O’Briens fort at Kincora, near Killaloe, County Clare. He defeated the Vikings and his Irish enemies in many battles, and threatened to make war on Malachy II to ensure the High King’s title for himself. Malachy, not wishing to make war, yielded, and Brian Boru became the first real High King of Ireland in 1002.
Brian was a good High King and wished to rid the country of the Vikings. In the year 1014, he gathered a large army and marched on Dublin, which was the chief Viking town in Ireland. At Clontarf, on Good Friday, 23 April 1014, Brian’s men met an army of Vikings and their Irish allies from Leinster. The fierce battle, the largest fought in Ireland up to that time, raged all day. Brian’s army triumphed and facing defeat, the Vikings tried to flee to their ships. However, many were drowned as the tide came in and trapped them.
By now, Brian Boru was an old man and did not take part in the battle. Instead, he stayed in his royal tent praying for victory. A fleeing Viking, Brodar, king of the Isle of Man, burst into Brian’s tent and slew him with one blow of his battleaxe before he himself was killed by Brian’s men.
While the Battle of Clontarf forever broke the power of the Vikings in Ireland, Brian’s death left the position of High King in a weakened state. Almost 150 years would pass, along with much fighting among the different clans, before another man could claim to be High King of all Ireland.
But though the Vikings had been defeated, all of them did not leave Ireland. Instead, they remained, mostly in the towns. They introduced the use of money, and Dublin was the first Irish town to use coins. The towns along the coast continued trading with Britain and the continent, and as a result they grew bigger and became important centres where trades and crafts were carried out. Dublin (in Gaelic
Dubh Linn
, the ‘black pool’) was the most important of all the towns. From the time of the Vikings it became the capital of Ireland.
The Vikings who remained in Ireland and the native Irish continued to merge, especially in the towns, while the various kings continued fighting among themselves. Each king desired to be High King and over the next 150 years one king or another tried to claim the title. Eventually, about 1150, the O’Connors of Connacht emerged as the most powerful clan in the country. Their leader was Rory O’Connor, and by 1169 he could rightly claim to be High King. But what he or his followers, or indeed anyone else in Ireland could not have known was that Rory was destined to be the last High King of Ireland. For another dark storm was brewing over the country, a storm of wars and bloodshed that was to make the Viking wars seem insignificant in comparison.
A new enemy, much stronger and more dangerous than the Vikings, was about to invade Ireland. This enemy would not be so easily defeated and was destined to plunge Ireland into centuries of wars, rebellions, hardship and bloodshed. The dispute that led to the invasion began, as many such disputes do, over the minor matter of who should be king of Leinster. But it persisted for 800 years over the more important matter of who should be king of Ireland.
11
The Normans
O nce again we must look at the history of other countries in order to understand what happened in Ireland in 1169, and so we must go back to the year 1066. By then the Angles and Saxons had invaded and conquered England, and one of them, named Harold, was king. But he was not entitled to the throne.
The previous king of England had been Edward. He had been friendly with the people who lived in northern France, and who called themselves Normans. Many of them came to England to live at the Royal Court and Edward promised one of them, William, Duke of Normandy, that he could be king of England when Edward died.
The English people, now known as Anglo-Saxons, did not like the Normans, nor did they like Edward for inviting them to England. When Edward died, the people
Brian was a good High King and wished to rid the country of the Vikings. In the year 1014, he gathered a large army and marched on Dublin, which was the chief Viking town in Ireland. At Clontarf, on Good Friday, 23 April 1014, Brian’s men met an army of Vikings and their Irish allies from Leinster. The fierce battle, the largest fought in Ireland up to that time, raged all day. Brian’s army triumphed and facing defeat, the Vikings tried to flee to their ships. However, many were drowned as the tide came in and trapped them.
By now, Brian Boru was an old man and did not take part in the battle. Instead, he stayed in his royal tent praying for victory. A fleeing Viking, Brodar, king of the Isle of Man, burst into Brian’s tent and slew him with one blow of his battleaxe before he himself was killed by Brian’s men.
While the Battle of Clontarf forever broke the power of the Vikings in Ireland, Brian’s death left the position of High King in a weakened state. Almost 150 years would pass, along with much fighting among the different clans, before another man could claim to be High King of all Ireland.
But though the Vikings had been defeated, all of them did not leave Ireland. Instead, they remained, mostly in the towns. They introduced the use of money, and Dublin was the first Irish town to use coins. The towns along the coast continued trading with Britain and the continent, and as a result they grew bigger and became important centres where trades and crafts were carried out. Dublin (in Gaelic
Dubh Linn
, the ‘black pool’) was the most important of all the towns. From the time of the Vikings it became the capital of Ireland.
The Vikings who remained in Ireland and the native Irish continued to merge, especially in the towns, while the various kings continued fighting among themselves. Each king desired to be High King and over the next 150 years one king or another tried to claim the title. Eventually, about 1150, the O’Connors of Connacht emerged as the most powerful clan in the country. Their leader was Rory O’Connor, and by 1169 he could rightly claim to be High King. But what he or his followers, or indeed anyone else in Ireland could not have known was that Rory was destined to be the last High King of Ireland. For another dark storm was brewing over the country, a storm of wars and bloodshed that was to make the Viking wars seem insignificant in comparison.
A new enemy, much stronger and more dangerous than the Vikings, was about to invade Ireland. This enemy would not be so easily defeated and was destined to plunge Ireland into centuries of wars, rebellions, hardship and bloodshed. The dispute that led to the invasion began, as many such disputes do, over the minor matter of who should be king of Leinster. But it persisted for 800 years over the more important matter of who should be king of Ireland.
11
The Normans
O nce again we must look at the history of other countries in order to understand what happened in Ireland in 1169, and so we must go back to the year 1066. By then the Angles and Saxons had invaded and conquered England, and one of them, named Harold, was king. But he was not entitled to the throne.
The previous king of England had been Edward. He had been friendly with the people who lived in northern France, and who called themselves Normans. Many of them came to England to live at the Royal Court and Edward promised one of them, William, Duke of Normandy, that he could be king of England when Edward died.
The English people, now known as Anglo-Saxons, did not like the Normans, nor did they like Edward for inviting them to England. When Edward died, the people
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