Pride of lions

His father was Brian Boru, a flawed but genuine hero. His mother was Gormlaith, the magnificent - and mad. With such a heritage, Donough s life would be a battle from the beginning. In the aftermath of Clontarf he strove to hold onto his father s dream. But Ireland was disintegrating. Friends and family failed him, the Church betrayed him in cold blood. Caught in the grip of forces beyond his control, Donough could not live up to the expectations of others or himself. The dynastic marriages Brian Boru had arranged for his children gave him access to the international stage, however, and amid the political intrigues of eleventh century Britain he found a wife. Yet his heart already belonged to a woman his religion condemned. People shape history; history shapes people. The accusation of fratricide would ultimately force Brian Boru s youngest and most embattled son to lonely heroism and a shocking decision.