Read Online Ireland by Vincent McDonnell - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Vincent McDonnell
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can be seen in the division of the country into the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Dermot sailed for Ireland with some Norman knights, and at first had some success in battle. Eventually, Rory O’Connor and his allies defeated Dermot and his Norman knights, but now Rory made a serious mistake. Instead of driving Dermot and the Normans from Ireland, Rory forgave Dermot and allowed him to be king of part of Leinster. Dermot, instead of being thankful, became more determined to regain the whole of Leinster, and sought more help from the Normans in Wales. In May 1169, a Norman force landed at Bannow Bay, County Wexford. They marched on Wexford and captured the town. MacMurrough joined them, still determined to win back the kingship of all Leinster, but as yet he did not have enough men.
This problem was partly solved in the spring of 1170 when Raymond le Gros, landed in Waterford with a large Norman force. Strongbow then arrived in August 1170 with 200 Norman knights and 1,000 soldiers. Joined by MacMurrough’s forces and those of Raymond le Gros, they marched on Waterford. The citizens fought bravely, but eventually the city was captured. Here, as promised, Strongbow married Dermot’s daughter, Aoife, thus ensuring that the Norman knight would become king of Leinster when Dermot died.
The Normans were very good soldiers. The knights wore suits of chain-mail armour and iron helmets and carried great swords or maces. The armour was so heavy that they would not have been able to walk very well while wearing it, and so they rode horses, which were also protected with armour. They must have made a terrific din as they rode along with all that metal clinking and clanking. Accompanying them were archers on foot who were experts with longbows. The longbow was so powerful that its arrows could travel an enormous distance and still kill an enemy. It’s said that when the archers released a shower of arrows you could hear them hiss as they flew threw the air, and that a shower of them could block out the sun. The Irish were not used to fighting such soldiers, which is why they were so quickly and easily defeated.
Strongbow, determined to secure his kingdom, now marched on Dublin, the most important Irish city. He captured the city, which was then in turn besieged by Rory O’Connor and his forces. After two months, Strongbow’s forces rushed out and attacked the besiegers. Rory O’Connor was swimming in the River Liffey at the time, and was not expecting such an attack. He and his soldiers were caught by surprise and defeated. Strongbow now held all of Leinster and when Dermot MacMurrough died in 1171, Strongbow became king of Leinster. With his superior Norman knights to fight for him, he was now the most powerful man in Ireland.
This situation worried Henry II, who feared that Strongbow would become king of Ireland, and threaten his own rule in England. Henry decided to sail to Ireland and claim the country for himself. He landed in Waterford in October 1171 with an army so powerful that even Strongbow dared not oppose him. Instead, Strongbow and most Irish kings pledged loyalty to Henry, who now claimed Ireland as part of his kingdom, declaring himself Lord of Ireland. It was another momentous event in Irish history. Because of it, today, 850 years later, an English monarch still reigns over the six counties of Northern Ireland.
Before Henry II sailed from Ireland he granted some Irish lands to his Norman kinsfolk. This caused anger and resentment among those native Irish who lost their lands, and brought them into conflict with the Normans. Henry left John de Courcy in Ireland to conquer the northern part of the country, whose kings had not pledged loyalty to him. De Courcy marched north with his army and captured Downpatrick, the main Ulster stronghold. To defend the territory, he needed a secure base and built a Norman castle at Dundrum, County Down.
These first Norman castles were not built of stone. Instead,
Dermot sailed for Ireland with some Norman knights, and at first had some success in battle. Eventually, Rory O’Connor and his allies defeated Dermot and his Norman knights, but now Rory made a serious mistake. Instead of driving Dermot and the Normans from Ireland, Rory forgave Dermot and allowed him to be king of part of Leinster. Dermot, instead of being thankful, became more determined to regain the whole of Leinster, and sought more help from the Normans in Wales. In May 1169, a Norman force landed at Bannow Bay, County Wexford. They marched on Wexford and captured the town. MacMurrough joined them, still determined to win back the kingship of all Leinster, but as yet he did not have enough men.
This problem was partly solved in the spring of 1170 when Raymond le Gros, landed in Waterford with a large Norman force. Strongbow then arrived in August 1170 with 200 Norman knights and 1,000 soldiers. Joined by MacMurrough’s forces and those of Raymond le Gros, they marched on Waterford. The citizens fought bravely, but eventually the city was captured. Here, as promised, Strongbow married Dermot’s daughter, Aoife, thus ensuring that the Norman knight would become king of Leinster when Dermot died.
The Normans were very good soldiers. The knights wore suits of chain-mail armour and iron helmets and carried great swords or maces. The armour was so heavy that they would not have been able to walk very well while wearing it, and so they rode horses, which were also protected with armour. They must have made a terrific din as they rode along with all that metal clinking and clanking. Accompanying them were archers on foot who were experts with longbows. The longbow was so powerful that its arrows could travel an enormous distance and still kill an enemy. It’s said that when the archers released a shower of arrows you could hear them hiss as they flew threw the air, and that a shower of them could block out the sun. The Irish were not used to fighting such soldiers, which is why they were so quickly and easily defeated.
Strongbow, determined to secure his kingdom, now marched on Dublin, the most important Irish city. He captured the city, which was then in turn besieged by Rory O’Connor and his forces. After two months, Strongbow’s forces rushed out and attacked the besiegers. Rory O’Connor was swimming in the River Liffey at the time, and was not expecting such an attack. He and his soldiers were caught by surprise and defeated. Strongbow now held all of Leinster and when Dermot MacMurrough died in 1171, Strongbow became king of Leinster. With his superior Norman knights to fight for him, he was now the most powerful man in Ireland.
This situation worried Henry II, who feared that Strongbow would become king of Ireland, and threaten his own rule in England. Henry decided to sail to Ireland and claim the country for himself. He landed in Waterford in October 1171 with an army so powerful that even Strongbow dared not oppose him. Instead, Strongbow and most Irish kings pledged loyalty to Henry, who now claimed Ireland as part of his kingdom, declaring himself Lord of Ireland. It was another momentous event in Irish history. Because of it, today, 850 years later, an English monarch still reigns over the six counties of Northern Ireland.
Before Henry II sailed from Ireland he granted some Irish lands to his Norman kinsfolk. This caused anger and resentment among those native Irish who lost their lands, and brought them into conflict with the Normans. Henry left John de Courcy in Ireland to conquer the northern part of the country, whose kings had not pledged loyalty to him. De Courcy marched north with his army and captured Downpatrick, the main Ulster stronghold. To defend the territory, he needed a secure base and built a Norman castle at Dundrum, County Down.
These first Norman castles were not built of stone. Instead,
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