Atlas of Battles

battle, major, medieval

Battle of Clontarf

Battle of Clontarf was a battle fought on 23 April 1014 at Clontarf, in what is now Ireland. The recorded result: Irish victory; Viking power in Ireland broken; Death of Brian Boru. Recorded strength: 5,000 men against ~7,000 men.

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Battle of Clontarf, oil on canvas painting by Hugh Frazer, 1826
Battle of Clontarf, oil on canvas painting by Hugh Frazer, 1826. Hugh Frazer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought23 April 1014
WhereClontarf, Ireland53.365N, 6.197W
OutcomeIrish victory; Viking power in Ireland broken; Death of Brian Boru
BelligerentsForces of the High King of IrelandagainstKingdom of Dublin; Kingdom of Leinster; Kingdom of the Isles; Earldom of Orkney
Casualties and losses4,000 deadand~6,000 dead

Record

Date23 April 1014
PlaceClontarf, Ireland
53.365N, 6.197W
KindBattle, medieval
Strength5,000 men~7,000 men
Casualties and losses4,000 dead~6,000 dead
Commanders
  • Brian Boru
  • Murchad mac Briain
  • Sigtrygg Silkbeard
  • Máel Mórda mac Murchada
  • Sigurd the Stout
  • Brodir
Battle of ClontarfBattle of ClontarfSiege of DublinBattle of DublinBattle of RathminesBattle of IslandbridgeBattle of GlenmamaBattle of GlenmamaLimerickDundalkDroghedaDouglasKilkennySligoLisburnWaterford100 km53.365N, 6.197W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of Clontarf
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 10 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of Clontarf today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2025-04-09. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2025.

The recorded site stands at about 12 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from -21 to 76 m, 97 m of relief, gently rolling country and today it is 42% built-up, 26% water, 16% tree cover.

built-up: 42%water: 26%tree cover: 16%grassland: 15%built-up 42%water 26%tree cover 16%grassland 15%
west to east, 10.0 km0 to 28 mnorth to south, 10.0 km-1 to 39 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 5 times between AD 919 and 1922.

Elsewhere in 1014

Battle of Clontarf is one of 334 engagements of the 11th century in the atlas and one of 120 in present-day Ireland.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q868027, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Clontarf, revision 1375628233, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.