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Munster–Leinster War
In 1013–1014, Leinster king Máel Mórda mac Murchada joined Dublin's Viking forces to resist the Munster hegemony of High King Brian Boru.…
Timeline
- 1012–1013the Leinster heartland · LeinsterLeinster king Máel Mórda had long resented Brian Boru's demands for tribute and overlordship. Around 1012–1013 he ceased paying tribute to Munster and plotted an alliance with the Dublin Viking king Sigtrygg Silkbeard, while also contacting Offaly and other Viking forces around Dublin to jointly oppose Brian.
- 1013–1014Dublin · DublinBrian led a combined Munster–Connacht army northward, sweeping through Leinster territory and besieging Dublin. Sigtrygg held the city while Viking reinforcements came from overseas. The siege and surrounding raids continued into spring 1014, as both sides massed their forces for a decisive battle.
- 1014Clontarf · LeinsterThe Leinster–Viking coalition marched out of the city northward and met Brian's main force in battle at Clontarf. The coalition was routed, Máel Mórda was killed, and the war ended in a Munster military victory, though Brian's death in battle complicated the political outcome.
Sources
- Annals of Tigernach https://celt.ucc.ie/published/G100002/
- Ireland before the Normans — Donnchadh Ó Corráin (1972)
- The Viking Age: Ireland and the West — John Sheehan and Donnchadh Ó Corráin (eds.) (2010)