of the daimliag(stone church) built in 909. In sub-
sequent building phases a new west doorway was
inserted around 1200, the south wall was rebuilt to
the north of its original line in the late thirteenth
century, and a new north doorway, windows, and
vaulting over the east end were added in the 1450s.
The smallest church, Temple Ciarán, also dates to
around 900, and like the cathedral has antae (projec-
tions of the side walls beyond the end walls). It was
regarded as the burial place of St. Ciarán. The free-
standing round tower was the bell tower for the estab-
lishment, and the annals record that it was completed
in 1124. It stands today to a little more than half its
original height.
There are two important Romanesque churches: the
Nuns’ Church (1167), a nave-and-chancel building to
the east of the main site, with an ornate chancel arch
and west doorway; and Temple Finghin, a fine nave-
and-chancel church with an attached round tower. The
period around 1200 saw further building activity in the
Transitional style, especially Temple Connor, Temple
Melaghlin, and the now much-ruined castle, built by
the chief governor of Ireland in 1214.
CONLETH MANNING
References and Further Reading
Kehnel, Annette. Clonmacnois—The Church and Lands of
St.Ciarán. Münster: Lit Verlag, 1997.
King, Heather A., ed. Clonmacnoise Studies Volume 1: Seminar
papers 1994. Dublin: Dúchas, 1998.
———, ed. Clonmacnoise Studies Volume 2: Seminar papers
1998. Dublin: Dúchas, 2003.
Macalister, R. A. S. The Memorial Slabs of Clonmacnoise,
Kings County. Dublin: The University Press for the Royal
Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 1909.
Manning, Conleth. Clonmacnoise. Dublin: Office of Public
Works, 1994. Second edition Dublin: Dúchas, 1998.
See alsoArchitecture; Ciarán; Early Christian Art;
Ecclesiastical Settlements; Ecclesiastical Sites;
High Crosses; Iconography; Inscriptions; Parish
Churches, Cathedrals; Scriptoria; Sculpture
CLONTARF, BATTLE OF
The Battle of Clontarf took place on Good Friday,
April 23, 1014, and is named from a field east of the
Viking fortress of Dublin called cluain tarbh(the bulls’
meadow). High King Brian Boru (Bóruma) mac Cen-
nétigfought an alliance of Sitriuc Silkenbeard of Dublin,
Máelmórda mac Murchada of Leinster, and Sigurd
Hlodvisson of the Orkneys. Clontarf was one of the
most famous battles in Ireland, becoming a standard
chronological marker in Irish historical writings.
Medieval Irish historians saw Clontarf as the battle that
broke Viking power in Ireland, but later historians place
it within the context of Irish political maneuvering.
The events leading to the battle of Clontarf began
in 1013. Brian was an outsider in the Irish political
order, and his ascendancy was challenged by the elites
he had displaced. A rebellion began among the north-
ern Uí Néill in 1012, and it was joined by the kings
of Dublin and Leinster in 1013. Legend blames Brian’s
wife Gormfhlaith for precipitating the conflict by
encouraging either her son Sitriuc (according to the
Norse) or her brother Máelmórda (according to the
Irish) to rebel. Brian led an army to Dublin in the autumn
of 1013, but was unable to reduce the town, and his
forces retired late in the year. At the same time, Sitriuc
recruited Sigurd of the Orkneys, supposedly with the
promise of the kingship of Ireland.
In April 1014, Brian returned to Dublin, to fight what
would be the battle of Clontarf. His troops were drawn
from Munster and southern Connacht. Brian approached
the town from the west, and awaited reinforcements on
thefaithce(green space), probably Oxmantown Green
on the north bank of the Liffey. Brian’s ally was the
southern Uí Néill king, and previous high king, Máel
Sechnaill II, who was also the former husband of Gorm-
fhlaith. On the day of the battle, however, Máel Sechnaill
and his troops appear to have stood aloof from the fight.
The Viking-Leinster army had drawn troops from the
Orkneys, Hebrides, Isle of Man, northern England, and,
possibly, Normandy. They assembled at Howth and
camped at Mag nElta, where Clontarf is situated. In a
diversionary tactic, Brian’s son Donnchad (Sitriuc’s
maternal half-brother) took troops to ravage the lands
south of Dublin.
The battle of Clontarf began on Friday morning.
Brian, who was in his seventies, observed the battle
from a ridge and his son Murchad led the troops. The
Viking-Leinster coalition was commanded jointly by
Máelmórda and Sigurd. Sitriuc’s presence is uncertain;
the Norse sagas claim that he led troops, but some Irish
records claimed that he remained in Dublin. Both sides
divided their troops into battle groups and used banners
to identify them. Brian’s mercenary troops fought in
one unit under the command of a mórmáer(great-
steward) from Scotland named Domnall mac Eimhin
of Mar. Reports of the battle emphasize the combat-
ants’ different methods. The Irish did not wear armor,
although the commanders seem to have had helmets.
They used shields for protection. Wealthy warriors
used swords and Viking axes, while others used spears
and knives. The Vikings had body armor made of iron,
possibly an early version of chain mail, which elimi-
nated the need for shields. For fighting they used spears
and swords. Only a few appear to have used axes, but
they did use bows and arrows.
The hostilities raged for hours. The advantage was
initially with the Viking-Leinster forces, but passed to
Brian’s troops by the afternoon. The fighting spreadCLONMACNOISE