Clontarf: The battle for Ireland
One thousand and three years ago, on Good Friday, 1014, the people of Ireland fought against the Vikings of Iceland in one of the most decisive battles in Ireland’s history. The Vikings fought for conquest; the Irish for survival.
Vikings had troubled Ireland for years, plundering along the coast and even establishing settlements. (Dublin and Limerick were originally Viking cities.) Now the Norsemen intended to invade in full force, overrunning all Ireland. To do this, they allied with Maelmordha, king of Leinster.
Maelmordha was a lesser Irish king who had begun an uprising against Brian Boru (pictured below), High King over all Ireland. He sought to rid himself of Brian’s oversight, and was willing to join with the Vikings in order to defeat King Brian.
The Vikings were led by a fierce jarl (earl) named Brodar. He was a tall, wild man with long black hair reaching to his belt. He is said to have practiced Christianity at one time, but later reverted to the Nordic paganism of his Viking ancestors.
The Vikings landed in their dragon prowed ships and gathered at the city of Kincora. They were armed and outfitted like most Viking raiders: they had steel caps with visors and nasals, round studded shields, and chain mail shirts. Irish contemporaries describe them as carrying poisoned arrows and javelins, long spears, and broadswords.
King Brian Boru, who by then was 73 years old, rallied the warriors of Ireland and marched out to confront the foe. The Irish did not wear body armor; their only protection in battle were helmets and shields made of iron or bronze. Their weapons consisted largely of swords and battle axes.
The two armies met on Good Friday, at a field called Clontarf. The battle is said to have begun with a single combat between an Irish champion and a Viking rival. It was after both warriors had slain each other, the Irish chronicler says, that a “furious, bloody, repulsive, crimson, gory, boisterous, manly, rough, fierce, unmerciful, hostile” battle began. (Irish chroniclers are known for using long strings of adjectives to describe epic events!)
The flanks of the armies collided first; most of the men in this part of the battle were killed, but in the end, the Irish destroyed the flanks of the Viking army. Then the main battle began. Very few field tactics were used in this battle, or many others of its age; the story merely states that the two sides rushed toward each other, whereupon the combatants proceeded to “hew and cleave, and stab, and cut, and to slaughter, to mutilate each other.” The historian goes on to relate the battle feats of some Irish champions, most notably Murcadh, son of King Brian. When Murcadh saw his clansmen being beaten back by the Vikings, he charged at the enemy with a sword in each hand, and killed one hundred of the foe. He was unfortunately killed after performing this heroical deed.
The battle raged on until evening. Then the Vikings and their Irish allies began to retreat after many of them had been killed, including Maelmordha, king of Leinster. Some fled to the sea, while others, including Brodar, the Viking chief, took to the woods.
During the battle, King Brian, who was too old to fight, had camped in the woods and prayed long and hard for the success of his army. When Brodar and his men fled into the woods, they found the old king at his prayers. Brodar attacked him with a two-headed battle axe. Brian drew his sword and fought back, but Brodar at last overpowered and killed him, cutting off his head. Later, the Irish caught Brodar, and he paid a terrible price for killing the king.
Though King Brian was dead, the Irish had won the battle. The Vikings and their rebel allies were all either killed or driven off the field. Modern historians estimate that a total of nearly 5000 men fought at Clontarf; no one is certain how many of these men died, though, by all accounts, it was certainly a great number. Clontarf was one of the largest battles Ireland has ever seen. It was also of great importance; the Viking invasion was halted, and, though the Vikings were not driven out of Ireland, they would never dominate the country. Thanks to the fierce bravery of the Irish warriors, the victory at Clontarf saved the nation.
Sources: McCullough, David Willis. (2002). “Wars of the Irish Kings”. Three Rivers Press
La Fay, Howard (1972). ” The Vikings”. National Geographic Society
