ABSTRACT
Death of king Donnchad mac Cellachan of Munster, murdered by his brother; Munster appears to be divided between the Gaelic ruler Mael Muad mac Brian of the ‘Eoganacht Raithleann’ sub-dynasty, founder of the ‘O’Mahony’ clan, king Mathgamhain of the ‘Dal Cais’ of Thomond in the NW, and the Viking warlord Ivarr of Limerick, with the latter two in alliance in the mid-960s. This is also the approximate date of the start of a local guerilla war against the expansionist Ivarr, alleged usurping ruler in Munster and local tyrant, by Mathgamhain’s younger brother Brian in which the latter builds up his army of resistance.
