KILLALOE’s new bridge is to be named after Brian Boru.
High King of Ireland from 1002-1014, Brian Boru will be further remembered on the border between Clare and Tipperary when the new Killaloe Bridge is officially named after him next Thursday (May 22nd).
Agreement has been reached between Clare County Council and Tipperary County Council on the naming of the bridge. Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien (FF) will be on hand to officially open Brian Boru Bridge.
Construction began in November 2022 on the Killaloe Bypass, Shannon Bridge Crossing and R494 Improvement Scheme which will provide a western bypass of Killaloe, a new bridge crossing of the River Shannon and an upgrade of the existing R494 regional road from Ballina to the N7 at Bridhill. The entire scheme is approximately 6.2km and will cross the River Shannon approximately 1km to the south of the existing Killaloe Bridge and will cross the Kilmastulla River on the R494.
Proposing the name of Brian Boru Bridge at Monday’s meeting of Clare County Council, Cllr Pat Burke (FG) paid tribute to the personnel involved in bringing the project to fruition as he name-checked Acting Director of Economic Development, Seán Lenihan and Director of Physical Development, Alan Farrell. “My phone is hopping every day, commuters are wondering what is the delay in opening”.
“They’ve waited thirty years, a week or two won’t make a difference now,” responded Mayor of Clare, Cllr Alan O’Callaghan (FF). He added that senior engineer John Leahy was also to the fore with the project. “It is great it is the Killaloe/Ballina Bridge, it was a Clare local authority led project from the start, we can hang on our coat on the local authority this side for getting this to fruition”.
Seconding the naming of the bridge, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) noted, “We’ve just reinstated the place names committee, this was our first project to agree on the name of it, it is very welcome, we all look forward to driving on the Brian Boru Bridge in the future”.
Brian Boru was born around 940, the youngest of two sons of Cennedig, head of Dal Cais, one of the royal free tribes of Munster. Brian grew up during the worst days of tyranny when the Dalcassians had been driven into Co Clare.
Brian succeeded his brother as head of the Dal Cais and immediately took the field against his brothers enemies. In 978, he defeated the King of Cashel in battle. Step by step he established himself in the Kingship of Munster and fortified the province. In 983 and 988, his fleets ravaged Connaught and plundered Meath.
Meanwhile, another great leader had arisen in the North, Malachy the second, the Ui Neill King of Tara. Malachy was born in 948, became King of Meath and in 980, High King. A clash between the two men was inevitable. At last, in 998, they met and divided Ireland between the two of them, Brian becoming the King of the South and Malachy of the North.
By 1002, the joint sway of Malachy and Brian could not last. Malachy, being unable to gather enough support to take on the mighty forces of Brian, allowed Brian peacefully to take over his lands. Brian, by his title, “Ard Ri”, was claiming the monarchy of the whole Gaelic race. Before Brian, and Malachy, Ireland was divided in to a number of petty kingdoms, sometimes at peace, sometimes at war with one another. Brian had much to do as High King to lift Ireland out of the ruins of the Norse Age. He rebuilt ruined churches, built others, he sent overseas to replace lost books and artefacts and all that he possibly could to heal the wounds of the past two centuries of Norse pillage.
In 1013, the Leinstermen and the Dublin Vikings revolted against Brian. Mael Morda, King of Leinster, allied himself with the Dublin Vikings and went to war with Brian. The Dublin Vikings sought allies overseas. The great sigurd, Earl of Orkney, came with a large contingent. While other Viking contingents came from as far afield as Iceland and Normandy. Brian gave them Battle at Clontarf on Good Friday, 1014 and defeated them. However, as the Vikings were retreating, one of their leaders, Bothair, murdered Brian.
