* 988 – Norse King Glun Iarainn recognises Máel Sechnaill II, High King of Ireland, and agrees to pay taxes and accept Brehon Law ; the event is considered to be the founding of the city of Dublin.

In Ireland, the failure of the northern Uí Néill to support their southern kinsman Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill against Brian Bóruma, and the resulting end to the system of Uí Néill High Kingship appears to have been caused by political geography.

* November 30 – Máel Sechnaill mac Maíl Ruanaid, King of Mide and King of all Ireland

* Máel Sechnaill mac Máele Ruanaid becomes the first High King of Ireland

* Máel Sechnaill mac Maíl Ruanaid, King of Mide, defeats a Norse army at Sciath Nechtain, in Ireland.

Not satisfied with the submission of Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill, Brian Boru makes an expedition to the north to take hostages from the northern states.

* September 2 – Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill, king of Mide and High King of Ireland

The Uí Néill king Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill, abandoned by his northern kinsmen of the Cenél nEógain and Cenél Conaill, acknowledged Brian as High King at Athlone in 1002.

Brian's hard-won authority was seriously challenged in 1013 when his ally Máel Sechnaill was attacked by the Cenél nEógain king Flaithbertach Ua Néill, with the Ulstermen as his allies.

This was followed by further attacks on Máel Sechnaill by the Dubliners under their king Sihtric Silkbeard and the Leinstermen led by Máel Mórda mac Murchada.

The immediate beneficiary of the slaughter was Máel Sechnaill who resumed his interrupted reign.

Brian's war against Máel Mórda and Sihtric was to be inextricably connected with his complicated marital relations, in particular his marriage to Gormlaith, Máel Mórda's sister and Sihtric's mother, who had been in turn the wife of Amlaíb Cuarán, king of Dublin and York, then of Máel Sechnaill, and finally of Brian.

By doing so, he came into conflict with High King Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill whose power base was the Province of Meath.

For the next fifteen years, from 982 to 997, High King Máel Sechnaill repeatedly led armies into Leinster and Munster, while Brian, like his father and brother before him, led his naval forces up the Shannon to attack Connacht and Meath on either side of the river.

In 996 Brian finally managed to control the province of Leinster, which may have been what led Máel Sechnaill to reach a compromise with him in the following year.

By recognising Brian's authority over Leth Moga, that is, the Southern Half, which included the Provinces of Munster and Leinster ( and the Hiberno-Norse cities within them ), Máel Sechnaill was simply accepting the reality that confronted him and retained control over Leth Cuinn, that is, the Northern Half, which consisted of the Provinces of Meath, Connacht, and Ulster.

It may have been on this occasion that Brian married Sigtrygg's mother and Máel Morda's sister Gormflaith, the former wife of Máel Sechnaill.

Brian made it clear that his ambitions had not been satisfied by the compromise of 997 when, in the year 1000, he led a combined Munster-Leinster-Dublin army in an attack on High King Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill's home province of Meath.

Máel Sechnaill came up with an ingenious solution ; two bridges would be erected across the Shannon.

The Annals state that, in the year 1002, Máel Sechnaill surrendered his title to Brian, although they do not say anything about how or why this came about.

The Cogadh Gaedhil re Gallaibh provides a story in which Brian challenges High King Máel Sechnaill to a battle at the Hill of Tara in the province of Meath, but the High King requests a month long truce so that he can mobilise his forces, which Brian grants him.

Máel Morda may have hoped that by defying Brian, he could enlist the aid of all the other regional rulers Brian had forced to submit to him.

The period between the accession of his successor Máel Coluim I ( Malcolm I ) and Máel Coluim mac Cináeda ( Malcolm II ) was marked by good relations with the Wessex rulers of England, intense internal dynastic disunity and relatively successful expansionary policies.

His inability to obtain troops from any rulers in Ireland, along with his awareness that he would need them when the High King returned in 1014, may explain why Máel Morda sought to obtain troops from rulers outside of Ireland.

Alexander had at least one illegitimate child, Máel Coluim mac Alaxandair, who was later to be involved in a revolt against David I in the 1130s.

MacBeth ruled for seventeen years before he was overthrown by Máel Coluim, the son of Donnchad, who some months later defeated MacBeth's step-son and successor Lulach to become king Máel Coluim III ( Malcolm III ).

It was Máel Coluim III, who acquired the nickname " Canmore " ( Cenn Mór, " Great Chief "), which he passed to his successors and who did most to create the Dunkeld dynasty that ruled Scotland for the following two centuries.

His mother, who is not mentioned in contemporary sources, is sometimes supposed to have been Donada, a daughter of the Scottish king Malcolm II ( Máel Coluim mac Cináeda ).

* March 17 – King Lulach of Scotland is killed in battle against his cousin and rival Máel Coluim mac Donnchada, who later becomes King as Máel Coluim III.

* Helen ferch Llywelyn ( before 1230-after 16 Feb 1295 ) who married firstly Máel Coluim II, Earl of Fife, son of Duncan Macduff of Fife & his wife Alice Corbet.

A major source for confusion comes from the name of Amdarch's successor, Máel Coluim, now thought to be a son of the Domnall mac Eógain who died in Rome, but long confused with the later king of Scots Máel Coluim mac Cináeda.

Máel Coluim appears to have been followed by Owen the Bald who is thought to have died at the battle of Carham in 1018.

Some time after 1018 and before 1054, the kingdom of Strathclyde appears to have been conquered by the Scots, most probably during the reign of Máel Coluim mac Cináeda who died in 1034.

But the two Gaelic claimants were soon back to fighting and the fortuitous capture of Mathgamain in 976 by Donnubán mac Cathail allowed him to be effortlessly dispatched or murdered by Máel Muad, who would now rule as king of Cashel for two years.

Marianus Scotus ( 1028 – 1082 or 1083 ), was an Irish monk and chronicler ( who must be distinguished from his namesake Marianus Scotus, d. 1088, abbot of St Peter's, Regensburg ), was an Irishman by birth, and called Máel Brigte.

In 1157, it is reported, King Malcolm was reconciled with Máel Coluim MacHeth, who was appointed to the Mormaerdom of Ross, which had probably been held by his father.

In the same way that Brian Bóruma, High King of Ireland, was not the only king in Ireland, Máel Coluim was one of several kings within the geographical boundaries of modern Scotland: his fellow kings included the king of Strathclyde, who ruled much of the south-west, various Norse-Gael kings of the western coasts and the Hebrides and, nearest and most dangerous rivals, the Kings or Mormaers of Moray.

Since there is no known and relevant Cináed alive at that time ( Cináed mac Maíl Coluim having died in 995 ), it is considered an error for either Cináed mac Duib, who succeeded Causantín, or, possibly, Máel Coluim himself, the son of Cináed II.

As a result, the following year Gruoch's brother or nephew, who might have eventually become king, was killed by Máel Coluim.

Máel Brigte might be a son of the Dubacan mac Indrechtaig, Mormaer of Angus, who was killed at the Battle of Brunanburh in 937.

Support for the sons of Máel Coluim mac Alaxandair may also have come from areas closer to the core of the kingdom ; two conspirators are named by chroniclers, one of whom died in trial by combat in February 1154.

Donald's activities during the reign of his elder brother Malcolm III ( Máel Coluim mac Donnchada ) are not recorded.

Other reported deaths include Domnall mac Cairill and Máel Brigte mac Dubacain, the identities of whom are unknown, but they must evidently have been important men.

Selbach's father, brother, son and nephew are included among the predecessors of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada ( Malcolm III ) of Scotland in the Duan Albanach praise poem, but Selbach is not.