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SHIPBUILDING AND SEAFARING 37
he sent messengers to the Mtmstermen bidding them to
defend their territory :
"
and afterwards," he said,
"
go to
the chieftains of my fleet and bring them with you to Sruth
na Maeile (Mull of Cantyre), and if I am carried away from
Ireland, let the men of Minister take their ships and follow
me." 1
The chronicle goes on to give a vivid description of
the great naval battle which followed : the Vikings under
the leadership of Sihtric, a prince from Dublin, took up
their position in the Bay of Duridalk, where the
"
barques
and swift ships of the men of Munster
"
met them. The
Irish ships were arranged according to the territories they
represented : those of Corcolaigdi and Ui Echach (Co.
Cork) were placed farthest south ;
next came the fleets of
Corcoduibne and Ciarraige (Co. Kerry), and lastly those
of Clare. When the Munstermen saw Cellachan, who had
been bound and fettered to the mast by Sihtric’s orders,
they made gallant attempts to release him ; some of them
leaped upon
"
the rowbenches and strong oars of the mighty
ships
"
of the Norsemen, while others threw tough ropes
of hemp across the prows to prevent them from escaping.
Failbhe, King of Corcoduibne, brought his ship alongside
Sihtric’s, and with his sword succeeded in cutting the ropes
and fetters that were round the King, but was himself
slain immediately afterwards. The battle ended in victory
for the Irish : the Norsemen were forced to leave the harbour
with all their ships, but
"
they carried neither King nor
chieftain with them." 8
The War of the Gaedhil with the Gaill records still more
victories for the Munster fleet during the reign of Brian
Borumha. In 984 he assembled
"
a great marine fleet
"
on Lough Derg and took three hundred boats up the
1
The Victorious Career of Cellachan of Cashel, pp. 29, 86.
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