Clontarf - card

Clontarf, the well-known suburb of Dublin is where I grew up and the name comes from the Irish Cluain Tarbh, the meadow of the bull.
There is some debate as to how the name originated though one explanation, that it comes from the North Bull Wall, has been dismissed, as the name is far, far older than this 19th century construction. Indeed, the name Cluain Tarbh goes back to the mists of time, to an older Gaelic Ireland. It is thought that the name actually comes from the roar of the sea across the sandbanks though there is also the idea that it could reference a real bull, a prized possession in ancient times and of course the meadow part of the name, would make more sense in this case.
Whatever its beginnings, there is no doubt that this area has seen many an historic tale and is most famous of course for the battle of Clontarf where the High King of Ireland, Brian Boru finally defeated the Vikings, dying in that same conflict himself. After the Vikings, came the Normans and the well-known Clontarf Castle is built on the site of the original building though nowadays, one of the most iconic sites is the view across the water to the Poolbeg chimneys which are part and parcel of the Dublin Bay skyline. 
In this image, I imagined the bull rising from the sea towards the meadow, while behind it we see the shapes of the Viking and Gael, fighting for ownership of this great city. They are flanked by the Castle and the more modern chimneys.

Illustration from an original by Margaret McKenna