Clontarf Remembered

The truth about the Battle of Clontarf and Brian Boru

Kate Hickey @KateHickey_

April 23, 2016

Brian Boru the hero of the Battle of Clontarf...or was he?

The events that took place at the Battle of Clontarf on Good Friday, April 23, 1014 were the culmination of two centuries of strife, treachery, failed alliances and treaties between Irish kings and Vikings.

The battle was between the forces of Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland, and an alliance of the forces of Sigtrygg Silkbeard, King of Dublin; Máel Mórda mac Murchada, the King of Leinster; and a Viking contingent led by Sigurd, Earl of Orkney, and Brodir of the Isle of Man. It lasted from sunrise to sunset, and ended in a rout of the Viking and Leinster forces. Brian was killed as were his son, Murchad, and his grandson, Toirdelbach.

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These tales have been told and retold from medieval time to present day, in schools and communities, but what evidence do remains of the great, brave Brian Boru, the Viking’s influence and the Battle of Clontarf?

Ruth Johnson, Dublin City Archaeologist, employed by the city council, explained that there’s little evidence of the battle and, more importantly, that it didn’t take place where most presume.

She told Irish Central, “There’s very little direct evidence of the actual battle itself. An antiquarian journal in the 18th century referenced the discovery of mass Viking graves with weaponry and human bones on Parnell Square. Potentially that is our only real link to the battle.

“Sadly, that’s lost to us because that was pre-archaeology and Georgians were the great developers. They cleared everything out to make way for their great squares and lay the houses out with cellars. Unfortunately that tantalizing glimpse is all we have.”

So why, if the battle was won and lost at Parnell Square in today’s north Dublin City Center, is this heroic battle named for Clontarf, which is three miles north along the coast. Where did Clontarf come in to it?

“We don’t know exactly. We know is was somewhere on the north side of the River Liffey between the Liffey and the River Tolka estuary. Obviously there’s so much sand reclamation in that area, the whole of Dublin Bay has changed even since the building of the Great south wall and the North Wall by Captain Bligh,” said Johnson.

“We’re not quite sure exactly where the battle took place, but we know it was within a few miles of Wood Quay and it had to have been a landing place because the Viking fleet from the Isle of Man and the northern and western sides of Scotland landed around Clontarf.”

She continued, “We know that Howth was set on fire in the run up to battle as well, which is interesting in itself. We also know that Brian’s troops were camped before the battle at Kilmainham, just to the west of Dublin, on high ground. It’s quite an extensive battlefield zone. We can image Brian Boru’s army marching from south to north across the city.

“Strategically, it wasn’t an idea place for any of them to fight the battle. They were miles away from the city they were all fighting over. If you’re trying to capture a town the main event should take place at least near the town, but they never got close.” ...

In the end we must ask, can we take revisionism too far? Will we take the magic from these heroic tales of war if we dig too deep?

Johnson finished by saying, “I was at a lecture recently and this man stood up and said ‘I’m not going to let them take Brian Boru away from us with all this revisionism. To me he’s like Richard the Lionheart of Ireland and we need our national heroes.’... I don’t think we should throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

More here: http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/The-truth-about-the-Battle-of-Clontarf-and-Brian-Boru-VIDEOS.html