Q and A blurb

A weblog about my family search and genealogical journey. My ancestors and relatives, findings and wild goose chases, dead ends and brick walls, climbing trees and seeking dead people, sources and resources, and more...

WONDERFUL WIKITREER

WONDERFUL WIKITREER
BADGE

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Happy New Year!!! 2014 in review and goals for 2015!

Well, its New Years Eve! Wow, what a year. Traditionally I like to spend New Years Eve with the New Years Rocking Eve crew in front of the TV and maybe watch some fireworks, but this year I have to be at work when the Big Apple drops. #boo.

Anyway, January 1st marks the end of a huge chunk of my life where I learned so much about so many, and blogged about a lot of them. Where as this blog has been busy as a beaver this year, many of my other projects suffered, and so, one of my 2015 goals is to blog more on the art blog and the fiction blog. I have a lot of fiction to type yet from years ago and also, I want to do something next year with my Youtube channel. Its kind of been gathering dust lately.

One of my goals for the year is to proofread my posts from this year and touch them up if needed, then I may be reblogging them on Thursdays for #TBT. So you may be seeing some of those reworks soon on my Twitter.  

The year in review? Well, lets see, I started this blog in 2014 and also created a newspaper this year called Family History Daily and Family History Weekly too, and as they are doing so well, I will be keeping them in circulation. I sat up a feed at Twitterfeed which has been very helpful with keeping readers in the loop and so that will continue as well, and I earned a few awards this year at Wikitree and Poetry.com this year and as I never win awards, had to share them on my blogs.  

And I learned a lot about my ancestors and their families this year that I did not know before. Also, found a whole lot of cousins that I never would have found if not for genealogy. What a great hobby this has been.
 
My other fam history blog GTFT is doing the Family History Friday challenge now and will be continuing it all next year, in fact, I have written almost 52 posts for it already, just need to tweak them a bit.

And my Art blog is doing the Wordless Wednesday challenge because what a perfect challenge for  an art blog right? It lets me post all the little sketches that I just cant come up with a name for. Also, hope to find time to continue the famous people cartoons next year, I have already done George Bush and David Letterman cartoons over there and Nixon and Obama too. Hoping to do a Lincoln toon soon.  

For Poetry month next year, I hope to do some new works each week, maybe even each day.

I want to say THANKS for reading this year as this weblog was born in January and has already had 17383 views this year alone. Wow. Never thought it would make it.  

What are your goals for 2015 and accomplishments for 2014?

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

12 Ancestors in 12 Months Challenge #12in12

In 2015 I will be continuing the Ancestor List Project and starting a new challenge as well. 12 ancestors in 12 months. I know it sounds too dam easy but I have a lot of plates up in the air right now and am trying not to drop them. The hashtag will be #12in12. Hope you will continue reading with me...

It seems that I write better when I challenge myself or use themes so this should work out great.
See you in the tree.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

George Nichols and Velinda J. Young 1872 #SundaySource

Jan. 2, 1872, Franklin, Va. 
George Nichols, son of John and Martha Jones Nichols, marries Velinda Young, d/o Moseley and Nancy Young.

George was the son of my ancestor John Nichols and the brother of Ezekiel. 

George Nichols, "Virginia, Marriages, 1785-1940"

Friday, December 26, 2014

Saint Arnold de Metz, Bishop of Metz #52ancestors

Saint Arnulf of Metz (c. 582 – 640) was a Frankish bishop of Metzand advisor to the Merovingian court of Austrasia, who retired to theAbbey of Remiremont.
Arnulf was born to an important Frankish family at an uncertain date around 582. His father was probably Bodegisel (d. 585/8), Palace Mayor and Duke of Sueve and his mother probably Saint Oda, Abbess of Amay. In his younger years he was called to the Merovingian court of king Theudebert II (595–612) of Austrasia and sent to serve as dux at the Schelde. Later he became bishop ofMetz. During his career he was attracted to religious life, and he retired to become a monk. After his death he was canonized as asaint. In French he is also known as Arnoul or Arnoulf. In English he is also known as Arnold.   


Saint Arnoul, Bishop of Metz is your 36th great grandfather.
You 
   →  Pop 
your father →  Rufus S. Nichols 
his father →  Tressie (King) Nichols 
his mother →  Michael O. King 
her father →  Margaret (Wright) King 
his mother → James Wingfield Wright 
her father →  Mary Whitledge Grant 
his mother →  William Grant, of Crichie 
her father →  Elizabeth Grant 
his mother → William Leslie, X. Baron of Balquhain 
her father →  William Leslie, Ninth Baron of Balquhain 
his father →  John Leslie, Eighth Baron of Balquhain 
his father → Elizabeth Ogilvy 
his mother →  Sir Walter Ogilvie of Auchleven 
her father →  Isobel de la Glen 
his mother →  Sir John Glen of Inchmartin and Balmuto 
her father → Margaret Bruce 
his mother →  Elizabeth Aylher de Burgh 
her mother →  Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster 
her father →  Walter de Burgh, 1st Earl of Ulster 
his father →  Egidia de Lacy, Lady of Connacht 
his mother →  Walter de Lacy, Lord of Meath 
her father →  Rohesia de Monmouth 
his mother → Rohesia FitzGilbert de Clare 
her mother →  Adeliza de Claremont 
her mother →  Marguerite de Ramerupt, dame de Roucy 
her mother → Hildouin III de Ramerupt, comte de Montdidier et de Roucy 
her father →  Hildouin III de Ramerupt, II Comte de Montdidier, Seigneur de Ramerupt 
his father →  Hélvise de Laon 
his mother →  N.N. de Chaumontois 
her mother →  Rainier (Regnier) de Saunois, Chaumontois Count de Saunois 
her father → Arnoul III, comte de Chaumontois 
his father →  Arnorald, comte de Chaumontois 
his father →  Arnoul ll de Champagne, comte de Chaumontois 
his father → Dreux, duc de Champagne et Bourgogne 
his father →  Pepin II d'Héristal, Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia 
his father → Ansigisel de Metz, Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia 
his father →  Saint Arnoul, Bishop of Metz 
his father  

http://www.geni.com/people/Saint-Arnoul-Bishop-of-Metz/6000000003302337846  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnulf_of_Metz                              

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

52. MOSES LINVILLE and 53. HENRIETTA WHITE #52ancestors



Number 52 on my ancestor list is Moses Linville, who was the father of Robert Lee Linville. Moses married Henrietta White, the daughter of John White and Elizabeth Callahan in Surry County, NC. Their son Robert married Margaret Elizabeth Johnson in Surry County as well.

Henrietta White (abt. 1814-bef. 1870) m. Moses Linville (1802-1881) (lived on Tom's Creek in Surry County)  


LINKS   

http://www.fmoran.com/rockford/white.html 
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/WHITE/2004-05/1084900711     
http://www.ourfamtree.org/browse.php/Moses-Linville/p230265    
http://genforum.genealogy.com/linville/messages/942.html         
http://records.ancestry.ca/henrietta_white_records.ashx?pid=20505806      

Friday, December 19, 2014

Henry Pembridge #52ancestors

Henry Pembridge Had charter from Henry I. He was born circa 1082 at Pembridge, Kington, Herefordshire, England                  
He was the father of Walter Pembridge, and  
Pembridge Castle was built by his family.... 


http://www.castlewales.com/pembrdg.html                 
http://our-royal-titled-noble-and-commoner-ancestors.com/p1043.htm#i31311       
http://www.geni.com/people/Henry-de-Pembrugge/6000000003828371437                 

Henry de Pembrugge is my 28th great grandfather.
You 
   →  Pop 
your father →  Mamie C. Nichols (Collins) 
his mother →  Martha Collins (BARTLETT) 
her mother →  Nancy Rachel Bartlett (KING) 
her mother → Sarah Ann King (Bartlett) 
her mother →  Reuben S. BARTLETT 
her father →  John Garner Bartlett 
his father →  WILLIAM BARTLETT 
his father →  WILLIAM BERKLEY 
his father →  Margaret (Brent) Bartlett 
his mother →  Richard Brent 
her father →  Elizabeth Brent 
his mother →  Edward Giles Richard Reed 
her father →  Peter Reed 
his father → Isiod Reade 
his mother →  William Stanley 
her father →  Humphrey Stanley, Sir Knight, Sheriff of Stafford 
his father →  Elizabeth or Matilda (Vernon) Stanley 
his mother →  Sir Richard Vernon, MP, Speaker of the Commons 
her father →  Richard de Vernon, II 
his father →  Juliana Vernon 
his mother →  Robert de Pembrugge 
her father →  Fulke de Pembrugge, I 
his father →  Henry de Pembrugge, III 
his father →  Henry de Pembrugge, II 
his father →  Henry de Pembrugge, I 
his father → Ralph de Pembrugge 
his father →  Richard de Pembrugge 
his father →  Walter de Pembrugge 
his father →  Henry de Pembrugge 
his father


Tuesday, December 16, 2014

50/ 51. THOMAS LAWRENCE and SUSAN FRANCES O'BRYAN #52ancestors

THOMAS LAWRENCE and SUSAN FRANCES O'BRYAN were the parents of my dear great great grandmother RHODA ELLEN LAWRENCE who married SAMUEL A. HANCOCK, son of PETER and ELIZABETH EDWARDS HANCOCK.

Thomas was the son of John Lawrence, Jr., and Nancy Peden, born about 1824 in Montgomery, Virginia and he married Susan in Floyd, Virginia.

THOMAS LAWRENCE 
b. 11-11-1824 VA, d. 5-26-1897, s/o John P. & Nancy (Peden) Lawrence.
1850 Montgomery Co., VA, 41st District, H74: Thomas Lawrence, 24 yo w/m, constable-$900, HOH, with Eli 7 yo & Charles 5 yo, both sons of John P. Lawrence & his 1st wife.
Marriage #1: Thomas Lawrence m. Susan Frances O’Bryan 09-03-1850 Floyd Co., VA bond. She d/o William OBryan per bond.
1860 Floyd Co., VA, Floyd Court House PO, H667: Thomas Lawrence, 35 yo w/m farmer, b. VA, $1600/603, HOH.
1870 Floyd Co., VA, Jacksonville Twp, H255: Thomas Lawrence, 45 yo w/m farmer, b. VA, $1,400/310, HOH.
1880 Floyd Co., VA, Jacksonville District, H188: Thomas Lawrence, 56 yo w/m farmer, b. VA, HOH.
1890 Floyd Co., VA, Jacksonville District: Thomas Lawrence, 65 yo.
Marriage #2: Thomas Lawrence m. Susan P. Ballinger 06-01-1893 at Albert Ballinger's, Floyd Co., VA by C.L. Stradley. He 68 yo widowed w/m farmer, b. Montgomery Co., VA & living in Floyd Co., VA, s/o John & Nancy (Peden) Lawrence. She 48 yo single w/f, b. & living in Floyd Co., VA, d/o Richard M. & Patsey Ballinger.
1900 Floyd Co., VA, Court House District 14, H99: Susan P. Lawrence, 56 yo widowed w/f housekeeper, b. May 1844 VA, 0 ch, alone (or may be misnumber & she’s with single sister Julia in previous house).
Burial 1897: Jacksonville Burial Ground, Floyd Co., VA.

Susan was the daughter of William O'Bryan and Rhoda Holland, born in Pittsylvania County about 1827.   

b. c1827 Pittsylvania Co., VA, d/o William & Rhoda (unknown) O’Bryan.
1860 Floyd Co., VA, Floyd Court House PO, H667: Susan F. 33 yo w/f, b. VA.
1870 Floyd Co., VA, Jacksonville Twp, H255: Susan F. 46 yo w/f, b. VA, keeping house.
1880 Floyd Co., VA, Jacksonville District, H188: Susan F. 57 yo wife, b. VA.
Burial: Jacksonville Burial Ground, Floyd Co., VA.

Susan had another daughter named Lula E. Lawrence and at least three sons named William, Henry A. and Luther Lawrence according to Ancestry trees....

LINKS---

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~barbr/lawrence2.htm                
http://www.padenfamily.com/familygroup.php?familyID=F4341&tree=peden1
http://records.ancestry.com/lula_e_lawrence_records.ashx?pid=11166647      
http://www.familycentral.net/index/family.cfm?ref1=4645:198&ref2=4645:208    
http://records.ancestry.com/thomas_lawrence_records.ashx?pid=11110710  


Saturday, December 13, 2014

48/49 PETER S. HANCOCK and ELIZABETH EDWARDS #52ancestors

As the year draws to a close we find ourselves approaching that ultimate goal of the challenges involved in this year's posts, namely Ancestor 52. This week I will review all the info I have on numbers 48 and 49. While I have posted about them previously and you can check the tags to read those posts, I wish to review them now as it is most certainly there time, here at week 49, and as I am also approaching the end of generation 6 on my ancestor list.

Peter S. Hancock married Elizabeth Edwards in Virginia and they were the parents of Samuel A. Hancock, my great great grandfather. Peter was the son of John Hancock and Elizabeth Witt, and his wife Betsy was the daughter of Brice Edwards and Jane Rakes. Peter was born in Patrick County and Betsy was born in Franklin. They married in Floyd, Virginia where they lived out the rest of their lives. Although some of their children were born in Patrick County, indicating that they may have moved more than once before buying the family farm.

Peter G. Hancock (son of John Hancock) was born 1823 in Virginia, and died 1891 in Floyd County, Virginia. He married Elizabeth Edwards on December 24, 1839 in Patrick County, VA, daughter of Brice Edwards and Jane Rakes.   
Marriage: December 24, 1839, Patrick County, VA. 
 http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/t/a/n/Vanessa-Tang-/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0591.html

John was supposedly born in New Kent County, Va, and married Elizabeth
Maddox (Jan. 1, 1733) on Oct. 16, 1755. Both died in Patrick Co., Va,
she in 1805, he in 1810. Their son, Benjamin (who died in Lebanon, TN)
was the great-grandfather of my great-great-great grandmother, Elizabeth
Hancock (her parents were Peter G. Hancock and Elizabeth Edwards.)
Elizabeth married George Washington Moran on Feb. 14, 1866.  
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/HANCOCK/1999-08/0933564117   

Columbia Hancock was born in 1861, at birth place, Virginia, to Peter G. Hancock andElizabeth Hancock (born Edens).
Peter was born in 1820, in Patrick, Virginia, United States.
Elizabeth was born circa 1820, in Patrick, Virginia, United States.
Columbia had 14 siblings: Martha Jane Cassell (born Hancock)John H. Hancock and 12 other siblings.   
http://www.myheritage.com/names/columbia_hancock        


Brice was born in Patrick County, Va. and died in Franklin County where he lived with his wife. 

Friday, December 12, 2014

William Garet of Drexel Hill #52ancestors

William (the Quaker) Garrett, was the son of Lord John Garet and Lady Mary Bible.

 Born in Hosse, Leicestershire, England; he married Ann Kirk, and moved to Harby, Leicestershire, England; then immigrated to America in 1684 after purchasing 203 acres of land. His son Samuel purchased an additional 60 acres. Combined, the two purchases would today cover most of the area between State and Garrett Roads, from Naylor's Run to Burmont Road. 

Samuel, who inherited his father's homestead in 1724, changed the spelling of the family name to Garrett and continued to purchase more land within the township. At one time, the family owned 1,110 acres of land in Upper Darby, nearly all the area now called Drexel Hill. 

The Garret Family farm and homestead, "Thornfield," became a way station on the underground railroad, years later as Samuel's grandson Thomas and great grandson Thomas worked for the Underground Railroad, and it is alleged that many fugitive slaves were quartered and fed on the farm. "Thornfield" consisted of a house (completed about 1800), 50 acres of dairy farm, and a tannery. The Garrett Family's "Thornfield" home still stands today at 3218 Garrett Road in Drexel Hill. William Garat died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 


http://www.geni.com/people/William-Garrett/6000000008552559631   
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3218-Garrett-Rd-Drexel-Hill-PA-19026/9357344_zpid/   



William Garet is my 10th great grandfather;
ME - POPS- RUFUS NICHOLS- JIM NICHOLS- HARRIET WILLIAMS- CLARISSA RICHARDS - NANCY MOORE - JACOB MOORE- ISAAC MOORE- SARAH MOORE - SAMUEL EMLEN- HANNAH GARRETT - WILLIAM GARET        


Brian Boru, High King of Ireland #52ancestors

Brian Boru, High King of Ireland is my 26th great grandfather.  
Brian Boru, famed as a warrior and a statesman, became High King of Ireland and has passed into legend as the greatest Irishman of them all.
Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig, (c. 941–23 April 1014), (English: Brian Boru, Middle Irish: Brian Bóruma, Irish: Brian Bóroimhe), was an Irish king who ended the domination of the so-called High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill. Building on the achievements of his father, Cennétig mac Lorcain, and especially his elder brother, Mathgamain, Brian first made himself King of Munster, then subjugated Leinster, making himself ruler of the south of Ireland. He is the founder of the O'Brien dynasty.
The Uí Néill king Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill, abandoned by his northern kinsmen of the Cenél nEógain and Cenél Conaill, acknowledged Brian as High King at Athlone in 1002. In the decade that followed, Brian campaigned against the northern Uí Néill, who refused to accept his claims, against Leinster, where resistance was frequent, and against the Norse Gaelic kingdom of Dublin. Brian's hard-won authority was seriously challenged in 1013 when his ally Máel Sechnaill was attacked by the Cenél nEógain king Flaithbertach Ua Néill, with the Ulstermen as his allies. This was followed by further attacks on Máel Sechnaill by the Dubliners under their king Sihtric Silkbeard and the Leinstermen led by Máel Mórda mac Murchada. Brian campaigned against these enemies in 1013. In 1014, Brian's armies confronted the armies of Leinster and Dublin at Clontarf near Dublin on Good Friday. The resulting Battle of Clontarf was a bloody affair, with Brian, his son Murchad, and Máel Mórda among those killed. The list of the noble dead in the Annals of Ulster includes Irish kings, Norse Gaels, Scotsmen, and Scandinavians. The immediate beneficiary of the slaughter was Máel Sechnaill who resumed his interrupted reign.
The court of Brian's great-grandson Muirchertach Ua Briain produced the Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh, a work of near hagiography. The Norse Gaels and Scandinavians too produced works magnifying Brian, among these Njal's Saga, the Orkneyinga Saga, and the now-lost Brian's Saga. Brian's war against Máel Mórda and Sihtric was to be inextricably connected with his complicated marital relations, in particular his marriage to Gormlaith, Máel Mórda's sister and Sihtric's mother, who had been in turn the wife of Amlaíb Cuarán‎, king of Dublin and York, then of Máel Sechnaill, and finally of Brian.
-------------------- Ireland's greatest King Brian was the twelfth son of Kennedy of Thomond. His eldest brother Malachi (or Mahon) succeeded to the throne of Munster. Both Malachi and Brian were exceptional men. When the Danes began to overrun the country, the two brothers united, and swept them back inside their walled cities. Malachi was the more noble; Brian was more forceful, capable and energetic. When Malachi was killed by treachery, Brian was undisputed king. He reigned for thirty-nine years. It was a time of unsurpassed glory,prosperity and happiness. He promoted the arts and learning. He is credited with having originated surnames. His patriotism and personal sacrifice brought the clans together, under one king, for the only time in Irish history.
He was eighty-nine when his army faced the armies of the Norsemen at the Battle of Clontarf. Brian's warriors won the day, but Brian was dead, as were his son and grandson. The days of Ireland's finest king were gone.
In the words of his eulogist, "Brian was the last man in Erin who was a match for a hundred."
Brian mac Cennétig (c. 941; 23 April 1014), called Brian Bóruma (English: Brian Boru, Irish: Brian Boraime), was an Irish king who overthrew the centuries-long domination of the Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill. Building on the achievements of his father, Cennétig mac Lorcain, and brother, Mathgamain, Brian first made himself King of Munster, then subjugated Leinster, making himself ruler of the south of Ireland.
The Uí Néill king Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill, abandoned by his northern kinsmen of the Cenél nEógain and Cenél Conaill, acknowledged Brian as High King at Athlone in 1002. In the decade that followed, Brian campaigned against the northern Uí Néill, who refused to accept his claims, against Leinster, where resistance was frequent, and against Dublin. Brian's hard-won authority was seriously challenged in 1013 when his ally Máel Sechnaill was attacked by the Cenél nEógain king Flaithbertach ua Néill, with the Ulstermen as his allies. This was followed by further attacks on Máel Sechnaill by the Norse Gaels of Dublin under their king Sihtric and the Leinstermen led by Máel Mórda mac Murchada. Brian campaigned against these enemies in 1013. In 1014, Brian's armies confronted the armies of Leinster and Dublin at Clontarf near Dublin on Good Friday. The resulting Battle of Clontarf was a bloody affair, with Brian, his son Murchad, and Máel Mórda among those killed. The list of the noble dead in the Annals of Ulster includes Irish kings, Norse Gaels, Scotsmen, and Scandinavians. The immediate beneficiary of the slaughter was Máel Sechnaill who resumed his interrupted reign as the last Uí Néill High King.
Brian dead proved to be a greater figure than in life. The court of his great-grandson Muirchertach Ua Briain produced the Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh, a work of near hagiography. The Norse Gaels and Scandinavians too produced works magnifying Brian, among these Njal's Saga, the Orkneyinga Saga, and the now-lost Brian's Saga. Brian's war against Máel Mórda and Sihtric was to be inextricably connected with his complicated marital relations, in particular his marriage to Gormlaith, Máel Mórda's sister and Sihtric's mother, who had been in turn the wife of Amlaíb Cuarán‎, king of Dublin and York, then of Máel Sechnaill, and finally of Brian.
Biography Early life Brian was likely born in 941 although some sources place his birth as early as 926. He was born near Killaloe, a town in the region of Thomond where his father, Cennétig mac Lorcáin, was king.
When their father died, the kingship of Thomond passed to Brian's older brother, Mathgamain, and, when Mathgamain was killed in 976, Brian replaced him. Subsequently he became the King of the entire kingdom of Munster. His mother Bé Binn was also killed by Vikings when he was a child.
The origin of his cognomen Boru or Borúma (Tributes) is believed to relate to a crossing point on the river Shannon where a cattle-tribute was driven from his sept, the Dál gCais to the larger sept to which they owed allegiance, the Eóganachta. However, it seems more likely that he would have been given this name for being the man to reverse the tide of this tribute, and receive it back from those who his family formerly paid it to. Later legends originated to suggest that it was because he collected monies from the minor rulers of Ireland and used these to rebuild monasteries and libraries that had been destroyed during Norsemen (Viking) invasions.
The Dál Cais Brian belonged to the Dál gCais (or Dalcassians) who occupied a territory straddling the largest river in Ireland, the River Shannon, a territory that would later be known as the Kingdom of Thomond and today incorporates portions of County Clare and County Limerick. The Shannon served as an easy route by which raids could be made against the province of Connacht (to the river's west) and Meath (to its east). Both Brian's father, Cennétig mac Lorcáin and his older brother Mathgamain conducted river-borne raids, in which the young Brian would undoubtedly have participated. This was probably the root of his appreciation for naval forces in his later career.
An important influence upon the Dalcassians was the presence of the Hiberno-Norse city of Limerick on an isthmus around which the Shannon River winds (known today as King's Island or the Island Field). Undoubtedly the Hiberno-Norse of Limerick and the Dalcassians frequently came to blows, but it's unlikely that the relationship was always one of hostility; there was probably peaceful contact as well, such as trade. The Dalcassians may have benefited from these interactions, from which they would have been exposed to Norse innovations such as superior weapons and ship design, all factors that may have contributed to their growing power.
Mathgamain In 964, Brian's older brother, Mathgamain, claimed control over the entire province of Munster by capturing the Rock of Cashel, capital of the rival Eóganacht dynasty. The Eóganacht King, Máel Muad mac Brain, organised an anti-Dalcassian alliance that included at least one other Irish ruler in Munster, and Ivar, the ruler of Limerick. At the Battle of Sulchoid, a Dalcassian army led by Mathgamain and Brian decisively defeated the Hiberno-Norse army of Limerick and, following up their victory, looted and burned the city. The Dalcassian victory at Sulchoid may have led Máel Muad to decide that deception might succeed where an open contest of strength on the battlefield had failed. In 976 Mathgamain attended what was supposed to be a peaceful meeting for reconciliation, where he was seized and murdered. It was under these unpromising circumstances that Brian, at age thirty-five, became the new leader of the Dalcassians.
Brian immediately set about avenging his brother's death and reinstating the control of the Dalcassians over the province of Munster. In quick succession, he attacked and defeated the Hiberno-Norse of Limerick, Máel Muad's Irish allies, and finally, Máel Muad himself. Brian's approach to establishing his control over the Munster demonstrated features that would become characteristic of all of his wars: he seized the initiative, defeating his enemies before they could join forces to overwhelm him, and although he was ruthless and horribly brutal by modern standards, he sought reconciliation in the aftermath of victory rather than continuing hostility. After he had killed both the ruler of Limerick, Ivar, and Ivar's successor, he allowed the Hiberno-Norse in Limerick to remain in their settlement. After he had killed Máel Muad, he treated his son and successor, Cian, with great respect, giving Cian the hand of his daughter, Sadb in marriage. Cian remained a faithful ally for the rest of his life.
Extending authority Having established unchallenged rule over his home Province of Munster, Brian turned to extending his authority over the neighboring provinces of Leinster to the east and Connacht to the north. By doing so, he came into conflict with High King Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill whose power base was the Province of Meath. For the next fifteen years, from 982 to 997, High King Máel Sechnaill repeatedly led armies into Leinster and Munster, while Boru, like his father and brother before him, led his naval forces up the Shannon to attack Connacht and Meath on either side of the river. He suffered quite a few reverses in this struggle, but appears to have learned from his setbacks. He 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. Brian's naval forces, which included contingents supplied by the Hiberno-Norse cities that he brought under his control, provided both indirect and direct support for his forces on land. Indirect support involved a fleet making a diversionary attack on an enemy in a location far away from where Brian planned to strike with his army. Direct support involved naval forces acting as one arm in a strategic pincer, the army forming the other arm.
In 996 Brian finally managed to control the Province of Leinster, which may have been what led Máel Sechnaill to reach a compromise with him in the following year. By recognising Brian's authority over Leth Moga, that is, the Southern Half, which included the Provinces of Munster and Leinster (and the Hiberno-Norse cities within them), Máel Sechnaill was simply accepting the reality that confronted him and retained control over Leth Cuinn, that is, the Northern Half, which consisted of the Provinces of Meath, Connacht, and Ulster.
Precisely because he had submitted to Brian's authority, the King of Leinster was overthrown in 998 and replaced by Máel Morda mac Murchada. Given the circumstances under which Máel Morda had been appointed, it is not surprising that he launched an open rebellion against Brian's authority. In response, Boru assembled the forces of the Province of Munster with the intention of laying siege to the Hiberno-Norse city of Dublin, which was ruled by Máel Morda's ally and cousin, Sigtrygg Silkbeard. Together Máel Morda and Sigtrygg determined to meet Boru's army in battle rather than risk a siege. Thus, in 999, the opposing armies fought the Battle of Glen Mama. The Irish annals all agree that this was a particularly fierce and bloody engagement, although claims that it lasted from morning until midnight, or that the combined Leinster-Dublin force lost 4,000 killed are open to question. In any case, Brian followed up his victory, as he and his brother had in the aftermath of the Battle of Sulchoid thirty-two years before, by capturing and sacking the enemy's city. Once again, however, Brian opted for reconciliation; he requested Sigtrygg to 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, Cain. It may have been on this occasion that Brian married Sigtrygg's mother and Máel Morda's sister Gormflaith, the former wife of Máel Sechnaill.
The struggle for Ireland Brian 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 Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill's home Province of Meath. The struggle over who would control all of Ireland was renewed. Máel Sechnaill's most important ally was the King of Connacht, Cathal mac Conchobar mac Taidg (O'Connor), but this presented a number of problems. The Provinces of Meath and Connacht were separated by the Shannon River, which served as both a route by which Brian's naval forces could attack the shores of either province and as a barrier to the two rulers providing mutual support for each other. Máel Sechnaill came up with an ingenious solution; two bridges would be erected across the Shannon. These bridges would serve as both obstacles preventing Brian's fleet from traveling up the Shannon and as a means by which the armies of the Provinces of Meath and Connacht could cross over into each others kingdoms.
The Annals state that, in the year 1002, Máel Sechnaill surrendered his title to Brian, although they do not say anything about how or why this came about. The Cogadh Gaedhil re Gallaibh provides a story in which Brian challenges High King Máel Sechnaill to a battle at the Hill of Tara in the Province of Meath, but the High King requests a month long truce so that he can mobilise his forces, which Brian grants him. But Máel Sechnaill fails to rally the regional rulers who are nominally his subordinates by the time the deadline arrives, and he is forced to surrender his title to Brian. This explanation is hardly credible, given Brian's style of engaging in war; if he had found his opponent at a disadvantage he would certainly have taken full advantage of it rather than allowing his enemy the time to even the odds. Conversely, it is hard to believe, given the length and intensity of the struggle between Máel Sechnaill and Brian, that the High King would surrender his title without a fight.
Where that fight may have occurred and what the particular circumstances were surrounding it we may never know. What is certain is that in 1002 Brian became the new High King of Ireland.
Unlike some who had previously held the title, Brian intended to be High King in more than name only. To accomplish this he needed to impose his will upon the regional rulers of the only Province that did not already recognise his authority, Ulster. Ulster's geography presented a formidable challenge; there were three main routes by which an invading army could enter the Province, and all three favored the defenders. Brian 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. It took Brian ten years of campaigning to achieve his goal which, considering he could and did call on all of the military forces of the rest of Ireland, indicates how formidable the Kings of Ulster were. Once again, it was his coordinated use of forces on land and at sea that allowed him to triumph; while the rulers of Ulster could bring the advance of Brian's army to a halt, they could not prevent his fleet from attacking the shores of their kingdoms. But gaining entry to the Province of Ulster brought him only halfway to his goal. Brian systematically defeated each of the regional rulers who defied him, forcing them to recognise him as their overlord.
Emperor of the Irish It was during this process that Brian also pursued an alternate means of consolidating his control, not merely over the Province of Ulster, but over Ireland as a whole. In contrast to its structure elsewhere, the Christian Church in Ireland was centered, not around the bishops of diocese and archbishops of archdiocese, but rather around monasteries headed by powerful abbots who were members of the royal dynasties of the lands in which their monasteries resided. Among the most important monasteries was Armagh, located in the Province of Ulster. It is recorded in the 'Book of Armagh' that, in the year 1005, Brian donated twenty-two ounces of gold to the monastery and declared that Armagh was the religious capital of Ireland to which all other monasteries should send the funds they collected. This was a clever move, for the supremacy of the monastery of Armagh would last only so long as Brian remained the High King. Therefore, it was in the interest of Armagh to support Boru with all their wealth and power. It is also interesting that Boru is not referred to in the passage from the 'Book of Armagh' as the 'Ard Ri' – that is, High-King – but rather he is declared "Emperatus Scottorum," or "Emperor of the Irish."
Though it is only speculation, it has been suggested that Brian and the Church in Ireland were together seeking to establish a new form of kingship in Ireland, one that was modelled after the kingships of England and France, in which there were no lesser ranks of regional Kings – simply one King who had (or sought to have) power over all. In any case, whether as High King or Emperor, by 1011 all of the regional rulers in Ireland acknowledged Brian's authority. Unfortunately, no sooner had this been achieved than it was lost again.
Máel Mórda mac Murchada of Leinster had only accepted Brian's authority grudgingly and in 1012 rose in rebellion. The Cogadh Gaedhil re Gallaibh relates a story in which one of Brian's sons insults Máel Morda, which leads him to declare his independence from Brian's authority. Whatever the actual reason was, Máel Morda sought allies with which to defy the High-King. He found one in a regional ruler in Ulster who had only recently submitted to Brian. Together they attacked the Province of Meath, where the former High King Máel Sechnaill sought Brian's help to defend his Kingdom. In 1013 Boru led a force from his own Province of Munster and from southern Connacht into Leinster; a detachment under his son, Murchad, ravaged the southern half of the Province of Leinster for three months. The forces under Murchad and Brian were reunited on 9 September outside the walls of Dublin. The city was blockaded, but it was the High King's army that ran out of supplies first, so that Brian was forced to abandon the siege and return to Munster around the time of Christmas.
Máel Morda may have hoped that by defying Brian, he could enlist the aid of all the other regional rulers Brian had forced to submit to him. If so, he must have been sorely disappointed; while the entire Province of Ulster and most of the Province of Connacht failed to provide the High King with troops, they did not, with the exception of a single ruler in Ulster, provide support for Máel Morda either. His inability to obtain troops from any rulers in Ireland, along with his awareness that he would need them when the High King returned in 1014, may explain why Máel Morda sought to obtain troops from rulers outside of Ireland. He instructed his subordinate and cousin, Sigtrygg, the ruler of Dublin, to travel overseas to enlist aid.
Sigtrygg sailed to Orkney, and on his return stopped at the Isle of Man. These islands had been seized by the Vikings long before and the Hiberno-Norse had close ties with Orkney and the Isle of Man. There was even a precedent for employing Norsemen from the isles; they had been used by Sigtrygg's father, Olaf Cuaran, in 980, and by Sigtrygg himself in 990. Their incentive was loot, not land. Contrary to the assertions made in the Cogadh Gaedhil re Gallaibh, this was not an attempt by the Vikings to reconquer Ireland. All of the Norsemen, both the Norse-Gaels of Dublin and the Norsemen from the Isles, were in the service of Máel Morda. It should also be remembered that the High King had 'Vikings' in his army as well; mainly the Hiberno-Norse of Limerick (and probably those of Waterford, Wexford, and Cork as well), but also, according to some sources, a rival gang of Norse mercenaries from the Isle of Man.
Essentially this could be characterised as an Irish civil war in which foreigners participated as minor players.
Along with whatever troops he obtained from abroad, the forces that Brian mustered included the troops of his home Province of Munster, those of Southern Connacht, and the men of the Province of Meath, the latter commanded by his old rival Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill. He may have outnumbered Máel Morda's army, since Brian felt secure enough to dispatch a mounted detachment under the command of his youngest son, Donnchad, to raid southern Leinster, presumably hoping to force Máel Morda to release his contingents from there to return to defend their homes. Unfortunately for the High King, if he had had a superiority in numbers it was soon lost. A disagreement with the King of Meath resulted in Máel Sechnaill withdrawing his support (Brian sent a messenger to find Donnchad and ask him to return with his detachment, but the call for help came too late). To compound his problems, the Norse contingents, led by Sigurd Hlodvirsson, Earl of Orkney and Brodir of the Isle of Man, arrived on Palm Sunday, the 18 April. The battle would occur five days later, on Good Friday.
The fighting took place just north of the city of Dublin, at Clontarf (now a prosperous suburb). It may well be that the two sides were evenly matched, as all of the accounts state that the Battle of Clontarf lasted all day. Although this may be an exaggeration, it does suggest that it was a long, drawn-out fight.
There are many legends concerning how Brian was killed, from dying in a heroic man-to-man combat to being killed by the fleeing Viking mercenary Brodir while praying in his tent. He is said to be buried in the grounds of St. Patrick's Cathedral in the city of Armagh. Legend dictates he is buried at the north end of the church.
Historical view The popular image of Brian—the ruler who managed to unify the regional leaders of Ireland so as to to free the land from a 'Danish' (Viking) occupation—originates from the powerful influence of a work of 12th century propaganda, Cogadh Gaedhil re Gallaibh (The War of the Irish with the Foreigners) in which Brian takes the leading role. This work is thought to have been commissioned by Boru's great-grandson, Muirchertach Ua Briain as a means of justifying the Ua Briain (O'Brien) claim to the High-Kingship, a title upon which the Ui Neill had had a monopoly.
The influence of this work, on both scholarly and popular authors, cannot be exaggerated. 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.
Brian did not free Ireland from a Norse (Viking) occupation simply because it was never conquered by the Vikings. In the last decade of the 8th century, Norse raiders began attacking targets in Ireland and, beginning in the mid-9th century, these raiders established the fortified camps that later grew into Ireland's first cities: Dublin, Limerick, Waterford, Wexford, and Cork. Within only a few generations, the Norse citizens of these cities had converted to Christianity, inter-married with the Irish, and often adopted the Irish language, dress and customs; thus becoming what historians refer to as the 'Hiberno-Norse'. Such Hiberno-Norse cities were fully integrated into the political scene in Ireland, long before the birth of Brian Boru. They often suffered attacks from Irish rulers, and made alliances with others, though ultimately came under the control of the kings of the Provinces of Meath, Leinster, or Munster, who chose those among Hiberno-Norse who would rule the cities, subservient to their loyal subordinates. Rather than conquering Ireland, the Vikings, who initially attacked and subsequently settled in Ireland were, in fact, assimilated by the Irish.
Marriages Brian married four women:
1. Mór, mother of Murchad, who was slain with Boru at Clontarf.
2. Echrad, mother of his successor Tadc.
3. Gormflaith, the best known of his wives and said to be the most beautiful. She was the daughter of Murchad mac Finn, King of Leinster, sister of Máel Morda and also widow of Olaf Cuaran, the Viking king of Dublin and York. She was the mother of Donnchad, who succeeded Boru as King of Munster. She was said to be his true love, having mistakeningly challenged his authority one too many times, they divorced. Though she is said to be the cause of his death, she was also said to be the one to mourn him the most.
4. Dub Choblaig, was daughter of the King of Connacht.
According to Njal's Saga, he also had a foster-son , Kerthialfad.[1]
Cultural heritage
• The family descended from him (the O'Briens) subsequently ranked as one of the chief dynastic families of the country (see Chiefs of the Name).
In popular culture Celtic Metal band, Cruachan has written many songs involving the Viking raids on Ireland and the Celts' triumph over the Vikings. One of which, "Ard Ri Na Heireann" (Translation: the High King of Ireland) is directly about Boru. The band also featured an instrumental song titled "Brian Boru"
Another Celtic Metal band, Mael Mordha devoted their début album, Cluain Tarbh, to the battle of Clontarf where Brian was killed.
Morgan Llywelyn has written a novelization of Brian's life called simply Lion of Ireland. The sequel, Pride of Lions (novel), tells the story of his sons, Donough and Teigue, as they vie for his crown.
In "Strapping Young Lads" by Brian Dunning, Brunnhilde claimed to have killed Boru in single combat, and "torn his still-beating heart from his breast."
Limerick band Lucky Numbers released their hit single Brian Boru in 1979.
French Brittanian singer Alan Stivell released in 1995 an album called Brian Boru.
Trivia Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
• The descendants of Brian were known as the Ua Brian (O'Brien) clan, hence the surnames Ó Briain, O'Brien, O'Brian etc. "O" was originally Ó which in turn came from Ua, which means "grandson", or "descendant" (of a named person). The prefix is often anglicised to O', using an apostrophe instead of the Irish síneadh fada: "´".
• The term the Brian Boru is also used to refer to the Brian Boru harp, the national symbol of the Republic of Ireland which appears on the back of Irish euro currency. Forged between the 13th and 16th centuries, the harp also appears on the Leinster flag. A similar harp features in the trade mark of Guinness.
• The Spire of Dublin was very nearly named the Brian Boru Spire.
• The Royal Irish Regiment's mascot, an Irish Wolfhound, is always called Brian Boru. The current dog is Brian Boru VII.
• The website for Irish vodka brand Boru says it is "Inspired by Ireland's Visionary High King Brian Boru."
• A major motion picture film surrounding the life of Brian Boru is scheduled to be filmed in 2008 and released in 2009. The film will be entirely shot in Ireland and directed by Cork native Mark Mahon, from an award-winning script he wrote called, "Freedom Within the Heart". American actor, Leonardo DiCaprio is attached to play Brian Boru. -------------------- Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig, (c. 941–23 April 1014), (English: Brian Boru, Middle Irish: Brian Bóruma, Irish: Brian Bóroimhe, or more usually Brian Ború), was an Irish king who ended the domination of the so-called High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill. Building on the achievements of his father, Cennétig mac Lorcain, and brother, Mathgamain, Brian first made himself King of Munster, then subjugated Leinster, making himself ruler of the south of Ireland. The O'Brien Clan regard him as their founder.
The Uí Néill king Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill, abandoned by his northern kinsmen of the Cenél nEógain and Cenél Conaill, acknowledged Brian as High King at Athlone in 1002. In the decade that followed, Brian campaigned against the northern Uí Néill, who refused to accept his claims, against Leinster, where resistance was frequent, and against the Norse Gaelic kingdom of Dublin. Brian's hard-won authority was seriously challenged in 1013 when his ally Máel Sechnaill was attacked by the Cenél nEógain king Flaithbertach Ua Néill, with the Ulstermen as his allies. This was followed by further attacks on Máel Sechnaill by the Dubliners under their king Sihtric Silkbeard and the Leinstermen led by Máel Mórda mac Murchada. Brian campaigned against these enemies in 1013. In 1014, Brian's armies confronted the armies of Leinster and Dublin at Clontarf near Dublin on Good Friday. The resulting Battle of Clontarf was a bloody affair, with Brian, his son Murchad, and Máel Mórda among those killed. The list of the noble dead in the Annals of Ulster includes Irish kings, Norse Gaels, Scotsmen, and Scandinavians. The immediate beneficiary of the slaughter was Máel Sechnaill who resumed his interrupted reign as the last Uí Néill High King.
In death, Brian proved to be a greater figure than in life. The court of his great-grandson Muirchertach Ua Briain produced the Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh, a work of near hagiography. The Norse Gaels and Scandinavians too produced works magnifying Brian, among these Njal's Saga, the Orkneyinga Saga, and the now-lost Brian's Saga. Brian's war against Máel Mórda and Sihtric was to be inextricably connected with his complicated marital relations, in particular his marriage to Gormlaith, Máel Mórda's sister and Sihtric's mother, who had been in turn the wife of Amlaíb Cuarán‎, king of Dublin and York, then of Máel Sechnaill, and finally of Brian.
Early life Many Irish annals state that Brian was in his 88th year when he fell in the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. If true, this would mean that he was born as early as 926 or 927.[1] Other birth dates given in retrospect are 923 or 942.[1]
He was one of the 12 sons of Cennétig mac Lorcáin (d. 951), king of Dál Cais and king of Tuadmumu (Thomond, in north Munster). Cennétig was also described as rígdamna Caisil, meaning that he was either heir or candidate ("king material") to the kingship of Cashel or Munster.[2] Brian's mother was Bé Binn, daughter of Aurchad mac Murchada (d. 945), king of Uí Briúin Seóla in west Connacht.[2][1] This may explain why he received the name Brian, which was rare among the Dál Cais.[2]
Brian was born at Kincora, Killaloe, a town in the region of Tuadmumu (Thomond).[2] Brian's posthumous cognomen "Bóruma" (anglicised as Boru) may have referred to "Béal Bóruma", a fort north of Killaloe (Co Clare) in Thomond, where the Dál Cais held sway.[2][1][3] Another explanation, though possibly a late (re-)interpretation, is that the nickname represented Old Irish bóruma "of the cattle tribute", referring to his capaciy as a powerful overlord.[1]
When their father died, the kingship of Tuadmumu passed to Brian's older brother, Mathgamain, and, when Mathgamain was killed in 976, Brian replaced him. Subsequently he became the King of the entire kingdom of Munster.
The Dál gCais Brian belonged to the Dál gCais (or Dalcassians) who occupied a territory straddling the largest river in Ireland, the River Shannon, a territory that would later be known as the Kingdom of Thomond and today incorporates portions of County Clare and County Limerick. The Shannon served as an easy route by which raids could be made against the province of Connacht (to the river's west) and Meath (to its east). Both Brian's father, Cennétig mac Lorcáin and his older brother Mathgamain conducted river-borne raids, in which the young Brian would undoubtedly have participated. This was probably the root of his appreciation for naval forces in his later career.
An important influence upon the Dalcassians was the presence of the Hiberno-Norse city of Limerick on an isthmus around which the Shannon River winds (known today as King's Island or the Island Field). Undoubtedly the Hiberno-Norse of Limerick and the Dalcassians frequently came to blows, but it's unlikely that the relationship was always one of hostility; there was probably peaceful contact as well, such as trade. The Dalcassians may have benefited from these interactions, from which they would have been exposed to Norse innovations such as superior weapons and ship design, all factors that may have contributed to their growing power.
Mathgamain In 964, Brian's older brother, Mathgamain, claimed control over the entire province of Munster by capturing the Rock of Cashel, capital of the rival Eóganacht dynasty. The Eóganacht king, Máel Muad mac Brain, organised an anti-Dalcassian alliance that included another Irish king in Munster, Donndubháin mac Cathail of the Uí Fidgenti, and Ivar of Limerick, of the Uí Ímair. At the Battle of Sulchoid, a Dalcassian army led by Mathgamain and Brian decisively defeated the Hiberno-Norse army of Limerick and, following up their victory, looted and burned the city. The Dalcassian victory at Sulchoid may have led Máel Muad to decide that deception might succeed where an open contest of strength on the battlefield had failed. In 976 Mathgamain attended what was supposed to be a peaceful meeting for reconciliation, where he was seized and murdered. It was under these unpromising circumstances that Brian became the new leader of the Dalcassians.
Brian immediately set about avenging his brother's death and reinstating the control of the Dalcassians over the province of Munster. In quick succession, he attacked and defeated the Hiberno-Norse of Limerick, Máel Muad's Irish allies, and finally, Máel Muad himself. Brian's approach to establishing his control over the Munster demonstrated features that would become characteristic of all of his wars: he seized the initiative, defeating his enemies before they could join forces to overwhelm him, and although he was ruthless and horribly brutal by modern standards, he sought reconciliation in the aftermath of victory rather than continuing hostility. After he had killed both the ruler of Limerick, Ivar, and Ivar's successor, he allowed the Hiberno-Norse in Limerick to remain in their settlement. After he had killed Máel Muad, he treated his son and successor, Cian, with great respect, giving Cian the hand of his daughter, Sadb in marriage. Cian remained a faithful ally for the rest of his life.
Extending authority Having established unchallenged rule over his home Province of Munster, Brian turned to extending his authority over the neighboring provinces of Leinster to the east and Connacht to the north. By doing so, he came into conflict with High King Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill whose power base was the Province of Meath. For the next fifteen years, from 982 to 997, High King Máel Sechnaill repeatedly led armies into Leinster and Munster, while Brian, like his father and brother before him, led his naval forces up the Shannon to attack Connacht and Meath on either side of the river. He suffered quite a few reverses in this struggle, but appears to have learned from his setbacks. He 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. Brian's naval forces, which included contingents supplied by the Hiberno-Norse cities that he brought under his control, provided both indirect and direct support for his forces on land. Indirect support involved a fleet making a diversionary attack on an enemy in a location far away from where Brian planned to strike with his army. Direct support involved naval forces acting as one arm in a strategic pincer, the army forming the other arm.
In 996 Brian finally managed to control the province of Leinster, which may have been what led Máel Sechnaill to reach a compromise with him in the following year. By recognising Brian's authority over Leth Moga, that is, the Southern Half, which included the Provinces of Munster and Leinster (and the Hiberno-Norse cities within them), Máel Sechnaill was simply accepting the reality that confronted him and retained control over Leth Cuinn, that is, the Northern Half, which consisted of the Provinces of Meath, Connacht, and Ulster.
Precisely because he had submitted to Brian's authority, the King of Leinster was overthrown in 998 and replaced by Máel Morda mac Murchada. Given the circumstances under which Máel Morda had been appointed, it is not surprising that he launched an open rebellion against Brian's authority. In response, Brian assembled the forces of the Province of Munster with the intention of laying siege to the Hiberno-Norse city of Dublin, which was ruled by Máel Morda's ally and cousin, Sigtrygg Silkbeard. Together Máel Morda and Sigtrygg determined to meet Brian's army in battle rather than risk a siege. Thus, in 999, the opposing armies fought the Battle of Glen Mama. The Irish annals all agree that this was a particularly fierce and bloody engagement, although claims that it lasted from morning until midnight, or that the combined Leinster-Dublin force lost 4,000 killed are open to question. In any case, Brian followed up his victory, as he and his brother had in the aftermath of the Battle of Sulchoid thirty-two years before, by capturing and sacking the enemy's city. Once again, however, Brian opted for reconciliation; he requested Sigtrygg to 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. It may have been on this occasion that Brian married Sigtrygg's mother and Máel Morda's sister Gormflaith, the former wife of Máel Sechnaill.
The struggle for Ireland Brian 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 Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill's home province of Meath. The struggle over who would control all of Ireland was renewed. Máel Sechnaill's most important ally was the King of Connacht, Cathal mac Conchobar mac Taidg (O'Connor), but this presented a number of problems. The Provinces of Meath and Connacht were separated by the Shannon River, which served as both a route by which Brian's naval forces could attack the shores of either province and as a barrier to the two rulers providing mutual support for each other. Máel Sechnaill came up with an ingenious solution; two bridges would be erected across the Shannon. These bridges would serve as both obstacles preventing Brian's fleet from traveling up the Shannon and as a means by which the armies of the Provinces of Meath and Connacht could cross over into each others kingdoms.
The Annals state that, in the year 1002, Máel Sechnaill surrendered his title to Brian, although they do not say anything about how or why this came about. The Cogadh Gaedhil re Gallaibh provides a story in which Brian challenges High King Máel Sechnaill to a battle at the Hill of Tara in the province of Meath, but the High King requests a month long truce so that he can mobilise his forces, which Brian grants him. But Máel Sechnaill fails to rally the regional rulers who are nominally his subordinates by the time the deadline arrives, and he is forced to surrender his title to Brian. This explanation is hardly credible, given Brian's style of engaging in war; if he had found his opponent at a disadvantage he would certainly have taken full advantage of it rather than allowing his enemy the time to even the odds. Conversely, it is hard to believe, given the length and intensity of the struggle between Máel Sechnaill and Brian, that the High King would surrender his title without a fight.
Where that fight may have occurred and what the particular circumstances were surrounding it we may never know. What is certain is that in 1002 Brian became the new High King of Ireland.
Unlike some who had previously held the title, Brian intended to be High King in more than name only. To accomplish this he needed to impose his will upon the regional rulers of the only Province that did not already recognize his authority, Ulster. Ulster's geography presented a formidable challenge; there were three main routes by which an invading army could enter the Province, and all three favored the defenders. Brian 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. It took Brian ten years of campaigning to achieve his goal which, considering he could and did call on all of the military forces of the rest of Ireland, indicates how formidable the Kings of Ulster were. Once again, it was his coordinated use of forces on land and at sea that allowed him to triumph; while the rulers of Ulster could bring the advance of Brian's army to a halt, they could not prevent his fleet from attacking the shores of their kingdoms. But gaining entry to the Province of Ulster brought him only halfway to his goal. Brian systematically defeated each of the regional rulers who defied him, forcing them to recognize him as their overlord.
Emperor of the Irish It was during this process that Brian also pursued an alternate means of consolidating his control, not merely over the Province of Ulster, but over Ireland as a whole. In contrast to its structure elsewhere, the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland was centered, not around the bishops of diocese and archbishops of archdiocese, but rather around monasteries headed by powerful abbots who were members of the royal dynasties of the lands in which their monasteries resided. Among the most important monasteries was Armagh, located in the Province of Ulster. It is recorded in the 'Book of Armagh' that, in the year 1005, Brian donated twenty-two ounces of gold to the monastery and declared that Armagh was the religious capital of Ireland to which all other monasteries should send the funds they collected. This was a clever move, for the supremacy of the monastery of Armagh would last only so long as Brian remained the High King. Therefore, it was in the interest of Armagh to support Brian with all their wealth and power. It is also interesting that Brian is not referred to in the passage from the 'Book of Armagh' as the 'Ard Ri' —that is, High-King— but rather he is declared "Imperator Scottorum," or "Emperor of the Irish" ("Scottorum" then being the common Late Latin term for the Irish: Ireland was usually referred to in Latin as "Scotia Major" while Scotland was referred to as "Scotia Minor").
Though it is only speculation, it has been suggested that Brian and the Church in Ireland were together seeking to establish a new form of kingship in Ireland, one that was modelled after the kingships of England and France, in which there were no lesser ranks of regional Kings – simply one King who had (or sought to have) power over all in a unitary state. In any case, whether as High King or Emperor, by 1011 all of the regional rulers in Ireland acknowledged Brian's authority. No sooner had this been achieved than it was lost again.
Máel Mórda mac Murchada of Leinster had only accepted Brian's authority grudgingly and in 1012 rose in rebellion. The Cogadh Gaedhil re Gallaibh relates a story in which one of Brian's sons insults Máel Morda, which leads him to declare his independence from Brian's authority. Whatever the actual reason was, Máel Morda sought allies with which to defy the High-King. He found one in a regional ruler in Ulster who had only recently submitted to Brian. Together they attacked the Province of Meath, where the former High King Máel Sechnaill sought Brian's help to defend his Kingdom. In 1013 Brian led a force from his own Province of Munster and from southern Connacht into Leinster; a detachment under his son, Murchad, ravaged the southern half of the Province of Leinster for three months. The forces under Murchad and Brian were reunited on 9 September outside the walls of Dublin. The city was blockaded, but it was the High King's army that ran out of supplies first, so that Brian was forced to abandon the siege and return to Munster around the time of Christmas.
Máel Morda may have hoped that by defying Brian, he could enlist the aid of all the other regional rulers Brian had forced to submit to him. If so, he must have been sorely disappointed; while the entire Province of Ulster and most of the Province of Connacht failed to provide the High King with troops, they did not, with the exception of a single ruler in Ulster, provide support for Máel Morda either. His inability to obtain troops from any rulers in Ireland, along with his awareness that he would need them when the High King returned in 1014, may explain why Máel Morda sought to obtain troops from rulers outside of Ireland. He instructed his subordinate and cousin, Sigtrygg, the ruler of Dublin, to travel overseas to enlist aid.
Sigtrygg sailed to Orkney, and on his return stopped at the Isle of Man. These islands had been seized by the Vikings long before and the Hiberno-Norse had close ties with Orkney and the Isle of Man. There was even a precedent for employing Norsemen from the isles; they had been used by Sigtrygg's father, Amlaíb Cuarán, in 980, and by Sigtrygg himself in 990. Their incentive was loot, not land. Contrary to the assertions made in the Cogadh Gaedhil re Gallaibh, this was not an attempt by the Vikings to reconquer Ireland. All of the Norsemen, both the Norse-Gaels of Dublin and the Norsemen from the Isles, were in the service of Máel Morda. It should also be remembered that the High King had 'Vikings' in his army as well; mainly the Hiberno-Norse of Limerick (and probably those of Waterford, Wexford, and Cork as well), but also, according to some sources, a rival gang of Norse mercenaries from the Isle of Man.
Essentially this could be characterised as an Irish civil war in which foreigners participated as minor players.
Along with whatever troops he obtained from abroad, the forces that Brian mustered included the troops of his home Province of Munster, those of Southern Connacht, and the men of the Province of Meath, the latter commanded by his old rival Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill. He may have outnumbered Máel Morda's army, since Brian felt secure enough to dispatch a mounted detachment under the command of his youngest son, Donnchad, to raid southern Leinster, presumably hoping to force Máel Morda to release his contingents from there to return to defend their homes. Unfortunately for the High King, if he had had a superiority in numbers it was soon lost. A disagreement with the King of Meath resulted in Máel Sechnaill withdrawing his support (Brian sent a messenger to find Donnchad and ask him to return with his detachment, but the call for help came too late). To compound his problems, the Norse contingents, led by Sigurd Hlodvirsson, Earl of Orkney and Brodir of the Isle of Man, arrived on Palm Sunday, 18 April. The battle would occur five days later, on Good Friday.
The fighting took place just north of the city of Dublin, at Clontarf (now a prosperous suburb). It may well be that the two sides were evenly matched, as all of the accounts state that the Battle of Clontarf lasted all day. Although this may be an exaggeration, it does suggest that it was a long, drawn-out fight.
There are many legends concerning how Brian was killed, from dying in a heroic man-to-man combat to being killed by the fleeing Viking mercenary Brodir while praying in his tent at Clontarf[citation needed]. He is said to be buried in the grounds of St. Patrick's Cathedral in the city of Armagh. Legend dictates he is buried at the north end of the church.
Historical view
The popular image of Brian—the ruler who managed to unify the regional leaders of Ireland so as to free the land from a 'Danish' (Viking) occupation—originates from the powerful influence of a work of 12th century propaganda, Cogadh Gaedhil re Gallaibh (The War of the Irish with the Foreigners) in which Brian takes the leading role. This work is thought to have been commissioned by Brian's great-grandson, Muirchertach Ua Briain as a means of justifying the Ua Briain claim to the High-Kingship, a title upon which the Uí Neill had had a near-monopoly.
The influence of this work, on both scholarly and popular authors, cannot be exaggerated. 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.
Brian did not free Ireland from a Norse (Viking) occupation simply because it was never conquered by the Vikings. In the last decade of the 8th century, Norse raiders began attacking targets in Ireland and, beginning in the mid-9th century, these raiders established the fortified camps that later grew into Ireland's first cities: Dublin, Limerick, Waterford, Wexford, and Cork. Within only a few generations, the Norse citizens of these cities had converted to Christianity, inter-married with the Irish, and often adopted the Irish language, dress and customs; thus becoming what historians refer to as the 'Hiberno-Norse'. Such Hiberno-Norse cities were fully integrated into the political scene in Ireland, long before the birth of Brian. They often suffered attacks from Irish rulers, and made alliances with others, though ultimately came under the control of the kings of the Provinces of Meath, Leinster, or Munster, who chose those among Hiberno-Norse who would rule the cities, subservient to their loyal subordinates. Rather than conquering Ireland, the Vikings, who initially attacked and subsequently settled in Ireland were, in fact, assimilated by the Irish.
Wives and children
Brian's first wife was Mór, daughter of the king of Uí Fiachrach Aidne of Connacht. She is said to have been the mother of his sons Murchad, Conchobar and Flann. Later genealogies claimed that these sons left no descendants, although in fact Murchad's son Tadc is recorded as being killed at Clontarf along with his father and grandfather.[4]
Echrad daughter of the king of Uí Áeda Odba, an obscure branch of the southern Uí Néill, was the the mother of Tadc, whose son Toirdelbach and grandson Muirchertach rivalled Brian in power and fame.[5]
Brian's most famous marriage was with Gormflaith, sister of Máel Mórda of Leinster. Donnchad, who had his half-brother Tadc killed in 1023 and ruled Munster for forty years thereafter, was the result of this union.[6]
Brian had a sixth son, Domnall. Although he predeceased his father Domnall apparently had at least one surviving child, a son whose name is not recorded. Domnall may perhaps have been the son of Brian's fourth known wife, Dub Choblaig, who died in 1009. She was a daughter of Cathal mac Conchobair, the overking of Connacht.[7]
Brian had at least three daughters but their mothers are not recorded. Sadb, whose death in 1048 is recorded by the Annals of Innisfallen, was married to Cian, son of Máel Muad mac Brian. Bé Binn was married to the northern Uí Néill king Flaithbertach Ua Néill. A third daughter, whose name may have been Sláine, was married to Brian's stepson Sitric of Dublin.[8]
According to Njal's Saga, he also had a foster-son named Kerthialfad.[9]
Cultural heritage
The descendants of Brian were known as the Ui Briain (O'Brien) clan, hence the surnames Ó Briain, O'Brien, O'Brian etc. "O" was originally Ó which in turn came from Ua, which means "grandson", or "descendant" (of a named person). The prefix is often anglicised to O', using an apostrophe instead of the Irish síneadh fada: "´". The O'Briens subsequently ranked as one of the chief dynastic families of the country     
----
You 
   →  Pop 
your father →  Rufus S. Nichols 
his father →  Tressie (King) Nichols 
his mother →  Michael O. King 
her father →  Margaret (Wright) King 
his mother → James G Wright 
her father →  Mary Whitledge Grant 
his mother →  William Grant, of Crichie 
her father →  Elizabeth Grant 
his mother → William Leslie, X. Baron of Balquhain 
her father →  Janet "Jane" Forbes, Countess of Athlon 
his mother →  John Forbes, 6th Lord Forbes 
her father → William "Gray Willie" Forbes, 3rd Lord Forbes 
his father →  James Forbes, 2nd Lord of Forbes 
his father →  Sir Alexander de Forbes, 1st Lord of Forbes 
his father →  Margaret Kennedy of Dunure 
his mother →  Mary Montgomery 
her mother →  Neil Montgomery of Cassillis 
her father →  Alan Montgomery 
his father → Sir John Montgomerie of Eastwood 
his father →  Robert de Montgomery 
his father →  Alan de Montgomery 
his father →  Robert de Montgomery 
his father → Lafracoth ingen Muiredaig Ó Briain 
his mother →  Muirchertach mac Toirdelbach Mor Ua Briain, High King of Ireland 
her father → Toirdelbach Ua Briain, High King of Ireland 
his father →  Teige O'Brien 
his father →  Brian Boru, High King of Ireland 
his father

http://www.geni.com/people/Brian-Boru-High-King-of-Ireland/6000000002043263223 

FAMILY HISTORY CHANNEL

TAGS

bloodline 52ancestors pedigree FamilyHistoryFriday DirectAncestor ancestor NICHOLS ancestorlist England MATERNAL genealogy male Virginia challenge family history DNA sources HANCOCK census SundaySource KING Scotland 2ndGG Magna Carta project 19thGG gen5 BARTLETT GEDMATCH gen6 AKERS FamilyTreeTuesday 3rdGG COLLINS KG KNIGHT OF THE GARTER 17thGG 18thGG CensusSunday BOURNE LINVILLE gen4 American Revolution MovieMonday gen20 gen22 12 ancestors in 12 months 16thGG BROWNE FOUNDERS AND PATRIOTS France Marriages POFF SAR WASHINGTON gen19 12in12 23rdGG DAR Ireland JONES NC PA. Rome VitalRecords WILLIAMS WednesdaysWall gen21 13thGG 25thGG 9thGG EDWARDS PATERNAL RICHARDS gen16 gen28 10thGG 22ndGG 26thGG 27thGG Italy Jamestown MACNICOL Maryland Normandy PAYNE RAKES Saint TAYLOR UPDATES VAUGHAN gen3 12thGG 21stGG 5thGG 6thGG 7thGG ALDRIDGE BOOTH BRENT Bedford Blogiversary Crusades Descendants HOLLAND House of TUDOR JOHNSON LAST WILL POETRY READING Roman Emperor SHOUT OUTS STEWART WILSON WRIGHT gen13 gen26 gen29 gen30 gen9 mentions 14thGG 20thGG 31stGG BORU Belgium Civil War DE NORMANDIE Denmark EBOOKS FotoFriday Germany HARRIS HATCHER HILL LAWRENCE Links MAYFLOWER MOORE Massachusetts NICHOLLS O'BRIAN O'BRYAN Quaker SCOTTISH CLANS YOUNG elder female gen12 gen17 gen34 gen8 gifts 10TH CENTURY 11TH CENTURY 2014 24thGG 33rdGG 36thGG 43rdGG 4thGG 51stGG. gen54 ALTIZER ANCESTORS ANCESTRY Aragon Awards BOLEYN BOND Bishop CAREY CHENEY Caesar Connecticut DEATH RECORD DUNCAN Earl Egypt Elisha Nichols FAMILY HISTORY FRIDAY Family Tree Thursday Floyd Co. Franklin GARRETT GENETIC COMMUNITIES GERARD GIBSON GORDON GRANT HERBERT HOWARD House of RURIK John Ezekiel Nichols Kiev LEONARD LIKENS LINCOLN Lt. John Nichols MALLORY MAYBERRY MONTGOMERY MORGAN Montgomery Co. NAPIER NATIONAL SOCIETY OF THE WASHINGTON FAMILY DESCENDANTS NICHOLS SURNAME PROJECT O'BRIEN PEAK PLANTAGENET PRINDLE PTOLEMY Poet Private Reverend Rurik Dynasty Russia SEYMOUR SINCLAIR SMYTHE SPENCER STUMP Site of the Month Spain Sponsors TUDOR UK Ukraine VA. WALLS WHITE Wales Y-DNA bloggers clergy family family detective gen15 gen2 gen36 gen39 gen46 militaryRecord poetry shop tbt throwback thursday 11thGG 12th century 14th century 15thGG 1stGG 2015 28thGG 47thGG 51stGG. 53rdGG 65thGG 67thGG 75thgg ADDAIR ASHTON AUDLEY Alba Alchemist Antonine Dynasty Archibald Nichols Award of Excellence BALDWIN BARLOW BEACH BEAUFORT BECKETT BERENGER BERENGUER BERKELEY BORUMA BRONAUGH BROWN BRUCE BUTLER BYRON Barcelona Barons Battle of Hastings Bavaria Berkeley Hundred Bluetooth CALLAHAN CARRICK CEO CHRISTLEY CIRCLES CLINTON COKAYNE CONSTABLE CONSTANTINUS COOK COOKE CT Cambridge Cardinal Carolingian Dynasty Chancellor Charlemagne Cherokee Colony Count Cumberland Customer DANVERS DE BOHUN DE LA FORCE DE METZ DESPENSER DEVEREUX DICKENS DOUGLAS DraftCard Drexel Hill EMLEN ESTRIDSSON ETHNICITY Edmonston FLYNT FORBES FRAY FamilyHistoreen Franklin County GA. GARAT GARRARD GILBERT GLEN GORGES GORMSSON GRAHAM GREEN GRENVILLE Greece HALDANE HART HAWLEY HIGHLANDERS HIGHLEY HODGES HOLDEN HOLT HUBBARD HUGEONOTS HYDE Hammer House of Barcelona House of CAPET House of NORMANDY Howe Howland IRISH ISLE OF SKYE Iowa JACKSON JAMESTOWN SOCIETY JEFFERSON James Bond John m Nichols Judge Justice KENNEDY King's Cove LESLIE LLOYD LONDON LORING LUDFORD LUNDIN Lineage Lundi Lykins MACARTHUR MAGNA CARTA SOCIETY MARTEL MARTIN MAYBURY MCCLANE MERCHANT MINITREE MOREHOUSE MP. Sheriff MURRAY Macedonia Maddox Memorial Day Memoirs Merovingian Family Military Monday Military Mondsy Minute Man Moesia NEWPORT NEWSPAPERS NJ NOREYS NORRIS Nancy Payne Nichols New Jersey Nobles and Notables North Carolina Norway Novgorod OBITUARIES OGILVY Octavian PARTRIDGE PATRILINEAGE PEMBRIDGE PENNSYLVANIA PERRIN PHILADELPHIA PINION PITZER POW POWELL POWHATAN PRESTON PRINGLE Pharaoh Plymouth Polly Updike Prince Provence Ptolemaic Dynasty Puritan RADCLIFFE REED RICHARDSON RUTTER Robertian Dynasty SAINT-CLAIR SAVAGE SAYE SC SETON SHERMAN SHINALL SHUFFIELD SIBILA SMITH SMYTH SPEARMAN STAMPER STANLEY STEPHENSON STEVENSON STUART SVIATOSLAVICH Scrope. 12thGG Serbia Sheriff Sheriffs Sicily SmallWorldSaturday Stoic Surry County TALBOT THARP THOMAS THOMPSON TILNEY TRAIL Tennessee Thornfield Tilley UA BRIAIN UPDIKE Underground Railroad VA VERNON VLADIMIROVICH WADHAM WENTWORTH WITT WOODWARD WROTHESLEY WV WW2 Wednesday Weblog Welsh What IF? Wittelbach blog books due diligence gen1 gen10 gen11 gen18 gen25 gen27 gen31 gen50 gen54 gen56 gen68 gen7 gen70 gen78 goals heraldry homework immigrant merchandise milestone mystery new england notes philosopher pilgrims quotes review tags ydna