How did Irish defeat Norse at Battle of Tara in 980 CE.?
Upvote:3
No one knows.
The battle of Tara led to the siege of Dublin and further defeat for the Vikings.
The Annals of the four masters has this to say:
M978.3
The battle of Teamhair was gained by Maelseachlainn, son of Domhnall, over the foreigners of Ath-cliath and of the Islands, and over the sons of Amhlaeibh in particular, where many were slain, together with Raghnall, son of Amhlaeibh, heir to the sovereignty of the foreigners; Conamhail, son of Gilla-Arri; and the orator of Ath-cliath; and a dreadful slaughter of the foreigners along with them. There fell also in the heat of the battle Braen, son of Murchadh, royal heir of Leinster; Conghalach, son of Flann, lord of Gaileanga, and his son, i.e. Maelan; Fiachna and Cuduilich, the two sons of Dubhlaech, two lords of Feara Tulach; and Lachtnan, lord of Mughdhorn-Maighen. After this Amhlaeibh went across the sea, and died at I-Coluim-Cille.
...
M979.6
A great army was led by Maelseachlainn, son of Domhnall, King of Ireland, and by Eochaidh, son of Ardgar, King of Ulidia, against the foreigners of Ath-cliath; and they laid siege to them for three days and three nights, and carried thence the hostages of Ireland, and among the rest Domhnall Claen, King of Leinster, and all the hostages of the Ui-Neill. Two thousand was the number of the hostages, besides jewels and goods, and the freedom of the Ui- Neill, from the Sinainn to the sea, from tribute and exaction. It was then Maelseachlainn himself issued the famous proclamation, in which he said:— "Every one of the Gaeidhil who is in the territory of the foreigners, in servitude and bondage, let him go to his own territory in peace and happiness." This captivity was the Babylonian captivity of Ireland, until they were released by Maelseachlainn; it was indeed next to the captivity of hell.
It may be that this account represents almost everything that remains known about the event.
So whether it was overwhelming numbers, a better defensive position, better tactics, better supplies or some other factor or combination of factors is probably unknowable.
According to Wikipedia: "the Hill of Tara, according to tradition, was the seat of the High King of Ireland." so, if occupied by the forces of Mael Sechnaill and allies, it's cultural significance to them ought to have been a factor affecting their morale. The defensive earthworks at the top a hill may also have been a helpful factor in a three-day battle.
I don't know if there are other accounts in Irish sagas or elsewhere that provide a lengthier or more detailed description, if so we have to take into account that such stories tend to flatter their sponsors.
More post
- 📝 What was the personal philosophy of Alexander the Great in his youth?
- 📝 In WW2, what was the barrel-change rate of the Bofors 40-mm?
- 📝 Was Greece the only thing stopping a Persian invasion of Europe?
- 📝 What was Justice Louis Brandeis's opinion on eugenics?
- 📝 What is the corruption that John Winthrop mentions in "Reasons for the Plantation in New England" (1628)
- 📝 What mistake did abbot [Jacques?] Delille make when eating an egg at the Court of Louis XVI?
- 📝 In the 1920's, why did the German government fire working women if their husband was employed?
- 📝 When modern time measurement first appeared and who invented it?
- 📝 In the Palestine Partition Plan, why was Jaffa allocated to the Arab state?
- 📝 What is the most noteworthy defection of a member of the Nazi party to the Allies during WWII?
- 📝 How did Egyptian Pharaohs get their title?
- 📝 Historical Human Fecundity info?
- 📝 What is the earliest evidence of contact between Ireland and Egypt?
- 📝 Which sources should I believe regarding CV-8 Hornet?
- 📝 Why didn't the Khalkh Mongols support the Dzungars in their fight against China?
- 📝 Did 17th Cent. French Gentlemen Necessarily Use a Scabbard for Dress Swords?
- 📝 Yamato class 3rd ship?
- 📝 What happened to the French royal navy during the french-revolution?
- 📝 How did people wash dishes before dish detergent?
- 📝 Before modern banking, how did government-issued coins get into everyone's hands?
- 📝 Did any carriage manufacturers make the transition to automobile building?
- 📝 What impact does colonial legacy have on current US presence in the South China Sea dispute?
- 📝 Death of a Jane or John doe
- 📝 Why were so many female members of Hapsburg family named Maria something?
- 📝 Why was the Ottoman flag changed from an eight-pointed star to five-pointed in the 19th century?
- 📝 Looking for good documentation about daily life under Stalinist USSR
- 📝 When did the German people learn that they had a large, powerful military, in violation of the Versailles Treaty?
- 📝 Prior to 1963 did a British nobleman ever disclaim or renounce his title? What would have happened if someone had tried?
- 📝 Did Machimoi fight in Phalanx formation?
- 📝 Is there a good source for statistics of holocaust survivals?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 How did Irish defeat Norse at Battle of Tara in 980 CE.?
- 📝 How did the Nazis plan to defeat America during World War II?
- 📝 How did Soviet soldiers resist tanks during the battle of Shumshu?
- 📝 What was the aftermath of a battle in the Middle Ages? How did wounded soldiers proceed?
- 📝 In Battle of Zama, how did Hannibal's use of war elephants lead to a Roman Victory?
- 📝 How long did it take to repair wooden war ships after battle in the 1600's to 1800's?
- 📝 How did messages get back and forth between ship and shore during the Battle of Cherbourg?
- 📝 At the Battle of Augusta, how did the French learn that de Ruyter was mortally wounded?
- 📝 Did Africans defeat Europeans in battle between 1850 and 1950?
- 📝 How did the pincer movement at the Battle of Cannae work?
- 📝 How long did the battle of Bosworth last?
- 📝 How did people distinguish slaves from free people in Ancient Rome?
- 📝 Did Russian winter seriously contribute to German defeat on the Eastern Front in WWII?
- 📝 How and when did the word "nuclear" replace the word "atomic"?
- 📝 How did Israel win the Six-Day War?
- 📝 How did Nazi Germany finance itself during WW2?
- 📝 How did the general population of England convert so smoothly to Protestantism?
- 📝 How did the USSR manage to innovate in an environment characterized by government censorship and high bureaucracy?
- 📝 How did the Romans do division?
- 📝 How did 300,000 people survive the 3 1/2 year siege of Sarajevo?
- 📝 When and how did the USA and the UK become allies?
- 📝 How did they cook on ancient ships?
- 📝 How did people wash dishes before dish detergent?
- 📝 How did pilots know when to release bombs on airplanes during World War2?
- 📝 How did the authorities not find the speakeasy clubs during the prohibition?
- 📝 How did such a relatively minor event as the assassination of an archduke start World War I?
- 📝 How did German unification affect existing sentences for criminal convicts?
- 📝 How did the Roman state verify citizenship?
- 📝 When and how did people begin to consider slavery immoral?
- 📝 How did the ancient Romans count with their fingers?
