Preparing the Way for the Invader
Above: The Way for Invader
During the century and a half from the death of Malachi II to the Anglo-Norman invasion, Ireland had no universally acknowledged over-king. To every one there was opposition from some influential quarter or another; which the annalists indicate by the epithet, ” king with opposition ” commonly applied to the kings who during this time aspired to the sovereignty.
There were altogether eight ” kings with opposition”:- Donogh, Turlogh O’Brien, Dermot Mac Mailnamo, Murkertagh O’Brien, Donall O’Loughlin, Turlogh O’Conor, Murkertagh O’Loughlin, and Roderick O’Conor. During the whole of this period Ireland was in a state of great confusion. The rival claimants waged incessant war with one another; and as a natural consequence, the country became an easy prey to the invaders when they came. The annalises tell us that for some years after the death of Malachi there was an interregnum; and that the affairs of the kingdom were administered by two learned men, Cuan O’Lochan, a great antiquary and poet, and “Corcran the cleric,” a very holy ecclesiastic who lived chiefly in Lismore.
Not long after the death of Malachi, Donogh king of Munster, son of Brian Boru, took steps to claim the sovereignty. He is ranked among the kings of Ireland, but he never made any attempt on Ulster. After some years his nephew Turlogh O’Brien, with the aid of Dermot MacMailnamo king of Leinster, deposed him; on which Turlogh became king of Munster; and Donogh, now in his old age, took a pilgrim’s staff and fared to Rome, where he died in 1064.
At the time of Donogh’s deposition Dermot of Leinster was the most powerful of the provincial kings, so that he also is reckoned among the kings of Ireland. His most persistent opponent was Conor O’Melaghlin prince of Meath, the son of Malachi, who at last de- feated and slew him in 1072 at the battle of Navan in Meath.
Turlogh O’Brien now marched north from Kincora and forced the kings and chiefs of all the other pro- vinces and minor states, except Ulster, to acknowledge his authority. But when he attempted to reduce the Ulstermen they defeated him in 1075 near Ardee, so that he had to retreat south. Some say that he ultimately forced Ulster to submit and pay him tribute. In 1086 this king died peacefully in Kincora.
Turlogh’s son Murkertagh O’Brien succeeded as king of Munster. In the assertion of his claim to the throne of Ireland he had a formidable competitor, Donall O’Loghlin (or Mac Loghlin) king of Ulster, who belonged to the Northern Hy Neill and who now revived the claims of that princely family. These two men for more than a quarter of a century contended with vary- ing fortunes for the throne of Ireland. Donall marched south in 1088 and destroyed O’Brien’s palace of Kincora; on which Murkertagh retaliated by an ex- pedition up the Shannon.
