"First use of Cavalry by the Irish.....and minis" Topic

So I'm putting together some 15mm minis for the battle of Clontarf. I assumed by that date the Irish would have light cavalry or even small units of medium "Noble" cavalry.

I dont have any books on the Medieval Irish however so I tried the old Google search.

One answer said definitively that "Nobles" on horseback would have been available at the time of Clontarf. The other result suggested that cavalry was not used until after the Norman invasion/ appearance.

So I'm looking for advice from any knowledgeable people on the subject.

As an aside, I'm probably going to mainly be using Blue Moon 15s as the majority of my army (for the Irish at least) with some Khurasan Irish used as needed for Command figures and such.

So if cavalry of some sort was available, what 15mm miniatures would you recommend that are similar in size and sculpting to the two above mentioned companies?

Cheers!

Thistle & Rose 15s are larger like the Old Glory one – Some packs like the Red Branch of Ulster and a couple of other packs of Cavalry

link

Price lists and more figure pictures at link

As Tyrion Lannister would say, "Make do! Make do!"

Why does the miniature have to be specifically "Irish"?
I would think that just about any LC Dark Ages barbarian with a beard and trousers would be appropriate.
Breton? Goth?

Oh, it doesn't have to be Irish John! Im more than happy to proxy in minis! I was more worried about getting minis the same size, ie 18mm-ish.

@Disaster, thanks Mate! Im having a look at those!

PS. More online reading seems to support the presence of Irish Light Cavalry in the 8th or 9th Century, which works for my game.

Perhaps only heavier melee oriented Cavalry was developed after contact with the Normans.

Blue Moon does have two calvary packs in the "small dark age armies" --- codes #15SDA-11 and 15SDA-14 that might work?

Regards
Russell Dunawsy

To my understanding Clontarf wax just an infantry slugging match. The horses would have been for leaders prior to them dismounting if there were any at all. I too am working on Clontarf and will do a skirmish level game this week. My research shows no cavalry units present.

Dont forget the post battle , we lost the battle so lets go kill Brian Boru skimish game.

Not my own knowledge but Phil Barker says that aside from maybe a mounted general, Marcshluag (Gaelic for cavalry) only turn up after 1099? Mostly light horse, tunics, javelin's, small shield and up to a 1/4 heavier nobles with some amour?

I saw that too Ian! For what it's worth i have this coming this week:
link

I'll pass along any illuminating info.

OK, still reading Clontarf. Here's Llywelyns first mention of cavalry,
"He (Brian) mounted his best Captains on horses to increase their mobility, thus creating the first Irish Cavalry"

So there's that, But probably not enough to warrant putting Light Cav in the game.

UK, I have a long time invested in this rabbit hole. I bought everything Dark Age from Blue Moon, Vikings from Battle Valor's Frigian range. (clipped the Horns) almost everything Splintered Light, Baudea, Forged in Battle, I am sure I am forgetting companies. I found all of them are close. I am just now painting up some Khurasan minis, but they are for another subject. As far as calvary, I found nothing on units. I decided to use chariots in my Norse-Irish and Light Cav, but mostly because I painted them up. I am currently doing up the forces of Kenneth Mac Ailpin, and Pictish for the formation of Scotland. Both these Scots, and Picts will be "back rankers" in my next Clontarf game. I tend to run this in March as it was a Good Friday battle. I hope this helps a bit. Also, should you do Saxons, grab the 18mm Wiglaf offerings from North Star. they are about 300 years out of time, but I don't care. They are the cleanest, best, figures I ever saw.

I suspect that they were doing what the Danes and Norse were doing in mounting warriors for mobility and not combat. Like mounted Longbows and Crossbows.