1168 / 1169 - 1170 AD
110.Donnell Mor
O Brian
who was now the new
Heberian Dal gCais
Ui Bloid Ui Turlogh Ui mBriain
King of Northern Munster
/ Thomond constructed the
Cistercian Abbey
at
Holy Cross in
Co. Tipperary
in the north -
east of the Munster Province,
situated on
the River Suir, on the eastern
side of the River Shannon and it was originally intended for the
use of the
Benedictine
monks, and also to house the
portion of the True Cross
of Christ given
initially to
106.Donogh O Brian
who had been
the
42nd King
of
Cashel / Munster
in
1110 AD by
Pope
Paschal 11, and he also began the building of a religious house on the
Rock of Cashel in
Co. Tipperary,
in the north - east of Munster, which would later become
the Cathedral Church there.
1168 AD
*115.Rory
O Connor the Dal Cuinn
Ui Briuin
Ai
Siol Muireadhaigh / Sil Murray 183rd
King of Ireland had made an annual grant for the teaching of the students from
the Scottish Highlands and
Ireland, and also assisted in building the
Cathedral in Tuam in Co. Galway in
Southern Connacht, which was his own main capital
region in his personal kingdom in the Connacht Province, and
*115.Rory O Connor as the Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Ai 183rd King of Ireland went to Co. Meath in the south - east of Northern Leinster where Diarmait O Melaghlin / Ua Mael Sechlainn the Dal Cuinn "southern" Ui Niaill King of Meath had recently been killed by his cousin, Donnell Breaghach O Melaghlin / Mac Loughlin who had then set himself up in his cousin's palace. and he took this opportunity to divide Meath / Midhe once again also, keeping overlordship of the western half adjacent to his territory in Southern Connacht for himself, and the overlordship of the other half adjacent to Northern Connacht he gave over to his kinsman and ally the "aged" 113.Tiernan O Rourke the Ui Briuin Breifne King of West Breifne who had his territory nearby in Co. Leitrim in the north - east of Connacht. *115.Rory O Connor, and 113.Tiernan O Rourke, along with their followers from Co. Meath and Co. Dublin in the Leinster Province went up against the ongoing troublemaker, 113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh na Gall again, as he was at it once more creating further dissent in the territory in Southern Leinster, and he was again forced once again to submit to *115.Rory O Connor, but this time, he was obliged to give up his own son, 114.Conor Mac Murrogh, who was also his Tanaiste (heir apparent), as a hostage for his future good behaviour and also agreed that he would not encourage anymore of the Galls / foreigners into Ireland. (The eventual breaking of this particular promise in his own interest instead, involving the life of his son, 114.Conor Mac Murrogh, would be a further insight into his personal character also.)
May 1st : 113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh na Gall continuing to follow his own personal agenda, despite his previous commitment to *115.Rory O Connor the Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Ai 183rd King of Ireland, was to continue to encourage his foreign allies, the Cambrian Anglo - Normans in Wales, to arrive, without notifying anyone, of what was coming, and was to also encourage them into his territory as a starting place for the overall takeover in Southern Leinster to begin the ongoing confiscations and Gall / foreign plantations and mayhem in Ireland.
The Anglo - Normans were originally of Teutonic Scandinavian Viking blood who had a particular stature, with round compact heads, a pale complexion, a sturdy build, a square face and falcon like noses, and they were all to be eventually under the overall command of Strongbow 11 (Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare) the second English Earl of Pembroke in Wales who was to carry out two short campaigns in Ireland, but at this time he was to send over 30 fully armoured knights, 60 half - armoured horsemen and 300 Welsh or Flemish archers and foot - soldiers to back up 113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh na Gall's agenda, who were all from the south of Wales, under the leadership of Robert Fitz Stephen himself. They landed on the south - east of the Irish coast in 3 ships into 113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh na Gall's territory at the Viking settlement of Wexford in Co. Wexford in the south - east of Southern Leinster, to the south of Bannow Bay, where they constructed an earthen fort and were joined there by 113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh na Gall himself, and set up their initial camp at Baganbun Head in the Baronies of Bargy and Forth. The Teutonic Vikings who were established in Wexford despite being in 113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh na Gall's territory, due to his previous misadventures with *115.Rory O Connor the 183rd King of Ireland, considered that they were now independent of him there in Southern Leinster and were ready personally to take on these Galls / foreigners who were being backed up by 113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh's own followers in Southern Leinster. Instead eventually on seeing the extent and numbers of these armour clad Normans, the Vikings decided to instead withdraw from the region and pull back into Wexford town itself, while burning any outlying buildings that the Galls / foreigners might make use of, but Robert Fitz Stephen undaunted was to follow them back in at first, and then had his men secure the trenches that surrounded the town, while at the same time had his Welsh and Flemish archers cover their advance by showering the walls with arrows while his men mounted their siege ladders and began clambering up to the top of the walls. The Vikings then retaliated by hurling large stones and wooden beams down on top of them, and this strong type of resistance eventually brought to an end the onslaught by the invading Galls on the settlement at Wexford, as Robert Fitz Stephen was forced to call on his men to retreat and instead went to the harbour were he set fire to all of the ships that were there.
The next
day, another
2 shiploads of Cambro - Norman supporters arrived
into Southern Leinster to
further strengthen 113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh na Gall's foreign forces
from Wales,
who were this time under the command of Robert Fitz Stephen's uncle, Maurice
de Priondragas / Prendergast, with another
10 Norman knights,
including
Hervey de Montmorency /
de Monte
Mariseo who was accompanied by
more
Welsh and Flemish
bowmen, while in the meantime the
excited,
113.Diarmait
Mac Murrogh na Gall now
feeling well in charge of the situation granted the
territory along the coast between Wexford in Southern
Leinster and
Waterford there further to the north along the east coast in Co. Waterford,
in the south - east of the Munster Province, to Hervey de
Montmorency the Anglo - Norman Baron, who was Strongbow 11's uncle, and as
1196 AD Unaware of the drastic impending trouble that now lay ahead with the increasing numbers of the invading Anglo - Cambro Normans, it was business as usual with the O Kellys / Ui Cellaigh from the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Colla Da Crioch Ui Maine Sept, who had their territory in the south - east of the Connacht Province, who were at this time besieging the territory nearby in Aur Mhumhain / Ormond / North Eastern Munster, which overlapped into Co. Kilkenny / Ossory in the south - west of Southern Leinster. (This was the territory of the Heberian Dal gCais Ui Bloid Ui Turlogh O Kennedys, who were descended from 105.Duncan / Donncuan, who had been an older brother of *105.Brian Boru the 175th High King of Ireland, as both had been the sons of 104.Kennedy / Cinneide.) This particular conflict had come about due to the fact previously that *115.Rory O Connor the Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Ai 183rd King of Ireland had been unaware of any further Gall / foreign intervention in Ireland, and had only recently encouraged the other Septs in Connacht to carry out raids throughout the west from Galway Bay down to the River Shannon at that this time to keep the newly established local troublemaker, 110.Donnell Mor O Brian, who was now the King of Northern Munster / Thomond, occupied, and to stop him from any further attempts to usurp *115.Rory O Connor's position as the 183rd King of Ireland. To this end the O Kellys and their Dal Cuinn Colla Da Crioch Ui Maine Sept had burnt the Killaloe Bridge in the north - east of Co. Clare, which crossed over the River Shannon into Co. Tipperary, while they were endeavouring to keep 110.Donnell Mor O Brian and his Dalcassian warriors confined to the western side of the river.
113.Diarmait
Mac
Murrogh na Gall had strongly convinced Strongbow 11
the Anglo - Norman Baron of Pembroke in Wales, who had gathered together a
formidable army with monetary assistance from Jewish connections, but Henry 11 now unsettled by it
all was to cancel Strongbow 11's planned expedition into Ireland,
but he had already left Wales
for Ireland as 113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh
na Gall had
previously made certain
personal promises, that were blatantly against the Irish Brehon Law, to
Strongbow 11
/ Richard Fitz
Gilbert de Clare the Anglo - Norman
Marcher Baron in
Wales, regardless of the
consequences, if he was to assist him to get
back his territory in
Southern Leinster.
(This was reminiscent of
what
110.Mael Morda
the Cu Corb
Ui Dunlainge Ui Faelain 45th
King of Leinster
had done to previously bring on the tremendous Viking Invasion against
*105.Brian
Boru
the Heberian Dal gCais175th
High King of Ireland in 1014 AD).
113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh
na
Gall had also offered the hand of
114.Eva
/ Aoife,
who was another of his daughters,
in marriage to
Richard de Clare
/
Strongbow 11
and also the
eventual Kingship of Leinster,
which he knew full well was totally against the Brehon Law.
1170 AD *115.Rory O Connor the Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin 183rd King of Ireland now besieged Northern Munster, which was under the control of the other thorn in his side, the rambunctious 110.Donnell Mor O Brian the Heberian Dal gCais Ui mBriain King of Northern Munster / Thomond, who was also the son - in - law of 113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh na Gall, who *115.Rory O Connor, unaware of the overall English threat, now considered was his main rival in Ireland, but unbeknown also to him was the fact that 110. Donnell Mor O Brian had by now, due to his connection to 113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh na Gall, also obtained Anglo - Norman military support under the leadership of Robert Fitz Stephen who had personally been sent by 113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh na Gall to assist him and they had been raiding *115.Rory O Connor's territory in the Connacht Province nearby. In the meantime another 2 shiploads of 140 Anglo - Norman - Welsh warriors had also arrived from Wales under Maurice Fitz Gerald / Mac Gearailt who would become the direct male line ancestor of the Geraldines / Fitz Geralds in Ireland. Robert Fitz Stephen had also by now well and truly secured the Viking settlement in Wexford on the south coast of Southern Leinster, while 113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh na Gall and Maurice Fitz Gerald the Anglo - Norman Marcher Baron advanced now on the much more important Viking settlement in Dublin situated on the north - easy coast of Southern Leinster. 113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh na Gall's forces were to ravage and burn the surrounding territory there until the Viking Norse who were in control there finally accepted 113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh na Gall as their overlord also in Southern Leinster, who was by now feeling that he might even be capable of gaining the overall High Kingship of Ireland. Robert Fitz Stephen and Maurice Fitz Gerald the Anglo - Norman Marcher Barons, advised 113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh na Gall to also send over to Briton to Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare / Strongbow 11 the Norman second Marcher Baron of Pembroke in Wales to get more men to support him in Ireland.
May:
Raymond Le Gross - the Large Fitz Gerald, who is the direct male line ancestor of the Graces
in Ireland, who was another of the related Anglo - Norman Marcher Barons
from Wales,
also landed in Ireland with a further
2
shiploads of men, on the east coast near Wexford
1171 AD
August 23rd:
Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare
/ Strongbow 11, the Norman son of
Gilbert de Clare who had been the
original Strongbow in
Wales, who had organized economic support
for an expedition into Ireland from
Jewish moneylenders,
had already sent an advance guard
of warriors to set up a beach head near Waterford instead on the east coast of Co.
Waterford in the south - east of the
Munster Province,
which was another original Viking settlement,where they
were to be savagely resisted once again by the Vikings forces there,
while
Strongbow 11 himself arrived at Passage,
to the east of Waterford with a further 200
armoured Norman knights on horses,
longbows and 1,000 more
Welsh archers and went on the attack there and
eventually
succeeded in scaling the walls and securing the township of Waterford also. All
of the Anglo - Norman forces were now combined under Strongbow 11, including Maurice
Prendergast / de Priondragas
and his men, who he
had also brought back with him.
September 21st: As the Normans under Strongbow 11 had now secured Dublin, this meant that they held the vital Viking coastal towns of Dublin, Waterford and Wexford along the eastern coast of Southern Leinster and the Munster Province, and from out of these towns they were able to invade further inland into the Gaelic Milesian Irish kingdoms of Ossory / Co. Kilkenny in the south - east of Southern Leinster and Meath / Midhe in the south of Northern Leinster and feeling now well and truly in control of the overall situation 113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh na Gall went after his nemesis, the "aged" 113.Tiernan O Rourke from the Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Breifne kingdom of West Breifne in Northern Connacht who was then also forced to submit to him. Because of 113.Darmait Mac Murrogh na Gall's betrayal of his Gaelic kinsmen, *115.Rory O Connor the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Ai 183rd King of Ireland now executed 113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh na Gall's young son and heir, 114.Conor Mac Murrogh, who he had held as a hostage for the good conduct of 113.Diarmait Mac Murrogh na Gall who once again had shown scant regard for anyone else, including his own son. With Winter coming on in Ireland all of the action now came to a halt, and the Anglo - Normans pulled back to Southern Leinster, with the Irish Gaelic Septs still not aware that this was a massive permanent Invasion that was now occurring that would also involve Henry 11 personally.
Henry 11 the Anglo - Norman English King by now also was becoming
more alarmed at the success of Strongbow
11
in Ireland, who had also previously been an
ally to
his estranged predecessor,
King
Stephen in England during the Civil War there, and he placed an
embargo on all shipping
to Ireland, which was ignored
anyway, so
Henry 11 then ordered all
of his English subjects
out of Ireland,
but Strongbow 11 was to counteract and delay his fears by continuing to reassure him, by sending messages that he would hand over
all of the Irish
territory taken by him
Although
*115.Rory O Connor
the Dal Cuinn
Ui Briuin Ai
183rd King
of
Ireland
had
sought to throw Strongbow
11
out of Ireland, he was to be defeated by their superior armour and
long range weapons, especially
the bows and arrows, near the River Liffey in Dublin
in Southern Leinster and Strongbow
11
was then to pretend to accept
*115.Rory
as the 183rd King of
Ireland
and they were to reach an agreement that
*115.Rory O Connor was to control the Irish
Septs and Strongbow 11 the
Normans, while Strongbow 11 claimed
the whole of
Southern Leinster
back for
113.Diarmait Mac Murrough na Gall and gained
overall control of the stronghold there in Co. Wexford.
Meanwhile,
Raymond Le Gros
Fitz Gerald, his brother - in - law, had captured
Limerick in Co. Limerick
in the mid - north - west of the
Munster Province, but had to hand it
back to his new found relation and their ally,
110.Donnell Mor
O Brian
the Heberian Dal gCais Ui
mBriain King of
Cashel /
Munster
who was also 113.Diarmait Mac Murrough na Gall's
ally and
son - in - law.
Among the Normans, Maurice Fitz Gerald (Gherardini) was cut from a different cloth being of Welsh - Italian descent from Walter Fitz Other the keeper at Windsor who was a descendant of Gerald Fitz Walter the Constable of Pembroke Castle in Wales and Nesta the daughter of Gruffyd of Tudor Maur the Celtic Prince of Wales and Walnyus the welsh man, was to become the male line ancestor of the Walshes of Co. Mayo in the mid - west of the Connacht Province. De la Poer / Le Pouvre - the Poor One, another Norman Baron, whose family was later to also anglicize their name to Power, was to take over 26,000 acres in Co. Wicklow in the south - east of Southern Leinster, the future territory of the "ferocious" Heremonian Cu Corb Ui Dunlainge Ui Faelain O Byrnes and their kinsmen the Ui Muireadhaigh O Tooles. (In later Centuries this vast Estate was to also come into the hands of the English Talbots under Henry VIII, then Lord Powerscourt the English Earl of Rosse under James 1st). The Welsh Rices / ap Rhys / Rees were to eventually settle into Dingle in Co. Kerry in the south - west of the Munster Province, from where the Anglo - Norman Fitz Geralds were to physically oust the Mac Carthys the Heberian Eoghanacht Chaisil Kings of Southern Munster / Desmond.
The Norman Galls and 113.Diarmait Mac Murrough na Gall had previously besieged and taken the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Breifne kingdom of West Breifne in Northern Connacht from *115.Rory O Connor the 183rd King of Ireland's ally and kinsman, the "aged" 113.Tiernain O Rourke, and also the O Melaghlin's / Mac Loughlin Heremonian Dal Cuinn "southern" Ui Niaill kingdom of Meath / Midhe in the south of Northern Leinster where they had come up against the resistance of the Gaelic Milesian Irish Septs there who were still subject to the Celtic practise of hand to hand fighting, of one on one, who were no match against there armour and their long range weapons. As Celtic Gaelic Irish Fines / Septs they had still considered that this type of long range fighting went against the Celtic principals of proper conduct required for combat, and they would have to change their ideas if they were going to have any chance of surviving from now on.
Maurice Fitz Gerald the Cambro - Norman Marcher Baron began to build Maynooth Castle in Co. Kildare in Central Southern Leinster, against the Gaelic Irish Septs there, while Adam Fitz Hereford, another of the Cambro Norman Barons, who also arrived with Strongbow 11, began the construction of another castle on the north shore there on the River Liffey at Leixlip against the Irish Septs there, but in a show of resistance to the Cambro Normans and their continual take over of their Celtic Gaelic territory in nearby Southern Leinster, 111.Conor O Brian who was now the Heberian Dal gCais Prince / Tanaiste of Northern Munster / Thomond also constructed a castle at Cahir on the River Suir in Co. Tipperary in the north - east of the Munster Province against the Cambro Norman advances there.
Larkin / Lorcan O Ahern who was descended from 105.Eachtigern, one of the original older pre - deceased brothers of *105.Brian Boru the Heberian Dal gCais Ui Bloid Ui Turlogh 175th High King of Ireland the direct male line ancestor of the Ui mBriain, was killed this year by the sons of Mac Namara from the Heberian Dal gCais Ui Caisin Sept who acted as the Lord Marshalls for the leading Ui mBriain O Brian Sept.
The Mac Giolla Mo - Cholmoc / Cholmac Fine from the Heremonian Cu Corb Ui Dunlainge Ui Dunchada Sept, descended by now from 103.Dunchad the previous 15th King of Leinster, who in turn was descended from 99.Faelan mac Colman the 10th King of Leinster in the 7th Century AD, had decided to survive by siding with the Cambro Normans after the battle in nearby Dublin, and they were to eventually take up and Normanize their name as Fitz Dermot (Descended from a son of Diarmait Mac Giolla Mo - Cholmoc.).