999 Years Ago Today

at

-1The Battle of Clontarf, 23 April 1014.

Ireland’s game of thrones, as Instagrammed imagined by artist Hugh Frazer (above).

THE major tiff between the Irish (led by High King Brian Boru) and the Vikings.

In reality other Irish, with a few Vikings to help out with ‘pillaging’ and general admin.

Sibling of Daedalus writes:

We won the battle, but lost King Brian, beheaded in his tent by a fleeing Manx viking called Brodir invited over to kill him by his estranged Viking Princess wife, Gormflaith. Brodir himself was killed himself shortly afterwards by somebody called Wolf the Quarrelsome, whom he had annoyed on the battlefield. The outcome of the battle discouraged Viking invaders, but Brian’s death caused the Irish leadership to disintegrate into chaos. The only real winner was Gormflaith’s son Sitric Silkbeard, King of Dublin, who had been sensible enough to keep his forces within the walls of Dublin for the entire battle. He remained King of Dublin for the next twenty or so years.

We’ll wait for the box set.

Painting via Isaac Arts Centre

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