Notizen zu dieser Person
1 NAME Brian /Boru/
2 GIVN Brian
2 SURN Boru
2 NSFX King Of Ireland
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Brian became chief of Dal Cais (north Munster) on the deathhisbrother,androse rapidly to become king of all Munster, attackingbothrivalsandVikings. Progess was checked by the high-king MaelSechnaill,whoalsowished to control Leinster, and a truce was declared in997;thislastedonly until 1002, when Mael Sechnaill was forcedtosubmit.Politicallyastute and a skilled military strategist,Briancontinued toenforce hisauthority over much of the country(acknowledgedas imperatorScotorum,1005) but was slain in the victory overtherebelliousLeinstermen andtheir Norse allies at the battle ofClontarf.He haddemonstrated thatthe high-kingship was open to the mostpowerfulclaimantrather than anhereditary right of the Ui Neill, and hasbecomethe bestknown of allIrish kings. The O'Briens take their name fromhim.
King of Munster 976-1014, High King of Ireland 1002 - 1014
Soucre: Oxford The Kings & Queens of Britian by JohnCannonandAnneHargreaves pages 86 & 87
Brian Boru
Born in 940 AD, Brian Boru was one of Ireland's greatestleaderswhoiscredited with directing Ireland's future - for both good andbad.
Brian Boru (Brian mac Cennetig or Brian Boroimhe in Gaelic)wasborninMunster, Ireland. A member of the Dal Cais (Delcassians)tribe,hewasthe brother of Mahon, who became King of Munster followingthedeathoftheir father, Cenn-tig.
At this point in Ireland's history, Viking invaders (orNorsemen)hadastranglehold on the island, while the native Irish eithersidedwiththeNorse out of fear or belonged to small kingdomsthatfoughtamongthemselves.
Mahon desired peace with the Vikings and attempted to attainit,buthisyounger brother Brian shared no such desire. Infact,afterhavingwitnessed the death of his mother and much of the DalCaistribe inaNorse raid while he was a child, Brian was a proponentofwarfarewithVikings.
When he was old enough, Boru broke away from his brothertowageguerrillawarfare on the Norse. A skilled tactician, he wonmanydecisivevictoriesthat instilled fear in the enemy as well as theirIrishallies.
His attacks also helped to fuel rumours that there wasalarge,secretDalcassian army. Boru's campaign gained much popularsupportandmanyIrishmen joined his cause, including his Brother Mahon,whorenouncedhistruce with the Vikings. The combined forces were abletodrive mostofthe Norse from Southern Ireland, including their leaderIvar(alsoknownas Imar).
Eager for revenge, Ivar returned ten years later,capturingandkillingMahon. Brian succeeded his brother to the throneofMunster,bringingwith him a re-fueled hatred of the enemy Norsemen.Soonafter,his forcesmet with those of Ivar and Brian challenged himtopersonalcombat. Ivarwas killed and the Viking influence inSouthernIreland wasstruckanother blow.
Boru's influence continued to grow throughout Southern Irelandandhebecameknown for rebuilding many of the churches and othermonumentsthathad beendestroyed by the Norse.
In North Ireland, Malachy the Second followed Boru's leadwhenhisforcesdefeated a Norse army to take Dublin in 980 and MalachybecameKingofMeath. The two kings met in 998 and agreed todivideIrelandbetweenthem, with Boru recieving the South and Malachy theNorth.Boru,however,had too much support - even in Northern Ireland -andMalachyeventuallyended up allowing Boru to peacefully take overhislands.
Boru was granted the title 'Ard Ri', meaning 'High King'. Thismadehimoneof the first - and last - kings to effectively uniteIrelandunderonemonarch.
The rivals to Brian Boru's rule were numerous, however,bothamongthenative Irish and the remaining Norse. In 1013,Maelmordha,KingofLeinster, revolted and allied with theVikings.Theysummonedreinforcements from Boru's other Irish rivals andtheVikingnations, asfar away as Normandy and Iceland.
The two forces met on Good Friday, 1014 at Clontarf.Nearly4,000Irishmenwere killed at the Battle of Clontarf, includingBrian'ssonMurrough, butthe Viking/Leinster forces suffered even heavierlosses.
At the end of the battle, what little remained of theNorseforcesretreatedto their ships. But before all the invaders fled, asmallgroupof Norsetroops came upon Brian's tent and decided that iftheycouldn'thaveIreland, they would at least kill its King. Then inlateseventiesor earlyeighties, Brian was able to kill several men butKingBrodar ofMan struckBoru the mortal wound. Before he died, Brian wasabletoavenge himself bybeheading Brodar.
Unfortunately, with Boru gone and his strong influenceabsent,Irelandsoonfell into chaos and anarchy. There would never beanotherkingpowerfulenough to rule all of Ireland.
Today, Boru is also known as the progenitor of the ClanO'Brien,throughhisfour wives and thirty reputed concubines.Additionally, one ofthesymbolsmost commonly associated with Ireland -and the symbol usedasGuinness'slogo - is called the 'Brian Boru Harp'.
Brian Boru was a Christian, he had battled the ancestor'softheO'Neill'sfor many years and was the rebuilderofViking-ravagedmonastaries andchurches, Boru also built forts, and attheage of 74 hecommanded an armyof thousands, he battled royally againsttheVikingsoldiers, his armyslaying some 7000 Vikings. In 1005 AD Borureached Armagh, leading several armiesfrom,Munster,Leinster, Meath,Connacht and Norse Dublin. He had come totheNorth twotimes previously,only to be repelled by the Ulster kings.TheChurch hadrecognized Boru'sclaim to supremacy after he paid 20 ouncesofgold tohave the Churchinscribe his name in the Book of Armagh asthe'Emperorof the Irish'. Ayear later he established his claim withacircuitaround Ulster. But Brianhad difficulties, the Leinster andDublinarmiescalled in allies from theViking world, creating the scenerioforthebattle that lead to Brian'sdeath.
It was Good Friday in the year 1014, and the battle lastedfromsunrisetosunset. The battle was called the 'Battle of Clontarf' andwasalsoknownas the Battle of Brian, and it ended the domination oftheUiNeill, theancestors of the O'Neill's of Tyrone and Clandeboye.
Brian Boru was killed in his tent, by King Brodar ofMan,followingClontarfand 4000 other Irishmen also died that day, stillKingBrian wasconsideredtriumphant. He was killed along with Sigurd, whowasEarl ofthe Orkneys,the King of Leinster, also two Connacht kingswereslain,and Brian Boru'sson, Murchadh were all killed along withmanyothers ofnoble blood.
Brian Boru is remembered as one of the greatest hereosofallIrelandbecause he ended any hope of the Viking's evercapturingIreland.BrianBoru reportedly had 4 wives and 30 concubines andmany,manyIrishfamilies trace their ancestral heritage to Brian Boru.
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Thomas
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