The Battle of Sulcoit was fought in the year 968 between the
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
of the
Dál gCais, led by
Brian Boru
Brian Boru ( mga, Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig; modern ga, Brian Bóramha; 23 April 1014) was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill and probably ended Viking invasion/domination of Ireland. Br ...
, and the
Vikings
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and ...
of
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
, led by
Ivar of Limerick
Ivar of Limerick ( ga, Ímar Luimnich, rí Gall; Ímar ua Ímair; Ímar Ua hÍmair, Ard Rí Gall Muman ocus Gáedel; Íomhar Mór; non, Ívarr ; died 977), was the last Norse king of the city-state of Limerick, and penultimate ''King of the Fo ...
. It was a victory for the Dál gCais and marked the end of Norse expansion in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. It was also the first of three battles that highlight the career of Brian Boru. The battle took place during a military campaign led by Ivar of Limerick into Dál gCais territory. After the battle, the Dál gCais seized and
burned the Viking stronghold of Limerick.
The annals only offer the above brief report of the battle and the plundering of Limerick the following day. The only extended account of the battle, including background, mustering, and aftermath, is found in the controversial ''
Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib
''Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib'' ("The War of the Irish with the Foreigners") is a medieval Irish text that tells of the depredations of the Vikings and Uí Ímair dynasty in Ireland and the Irish king Brian Boru's great war against them, beginnin ...
''.
[Todd, pp. 70 ff]
Background
In the year 942, 26 years before the battle, Brian Boru was born in a Dál gCais village in modern-day
County Clare
County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,81 ...
. Twelve years after his birth he was attending school at an Irish monastery. While Brian was at the monastery his village was raided by
Viking
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
s from the city of
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
. Brian's father was killed during the raid and power shifted to his son, Latchna. In 953 Latchna died and power shifted to Brian's other brother,
Mathgamain mac Cennétig
Mathgamain mac Cennétig (also known as Mahon) was King of Munster from around 970 to his death in 976. He was the elder brother of Brian Bóruma.
Mathgamain was the son of Cennétig mac Lorcáin of the Dál gCais. His father died in 951 and ...
. In 963 Mathgamain formed an alliance with the Viking king
Ivar of Limerick
Ivar of Limerick ( ga, Ímar Luimnich, rí Gall; Ímar ua Ímair; Ímar Ua hÍmair, Ard Rí Gall Muman ocus Gáedel; Íomhar Mór; non, Ívarr ; died 977), was the last Norse king of the city-state of Limerick, and penultimate ''King of the Fo ...
. In 964 Brian left with a group of followers to fight the Vikings whom his brother recently made peace with. Brian's rag-tag army used guerrilla tactics against the Vikings whenever he had the chance. Although Brian's group took their toll on the Vikings, the Vikings also took their toll on Brian's men. In Brian's journal he noted that by the year 968 his group had only 15 surviving members after four years of war. Brian's brother, Mathgamain, decided to join Brian in his fight against the Vikings and break his peace with the Vikings.
War in Ireland
Brian Boru and his brother king Mathgamain of Munster, were consolidating their hold on Munster by directly opposing the Vikings of Limerick and their local Gaelic allies. Their success forced Ivar into a hasty coalition with Mathgamain's rivals, including the elected king Molloy of
Desmond and Donovan of
Hy Carbery. In the summer of
968
Year 968 ( CMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Byzantine Empire
* Emperor Nikephoros II receives a Bulgarian embassy led by Prince Boris (th ...
Ivar and his allies gathered a large host and set about ravaging the ancestral lands of Boru and Mathgamain. The brothers called in their supporters and marched north from
Cashel to meet their enemy on the wooded plain of Sulcoit.
The battle was hard-fought and bloody, with fighting lasting from dawn until dusk, until Ivar's army broke. The Dal gCais pursued the broken army "beheading many along the way" back to Limerick and stormed into the city, ruthlessly sacking it and massacring most of the inhabitants.
Order of battle
Irish
The Irish nobles are known to have adopted some armor, large shields and the axe by this time. They fought by making an impetuous charge following a shower of javelins and darts. Brian is known for his extensive use of light cavalry and the chronicles mention mounted troops for both armies. Cahal and his followers were renowned "champions" of unknown origin joined Brian just prior to battle.
Vikings
The Vikings are known to have fielded close to 1000 mail clad warriors. There is no mention of
berserkers but a contingent of "champions" were noted as fighting from horseback. The rebel Irish, held in reserve, were swept away with the Viking rout after having played little or no part in the battle. Their leaders were later hunted down and killed by Brian in subsequent campaigns.
Battle
One day in the year 968, Brian sent out a small raiding party to bait the Vikings by having them follow the men to where the Dál gCais were waiting. The Vikings fell for the trick and followed the men into the thick forest leaving the safety of their fortress. At a small rise called Sulcoit near the modern town of
Soloheadbeg
Sologhead beg or Solohead beg (; , IPA: sˠʊləxoːdʲˈvʲaɡ is a townland and civil parish in County Tipperary, Ireland, lying northwest of Tipperary town.
History
In 968, Soloheadbeg was the location for the Battle of Sulcoit, where the ...
Brian's men lied in wait. Although smaller in size the Irish made up for it with the element of surprise. Confident in their numbers the Vikings pursued them deeper into the forest. Brian's men led them to Sulcoit and there Brian's men attacked. Immediately the Vikings were caught off guard by the Irish attack. Because of the tangled forest the Vikings were unable to use their best defensive tactic called the "Wall of Shields". Fighting alone a Viking was no match for the Irish Battle Ax. By mid-day the Vikings fled and scattered in disorder, relentlessly pursued by Brian's men. The battle was hard fought and bloody, with fighting lasting from dusk until dawn. The Viking line finally broke and the Irish were described as beheading whoever they captured along the way. Their disordered retreat left the Viking city of Limerick vulnerable to attack.
In Popular Culture
The Battle of Sulcoit is the subject of the song "Born for War (The Rise of Brian Boru)", by the irish folk metal band
Cruachan
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
* Downham, Clare. ''Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland: The Dynasty of Ívarr to A.D. 1014''. Edinburgh: Dunedin. 2007.
* Lee, Timothy, "The Northmen of Limerick", in
Journal of the Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland, Fourth Series, Vol. 9, No. 80' (Jul. - Oct., 1889): 227–231
JSTOR*
Todd, James Henthorn (ed. & tr.),
Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh: The War of the Gaedhil with the Gaill'. London: Longmans. 1867.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Sulcoit
Sulcoit
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O'Brien dynasty
History of County Tipperary
Viking Age in Ireland
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10th century in Ireland
Military history of Ireland
Sulcoit