Battle of Glenmama 1000
Marker: recorded battle location (no official boundary).
Key facts
| Date (year) | 1000 | Wikidata P585 point in time |
|---|---|---|
| Century | 10th century | derived |
| Period | Early medieval, Anglo-Saxon & Viking | derived |
| Country | Ireland | derived |
| Participants | list of Kings of Mide | Wikidata |
About the battle
The Battle of Glenn Máma or Glenmama (Irish: Cath Ghleann Máma, The Battle of "The Glen of the Gap") took place most probably near Lyons Hill in Ardclough, County Kildare, Ireland, in AD 999 between Windmill Hill and Blackchurch. It was the decisive and only engagement of the brief Leinster revolt of 999–1000 against the King of Munster, Brian Boru. In it, the combined forces of the Kingdoms of Munster and Meath, under King Brian Boru and the High King of Ireland, Máel Sechnaill II, inflicted a crushing defeat on the allied armies of Leinster and Dublin, led by King Máel Mórda of Leinster.
The two armies met in a narrow valley, causing a rout of Máel Mórda's army in at least three directions. They were pursued, and the main body of the army was slaughtered when they rallied at several fording points along the River Liffey. The main commanders were either killed or captured.
The battle resulted in the occupation of Dublin by Brian's Munster forces, and the submission of Máel Mórda and King Sigtrygg Silkbeard of Dublin to Brian Boru. The solution did not prove permanent, however, and eventually resulted in the second Leinster revolt against Brian and the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.
Visiting the battlefield
Although nineteenth century scholars, including John O’Donovan and Todd, and especially the Dunlavin-based clergyman John Francis Shearman (in 1830) were tempted to locate the battle-site in the vicinity of Dunlavin, Co Wicklow, within their lifetime the theory was disputed by Goddard Orpen, and were disproved by Joseph Lloyd in 1914 and subsequently by Albha mac Gabhrain who located the battle site beside Ardclough on the Dublin-Kildare border in 1914 (the Irish form of Dunlavin is in reality Dun Luadhain). between Windmill Hill and Blackchurch.
Ailbhe Mac Shamhráin wrote:
Location
- Recorded location (Wikidata; may be approximate): 53.2800, -6.5250
Battlefields are often on private farmland: please keep to public rights of way and respect landowners.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Glenmama (revision 1371161928), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section and section(s) “Location”; condensed by selecting paragraphs; citations removed. No text added.
Battle location from Wikidata (CC0).
Nearby battlefields
- Battle of Skerries 1316 · 3 km
- Battle of Prosperous 1798 · 15 km
- Battle of Islandbridge 919 · 16 km
- Battle of Rathmines 1649 · 19 km
- Battle of Dublin 1922 · 19 km
- Battle of Dungan's Hill 1647 · 23 km
Browse more: battles in Ireland · Early medieval, Anglo-Saxon & Viking · 10th century battles