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  1. Home
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  3. Conquest of Ireland
Episode Details
Episode Details
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Conquest of Ireland (1166 - 1171)

Dermot exiled

ermot was the King of Leinster in eastern Ireland and in 1166 had been defeated in battle by Tighernan O Ruairc another ruler in the region. Dermot was exiled and went to Normandy to the court of Henry II of England. Dermot asked for assistance in retaking his lands. Henry gave Dermot permission to find a willing army from either England or Wales and so Dermot approached Richard de Clare, the Earl of Pembroke and known as 'Strongbow', who agreed to help in return for several demands. These demands included Dermot's daughter's hand in marriage and to rule Leinster after Dermot's death. Dermot agreed to the conditions.

Dermot also recruited a number of knights from south Wales included the sons and grandsons of Nesta, the daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr one of the kings of Wales. These heavily armoured knights arrived in Ireland in May of 1169 and were far superior to the poorly protected Irish warriors. Dermot was reinstated as King of Leinster.

Dermot's ambitions

Dermot was not happy to be just King of Leinster, he wanted to be High King of Ireland but he had to wait for the manpower that Stongbow had promised him. In 1170 a small force led by Raymond de Gros landed at Waterford on the East coast of Ireland. They constructed a base and waited for the Earl of Pembroke to arrive.

Richard de Clare, the Earl of Pembroke, landed in Ireland in the summer of 1170. His army captured Waterford and Dublin, and the Earl made Dublin his base for the winter months.

Invasion planned

Dermot died in the spring of 1171 and Strongbow took control of Leinster. Henry II was concerned that the Earl could build himself a base in Ireland strong enough to create an independent state outside the control of the English King. Preparations were made and an army assembled to invade Ireland to deal with the Earl. But the invasion was not necessary as Strongbow left Ireland and travelled to England to meet the King. Strongbow agreed to that Henry controlled Dublin in return for his continued control of Leinster.

Henry adds Ireland to his domains

Henry II landed in Ireland in October or 1171 and received the homage of the Irish leaders. Traders were invited to Dublin where a colony of English was set up. Henry stayed in Ireland over the winter months returning to England in the spring of 1172.


Some of the medieval castles in Ireland

Medieval castles in Ireland

Episode Events
Episode Events

1166

...
Dermot exiled from Ireland
Dermot, the King of Leinster in eastern Ireland, was defeated in battle by Tighernan O Ruairc, another ruler in the region. Dermot was exiled and went to Normandy and the court of Henry II of England to ask for assistance in retaking his lands. Henry gave Dermot permission to find a willing army from either England or Wales and so Dermot approached Richard de Clare, the Earl of Pembroke who agreed to help in return for several demands. These demands were Dermot's daughter's hand in marriage and to rule Leinster after Dermot died.

1167

Aug
Dermot returns to Ireland
Dermot returned to Ireland but without an army. He was unable to retake Leinster and had to wait until the forces he had been promised arrived from Wales.

1169

May
Dermot retakes Leinster
Some the men promised to assist Dermot in Ireland landed at Bannow with the sons of Nesta. The poorly protected Irish warriors were no match for the armoured knights and archers that arrived from Wales. By the end of the year Leinster fell and Dermot once again became the King. After his victory Dermot was not satisfied with just ruling Leinster but wanted to become High King of Ireland. To fulfil his ambitions he had to wait for the arrival of Strongbow, the Earl of Pembroke, for that to be a possibility.

1170

May
Raymond de Gros lands in Ireland
Raymond de Gros arrived in Ireland in support of Dermot a few months ahead of Strongbow. He landed at Waterford and constructed a fort in which he and his men prepared for the arrival of the Earl.
Aug
Ireland attacked by Earl of Pembroke
Richard de Clare, the Earl of Pembroke, invaded Ireland with 200 knights in armour and up to a 1,000 foot-soldiers capturing Waterford easily and then Dublin on behalf of Dermot, the King of Leinster.
Sep 21
Dublin Captured by the Normans
Dublin fell to the Norman army.
Winter
The Earl at Dublin
After letting the population of Dublin leave, the Earl of Pembroke and his men spent the Winter in the city.

1171

Spring
Death of Dermot, King of Leinster
The agreement between the Earl of Pembroke and Dermot, the King of Leinster, was that if the Earl helped the King retake Leinster the Earl would become the ruler of Leinster when Dermot died. When the king died in the spring of 1171 the agreement fell apart due to the lack of support from Dermot's tribesmen. The tribesmen elected a nephew of Dermot's as the new king instead.
Jul
Henry plans invasion of Ireland
King Henry II had become concerned that Strongbow was building a strong base in Ireland, strong enough to become an independent state separate from England. Henry planned to take an army to Ireland to deal with Strongbow but Strongbow travelled to England and in September met Henry and promised his loyalty to the King.
Oct 17
Henry lands at Waterford in Ireland
King Henry II travelled to Ireland to receive the homage of the Irish leaders. Traders were invited to Dublin where a colony of English was set up. Henry stayed in Ireland over the winter months returning to England in the spring of 1172.

1175

Oct 6
Treaty of Windsor
The Treaty of Windsor was signed by King Henry II and Rory O'Connor allowing O'Connor control of the areas of Ireland other than Leinster, Meath, Waterford and Dublin which were controlled by the English King. O'Connor agreed to pay Henry an annual sum of money and to provide one hide from each ten animals slaughtered every year.

1177

...
Construction of Carrickfergus Castle
Carrickfergus Castle was built by John de Courcy, the Norman knight who invaded and conquered the Irish region of Ulidia (Ulster).
Feb
The conquest of Ulidia (Ulster)
John de Courcy, a Norman knight with an army of around 320 men from Dublin, attacked the area of Ulidia now Ulster and captured its capital town Downpatrick. The king of the area, MacDunlevy, attempted to retake the town but was beaten back by de Courcy.
Jun
Courcy becomes lord of Ulidia
MacDunlevy, the native king of Ulidia (Ulster), was joined by the king of a neighbouring district and raised a large army to retake Ulidia from John de Courcy. They were also joined by several Irish bishops and many clerics. But the army was not able to defeat Courcy who then became lord of Ulidia.

1204

...
Dublin Castle construction started
King John ordered the construction of a castle at Dublin.

Event Participants and Loctions

  • Clare, Richard fitzGilbert de (Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke)
  • Henry (II, King of England 1154-1189)
  • Murchadha, Diarmait mac (King of Leinster)
  • John (King of England 1199-1216)
  • Windsor Castle
  • Carrickfergus Castle
  • Dublin Castle

Related Information

King Henry II of England

Reign From
December 19, 1154

Reign To
July 6, 1189

Succeeded
King Stephen

Preceded
King Richard I

Royal House
Plantagenet
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Medieval Episodes

Early Middle Ages

  • Saxons and Angles
  • Viking Invasions

High Middle Ages

  • Edward the Confessor and Godwine
  • Reasons for the Norman Invasion
  • The Norman Invasion
  • The Norman Conquest
  • Background to the Crusades
  • People's and First Crusade
  • Second Crusade
  • Third Crusade
  • Stephen's succession to the throne
  • Civil War (The Anarchy)
  • The Conquest of Ireland
  • Henry II and Thomas Becket
  • Excommunication of King John
  • The First Barons' War
  • The Second Barons' War
  • Edward I and Wales
  • Edward I and Scotland

Last Middle Ages

  • Edward II and Piers Gaveston
  • Robert the Bruce
  • Isabella, She-Wolf of France and death of Edward II
  • Edward III starts the Hundred Years War
  • Continues with Richard II
  • Henry V invades France
  • Henry VI and Joan of Arc
  • The Black Death
  • The Peasants Revolt
  • The Lords Appellant
  • Glendower's Revolt
  • Wars of the Roses

Early Modern Period

  • The Great Explorers
  • Henry VIII and his six wives
  • Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Day Queen

Event Participants and Loctions

  • Clare, Richard fitzGilbert de (Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke)
  • Henry (II, King of England 1154-1189)
  • Murchadha, Diarmait mac (King of Leinster)
  • John (King of England 1199-1216)
  • Windsor Castle
  • Carrickfergus Castle
  • Dublin Castle

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