Raids and Pilgrims
One of the clearest notices of the year is the return of Flaithbertach Ua Néill from Rome. Flaithbertach, former king of Ailech and a dominant figure among Cenél nEógain, had gone on pilgrimage in 1030. His return in 1031 did not remove him from politics. In the north, status, sanctity and military capacity were not separate worlds: a ruler could carry the prestige of pilgrimage and still be remembered by the annalists amid raiding and lordship.