Boru, but
her half - Viking son,
Sitric himself took no part in the battle at all, but watched the
conflict from the
turrets of his
castle as his uncle,
110.Mael
Morda the
Cu Corb
Ui Dunlainge Ui Faelain
45th King of Leinster was
among those killed, as the
Viking warriors and their Cu Corb Southern Leinster
allies continued to flee before the ongoing fury of the Irish onslaught.
Sigurd the Stout continued to slash away at the surrounding
Dal gCais until
106.Murrogh personally
came upon him and delivered a crushing blow to his neck, with his right hand,
at first cutting through the mail and straps of his helmet, which then allowed him
to deliver the fatal strike with his left hand on his
exposed neck. 106.Murrogh
and his Dal gCais warriors
together with their other supporting Irish warriors
then pursued the remaining Vikings and their
Cu Corb Ui Dunlaing allies as they
retreated, continually stirred on by their ongoing success and the gallant urging of 106.Murrogh,
who had by now been fighting constantly for
12 hours until his hand had become
locked to his sword in a death grip. 106.Murrogh
then
came upon Eric the Dane, who was another of theViking Chieftains, and throwing his sword aside
he took hold of him by the armour, pulling the mail over his head, and as they
became locked in this close personal combat they both crashed to the ground where
106.Murrogh then thrust a
sword into his ribs, but despite this Eric the Dane was still able to slam his knife into
106.Murrogh's stomach
creating a fatal gash, and as they continued to lay there
106.Murrogh was still able to finish him off by cutting
off his head. With such a serious wound 106.Murrogh
was to only survive until the next day after first taking Holy Communion.
7,000 of the
Vikings
together with their Cu Corb
Ui Dunlaing allies had been killed, and
those Vikings who had at first survived the early conflicts who had decided
to head for the
Tolka Weir and get back onto their ships, and on reaching the beach at
Clontarf many of the
warriors from both sides
were still to be drowned there, including 107.Turlogh
O Brian
the
son of
106.Murrogh, and the grandson of
*105.Brian
Boru. Brodar,
one
of the Viking Chieftains from the Isle of Man, had decided instead to flee to the woods
that were situated on the hill above where the main fighting had previously occurred,
and where
*105.Brian
Boru the Heberian Dalcassian
175th High King of Ireland
had been left unguarded, and where he was down on his knees giving thanks to
God
for what now seemed a successful victory at Clontarf. *105.Brian
became suddenly aware of his enemy approaching from the rear and was able to
take one blow with his sword, which cut Brodar's leg off at the knee, but Brodar
was still capable of directing a similar blow with his battle - axe to Brian's head
cutting it in half, and Brodar was then able to continue on with his own band of men into the
woods where he was later to be captured and slain.
*107.Malachy
11 the
Heremonian Dal Cuinn "southern" Ui Niaill
Clann Cholmain 40th King of
Meath
and his warriors who had
been held back in reserve, then moved in
to finish off the remaining
Vikings and their
Cu Corb Ui Dunlaing Southern Leinster
allies and it now seemed that t
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