62 Facts About Brian Boru

Brian Boru ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Ui Neill, and is likely responsible for ending Viking invasions of Ireland.

Brian Boru is mentioned in the Annals of Inisfallen and in Chronicon Scotorum as "Brian mac Cennetig".

The name Brian of Boruma or Brian Boru was given to him posthumously Brian built on the achievements of his father, Cennetig mac Lorcain, and especially his elder brother, Mathgamain.

Brian Boru was the founder of the O'Brien dynasty, and is widely regarded as one of the most successful and unifying monarchs in medieval Ireland.

The Norse-Gaels and Scandinavians produced works mentioning Brian Boru, including Njal's Saga, the Orkneyinga Saga, and the now-lost Brian Boru's Saga.

Brian Boru's family were descended from the Ui Tairdelbach branch of the Dal gCais.

Brian Boru enjoyed a short reign before being succeeded by his own son Cinneidigh who was the first King of Dal gCais to lead an army outside his own territory and lead an expedition as far north as Athlone.

Brian Boru was born at Kincora, his father's residence or fort in Killaloe, a town in the region of Tuadmumu.

Brian Boru was taught at the monastery on the island of Innisfallen, near modern Killarney in County Kerry.

However, when Brian Boru was ten years old, he received news that his father had been killed in battle with the Vikings of Limerick, and he was brought home.

Brian Boru's mother was killed, as were several of Brian Boru's brothers who were defending the town, along with many of the townspeople.

However, Brian Boru was eager to avenge the deaths of his family members at the hands of the Vikings, and deserted with a band of his followers and launched a guerilla campaign against the Vikings from the mountains of Munster.

However, at this point Mathgamain, inspired by the courage of his younger brother, decided to attack the Vikings with Brian Boru and drive them from Limerick and Munster once and for all.

However, in an act of revenge for the death of his brother, Brian Boru set aside the sacred traditions and attacked the island with his troops, slaughtered the Vikings and desecrated the church.

Around the same time, in 978, Brian Boru challenged Mael Muad to battle, and defeated him in the fateful Battle of Belach Lechta.

However, he did allow some of the Norse to remain in their settlement, as they were wealthy and now central to trade in the region, particularly the slave trade, and possessed a fleet of great value, which Brian Boru would utilise in his later naval expeditions.

Cian, the son of his brother Mathgamain's sworn enemy Mael Muad, later became a loyal ally of Brian Boru and served under him in a number of campaigns.

Brian Boru suffered quite a few reverses in this struggle, but appears to have learned from his setbacks.

Brian Boru developed a military strategy that would serve him well throughout his career: the coordinated use of forces on both land and water, including on rivers and along Ireland's coast.

Indirect support involved a fleet making a diversionary attack on an enemy in a location far away from where Brian Boru planned to strike with his army.

The conflict began in 982, when Brian Boru was campaigning against the kingdom of Osraige.

Brian Boru's fleet did suffer a setback when a squadron of his fleet attacked Connacht, where they killed a prince of Connacht, Muirgius, who was among the defenders.

Brian Boru's fleet sailed up the Shannon and invaded the Kingdom of Breifne, in what is counties Leitrim and Cavan.

Brian Boru assembled the forces of the province of Munster and Mael Sechnaill assembled those of Meath, with the intention of laying siege to the Hiberno-Norse city of Dublin, which was ruled by Mael Morda's ally and cousin, Sigtrygg Silkbeard.

Once again, Brian Boru opted for reconciliation; he requested that Sigtrygg return and resume his position as ruler of Dublin, giving Sigtrygg the hand of one of his daughters in marriage, just as he had with the Eoganacht king, Cian.

Brian Boru made it clear that his ambitions had not been satisfied by the compromise of 997 when, in the year 1000, he led a combined Munster-Leinster-Dublin army in an attack on High King Mael Sechnaill mac Domnaill's home province of Meath.

Also, given the length and intensity of the struggle between Mael Sechnaill and Brian Boru, it seems unlikely that the High King would surrender his title without a fight.

Unlike some who had previously held the title, Brian Boru intended to be High King in more than name.

Brian Boru first had to find a means of getting through or around these defensive choke points and then he had to subdue the fiercely independent regional kings of Ulster.

Brian Boru received naval support throughout his northern campaigns from Sigtrygg Silkbeard of Dublin.

Silkbeard was eager to enact revenge against the Ulaid for when they refused to assist him after he was forced out of his kingdom of Dublin by Brian Boru following the Battle of Glenmama in 999, forcing Silkbeard to return to Dublin and submit to him.

Brian Boru was greatly helped by the fact that two years before his first campaign in Ulster, in the year 1003, the brutal battle of Craeb Telcha had taken place between the Northern Ui Neill and the Ulaid, in which the king of the Cenel Eoghain and of the Ui Neill was killed and most of the Ulaid royal bloodline was wiped out, with the Ui Neill gaining victory.

Brian Boru accepted the submission of the Cenel Eoghain king in 1005 and later accepted the submission of many of the Ulaid clans at a sacred Ulaid site, Emain Macha.

However Flaithbertaigh Ua Neill, the new king of the Northern Ui Neill and of the Cenel Eoghan, although having already submitted to Brian Boru, was apparently unwilling to accept fully the High King's authority, and was quite rebellious.

Brian Boru was known for his continued aggression towards his neighbours despite previously accepting Brian's rule.

In 1005, after Brian Boru had departed Ulster, he attempted to exert his overlordship over the Ulaid, and seemingly wanted to punish them for submitting to Brian Boru, to which the Northern Ui Neill were vehemently opposed.

Brian Boru attacked the kingdom, killing several kings and princes of the Ulaid.

Flaithbertaigh again submitted, and married one of Brian Boru's daughters, Be Binn.

Once Brian Boru entered the province of Ulster, he systematically defeated each of the regional rulers who defied him, forcing them to recognise him as their overlord.

Brian Boru found one in Flaithbertach Ui Neill in Ulster who had only recently submitted to Brian.

Together, they attacked the province of Meath, where the former High King Mael Sechnaill sought Brian Boru's help to defend his kingdom.

In 1013, Brian Boru led a force from his own province of Munster and from southern Connacht into Leinster, and a detachment under his son, Murchad, ravaged the southern half of the province of Leinster for three months.

Brian Boru was joined by the aforementioned Ospak, a Norseman, brother of Brodir.

Brian Boru fought on the opposite side to his brother at the battle.

Brian Boru sent a messenger to find Donnchad and ask him to return with his detachment, but the call for help came too late.

Brian Boru was knocked over by a wave, knocking him unconscious after hitting his head, and he drowned.

Brodir, who likely killed Brian Boru, was captured and executed after the battle.

Brian Boru was killed by fleeing Viking mercenaries shortly after learning from his attendant that, despite his forces having won a great victory, his son Murchadh's standard had just fallen.

Brian Boru's tomb is said to be in the north wall of St Patrick's Cathedral in the city of Armagh.

Brian Boru was succeeded as High King of Ireland by his former enemy, and later ally, Mael Sechnaill, who regained the title which he had previously lost to Brian Boru many years before.

The standard, and "popular", view, is that the battle ended a war between the Irish and Vikings by which Brian Boru broke Viking power in Ireland.

Until the 1970s most scholarly writing concerning the Vikings' activities in Ireland, as well as the career of Brian Boru, accepted the claims of Cogadh Gaedhil re Gallaibh at face value.

However, Brian Boru's father was likely slain by the Norse of Limerick and he himself died during a revolt that was supported by multiple Viking leaders, specifically the Norse of Mann.

Brian Boru is said to have been the mother of his sons Murchad, Conchobar and Flann.

Brian Boru was the mother of Brian's son Tadc, whose son Toirdelbach and grandson Muirchertach rivalled Brian in power and fame.

Brian Boru was a daughter of King Cathal mac Conchobar mac Taidg of Connacht.

Brian Boru had at least three daughters, but their mothers are not recorded.

The descendants of Brian Boru were known as the Ui Briain clan, hence the surnames O Briain, O'Brien, O'Brian Boru etc.

The Barons Inchiquin claim descent from Brian Boru, as did Sir Donough O'Brien, 1st Baronet.

Donal O'Neill's Sons of Death, a historical novel about Brian Boru, is told from the point of view of MelPatrick, a young nobleman at Brian's court.

Brian Boru was the subject of at least two operas: Brian Boroihme by Johann Bernhard Logier and Brian Boru by Julian Edwards.

Brian Boru's exploits in battle serve as the inspiration for Irish folk metal band Cruachan's song, Born for War.