Irish History
And
The Fighting Irish
And
The Fighting Irish
( The English Invasion )
MacMurrough
bestowed the city upon Fitz Stephen and settled near-by lands
upon de Prendergast and de Mont Maurice. Surrounding princes heard with dismay the news of the new kind of fighters that MacMurrough had brought in, and the wonderful skill and discipline which made three of them as good as a hundred. To make matters worse MacMurrough added to his army some two thousand soldiers who were in the capitulated city. Yet this did not deter his enemy MacGiolla Padraic, King of Ossory, against whom MacMurrough now marched, putting up a struggle from which MacMurrough and the Norman-Welsh and their Flemings had much difficulty winning out. But the Chiefs of MacMurrough's own Leinster met him with submission excepting O'Toole and O'Faelan, whom he went against and waisted and spolied, before he again rested at Ferns.
The Ard-Righ and princes of the other provinces looked on inactive. At the time of the Norman invasion ireland was divided politically into a shifting hierarchy of petty kingdoms and over-kingdoms. Powere was concentrated into the hands of a few regional dyndynasties contending against each other for control of the whole island. The northern Ui Neill ruled much of what is now Uladh ( Ulster ). Their kinsmen, the Southern Ui Neill were kings of Breaga ( Meath ). The kinship of Laighean ( Leinster ) was hed by the dynamic Ui Chinnsealaigh dynasty. A new kingdom rose between Leinster and Mumhan ( Munster ), Osraighe ruled by the family of Mac Giolla Phadraig. Munster was normally controlled by the Mac Carthaigh, who were however in reality often subject to the Ui Bhriain of Tuadh Mumhan ( Thomond ). North of Thomond, Connachta Connacht's supreme rulers were the Ui Chonchobhair.
The Ard-Righ and princes of the other provinces looked on inactive. At the time of the Norman invasion ireland was divided politically into a shifting hierarchy of petty kingdoms and over-kingdoms. Powere was concentrated into the hands of a few regional dyndynasties contending against each other for control of the whole island. The northern Ui Neill ruled much of what is now Uladh ( Ulster ). Their kinsmen, the Southern Ui Neill were kings of Breaga ( Meath ). The kinship of Laighean ( Leinster ) was hed by the dynamic Ui Chinnsealaigh dynasty. A new kingdom rose between Leinster and Mumhan ( Munster ), Osraighe ruled by the family of Mac Giolla Phadraig. Munster was normally controlled by the Mac Carthaigh, who were however in reality often subject to the Ui Bhriain of Tuadh Mumhan ( Thomond ). North of Thomond, Connachta Connacht's supreme rulers were the Ui Chonchobhair.
The Four Masters say " And they set nothing by the Flemings " In almost every century of Ireland's history mercenaries had been brought in from abroad by one prince or another to help in his battles against a neighbouring Irish enemy. And now every prince, occupied as usual with his own problems, was not much concerned about what did not immediately affect his own territory. Diarmuid went against the Danish city of Dublin, but had to content him with getting hostages and lavish presents of gold and silver.
Roderick O'Connor at length took alarm, gathered an army and marched against MacMurrough, and his mercenaries. MacMurrough and Fitz Stephen, however met him with the offer of negotiation instead of battle. Roderick commanded that MacMurrough should make submission and that the foreigners should at once depart for Britain. MacMurrough readily accepted the first condition, giving his own son as hostage - but only secretly agreed ( or rather pretended to agree ) that he would manage to get the foreigners out of the country quietly and leisurely. Then Roderick acknowledged MacMurrough as king of Leinster.
MacMurrough have got needed peace, pursued his own plan. He was now fired with ambition to be High King. he got a fresh accession of strength in the arrival of Maurice Fitz Gerald and another body of troops from Wales. He instigated to rebel against Roderick his son-in-law, O'Brien of Desmond - who with the help of of Fitz Stephen defeated the High King. Diarmuid sent again to Srongbow pleading with him to come over. But the latter, having not yet received Henry's permission, sent over a small body of men under Raymond le Gros, who on landing, being joined by Mont Maurice, won ( by clever strategy ) a victory over an attacking army composed of the Waterford men, the men of Ossory, and O'Faelan's men at Dundonald, near Waterford. Of 40 prisoners whom they took, they broke the limbs of each and threw them from the cliffs into the sea - giving Ireland the first taste of the conqueror's savagery that was henceforth to fill the centuries.
Strongbow followed in a few months, with 200 knights and a thousand men, and joining le Gros and Mont Maurice, twice attacked the important city of Waterford, and was twice repulsed. Then, when it seemed unlikely that they could succeed, le Gros had the Good luck to discover that one of the city houses projecting through an angle of the wall, had its projecting corner supported by timbers. Cutting away the supports, the house fell, making a breach in the wall, through which the attackers poured and overcame the surprised garrison. The inhabitants were slaughtered and the two Danish rulers were put to death. The invaders held Waterford for their own.
On hearing of Srongbow's landing, Diarmuid, with the fair Aoife hurried south to join him. And the marriage of Strongbow and Aoife was celebrated amid still bloody scenes in Waterford.
Roderick O'Connor at length took alarm, gathered an army and marched against MacMurrough, and his mercenaries. MacMurrough and Fitz Stephen, however met him with the offer of negotiation instead of battle. Roderick commanded that MacMurrough should make submission and that the foreigners should at once depart for Britain. MacMurrough readily accepted the first condition, giving his own son as hostage - but only secretly agreed ( or rather pretended to agree ) that he would manage to get the foreigners out of the country quietly and leisurely. Then Roderick acknowledged MacMurrough as king of Leinster.
MacMurrough have got needed peace, pursued his own plan. He was now fired with ambition to be High King. he got a fresh accession of strength in the arrival of Maurice Fitz Gerald and another body of troops from Wales. He instigated to rebel against Roderick his son-in-law, O'Brien of Desmond - who with the help of of Fitz Stephen defeated the High King. Diarmuid sent again to Srongbow pleading with him to come over. But the latter, having not yet received Henry's permission, sent over a small body of men under Raymond le Gros, who on landing, being joined by Mont Maurice, won ( by clever strategy ) a victory over an attacking army composed of the Waterford men, the men of Ossory, and O'Faelan's men at Dundonald, near Waterford. Of 40 prisoners whom they took, they broke the limbs of each and threw them from the cliffs into the sea - giving Ireland the first taste of the conqueror's savagery that was henceforth to fill the centuries.
Strongbow followed in a few months, with 200 knights and a thousand men, and joining le Gros and Mont Maurice, twice attacked the important city of Waterford, and was twice repulsed. Then, when it seemed unlikely that they could succeed, le Gros had the Good luck to discover that one of the city houses projecting through an angle of the wall, had its projecting corner supported by timbers. Cutting away the supports, the house fell, making a breach in the wall, through which the attackers poured and overcame the surprised garrison. The inhabitants were slaughtered and the two Danish rulers were put to death. The invaders held Waterford for their own.
On hearing of Srongbow's landing, Diarmuid, with the fair Aoife hurried south to join him. And the marriage of Strongbow and Aoife was celebrated amid still bloody scenes in Waterford.
The marriage of Richard de Clare " Strongbow " to Aoife
To punish O'Rourke they marched into Meath and Breffni, laying everything waste as they went. Roderick, weakling that he was, and not able to command the support of his subordinate princes, sent warning to MacMurrough to desist - and got the insulting reply that when O'Rourke was finished with, Roderick and his own province of Connaught would receive their attention. Diarmuid's death, that winter, put an end to an inglorious career. Strongbow would assert his right to the throne of Leinster, much of whose lands he divided amongst his fellowers. But the Leinster Cheifs refused to have him. Moreover, Henry hearing of his successes in Ireland had grown jealous, and fearful of Strongbow establishing his independence. He now peremptorily summoned Strongbow and all his subjects to return to England, forthwith. Strongbow readily found reasons for refusal and delay. By a brilliant feat of arrms he saved Dublin ffrom capture by the combined forces of Roderick and his princes with 30,000 men on land, and Godred, Danish King of Man, with 30 ships in the bay - not only saved the city but completely scattered and broke the army of Roderick, and captured great booty and provisions. he them wasted Meath and Breffni and afterwards hurried south to Wexford, where Fitz Stephen was besieged by the Irish.
