This is a somewhat longer piece out of Lá, 10 Feabhra 1994. It is about Brian Ború, High King of Ireland and the Battle of Clontarf.
Bhí éad agus fearg ar chuid den Eoghanacht cionn is gur bhain fear den Dál gCais an ríocht díobh. (1) Gabhadh ar Mhathúin (2) agus mharaigh taoiseach darbh ainm Maolmhua go fealltach é sa bhliain 976 AD. Roimh i bhfad, d imir Brian díoltas ar lucht leanúna Mhaolmhua. Chuir sé cogadh orthu agus briseadh iad i gcath Bhealach Leachta i gContae Luimnigh. Bhí Brian anois ina rí ar an Mhumhain. (3)
Rinneadh Ard-Rí de Mhaoileachlainn a Dó in AD 980.(4) Ní raibh a shárú le fáil in Éirinn mar shaighdiúir riamh roimhe.(5) Chuir sé smacht ar na Lochlannaigh, agus ar na Laighnigh a bhí ag cuidiú leo. Ghabh sé Baile Átha Cliath. Ghlac sé gialla ach, ar an drochuair, ní thiocfadh leis seilbh bhuan a choinneáil ar Bhaile Átha Cliath (6) cionn is nach raibh, ag an am sin, arm seasta ag an Ard-Rí.
Bhí a fhios ag Maoileachlainn go raibh rún ag Brian Boramha a chumhacht a leathnú agus rinne sé iarracht stad a chur leis. Thug sé ruaig ar Thuamhumhain agus chreach sé dúiche Bhriain. D ionsaigh Brian an Mhí agus lean siad de, ó am go ham, ag ionsaí a chéile.(7)
Níor éirigh le cheachtar acu i gcoinne an duine eile.(8) Dá thairbhe sin, tháinig siad le chéile in aice le Loch Ríbh ar an tSionainn agus rinneadh conradh eatarthu.(9) Socraíodh ar Bhrian a bheith ina rí ar an taobh theas (Leath Mhogha) agus Maoileachlainn a bheith ina rí ar an taobh thuaidh (Leath Choinn).(10)
Níor thaitin an socrú seo le Maolmordha, Rí Laighean, mar bheadh cuid de Laighin faoi riail Bhriain. Fuair sé cuidiú ó Lochlannaigh Bhaile Átha Cliath agus d éirigh siad amach i gcoinne Bhriain. Bhris Brian orthu i gcath mór (11) ag Gleann Máma i gContae Chill Mhantáin, AD 999.
Anois, chinn Brian ar bheith ina Ard-Rí ar Éirinn agus shíl sé beart Mhaoileachlainn a chur ar leataobh agus an ardríocht a ghlacadh chuige féin. (12) Phós Brian Gormlaith, máithair Shitric, Rí Lochlannaigh Bhaile Átha Cliath, agus thug sé a iníon mar bhean chéile do Shitric. Bhí Gormlaith ina deirfiúr le Mhaolmordha, Rí Laighean. De thairbhe an chleamhnais seo, bhí cumhacht mhór anois ag Brian.
Thuig Maoilseachlainn go raibh Brian ar tí an socrú a rinne siad a bhriseadh. (13)
Tháinig Brian, le slua an-mhór, go Baile Átha Luain agus rinne sé conradh le Cathal, Rí Chonnacht. D iarr Maoileachlainn cabhair ar Uí Néill Thuaidh agus ar Aileach ach dhiúltaigh siad dó. Chuaigh Maoileachlainn go longfort Bhriain agus thug sé suas an ardríocht.(14) Bhí Brian anois 61 bliain d aois agus ina Ard-Rí ar Éirinn.(15) An bhliain AD 1002 a bhí ann.
Sa bhliain chéanna sin, thug Brian agus Maoileachlainn camchuairt na hÉireann. Ar a mbealach ar ais, thug siad cuairt ar Ard Mhacha. Chuir Brian Boramha bronntanas óir ar an altóir agus taispeánadh Leabhar Ard Mhacha dó.(16) Scríobh Maolsuthan, anamchara Bhriain, i Laidin: "Scríobhas an méid seo i bhfianaise Bhriain, Impire na nGael."
Ag teacht chun an bhaile do Bhrian,(17) d éirigh easaontas idir é féin agus a bhean chéile, Gormlaith, agus a bhí nimh san fheoil acu dá chéile.(18) Chothaigh sí imreas idir a deartháir, Maolmordha, agus Brian. Dúirt sí leis nár chóir dó bheith umhal do Bhrian,(19) ag íoc cánacha agus ag tabhairt ómóis dó.(20) Ní raibh na Lochlannaigh toilteanach ach oiread cáin a íoc. B éigean do Bhrian dlí a chur i bhfeidhm agus talamh a bhaint díobh mura n-íocfadh siad na cánacha.(21)
Rinne na Laighnigh agus na Lochlannaigh ceangal le chéile agus fuair siad cabhair ó Uí Néill Thuaidh. Scrios siad dúthaigh Mhaoileachlainn sa Mhí. D iarr Maoileachlainn cabhair ó Bhrian agus tháinig sé le slua mór agus chuir sé ruaig orthu.
Bhí an geimhreadh ag teacht faoin am seo agus cuireadh stad ar an chath.(22) I rith an gheimhridh, d ullmaigh an dá thaobh le haghaidh an chogaidh a bhí le teacht.(23)
Chuir na Lochlannaigh scéala chuig a muintir thar sáile agus tháinig cabhlaigh mhóra go Baile Átha Cliath. Tháinig Sigiurd as Inse Orc óir gealladh Éire dó mar ríocht (24) agus fir as na hInse Gall, as Albain agus as Sasana. Bhí an chuid ba mhó de na Laighnigh faoi cheannas Mhaolmordha ansin réidh chun catha.(25)
Lá Fhéile Pádraig, 1014 AD, d fhág Brian Ceann Coradh agus slua mór leis as an Dál gCais,(26) as gach cearn den Mhumhain agus de dheisceart Chonnacht. Ar Aoine an Chéasta, bhí an dá arm ar aghaidh a chéile amach. (27) Thosaigh an cath ag fáinne an lae; troid gan chairde, gan trócaire a bhí inti. (28)
Bhí Brian anois 73 bliana d aois agus, de thairbhe a aoise, fágadh treorú an chatha ar a mhac, Murchú.(29) Bhí faoi thuairim fiche míle fear ar gach taobh. Troideadh an cath (30) in aice le Cluain Tarbh, láimh le béal na Life. Mhair sé ó mhaidin go hoíche agus buafásach líon na marbh ar pháirc an áir.(31)
Maraíodh an mhórchuid de na taoisigh ar gach taobh sula raibh an cath thart,(32) ina measc Murchú, mac Bhriain; Maolmordha, Rí Laighean agus Sigiurd, taoiseach na Lochlannach. Bhí an bua ag na Gaeil.
Ag deireadh an chatha, bhí fear de na Lochlannaigh, Bruadar, ag teitheadh nuair a chonaic sé Brian ina shuí ina bhoth gan duine ar bith in éineacht leis. Rith Bruadar isteach agus mharaigh sé Brian le buille dá thua chogaidh. Glacadh corp Bhriain go hArd Mhacha agus cuireadh a chorp faoin ardaltóir. (33)
(1) "because a man of the Dál Cais took the rule from them."
(2) "Mahon was attacked" (literally "it was attacked on Mahon"
(3) literally "Brian was now in his king of Munster." This is the standard way of expressing temporary rather than permanent attributes using the verb tá. He had now become king, but hadn't always been. Permanent attributes are usually expressed using the copula, e.g. is fear é. He is a man (and always has been).
(4) literally "A high king was made of Maoileachlainn" i.e. Maoileachlainn was made (or became) high king.
(5) literally "There was no surpassing of him to get in Ireland as as a soldier ever before." i.e. "There had never before been a greater warrior in Ireland than he was.
(6) literally "He was not able to maintain permanant occupancy at Dublin" i.e. he was unable to permanantly occupy Dublin
(7) "and they continued, from time to time, to attack each other."
(8) literally "it did not rise to either of them against the other" i.e. Neither of them was successful against the other.
(9) "and a treaty was made between them." (eatarthu = idir + iad)
(10) "It was decided that Brian would be king of the southern part (of Ireland) (the District of Mogh) and Maeileachlainn would be king of the northern part (the District of Conn)
(11) literally "Brian broke upon them in a great battle" i.e. he defeated them in a great battle.
(12) "and he intended (shíl sé) to set Maoileachlainn aside and take the high kingship for himself."
(13) "Maoilseachlainn realized that Brian was about to break the arrangement that they had made."
(14) "and he gave up the high kingship."
(15) "Brian was now 61 years of age and high king of Ireland."
(16) "and the Book of Armagh was shown to him."
(17) Literally "at coming to the town to Brian" i.e. "As Brian came to the town." The preposition is used here to express the agent of the verbal noun used in a circumstantial clause. This use is literary.
(18) Literally "there was poison of the meat at them towards each other", i.e. "they hated each other like poison."
(19) "She said that it was not proper that he should be subservient to Brian."
(20) note that "ómóis" is in the genitive. A noun object following a verbal noun is always in the genitive case.
(21) "if they would not pay the tribute."
(22) literally "and a stop was put on the conflict" (cuireadh is an past autonomous form) i.e. "the fighting ceased"
(23) "the battle which was to come" le with the verbal noun can express (as it does here) an action that is expected to take place in the (near) future.
(24) "because Ireland was promised to him as a kingdom"
(25) "The greater part of the Leinstermen, under the authority of Maelmordha, were there ready for battle."
(26) "and a great host (was) with him from Dál gCais
(27) "the two armies were out in front of each other."
(28) "it was a fight without respite, without mercy" This is a typical use of "tá" (after a relative pronoun) using the preposition "i" to express a predicate, e.g. "Bean mhaith atá inti" - "she is a good woman."
(29) "the directing of the battle was left to his son, Murchú."
(30) "the battle was fought"
(31) "and horrible was the great number of dead upon the field of slaughter."
(32) "A large part of the chieftains on both sides were killed before the battle was over"
(33) "Brian's body was taken to Armagh and his body was buried under the high altar."