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Editions

• J. N. Radner (ed. & tr.), Fragmentary Annals of Ireland (Dublin 1978) 88-95.

• J. O'Donovan (ed & tr), Annals of Ireland: Three Fragments (Dublin 1860)

Manuscripts

• Brussels MS 5301-5320
  

Date

• In its present form, the language of the text is Early Modern Irish, but its source may date to the Viking age in Ireland (see ‘Notes’ below).
  

Characters

• Máelsechnaill mac Máele Ruanaid (d. 862): king of Tara from Clann Cholmáin, a branch of the Southern Uí Néill.

• Horm: leader of the Danes and subsequent ally of Cerball mac Dúnlaing of Osraige

• Matudán mac Muiredaig (d. 857): king of the Ulaid from Dál Fíatach

• Cináed mac Conaid (d. 851): king of the Cíannachta from Síl nÁedo Sláine, a branch of the Southern Uí Néill.

• Tigernach mac Fócarta (d. 865): king of Brega from Síl nÁedo Sláine, a branch of the Southern Uí Néill.

Notes

• This story is the first one in section IV of the FA, which—along with section V—focuses to a large extent on Osraige.  Radner refers to these sections of FA as ‘the Osraige Chronicle’.  It provides invaluable information on Osraige and was possibly ‘put together within the living memory of Cerball’s reign’ (Radner xxiv).

• The beginning of the story deals with the Danish attack on the Norwegians in Ireland in the year 851 (AU).  Horm, the leader of the Danes, was an ally of Cerball mac Dúnlaing.  Hence, the chronicler’s interest in these events.

Summary

One day, a fleet of Danes arrives in Ireland and attacks the Norwegians.  (No placenames are mentioned in the text, but other sources suggest that the battle was fought off the coast of Dublin or Dundalk.  See Radner, note to §233.)  The Danes defeat the Norwegians at sea, take their ships, and loot their holdings on land.

Around that same time, Máelsechnaill, the king of Tara, summons Cináed mac Conaing, king of the Cíannachta, to a meeting under the pretense that he wants to consult with him about the recent Danish invasion.  In reality, however, Máelsechnaill plans to kill him for the raids he conducted on ecclesiastical foundations within Máelsechnaill’s territory.  The day after Cináed arrives at the prescribed place, Máelsechnaill and Tigernach mac Fócarta, king of Brega, drown him ‘in a dirty stream’ (i sruthán shalach) for his crimes.

In the fifth year of Máelsechnaill’s reign (i.e. 852), the leaders of the Norwegians, Zain and Iargna, gather their forces for a large assault on the Danes.  In the ferocious battle that follows, the Danes are defeated at Snám Aignech.  Afterwards, the surviving Danes, near starvation, rally around their leader, Horm, who comes up with a plan to get revenge on their enemies.  Horm tells his men that the Norwegians have sacked many churches in Ireland.  Therefore, they should pray to St. Patrick for his help in defeating them.  The Danes agree to this plan.

Then, Zain together with Matudán, king of the Ulaid, attack the Danish forces by land and sea.  The battle is ferocious, but the Danes prevail through the intercession of St. Patrick.  They follow up their victory by sacking the Norwegain camp.  Then, the Danes burn the bodies of the slain and dig a huge ditch and fill it with gold for St. Patrick.  The story ends by saying that the Irish take heart from the destruction of the Norwegians.