Brian Boru, Father of the Fighting Irish
The Greatest High King in Irish History
Dublin, Ireland (PRWEB) January 30, 2014
The “Footsteps of Brian Boru” historical tour has been created to allow Irish descendants from all over the world to come to Ireland to relive the life and death of Brian Boru on the 1,000 year anniversary of his death on the battlefield fighting the Viking invaders.
This great battle was fought to determine the future of Ireland and its people. The marauding Vikings, determined to take Ireland, met the clans of Ireland, equally determined to keep Ireland. Brian Boru, the greatest and the last High King of Ireland, led the clans on the battlefield of Clontarf on Good Friday, April 23, 1014. But the victory over the Vikings cost Brian his life at the end of the battle.
Brian’s legacy lives on in the O’Brien name: O’Brien is Gaelic for “son of Brian”. As is fitting as the sons of Brian, the O’Brien Clan is coordinating a series of events in Ireland from April 11 – 24 to celebrate the life and death of Brian Boru. All Irish-Americans – whether they be O’Briens, O’Rourkes, O’Malleys, Kennedys, or any of the other clans who fought beside Brian on that fateful day, are invited to join in the “Footsteps of Brian Boru” series of events retracing the life of Brian Boru, from his birthplace to his final resting place.
Killaloe, a beautiful village on the Shannon River, is the start of the “Footsteps” where Brian was born and became King of the Munsters. History will come alive through lectures, re-enactments, and visits to Brian’s ancestral throne where he ruled ancient Ireland. Brian was crowned High King of Ireland at the famous Rock of Cashel. Clontarf, just outside Dublin, is the site of the gallant battle, with tours and history of both Irish and Danish sites in and around Dublin. The “Footsteps” concludes in the village of Armagh, with a visit to the tomb of Brian Boru, allowing descendants of the O’Briens and other clans of Ireland to pay their respects to Ireland’s greatest High King.
On Friday, April 25th, 2014, the O’Brien Clan will be hosting a banquet at Clontarf Castle to honor Brian Boru. This banquet will include traditional Irish music and dancing in additional to wonderful Irish fare.
To make it easy to participate in the “Footsteps of Brian Boru”, Irish Tourism– the official travel agency of the Brian Boru Millennial Celebration - has organized a variety of itineraries and custom tours. Travel packages are available at a discount and - most importantly - to prevent American visitors from the hair-raising experience of driving on the left hand side of the road on narrow roads after a pint or two of Guinness. Prices and itineraries can be found at Irish Tourism.
Additional “Footsteps” programs will be offered throughout 2014 on a monthly basis. More information on all the events can be found at http://www.obrienclan.com. Come celebrate Irish history and walk in the footsteps of Brian Boru, the greatest Irish High King!
About the O’Brien Clan
O’Brien Clan is an international volunteer group of O’Briens dedicated to keeping the history of Brian Boru and his descendants the O’Briens alive through Irish tours and historical lectures. Information can be found at O’BrienClan.com.