1172 AD -1

                                                                                                           " Änglo - Norman Confiscations."

1172 AD Strongbow 11 / Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare the Cambro - Norman second Baron of Pembroke in Wales the leader of the Cambro - Norman invaders was now in overall control of the territory in Southern Leinster that had since been allocated to him by Henry 11 the Norman English King, and to fortify his position further he constructed a wooden fortress"" in the nearby kingdom and territory of the Heremonian Cu Corb Ui Laogharie Ui Connla Sept of the Mac Gilla Patricks / Fitz Patricks, where Kilkenny City now stands in Ossory / Co. Kilkenny in the south - west.

       Henry 11 the Norman Plantagenet King of England, feeling that he was now well and truly in control of the Irish population also, began the construction of Norman castles in strategic positions to hold out against the various Irish Septs in those kingdoms and territories, and also more "Cistercian" monasteries to increase the "English" influence over the Irish population and their religious life in Ireland, and *115.Rory O Connor the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Ai 183rd King of Ireland was now "forced" to "pay" outright tribute" to Henry 11, while being "allowed" certain rights still in his kingdom of Ireland, and Henry 11 told them all that this would bring about his previous promise of "Peace," but despite this personal declaration of this intention in Ireland, he immediately began to "divide" up the other individual Celtic Gaelic kingdoms in Ireland, between his Anglo - Norman Barons. This included Co. Galway in Southern Connacht that was previously the kingdom and territory of the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "southern" Ui Fiachrach Aidhne Sept, Co. Mayo in the mid - west of the Connacht Province the kingdom and territory of the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin AI Siol Muireadhaigh / Sil Murray Sept of the O Connors who were the leading Sept there. He also granted Co. Kerry in the south - west of the Munster Province the ancient kingdom and territory of the Heberian Eoghanachta Chaisil Mac Carthy Sept there in Southern Munster / Desmond to Milo de Cogan another of his Norman Barons, to do the same there, and as a result Milo de Cogan was to become the direct male line ancestor in Ireland of the Gogans, the Goggins and maybe even some of the Coogans in that region. The Heberian Dal gCais Ui mBriain kingdom and territory of Northern Munster / Thomond still led by the belligerent"" 110.Donnell Mor O Brian, he granted to Robert Fitz Stephens on condition that he was to drive the Irish Dalcassian Septs out of there also and gain the overall total control in that region. Henry 11 was to personally take over the other coastal Viking township of Cork in Co. Cork in Southern Munster and the surrounding region there.  

March: The "Papal Legate" was by now demanding that Henry 11, the Norman English King, go to Normandy and answer the charges about his involvement in the previous "murder" of Thomas A Beckett the Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury in England, and there was also "rebellion" being carried out by his own 4 Plantagenet sons, Henry, Geoffrey, Richard and John "Lackland," so any further personal intervention by Henry 11 in Ireland was to be put on the back - burner, but he was to also leave Hugh de Lacy / de Leis, another of his Anglo - Norman Barons, in charge of the "eastern coastal" Viking towns of Dublin and Wexford in Southern Leinster, and Waterford in the south - east of the Munster Province to also carry out similar instructions there. He also granted Hugh de Lacy personally all of the kingdom and territory of the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "southern" Ui Niaill Clann Cholmain Septs of Meath / Midhe in the south of Northern Leinster of the O Malachys / O Melaghlins / Mac Laughlins / Ui Mael Sechlainn, which took in the region there from the River Shannon to the River Boyne mouth, as it was also his intention to "contain" Strongbow 11 / Richard de Clare in the territory that he had already granted him in Southern Leinster.

    Henry 11 appointed Hugh / Hugo de Lacy to be his Norman English Chief Governor / Justiciar in Ireland who would act on his behalf for many years, as Hugh de Lacy had guaranteed Henry 11 the support of 50 of his Anglo - Norman Knights, and as the Anglo Norman de Lacys had originally come from Normandy with William the Bastard / Conqueror and were the English Earls of Lincoln in England, and also as Hugh de Lacy had come over to Ireland in 1171 AD with Henry 11, and become the Lord Palantine of Meath / Midhe, in which territory he would begin to construct many castles against the Irish Septs there including at Trim, Kells, Ardnurcher, and Durrow / Dearmhagh in Co. Offaly, and would also support some of the monasteries there. Hugh de Lacy would also "divide" the O Melaghlins' Dal Cuinn "southern" Ui Niaill kingdom of Meath / Midhe in the south of Northern Leinster between his Anglo - Norman relatives and allies"" and also begin the building the strong stone castle at Trim as his main fortress against the Irish Septs there. He was to also destroy the Durrow Monastery so as to build another castle there, which would bring about his eventual "downfall," as to the Irish Fines / Families in that particular region this would be a "sacrilegious act" and a "single" Irishman was later to take it upon himself to then personally slay him for his "disrespect "of such a "sacred" site and then flee to the safety of the woods of Clair / Clara and his fellow Irishmen were to then besiege the castle and take away Hugo / Hugh de Lacy's body, and its whereabouts would remain "unknown" for 10 years until 1195 AD. His remains would then be interred in Bective Abbey in Meath / Midhe with Mathew O Heney the Catholic Archbishop of Cashel and John Comyn the Anglo - Norman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin attending the memorial service. Hugo de Lacy was an especially ambitious and determined individual who had also taken *115.Rory O Connor the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Ai 183rd King of Ireland's "daughter" as his second wife, and in the future his descendants would be the appointed English Lords of Meath and the English Earls of Ulster and also have vast confiscated Estates in Co. Meath, Co. Westmeath and Co. Louth in Northern Leinster, and Co. Limerick in the mid - west of Munster Province.

     The Gaelic MIlesian Irish O Melaghlins / Mac Loughlins in the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "southern" Ui Niaill kingdom of Meath / Midhe, due to the incessant "disruptions" to the "Irish Brehon Law" previously, mainly by the Viking Invaders and "divisions" by the separate Irish Kings to reduce their authority had by now not had an "undisputed' Tanaiste / Prince leader for 20 years prior to this period, as during the new law of "The Survival of the Fittest" the other growing important Irish Septs had tried to dissipate the strong hold this Sept had previously held over Tara / Ireland as Mullingar in Co. Westmeath, in the south - west of Northern Leinster, had been in the kingdom of the Clann Cholmain Sept, descended initially through *105.Malachy 1st the 167th High King of Ireland, who had become the "first" real High King of Ireland, as this position did not exist previously under the "Irish Brehon Law" before the coming of the invading Vikings. His grandson *107.Malachy 11 / Mael Sechnaill the previous 174th King of Ireland, had been the "last" from the Clann Cholmain Sept / Fine to do so and his Ui Maelsechlainn descendants had since become known as the O Melaghlins who would eventually also later become known as the Mac Loughlins of Meath. (Not to be confused with their "northern" kinsmen the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern"" Ui Niaill Cenel nEogain Mac Loughlins).

      During the history of the Roman and the French Empires they had allowed "citizenship" to those who they had taken under their control, but this was not to be the attitude of the Teutonic Scandinavian Anglo - Normans who believed that they were far "superior" to any one else, and this "particular attitude" was to carry forward into the basic English Anglo - Norman / Saxon over - culture in the Centuries that lie ahead, and although they were a Scandinavian Teutonic people themselves originally, during their previous 100 years of involvement in France they had adopted the French culture and the French language, which they were to continue on with in England for another 300 years. On the other hand, the majority of those who were to settle permanently into Ireland who came under the "Celtic Irish Culture" became Anglo - Irish and were to do the same as they had done in France, becoming "More Irish than the Irish."

      The Heremonian Dal Cuinn Colla Da Crioch Ui Maine kingdom in the Connacht Province had by now also been "reduced" to the region around the Clonfert area in Co. Galway in the south of Connacht where their main Sept was to be represented from now on by the O Kellys / Ui Ceallaig, who once again began shifting "northwards" away from the turmoil that was now occurring in the east and the south of Ireland surrounding Dublin, under the ongoing "oppression and confiscations" of the Anglo - Norman English Barons and their allies. 

     John de Courcy, another of Henry 11’s main Anglo - Norman Barons, was a son of a Somerset Norman Knight, and his personal circumstances originally were to be of "meagre" means, but he had 320 Norman Knights under his command and many Welsh archers, and Henry 11 had told him also to try and take "overall control" in Ireland further to the north - east in the Ulster Province, and he was to then "over run" the greater part of the Heremonian Dal Cuinn 3 Colla kingdom of Orghialla and the Gaelic MIlesian Irian and Heremonia Dal Fiatach kingdoms of Ulaidh for the next 20 years by "incessant warfare" after he was to set up at Downpatrick. Among John de Courcy's English Galls were the Audleys, the Bagnalls, the Bissets, the Copelands, the Chamberlains, the Jordans, the Logans, the Mandevilles, the Martells, the Riddles, the Russells, the Le Savages, the Fitz Simons, the Smiths, the Stauntons, the Walshes and the Whites. William le Savage (Later also Hibernized as Mac an t Sabhaisigh) who was among those subject to the "overlordship" of John de Courcy was personally to construct a castle at Ardkeen there in Co. Down in the south - east of Ulster Province on the Strangford Loch, against the Irish Septs there and he would in time become the direct male line ancestor of the Savages, who were also to be among those Anglo - Norman families who in the future were to become "More Irish then the Irish." They were to eventually also fight on the Irish side from the 15th Century AD on, against the English stronghold in the Dublin Castle (The Devil's 1/2 acre.) authorities who were to conduct England's continuing "ethnic and religious" oppression from out of there, and later still they also had a branch of their family in Ossory / Co. Kilkenny in the south - west of Southern Leinster.

      During the reign in the future of the Anglo - Norman English King, Edward 11, Co. Down would be "divided" into 2 Counties, Co. Down and The Ards / Newtown, and during the reign of Queen Mary Tudor, Fitz Gerald the English Earl of Kildare was to take over Lecale / Leath Cathail / Magh Inis / Insular Plain in Co. Down, and later still under the devestating "Slash and Burn" reign of Elizabeth 1st Co. Down and The Ards would be "recombined" back to Co. Down, and much later on the Hamiltons would become the English Earls of Clan Brassil, the Montgomerys the English Earls of Mount Alexander in the Barony of Ards, the Cromwells the English Viscounts of Ard Glas whose title would later go to the Barringtons, the Hills the English Barons of Kilwarling and the English Viscounts of Hillsborough and Marquises of Downshire. The Annesleys were to become the English Barons of Glenawley and the English Viscounts of Castle Wellan Rawdon, the Hastings the English Earls of Moire, the Jocelyns the English Barons of Clan Brassil and the English Earls of Roden, the Stewarts the English Viscount of Castlereagh and the English Marquises of Derry, the Dawneys the English Viscount of Down, the Wards the English Barons of Bangor, the Needhams the English Earls of Kilmorey and the Viscount of Newry and Mourne, The Smyths the English Viscounts of Strangford, the Blackwoods the English Barons of Dufferin / Down / dun (The fortress of Dunn Daleathglas later Dun Patraic  / Down Patrick).  

   John de Courcy had been given "free reign" by Henry 11 the Norman English King over the north - eastern region of Ulster Province / Ulaidh, where he was soon to become aware of the previous prophesy"" of 94.St. Columbcille / St. Columba, that a penniless foreign White Knight, riding on a white horse with birds on his shield, would slaughter the Irish Septs there for 20 years until they were knee deep in blood, and he made full use of this prophesy during his many attacks on the Irish Septs there, while he was endeavouring to gain complete control"" over North Eastern Ulster, although Cardinal Vivian, the "Pope's Legate," certainly tried to "stop" his bloody advance there, but he just continued to wage continual "War" against the Irish Septs there in Ulster Province, depleting their numbers with great "slaughter." Eventually it all became so bad that 94.Columbcille’s "prophecy" did come to truiton, when John de Courcy’s Norman knights found themselves up to their knees, on the east - coast beaches, which were by then completely "soaked" in Irish blood, as they slaughtered huge numbers of the Ulster Province Irish warrior Septs in a major battle there on the "strand." Despite the continuous mayhem that was to occur there, the Irish Septs in Ulster Province, under the leadership now of the Mac Loughlins and O Nialls from the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern" Ui Niaill Cenel nEogain Septs and their kinsmen, the O Donnells from the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern" Ui Niaill Cenel Conaill Sept, would not give in to his constant attacks and they were to continue to "defend" themselves no matter what "mayhem"" he carried out against them. (During John de Courcy's time as the English Earl of Ulster, it is believed that he had the relics of 94.St. Columbcille and St. Brigid gathered up and placed with St. Patrick's, so that the remains of these 3 most important Irish Saints would be together in the one place in Ulster Province). Much later on the de Lacys / de Leis brothers as Norman Barons would "intrigue" with Henry 11 against John de Courcy and he would be eventually "arrested" and removed from the important position he had created for himself in Ulster Province, but he would not be killed.

     Henry 11 the "first" Plantagenet Norman English King also decided to order all of the Normans, who were not directly under his control, along with the Cambro - Norman - Welsh, out of Ireland, and he also decided to make an agreement with Durend the King of Limerick in the mid - north - west of the Munster Province, and also with Dermott Mac Carthy the Heberian Eoghanacht Chaisil King of Southern Munster / Desmond with the added condition that Dermot Mac Carthy had to get out of the City of Cork. (Dermott Mac Carthy would be the one who later began the building of the "first" world famous Blarney Castle there in Co. Cork.)

      Strongbow 11 had previously given over the Viking settlements of Dublin and Wexford on the east - coast of Southern Leinster, and Waterford in Co. Waterford also on the east coast there below, in the east of the Munster Province, to Henry 11 the Plantagenet Norman English King, who had then also given Strongbow 11 back his confiscated Estates in Wales, England and France, but in Ireland he had confined him to the territory he had granted him in Southern Leinster only, as Henry 11 had already handed over all of the territories that were surrendered previously by Strongbow 11 in Southern Leinster to Harvey de Monte Marisco / Montmorency who was now to act as his English appointed Lord Marshall / Seneschall in Ireland, who later gave the Dun Brody / Dun Bruadeadha (Brody's Fort) in Co. Wexford in the south - east of Southern Leinster to the Abbots of Buildwos from Shropshire in England. The Viking settlement on the coast of Wicklow in Co. Wicklow in the south - east of Southern Leinster was granted to Maurice Fitz Gerald (Geradini) another of his Norman Barons who started to construct the Black Castle there on the headland, which is now just another ruin because of its position in the scheme of things as it was to be raided many times by the "ferocious" Heremonian Cu Corb Ui Dunlainge O Tooles and O Byrnes whose eventual territory was to also be there in the Dublin / Wicklow Mountains.         

     The term Norsemen at this time now also included the total gamut of the Teutonic Scandinavians, including the Danish Vikings, the Norwegian Vikings, the Swedish Vikings and the Anglo - Normans themselves, who were in reality originally also Scandinavian Vikings who had initially set up in France under Rollo in what had become eventually Normandy - of the Norsemen. The Anglo - Normans now began "strengthening" their position further also from out of their main base in Dublin, situated in Co. Dublin the north - east of Southern Leinster out to the west into the Munster Province, and especially further south into Southern Leinster itself, where their main families were to become the Butlers / le Buitleir - the butler eventually the English Earls of Ormonde / Ossory, and the Fitz Geralds / Geradini the English Earls of Desmond / Southern Munster, and also the English Earls of Kildare in Co. Kildare in Central Southern Leinster. They were to "force out" the remaining survivors of the Irish Chiefs there and their Celtic Gaelic Septs and within the next 30 years with their "superior" weapons and "greedy avaricious" attitude of wanting "it all" the Anglo - Norman English were to over run Ireland altogether, but despite this over the passage of time most of them would begin to "intermarry" with the Gaelic Irish Family Septs, and begin becoming, "More Irish then the Irish."

     The main important Irish Septs / Family branches to be effected in these Provinces were the O Brians / Ui mBriain from the Heberian Dal gCais Sept in Thomond in the north - west of the Munster Province, the Mac Carthys / Mheic Carrthaig  from the Heberian Eoghanacht Chaisil Sept of Blarney in Desmond in Co. Kerry in the south - west of the Munster Province, the O Sullivans / Ui Suileabhain the Heberian Eoghanacht Chaisil Sept of Beara in Southern Munster situated at Bantry in Co. Cork with their castle on Whiddy Island, the Heberian Cianacht O Connors / Ui Conchobair of Eli from the  north of Co. Tipperary in the north - east of Munster, and the Gaelic Milesian Irian Ui Laigis O Mores / Ui Morda in Co. Offaly in the mid - north - west of Southern Leinster, the Mac Murroughs / Mheic Murchada from the Heremonian Ui Laoghaire Ui Lughaidh Cu Corb Ui Cheinnselaig Sept in Southern Leinster, and the Ui Muireadhaigh O Tooles / Ui Tuathail and their kinsmen the O Byrnes / Ui Faelain Ui Brain from the Heremonian Ui Laoghaire Ui Lughaidh Cu Corb Ui Dunlainge Sept / Fine who were to eventually end up in the Wicklow Mountains in Southern Leinster. Of these last 2 mentioned Septs, the "ferocious" O Tooles and O Byrnes from their new position in the Wicklow Mountains, were to earn their epithet due to their constant raids on the Anglo - Norman English agricultural areas around Dublin until the English were to construct a wall around Dublin, surrounded by a region that was to become known as "The English Pale," to keep the Irish Septs out, which was to be "expanded or reversed" from time to time due to the prevailing circumstances, while the English Galls endeavoured to continue to attack the territory of the surrounding Irish Septs further out on the periphery, while they tried to take over more and more territory in Ireland. For both the Irish and the English "The Pale" became a history of advance and retreat for the next 300 years leading on to the generalized term used of "Beyond the Pale."

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