General Notes

Brian became chief of Dal Cais (north Munster) on the deat
h his brother, and rose rapidly to become king of all Munst
er, attacking both rivals and Vikings. Progess was checke
d by the high-king Mael Sechnaill, who also wished to contr
ol Leinster, and a truce was declared in 997; this lasted o
nly until 1002, when Mael Sechnaill was forced to submit. P
olitically astute and a skilled military strategist, Bria
n continued to enforce his authority over much of the count
ry (acknowledged as imperator Scotorum, 1005) but was slai
n in the victory over the rebellious Leinstermen and thei
r Norse allies at the battle of Clontarf. He had demonstrat
ed that the high-kingship was open to the most powerful cla
imant rather than an hereditary right of the Ui Neill, an
d has become the best known of all Irish kings. The O'Brien
s take their name from him.
King of Munster 976-1014, High King of Ireland 1002 - 1014
Soucre: Oxford The Kings & Queens of Britian by John Canno
n and Anne Hargreaves pages 86 & 87
Brian Boru
Born in 940 AD, Brian Boru was one of Ireland's greatest le
aders who is credited with directing Ireland's future - fo
r both good and bad.
Brian Boru (Brian mac Cennetig or Brian Boroimhe in Gaelic
) was born in Munster, Ireland. A member of the Dal Cais (D
elcassians) tribe, he was the brother of Mahon, who becam
e King of Munster following the death of their father, Cenn
-tig.
At this point in Ireland's history, Viking invaders (or Nor
semen) had a stranglehold on the island, while the native I
rish either sided with the Norse out of fear or belonged t
o small kingdoms that fought among themselves.
Mahon desired peace with the Vikings and attempted to attai
n it, but his younger brother Brian shared no such desire
. In fact, after having witnessed the death of his mother a
nd much of the Dal Cais tribe in a Norse raid while he wa
s a child, Brian was a proponent of warfare with Vikings.
When he was old enough, Boru broke away from his brother t
o wage guerrilla warfare on the Norse. A skilled tactician
, he won many decisive victories that instilled fear in th
e enemy as well as their Irish allies.
His attacks also helped to fuel rumours that there was a la
rge, secret Dalcassian army. Boru's campaign gained much po
pular support and many Irishmen joined his cause, includin
g his Brother Mahon, who renounced his truce with the Vikin
gs. The combined forces were able to drive most of the Nors
e from Southern Ireland, including their leader Ivar (als
o known as Imar).
Eager for revenge, Ivar returned ten years later, capturin
g and killing Mahon. Brian succeeded his brother to the thr
one of Munster, bringing with him a re-fueled hatred of th
e enemy Norsemen. Soon after, his forces met with those o
f Ivar and Brian challenged him to personal combat. Ivar wa
s killed and the Viking influence in Southern Ireland was s
truck another blow.
Boru's influence continued to grow throughout Southern Irel
and and he became known for rebuilding many of the churche
s and other monuments that had been destroyed by the Norse.
In North Ireland, Malachy the Second followed Boru's lead w
hen his forces defeated a Norse army to take Dublin in 98
0 and Malachy became King of Meath. The two kings met in 99
8 and agreed to divide Ireland between them, with Boru reci
eving the South and Malachy the North. Boru, however, had t
oo much support - even in Northern Ireland - and Malachy ev
entually ended up allowing Boru to peacefully take over hi
s lands.
Boru was granted the title "Ard Ri", meaning "High King". T
his made him one of the first - and last - kings to effecti
vely unite Ireland under one monarch.
The rivals to Brian Boru's rule were numerous, however, bot
h among the native Irish and the remaining Norse. In 1013
, Maelmordha, King of Leinster, revolted and allied with th
e Vikings. They summoned reinforcements from Boru's other I
rish rivals and the Viking nation