Brian Boroimhe, Boruma, or Boru—­his name is written in all three ways—­was not only a real man, but he was, what was more important, a real king, and not a mere simulacrum or walking shadow of one, like most of those who bore the name in Ireland.  For once, for the only time as far as its native history is concerned, there was some one at the helm who knew how to rule, and who, moreover, did rule.  His proceedings were not, it must be owned, invariably regulated upon any very strict rule of equity.  He meant to be supreme, and to do so it was necessary to wrest the power from the O’Neills upon the one hand, and from the Danes on the other, and this he proceeded with the shortest possible delay to do.

He had a hard struggle at first.  Munster had been overrun by the Danes of Limerick, who had defeated his brother, Mahon, king of Munster, and forced him to pay tribute.  Brian himself, scorning to submit to the tyrants, had taken to the mountains with a small band of followers.  Issuing from this retreat, he with some difficulty induced his brother once more to confront the aggressors.  An important battle was fought at Sulcost, near Limerick, in the year 968, in which the Danes were defeated, and fled back in confusion to their walls, the Munster men, under Brian, following fast at their heels, and entering at the same time.  The Danish town was seized, the fighting men were put to the sword, the remainder fled or were enslaved.

[Illustration:  BASE OF TCAM CROSS.]

Mahon being some years afterwards slain, not by the Danes, but by certain treacherous Molloys and O’Donovans, who had joined themselves with him, Brian succeeded to the sovereignty of Munster, and shortly afterwards seized upon the throne of Cashel, which, upon the alternate system then prevailing, was at that time reigned over by one of the Euganian house of Desmond.  Having avenged his brother’s murder upon the O’Donovans, he next proceeded to overrun Leinster, rapidly subdued Ossory, and began to stretch out his hands towards the sovereignty of the island.

In the meantime the over-king, Malachy, had defeated the Danes at the battle of Tara, and was consequently in high honour, stronger apparently then any of his predecessors had been.  In spite of this Brian by degrees prevailed.  With doubtful patriotism he left the Danes for a while unpursued, attacked Meath, overran and wasted Connaught, and returning suddenly burnt the royal stronghold of Tara.  After a long and wearisome struggle, Malachy yielded, and allowed Brian to become Ard-Reagh in his place, retaining only his own ancestral dominions of Meath.  He seems to have been a placable, easy-going many “loving,” say the annalists, “to ride a horse that had never been handled or ridden,” and caring more for this than for the cares of the State.