Fire and Fragmented Power
Archived: 26 September 2026
In 1108, Ireland remained divided among provincial overkings, lesser dynasties and Hiberno-Norse towns, despite peace between Muirchertach Ua Briain and Domnall Ua Lochlainn. Local conflict persisted: Niall Ua Lochlainn raided Corann, rulers were killed in Ulaid, Bréifne and elsewhere, and strongholds were attacked. Cellach of Armagh visited Connacht, collecting dues and extending Armagh’s primatial authority, while clerical disputes employed fasting and sacred sanctions. Lightning was blamed for Limerick’s fire, which spared its external market. Good weather, plentiful grain and oak-mast aided rural prosperity, yet storms, raids and killings exposed enduring insecurity. The year foreshadowed church reform amid fragmented, competitive power.
