Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Brian Boru's Fort
Ringfort in County Clare, Ireland From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
Brian Boru's Fort, also called Béal Ború, is a ringfort and National Monument located in County Clare, Ireland.[1][2]
.jpg)
Remove ads
Location
Brian Boru's Fort is located immediately north of Killaloe, on the west bank of the River Shannon, commanding the southern entry to Lough Derg.[3]
History
Summarize
Perspective
Dáithí Ó hÓgáin claimed this site as the birthplace or childhood home of Brian Boru (c. 941 – 1014), High King of Ireland 1002–14; as an adult he was based further south at Kincora (in modern Killaloe).[4]
Excavations in 1936 revealed over 800 stone implements, including ten stone axes, hammerstones and stone fishing sinkers for lines and nets, were found in the immediate neighbourhood.[5] It is likely that it was occupied during the Stone Age. In 1961 Michael J. O'Kelly's excavations revealed a ringfort which had been inhabited, abandoned and later built over. A larger structure which included a bank and ditch was built at a later time.[6]
The name Béal Bórumha means "mouth of cattle tribute"; it may have been at the fording-point here that the Dál gCais paid or received such tributes.[7]
Brian Boru's fort was built in the eleventh century and stood possibly until 1116 when Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair's men defeated the Ua Briain and destroyed Kincora. Later finds include Hiberno-Norse pennies minted c.1035–70,[8][9] decorated slate, five bronze pins, a tangled stud, 25 nails, two small sherds of pottery, animal and bird bones and musket balls.
In 1207 the Normans tried to build a motte and bailey but were driven off. Geoffrey de Marisco instead built a castle at Killaloe in 1216.[10]
Remove ads
Description
The fort is a mound of earth 70 m (80 yd) in diameter.
The 1961 excavation discovered postholes of a rectangular wooden building with a central hearth near the western side of the enclosed area, situated perpendicular to the bank. It was approximately 4 m by 2.5 m (13 ft by 8 ft), with a paved entryway. [11][12][13]
In fiction
Béal Ború is mentioned in Morgan Llywelyn's 1990 novel Brian Boru: Emperor of the Irish, winner of a Bisto Award.[14]
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads