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Second in our series on Irish clans is the O'Briens. Many interesting characters have carried the O'Brien name through the years, but probably the most famous, at least to any Irish history buff, is Brian Ború, Ard Ri of all Ireland.
Brian was born into the ruling family of a small state called Dal Cais in the South of Ireland. His brother, Mahon became king of Munster, and together they fought off the Vikings whose attacks had plagued the Irish coast for years. The Vikings had set up a main settlement in Dublin, and other places scattered about the island, and were imposing high taxes. But the Irish kings wanted no more of it. In 975 a group of Ostermen, Vikings living in Limerick, murdered Mahon. Their king fled to a monastery, where Brian followed him and eventually killed him and his sons. The stories differ, some stating Brian killed them in battle, while others say he simply murdered them in cold blood. In either case, with the death of the Viking king, Brian gained control of Limerick. He was now king of Munster and Limerick, and he set his sights next on Connaught and Leinster. In 997 Brian made a pact with the O'Neill king of the time, Mael Sechnaill, and the two kings divided Ireland between themselves. In 999, The Ostermen in Leinster and Dublin revolted, but Brian defeated them easily. Brian became a hero among the Irish with the defeats of the Vikings. He had restored the land to its rightful inhabitants, and they were grateful. Possibly for this reason, Mael Sechnaill, descendant of king Niall of the Nine Hostages, gave up the title of High King, to Brian. According to one story, it was at this point Brian receive his name of Brian Ború (Brian of the Tributes), for he collected tribute money from the lesser kings and used it to rebuild monasteries and libraries destroyed by the Vikings. Another version says Ború comes from the name of the village where he was born, Borúmha (pronounced Ború). Regardless of where he got the name, the tribute money was put to good use, and helped build back up Irish culture. But old feelings die hard. From 1002 to 1014 Brian reigned as High King, but unrest continued, mostly in the Norse occupied areas. In April 1014, Good Friday to be exact, one of the bloodiest battles in Irish history was fought. It was the battle of Clontarf, near Dublin. Brian, now aged and not able to fight, sent his men, his son and would-be successor, against the Ostermen of Dublin and Leinster. Brian and his Munstermen were basically alone in this fight, except for the support of clans such as the afore mentioned MacNamaras and certain others. Mael Sechnaill remained neutral, possibly in the hopes of regaining his title. Go To Page: 1 2 |
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