Battle of the years

Sir, – I am fascinated by the ongoing confusion over whether to call this year “twenty-thirteen” or “two thousand and thirteen”. I wonder if our ancestors 1,000 years ago were similarly confused over how to name years in the first century of the new millennium: did Brian Boru have his set-to with the Danes at Clontarf in “one thousand and fourteen”? Did the Battle of Hastings take place in “one thousand and sixty-six”? – Yours, etc,

COLM FAGAN,

Woodbrook Downs,

Bray,

Co Wicklow.