Murtough O'Brien II.

Alfred Webb

1878

O'Brien, Murtough, King of Munster, succeeded his father in 1194. One of his first acts was to put to death his cousin, Donough, who advanced pretensions to the crown. In 1196, with O'Conor and MacCarthy,he marched upon Cork, obliged the Anglo-Normans to evacuate it, and afterwards defeated them at Limerick, and at Kilfeacle, where they had erected a castle. The Irish allies, however, soon fought among themselves. In 1201 De Burgh led a large army of O'Briens and MacCarthys into Connaught, and devastated the monastery of Athdalaarg, on the river Boyle. After this the O'Briens again fell out among themselves, and also fought against the Anglo-Normans, by whom, in 1208, Murtough was taken prisoner and blinded. He died in 1239.

Sources

263. O'Briens, Historical Memoir of the: John O'Donoghue. Dublin, 1860.

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