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In this battle
Brian Boroimhe (Brian Boru)
established his power as High King of Ireland. In 998 Brian and
Mael Seachnaill II were the two principal chieftains in Ireland,
they agreed a settlement which gave Brian the south and Mael the
north. Mael put aside his wife, Gormfhlaith, widow of the Viking
leader Olaf, Gormfhlaith sought help from from her brother Mael
Mordha, urging him to ally himself with her Viking son Sitric, lord
of Dublin against Brian and Mael Seachnaill.
The rebellion was utterly crushed at Glen
Mama, where Brian's force's routed the combined armies of Mael Mordha
and Sitric. Brian used diplomacy to ease the tension, he married
Gormfhlaith, reinstated Sitric in Dublin and made Mael Mordha king
of Leinster.
His diplomatic efforts achieved a pease of
sorts for fifteen years, in 1014 Brian once again faced the Vikings
and their allies at the
Battle of Clontarf (Dublin) where he defeated them although
losing his own life, slain by a group of Vikings fleeing the battle.
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