Brian Boru's army smashed the Viking line at Clontarf, yet the High King died under his own tent while celebrating victory. Three thousand men fell that April day, including his son and grandson, leaving Ireland leaderless just as the Norse threat finally broke. The battle ended centuries of raids but fractured the kingdom into warring chiefs who'd fight each other for generations. You didn't win a united Ireland; you bought peace with a dynasty's blood.
April 23, 1014
1012 years ago
What Else Happened on April 23
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