The Irish standard., 1888-02-04
#IRELAND'S BATTLEFIELDS.
Battles Of Kilmashogue, sulcoit,
and Glonmama.
BY WESTON ST. JOHN JOYCE.

BY WESTON ST. JOHN JOYCE.
LII 795 A. D. the Daues first visited
Ireland Though commonly called
Danes, they came not only from Den
mark proper, but also from Norway
Sweden and in general from the islands
and coasts Of the Baltic. Finding that
Ireland offered fair field for plunde1
they soon came in larger numbers and
organized a serIes of predatory expedi'
tions. chiefly directed against the
wealthy ecclesiastical establishments.
They continued these raids, with few
reyerses, up to about the year S39.
when, under Turgesius, they estab
lisi1ed themselves in Dublin, when they
erected a stronghold probably on the
hill now occupied by the Castle and
Christ Church Cathedral.
Once established in Dublin iney
gradually extended their power, till in
few years a great part Of the country
groaned beneath the oppression OF
these ruthless barbarians.
From about 9l2 to 9l6 constant sue
cession of Danish fleets and expeditions
poured into Waterford, taking posses
sion Of the town, such as it Was then,
during which time 1t is supposed by
some that they built Reginald's Tower,
still standing perfect on the quays.
They then ravaged Ill south eastern
Munster. occupying every harbor and
fortress of Importance, and compelling
the inhabitants to pay tribute.
In 9l6 they defeated the King ct
Leinster at Gem Fuat, said 20 be Con-
foy, near Leixiip, where Fifty Irish
chieftains were slain. ENCOURAGED by
these successes, another great rein
forcement shortly afterwards arrived in
Dublin and encamped in the neigbor-
hood. Mall Glunduff, King Of Ulster,
hearing Of this fresh invasion, mar
shalled mis- troops and clansmen, and
marched on Dublin to attack them.
The Danes then retired to the noun
tains, probably to choose their ground,
and On Wednesday, 18th September,
919, the opposing forces met st Kill
mashogue Mountain, above White
church, about SIX miles from Dublin,
where an obstinate and bloody battle
was fought, in which the Irish were
disastriol,sly defeated, brave King
Mall, with twelve tributary Kings and
a great number of Ulster mobiles, being
numbered among the slain. From the
strange site chosen for this battle in
the mountains, then covered by Grim
eva! forests, it is not unlikely that the
Irish were entrapped into All ambus-
cade, as they were much less skilled in
such aruiices than their adversaries.
The remains ef a cromlech within the
grounds of Glensouth we'll, on the side
of Kilmashogue mountain, in all prob
ability marks the spot where King
Mail or some of these chieftains was
burind after the battle.
A year after this reverse the Irish
had ample revenge, FOR they defeated
the Danes with great slaughter at
place, unidentified, in the county
Meath, where, in the words of the old
,chroniclers, ''there escaped not more
than enough to tell what had happened;
and there fell of the mobiles of the
Norsemen here as many as had fallen
Of the nobIes and pleibeans Of the Gael
(Irlsh) at the battle of Ath-cliath,' -
Ki!mashogue.
BY oG0 q great part Of Nun ster had
fallen under the rule Of the Danes, who
levied blackmaiI aud exacted ruinous
taxes from the unfortunate inhaDit- |
ants. Two iIlustrious chiefs OF the
Dalcassian tribe, Mahon and his
Younger brother Brian afterwards the
hero of Clontarf), resolved to raise an
army and endeavor to free their conn-
try from the tyranny OF the foreign
yoke. Accordingly taking all their
people and goods with them, they
crossed the Shannon westWards from
Limerick, and went into the county |,
Glare, where, from the Businesses of |
the woods Of rhomond, they harassed
the enemy for a considerable period by
a system OF guerilla warfare. At
length, after protracted disagreements
between the blothers, the tribe decided
upon assuming a more aggressive atti-
tude, and resolved on open warfare.
Iyar, King of the Limerick Danes, how
eyer, determined to forestall all this
move. lie at once proclaimed a war Of
determination against them, aud from
far and near the Danes of Muster, as
we'll as many Of the recreant Irish,
locked to his battle standard. Mean
while the Daleassians. under their two
had marched into Mus
kerry, on the borders of Cork and
Kerry, where they were joined by a
number of adherents, and thence to
Cashel Of the Kings, where they en-
camped.
Ivar was now on the march from
Limerick at the head of his army, aud
in a few days had pitched his tents at
Sulcolt, near Solloghod, about thre :
miles northwest Of the present town Of
L.. e.