Blair Collection > Critical dissertations on the origin, antiquities, language, government, manners, and religion, of the antient Caledonians, their posterity the Picts, and the British and Irish Scots

22^ Hijiory of the Norwegian
About the year 8 1 8, TurgeJiuSy by fome cal(-
ed a Dane, and by others a Norwegian, invaded
Ireland. This famous adventurer, after a long
feries ot piratical defcents and flying battles, u-
furped at laft the fovereignty of the whole ifland,
ruled the miferable inhabitants with a rod of iron^
made dreadful malTacres of all the ecclefiaftics he
could feize, and committed their books to the
flames.
The Irifli were revenged of this cruel tyrant,
but had not flirength enough to Ihake ofl^ the yoke
of flavery under which they groaned. New fup-
pUes of hoflile Troops came yearly from Scan-
dinavia, which, with the adherents of Turgefius,
maintained the war with fuccefs againfl: the di-
vided natives. About the year 850, they poffcflied
themfelves of Dublin, and the parts of Leinfl:er
adjacent to that capital *, from whence the Irifli
were never able to drive them.
The greatefl: Monarch that ever held the fcep-
ter in Ireland, prevailed, in the year 1014, with
the greatefl: part of the provincial Kings to join their
forces to his own, and to attempt a total expulfion
of the common enemy. Sitricus, who was at that
time King of the Dublinian Eaflerlings and Nor-
mans, ufed every poHible precaution to make head
againfl: this powerful confederacy. He entered
into a league with the King of Leinfl:er, procured
a body of auxiliaries from him, and received a
great acceflion of fl:rengh from the Danes of Man
and Inchegaul. After vaft: preparations had been
made on both fides, the contending nations met
at lafl: near Dublin, and fousfht the obfhinate and
* Ware's Antiq. of Le!. p. 58-
bloody