When the Normans conquered England under William the Conqueror in , there is no sense that the Irish rulers understood the implications. The Normans had garnered a reputation for being thorough, ruthless, and efficient conquerors, with a talent for gaining and consolidating power. Norman knights were hardened products of wealth, specialized training. In the meantime, the Irish clans had not managed to create a unified national identity.
The chieftains still fought one another for land and power, but allegiances were determined largely by which family had the strongest hold over an area.
By , four powerful clans had consolidated power and finally had control over most of Ireland. But this arrangement of loosely organized, tentative kingdoms would not maintain its tenuous balance like this for long. Strongbow was born around , and had succeeded his father to his title and estates by However, by the time he met McMurrough in the late s, Strongbow had wasted his position through great extravagance, and found himself out of favor with the King of England Henry II.
He approached a number of English noblemen with pleas for help, and some found his offers too good to turn down. Strongbow, along with Robert FitzStephen and Maurice Fitzgerald, agreed to fight to help McMurrough win back his throne in exchange for land holdings in Ireland. They brought with them Norman soldiers—knights who were well trained, well-armed, and more than what the Irish clansmen were prepared for. Irish law indicated that the kingship could not pass down a female bloodline, plus Strongbow was a foreigner.
However, he and his forces were powerful, and able to deal with any challenges to his authority. King Henry of England was less than pleased with the accomplishments of his subject. In Stephen created Gilbert the first Earl of Pembroke. On the death of his father in , Richard became the 2nd Earl of Pembroke. Dermont went to Wales and asked Richard to help him in his war against Roderic. Richard agreed to help on condition that he was allowed to marry Dermont's daughter, Eva.
With Richard de Clare's help Dermont was able to defeat the king of Connacht's forces, who were armed only with slings and stones. Richard de Clare, whose army relied heavily on Welsh archers, soon obtained the nickname 'Strongbow'. When Dermont died in , Strongbow became the new king of Leinster. Dermot MacMurchada had died at Ferns in May , and Strongbow had assumed the kingship of Leinster in right of his wife.
Strongbow, de Cogan and their men were trapped inside the city. When O' Connor would not accept Strongbow's offer to hold Leinster and all of his conquered lands in Ireland of O' Connor as high king, Strongbow sent of his men out from Dublin to attack O' Connor's camp at Castleknock. The success of this strategy confused and routed the entire Irish army and freed Dublin.
Hervey returned and urged his nephew to go in person. Strongbow and Henry settled their differences, with Strongbow giving up Dublin and all its adjacent lands, the maritime towns and castles to Henry. The rest of the lands that Strongbow held by conquest and marriage he gave to Henry and received them back as lands-in-chief of the king and his heirs. Henry II also acknowledged Strongbow's comital status, though not his right to Pembroke, and from this point Strongbow signed his name as 'comes Richardus' or 'comes de Strigoil'.
Henry placed Waterford in the custody of Robert fitz Bernard, and then he proceeded to Dublin taking the fealty and oaths of the kings of Cork, Limerick, and Ossory on his way.
Henry spent Christmas at Dublin, organized the synod at Cashel for the ecclesiastical reform demanded by the Pope, and left on February 2, to return to Wexford. Henry separated Strongbow from his most important military commanders by placing fitz Stephen, Maurice fitz Gerald, Milo fitz David, and Meiler fitz Henry in the garrison of Dublin.
Henry put fitz Audelin, de Braose and de Hastings with thirty knights in charge of Wexford, and fitz Bernard, de Bohun and de Gundeville with forty knights in charge of Waterford. Though Henry recognized the value and need of his barons, he wanted no palatine lordships in Ireland as he had inherited in Wales.
Henry II then sent Strongbow back to Ireland. On reaching Ireland Strongbow sent back fitz Bernard, fitz Stephen and others to aid the king in England and Normandy in Henry's war with his rebellious sons. Strongbow sent for le Gros to return as commander of his armies; Gerald of Wales says it was because Strongbow's men would not follow Hervey and demanded the return of Raymond. There had been a disagreement between Strongbow and le Gros earlier when Robert de Quency, husband of Strongbow's sister Basilia, had died.
Whatever the true reason, le Gros returned to Ireland and was given Basilia in marriage, custody and wardship of her daughter Maud de Quency, the constableship of Leinster, and lands in Fothard, Idrone and Glasskarrig. His son Gilbert died eight years later without attaining his majority. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Share this: Click to email this to a friend Opens in new window Click to print Opens in new window Click to share on Facebook Opens in new window Click to share on Reddit Opens in new window Click to share on Twitter Opens in new window Click to share on Pinterest Opens in new window.
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