Clontarf
became a significant location in Irish History, morethan a century before the castle was built. Brian Boru, the
High King of Ireland, and the famous Battle of Clontarf, on Good Friday, 23rd April 1014, will always be associated with and be central to the history of the Clontarf area.
At the time of The Battle of Clontarf, the Clontarf area was wooded with a river flowing by. Many of the rivers in the history of Dublin no longer flow through the same area, as they were re-routed when the city was walled.
It
all began when Mael Morda, King of Leinster, began to plot against Brian Boru.
Mael Morda made an alliance with Sitric, the Viking King of Dublin, who was
assisted by the Vikings of the Orkney Islands and the Isle of Man. Brian Boru
marched against them and the great battle was fought at Clontarf. It ended
in victory for Boru's army. However, on the night of the victory, Boru was
praying in his tent, surrounded by five men, who were guarding him. A small
group of Vikings, who were retreating from the battle through a wooded area,
close to the site of what is now Clontarf Castle, came across the guarded
tent. Realising who was being protected; they killed all five guards and went
on to kill Brian Boru, who by now was 72 years of age.Next Page >>
