Greatest Irish High King Brian Slain in Battle

Celtic Ireland in the early centuries AD had more than a hundred kingdoms and sub-kingdoms, involved in dynastic struggles, feuds, rivalries and shifting alliances. The five principal kingdoms, from north to south, were Ulster, Meath, Connaught in the west, Leinster in the south-east and Munster in the south-west. To make things even more complicated, from the 790s Ireland was harried by Viking raids, which in due time led to permanent settlements. The Norse established themselves in Dublin in 841. Other Viking settlements included Waterford, Wexford, Cork and Limerick, while bands of Norse warriors frequently took service with rival Irish kings as mercenaries.

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