Battle of Thurles

The Battle of Thurles took place in October 1174 near Thurles in County Tipperary, and was a significant engagement of the Norman invasion of Ireland. The forces of an alliance of Irish led by the High King Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair defeated an English expedition led by the Earl Richard "Strongbow" de Clare and forced the Anglo-Norman army to retreat.

According to the Annals of the Four Masters (English translation):[1]

M1174.10 The Earl led an army to plunder Munster; King Roderic marched with another army to defend it against them. When the English had heard of Roderic's arrival in Munster, for the purpose of giving them battle, they solicited to their assistance the Galls Ostmen of Dublin; and these made no delay till they came to Thurles. Thither came Donnell O'Brien and the Dalcassians, the battalion of West Connaught, the great battalion of the Sil-Murray, besides numerous other good troops left there by the King, Roderic. A brave battle was fought between the English and Irish at this place, in which the English were finally defeated by dint of fighting. Seventeen hundred of the English were slain in this battle, and only a few of them survived with the Earl, who proceeded in sorrow to his house at Waterford. O'Brien returned home in triumph.

An anonymous poet described the Irish victory at Thurles as follows: That iron tide, on Durlas's side, was stopped by King Dónal Mór.[2]