Discover

'Turgesius' (also spelled "Turgeis") was a Viking leader who is said to have conquered Dublin. The prinicpal island on Lough Lene is named after him.

Contents

Conquests

Defeat and Death

See Also

Notes

Conquests

Little concrete information is recorded for Turgesius in his native Scandinavia, and much of our knowledge of him is based on the history of his conquests as recorded in Ireland and Great Britain. The Heimskringla refers to Thorgils, one of the many sons of Norwegian King Harald Fairhair, as having been sent to Ireland but that "he fell into the snare of the Irish and was killed." Other historians have suggested that the Danish King Ragnar Lodbrok provides another possible prototype for Turgesius.
It is thought that Turgesius first came to Ireland in the year 820 ^[1], but his arrival as a leader of his own force was in around 837. He led a fleet of 120 ships, half of which entered the River Boyne, and the other half the River Liffey. He took the settlement of Dublin by force from the native rural and fishing community. On the hill where Dublin Castle now stands he built a strong fort according to the Scandinavian method. From here, he launched further conquests into Leinster and Munster within Ireland, and across the Irish Sea to Wales. Among the sites he captured was the rich monastery of Clonmacnoise on the eastern shore of Lough Ree.
He established several inland centres of operation. One of his cardinal forts was on Lough Ree, north of Athlone. Another fort was at a point called Lyndwachill, on Lough Neagh, while others were on the high ground southwest of Lough Lene and on the major island of this lake, which still bears his name and from where he dominated the Leinster midlands.

Defeat and Death

In 843, King Nial met Turgesius in battle when defending his ancestral province of Ulster. Nial fought against both the vikings of Lough Neagh and a further party who sailed into Lough Swilly.
On the plain of Moynith, the forces of King Nial and Turgesius met and, according to the Annals, "a countless number fell". The result of the battle was that King Nial had vanquished Turgesius.
According to the entry for 845 in the Annals of Ulster Turgesius was killed that year by Máel Sechnaill mac Maíl Ruanaid. Else where, there are sources that state that Melaghlin his Meade irish chieften neighbour drowned him in Lough Owell. Refer to reference hereafter.
l
There are conflicting reports of how Turgesius met his death. He is reputed to have been put to death by drowning in Lough Owel near Mullingar. Local tradition says that Melaghlin governed under Turgesius and is believed to have asked advice from Turgesius how best to rid the area of a recently invading flock of birds who were causing damage. Without a second thought, Turgesius, recommended destroying their nests, and this inspired Melaghlin to do the same from that day on in order to rid his territory of the vikings.
Another story of his death is that he demanded Melaghlin's daughter in marriage, and that while pretending to agree, Melaghlin sent Turgesius 12 beardless youths disguised as his daughter and her attendants but who were in reality assassins.

See Also

Vikings

Notes

1. http://www.nalanda.nitc.ac.in/resources/english/etext-project/history/ireland/book-2chapter2.html