Battle of Sulcoit

Battle of Sulcoit
Date 968 Location County Tipperary Result Dál gCais victory
Belligerents
Dál gCais	Norse of Limerick
Commanders and leaders
Brian Boru Mathgamain mac Cennetig	Ivar of Limerick
Strength
~300	unknown
Casualties and losses
light	heavy

The Battle of Sulcoit was a large engagement between the Dal gCais of Munster and the Norse of Limerick. The Dal gCais were led by the two warrior brothers, Brian Boru and Mathgamain mac Cennetig, while the Vikings were led by the warrior King, Ivar of Limerick. The battle started when a band of men, sent by Brian to bait the Vikings, led Vikings to a small rise in a forest called Sulcoit. There the Dal gCais attacked. The battle ended up as a great success for the Dal gCais but a great loss for the Vikings. Not only did the Vikings lose a large amount of men that day but they also lost their entire city of Limerick to the Dal gCais after the battle.

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.^[1]

Background

In the year 942 A.D., 18 years before the battle, a boy named Brian Boru was born in the village of the Dal gCais. 10 years later in the year 952, Brian was attending school at a Catholic monastery outside of his village. There he heard the news the Vikings had killed his father. Brian now had a new hatred of the Vikings, seeking vengeance at any cost. He and the rest of the boys in his village trained for battle. Brian who was the youngest of his 12 brothers was easily overpowered but Brian had the most will power. Brian learned how to wield the Iron Long Axe and the Irish Long Sword. He learned how to throw a javelin. He was told stories of Irish heroes and taught what the monks in his monastery failed to teach him, how to fight. At the age of 22 in the year 964, Brian left his village with a large group of followers because of Brian's brother's, Mathgamain now leader of the Dal gCais, decision to make peace with the Vikings. Brian's rag tag army used guerrilla tactics against the Vikings when ever he had the chance. Although Brian's army took a tole on the Vikings, the Vikings took a tole on Brian. In Brian's journal he described that by the year 968 his army had only 15 surviving members. Brian's brother, Mathgamain, decided to join Brian in his fight against the Vikings and break peace between the Dal gCais and the Vikings.

Battle

One day in the year 968, Brian sent out a small band of men to bait the Vikings by having them follow the men to where the Dal gCais were waiting. When the Vikings fell for the trick they followed the men to a small rise in the forests of Tipperary called Sulcoit where Brian's men were waiting. When the Vikings arrived Brian's men attacked. Immediately the Vikings were caught off guard. Because of the thick forest, the Vikings were unable to use their best defensive tactic called the Wall of Shields. Brian was described by his men as fighting fiercer than he had ever had done before. The Viking armor was no match for the Iron Long Ax that was once described by a man visiting Ireland as being able to sever a man's leg with one swing even if fully padded with armor. The Vikings were described as to be falling rapidly while the Dal gCais were very quickly gaining the upper hand. The Vikings then scattered into the surrounding forests which left the Viking stronghold of Limerick vulnerable to attack.

Aftermath

The Battle of Sulcoit was a great success for the Dal gCais but the battle had a great reward for the Dal gCais, the Viking stronghold of Limerick. In Mathgamain's personal notes he describes what happened, "The entire city was reduced to smoke and ash. Any man fit for war was killed and the rest were enslaved." Brian had finally avenged his father's death. Soon after the battle, a rival King from the kingdom of Leinster killed Mathgamain. Brian describes, "My heart shall burst inside my breast unless I avenge this great king. He shall forfeit life for this deed or if I parish it will be a violent death". Brian was true to his word and soon killed the King of Leinster. It was not until the year 975 when Brian finally rid the Vikings of Ireland when he killed Ivar of Limerick and his entire family at Scattery Island. Over the next 30 years Brian conquered every kingdom in Ireland until he gained control over all of Ireland which was the only time in history that it had ever been done. It was not until the year 1014 when Ireland was invaded by Vikings again when a rebel king formed a pact with Viking King Sigtrygg Silkbeard. They were again ridden out of Ireland at the Battle of Clontarf where Brian, too old to fight, was killed by Brodir of Man when Brodir was fleeing from the battlefield. Brodir was punished by Brian's men and is described that Brian's men were so enraged that they tied Brodir to a tree with his own intestines. After the death of Brian, Ireland split up into different kingdoms and was conquered by foreign invaders until the Battle of Faughart in the year 1318.

Notes

References

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