CiC as Irish HI/LHI or Viking LHI armed as Bodyguard @100 1
PA Standard if Ard Ri commanding @15 *1(1)
SAP Raven Banner if Viking CiC or Battler if Ard Ri CiC @100 -1 (2)
Irish Sub-General LHI armed as Bodyguard @50 -1 (3)
Irish Ally-General as LHI armed as Bodyguard @75 -4
Norman Sub-General as HC L/Sh @50 [A] *1 (4)
Viking Ally-General as LHI @75 [I] *1-2
Orkney, Dublin or Manx Viking Sub-General LHI @50 [A] *1-4 (5)
Extra to upgrade Viking Sub to Ally-Generals @25 [A] *1-2
P Standard to accompany any General @5 All/0

Luchtighe (Ard Ri's Bodyguard) Irr B HI/LHI 2HCW//Sh @6 [I] *-7 (6)
Irish Nobles Irr B LMI JLS/Sh or JLS/2HCW @4 [I]48 [A] 9-27
Extra to upgrade to LHI as Irish Generals Staff @2 -2/General (7)
Extra to upgrade Bodyguard to Irr A as Kings Sons @1 [I] -5 (8)
Irish Bonnachts Irr C LMI JLS/Sh or JLS/2HCW (1) 72-198 [A] 36- 96
Extra to upgrade to Irr B if Ard Ri CiC as clansmen @1 [I] -48 (9)
Reduction to downgrade to Irr D as unenthusiastic @-1 1/2(10)
Irish Kerns Irr C LI 3/4 JLS, rest JLS or S @2 [1] 36-172 [A] 18-86
Extra to give Sh to any Irish without them @1 Any (11)
Gall Gael 'Sons of Death' Irr A LMI JLS/Sh @5 [1] -12(12) [A] -24
Garrison, Rising out Irr D LMI/LI 3/4 JLS, 1/4 S or JLS -48
Orkney, Dublin or Manx Viking Huscarls Irr B LHI 1/2 2HCW/Sh, 1/2 2HCW or JLS/Sh @6

Per Viking General *5-12(13)
Viking Bondi Irr C LMI 1/2 JLS/Sh, 1/2 JLS or 2HCW/Sh @3
Per Viking General *12-24 (13)
Viking Archers Irr C LMI B/Sh @3
Per Viking General *-12(13)
Extra to give JLS to Viking Archers @1 Any
Extra to upgrade figure to Irr A Berserker in one unit only
Per Viking General -1(14)
Extra to upgrade Viking LMI to LHI @2 Any
Extra to upgrade any Vikings to Irr B @1 All/0(15)
Scots/Flemish Mercenaries Irr C MI LTS/Sh @3 -16(16)
Extra to upgrade to HI @2 Any
Norman Mercenaries Irr B HC L/Sh @9 [A]*5-11(18)
Welsh Mercenaries Irr C LMI LTS/Sh @2 [A] -12(16)
English Mercenaries Irr B HI 2HCW/Sh @6 [A] -12(16)
Up to 18 Irregular Command Factors @25 Points.
Up to 3 Irregular Command Factors @10 Points to give Irish Nobles or Luchtighe a detachment of Kerns.
Boats may be used.
Viking Huscarls and Berserkers may use Wedge as can Normans.
[I] May only be used by Brian Bora's army.
[A] May only be used by an Allied/Norse army.
Minimums marked * are required only if any troops of that origin are used.

NOTES ON THE LIST

1) Since the Irish were fairly disunified, only the High King could induce his allies to follow his standard, thus counting it as an Army Standard. If the Ard Ri is not in command, the CiC may only have a Personal Standard.

2) Sigurd of Orkney had a magical Raven Standard at Clontarf which was more a curse than a help! It did, however, possess the psychological power of a religious standard--for the Vikings only. Literature also points to Irish priests carrying around a sacred relic, called Battler, before battle. This would be influential on all fighters in the High King's army, but would not affect any non-Irish.

3) Brian Dora and others made their sons and brothers generals in an effort to ensure loyaltythough even this was not a sure guarantee of fidelity. Many generals were allies of the temperament of Mail Sechnail, who sat out the Battle of Clontarf until he saw who would win and then enthusiastically joined in the pursuit of the defeated.

4) Norman mercenaries reportedly fought at Clontarf in the allied ranks. Since Norman adventurers managed to range from England to the Holy Land in this period, there is no reason to dispute their presence. They would, as always, fight only under the command of their own general.

5) Most Vikings were out for wealth, power and possessions. At Clontarf, the vast majority fought on the Allied side, thus the availability of four Viking generals. Brian only managed to entice two Viking leaders to join his forces.

6) At the Battle of Donabola, the King's bodyguard formed a 'pen' to protect their leader.At Clontarf, Brian's guards also formed a protective circle-of shields for a time. This leads.me to believe that a form of shieldwall or even a schiltron could be adopted as a formation. The only way to replicate this is to allow the bodyguards to be close-order.The troops themselves were mercenaries, which translates to 'house company'. Sound familiar?

7) Literary evidence indicates that the Irish warriors did not wear mail, but chieftains did, which seems to point to the 'hierarchy of armor' use. Giraldus wrote that the Irish considered armor "a burden and (deemed) it brave and honorable to fight without it", and THE WAR OF THE GAEDHIL noted that Brian's warriors did not wear mail. The Irish chieftains, being wealthier than their followers, and surrounding themselves with well-armored mercenaries, could afford the expense of mail, the rank and file could not.

8) Brian's son, Murchad, led a band of 140 Kings Sons, fanatically loyal hostages, at Clontarf. This band of fighters ranged across the field, attacking any and all who got in their path! Reading accounts of the battle, the furious attacks of this group seem to rate Irr A status.

9) Obviously, the High King's clansmen were enthusiastic and loyal to their leader when fighting in his presence! The Dal Caissans (Brian's clansmen) fought the heavier armored Vikings to a standstill before finally breaking them.

10) Again, literary evidence suggest the Irish used shields and, indeed, could not have stood up to the heavier armored, shielded Vikings without them.THE WAR OF THE GAEDHIL notes that Brian's warriors had shields with metal bosses. According to Giraldus, some Irish wore leather and carried wicker, yew or bronze shields covered by chalk or lime coated hides. At the Battle of Mucrime, it was recorded that "A white cloud of lime rose from the shields and bucklers when struck by swords and spears and darts". In the STORY OF BOROMA, it is noted that the Irish formed a pen of spears and shields.

11) Many Irish were not exactly overly enthused about fighting for either the High King or the Vikings. Their clan leaders often made alliances which were not supported by the rank and file. At the early Battle of Mayrath (637 A.D.), the warriors actually had to be tethered together to prevent desertion.

12) The 'Sons of Death' were introduced into Ireland in 856 A.D. by the Ard Ri Maelsechnaill. They were at first renegade fighters and outlaws. Later, Norse settlers adopted and raised Irish boys to be fierce fighters, and they became despised and hated by the rest of the Irish. Though Brian utilized them as raiders against the English coastal areas, they were slaughtered by the Irish troops at Clontarf.

13) Each Viking General commanded his own troops. Each contingent therefore requires a General.

14) Berserkers were individual fighters who often led the larger warbands into battle. As such, up to one figure of one Viking unit is too generous, but it is the only way to portray their actual presence in battle. They will benefit the unit led by them i.e. counting any Irr A in front rank for morale purposes, etc.

15) All of the Vikings at Clontarf were professional fighters. Even the Dublin garrison volunteered to leave the safety of their walls to fight in the open. As such, all should be upgraded to Irr B.

16) Welsh, English, Soots, Flemish and Norman mercenaries reportedly fought at Clontarf, mostly in the Allied army. No doubt, mercenaries were employed whenever funds could be found to purchase their skills, but they never appeared in large numbers. Brian Bore. spent months recruiting mercenaries before Clontarf, while the Allied army attracted many with promises of land and wealth.

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cusack, C.F. THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF IRELAND. Crescent, 1987.
Giraldus. CHRONICLE. AMS, 1968.
Halsall, Guy. "Stern Sudden Thunder Movement" M.Wargames, Jan., 1986.
Heath, Ian. ARMIES OF THE DARK AGES. WRG, 1980.
Heath, Ian. THE VIKINGS. Osprey, 1985.
Hogain, Daith. THE HERO IN IRISH FOLK HISTORY. MacMillan, 1985.
Jones, Gwyn. A HISTORY OF THE VIKINGS. Oxford, 1984.
Joyce, P.W. A SOCIAL HISTORY OF ANCIENT IRELAND. Blow, 1968.
LLewellyn, Morgan. THE LION OF IRELAND.
MacManus.THE STORY OF THE IRISH RACE. Devin-Adair, 1986.
McEvedy, C. & Jones, R. ATLAS OF WORLD POPULATION HISTORY. Penguin.
Moody, T.W. & Martin, F.X. THE COURSE OF IRISH HISTORY. Weybright and Talley, 1967.
Newark, Tim. CELTIC WARRIORS. Blandford, 1988.
ORKNEYINGA SAGA. Trans. H. Palsson & P. Edwards. Penguin, 1984.
STORY OF BURNT NJAL. Trans. George W. Desant. Everyman's Library.
Taylor, H.O. THE MEDIEVAL MIND VOL. 1. Harvard, 1949.