General Notes

King of Munster & Ireland

Kincora was the royal seat of Brien's ancestors. Between 927 and 1014,
Boroimhe (Bobu) Brian, a younger son of Cineadh, was the 175th Monarch of
Ireland. "Brian" is Irish for very great strength. He was the ancestor of
O'Brien, King of Thomond. He had eleven brothers of whom only four left issue.

Brian pulled out his younger brother Deadha's eyes (hence the epithet
Dalladh, "blindness" applied to Deadha) for daring to come between him and
the throne. Brian is represented by Irish Scholars as a man of fine figure,
large stature, of great strength of body, and undaunted valour. He has been
always celebrated as one of the greatest of the Irish Monarch, equally
conspicuous for sagacity and bravery, a warrior and legislator, and, at the
same time, distinguished by his munificence, piety, and patronage of learned
men. Thus, he combines all the elements of a great character, and is equally
eminent in the arts of war and peace. He is a hero and patriot whose memory
will always remain famous as one of the foremost of the Irish Kings in wisdom
and valor. Brian lived at his palace of Cean Coro (Kincora), since the days
of Cormac MacArt, the celebrated Monarch of Ireland in the third century - the
glories of whose palace at Tara were for many ages the theme of the Irish
bards:
Connellan's Four Masters:
Oh, where, Kincora!
is Brian the Great?
And where is the beauty that once was thine?
Oh! Where are the Princess and Nobles that sate
At the feast in thy halls, and drank the red wine.
Where, oh, Kincora!

The armorial bearing of the O'Brien are: Arms: Gules three lions, passant,
guardant, per palel, or and argent. Crest: On a wreath issuing out of
clouds, a naked arm, embowed, the hand grasping a sword, all ppr. Motto:
Lamh Laidir an Uachdar.

Brian died 23 Apr 1014 in Clontarf, Ireland. Brian was felled by the hand of
Brodar, the Danish admiral, at the Battle of Clontarf, on Good Friday, at the
age of 88 years.

From the book, History of the O'Briens:
The Battle of Clontarf: Brian Boroimhe, slain 1014 AD

Brian Boroimhe is described in the "four Masters", as "this great and
victorious prince". When he was a young man at his brother Mahon's court it is said of him that he was impatient of inaction seeing all parts of the country overrun by the Danes.

He conceived the idea of carrying on a kind of Partisan war against these
foreigners. With this end view he formed a small corps of only one hundred
brave young noblemen, attended by their servants, at the head of whom he
always posted himself, at passes and defiles, where he hoped to catch the
enemy on his plundering excursions, or as they marched or counter marched from one post to another. During one of these small mountain wars, Brian, in one of his expeditions, attacked a Danish officer called Dirinus, who commanded a party of one hundred men, and killed him with fifty of his number. This occurred near Craig-Liath, close to the town and regal seat "Bael Boromha". Some say that it was from this seat that Brian took his name. The town afterwards enlarged and therein he built his famous palace of Kincora (Ceanncora).

The sight of the ancient fortress has a commanding view over the Shannon at
Killaloe; it is overgrown and trees grow around it but the ancient ramparts
show clearly as evidence of where it stood.

There is no trace of the Palace, which was situated near Cathedral of
Killalos, and high above the level of the town.