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04 THE SCANDINAVIANS, AND
BOOK i. MacAilche" 1
CHAP VII.
Is defeated.
and he was forced to return to "Ath
Cliath," which during his absence had been attacked
Muireadach, by the Irish. The garrison, however, was sufficient
King of
Leinster, to repulse the assailants, and " Muireadhach, king of
Hn, but fails. Lemster, with his son Lorcan,'were taken prisoners,"*
and although subsequently released, clemency had
little effect, for some years after Lorcan " was slain
by the Norsemen as he was plundering" the 3
city.
Godfrey's sons in Ulster.
At this
fleet at
time Godfrey's J sons had Jjoined
the Danish
Strangford, and plundered Dunseverick in
Ulster; 4 but this fleet was taken at Magheralin, on
the river Lagan, 5
and, at the bridge of Cluain-na-g
Cruimhther, Muircheartach, son of Niall, with the
.,,.
Are defeated Ulstermen, defeated the Scandinavians, slaying
by Muirchear- . ....
tagh, son of "eight hundred men, with their chieftains, Albdarn
(or Halfdan), son of Godfrey,
Aufer and Hoi It
(Harold), 6 the other half of them being besieged for
a week at Ath Cruithne, until Godfrey, lord of the
came to their assistance from Dublin." 7
foreigners,
Such was the situation of affairs in Ireland when
Edward, King Edward, king of the Anglo-Saxons died in 925, 8 of the Anglo-
Saxons, dies,
A.I). 925.
&
and
. ? . .
was succeeded by his illegitimate & son ^Ethelstan,
who to secure the throne drowned his legitimate
brother Edwin, 9 and entered into an alliance with
the Northumbrian Danes, then governed by Sitric.
1 Ann. Ult., 932. Dee in the county of Louth. See
8 Ann. 4 Mast., 923. supra., v. i., p. 19.]
Ibid., 941.
4 Ann. 4 Mast., "DunSobhairce,"
6 Ann. 4 Mast., 924 Ann. Clon-
;
mac., 921, " Alvdon, Awfcr, uml
A.D. 924 ; Ann. Ult, 925 (=926) ; Harold."
Ann. Clonmac., 921. 7 Ann. 4 Mast., 924 ; Ann. Ult.,
Ann. Ult., 925." Linn Dua- 925.
chaill,"now Magheralin. [Perhaps
8 Sax. Chron., A.D. 925.
a place near Annagassan at the tidal Ilovedcn, A.D. 924 ; Sim. Dun.,
opening of the rivers Clyde ami A.D. 933 ; Hen. Hunt., A.D. 933.