History of Reading, Berkshire earlier folk, or tribal, name. Anglo-Saxon names ending in "-ingas" originally referred not to a place but to a people, in this case specifically the descendants or followers of a man named "Reada", literally "The Red One." In late 870 an army of Danes invaded the then kingdom of Wessex and set up camp at Reading. On 4 January 871, the first Battle of Reading took place, when an army led by King Ethelred and his brother Alfred the Great attempted unsuccessfully to breach the Danes' defences. The battle is described in the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle", and this account provides the
Ailill mac Dúnlainge (died 871) his camp was attacked by the Laigin who were at first successful, but in a counter-attack they were put to flight. Ailill's name is not connected with these events which state that Muiredach mac Brain was the King of Leinster who fought the forces of Cerball. The "Fragmentary Annals" give a lengthy account of this event and state that Cerball met up with the high king's forces at Belach Gabrán (the pass of Gowran in east-central Osraighe) but both forces then retired and the hostages of the Laigin were not taken. In 871 Ailill was killed by the Vikings of