King Henry II's Invasion of Ireland
In 1171 King Henry II of England came to Ireland, making it forever more part of the English Empire. However, English monarchs there after still found it necessary to invade Ireland from time to time to ensure loyalty. But before this could happen, several things had to fall into place.
Diarmuid MacMurrough, king of Leinster, is said to have tried to take over the High Throne of Ireland, going as far as raping the High Priestess of Ireland, who disagreed with his standing, so that her title would no longer hold. After years of this struggle, the four other kings of Ireland dethroned Diarmuid and he ran to the continent. He went to King Henry, who was fighting over his wife’s birth place, Aquitaine.
A Norman poet described Diarmuid’s words to Henry, “Henceforth, all days of my life on condition that you be my helper so I don’t lose everything, You I shall acknowledge as sire and lord.” This is perceived by most historians as an agreement to give Henry land if Diarmuid receives help from him. The reasoning behind this is in the words “You I shall acknowledge as sire and lord,” meaning the land which he owns will become the property of Henry, who will rule over it. Henry, who had considered invading Ireland years earlier, agreed to launch a conquest against Ireland.
King Henry then sent out to meet the Pope, Adrian IV, who had a strong influence over the people of western Europe. The king petitioned the pope for a papal Bull (a blessing to invade Ireland), but Adrian IV refused him for some years. However, in the year 1154 issued the Bull. It stated that,
“There is indeed no doubt, as thy Highness doth also acknowledge, that Ireland and all other islands which Christ the Sun of Righteousness had illumined, and which have received the doctrines of the Christian faith, belong to the jurisdiction of St. Peter and of the holy Roman Church ... Thou hast signified to us, indeed, most beloved son in Christ, that thou dost desire to enter into the island of Ireland, in order to subject the people to the laws and to extirpate the vices that have there taken root, and that thou art willing to pay an annual pension to St. Peter of one penny from every house, and to preserve the rights of the churched in that land inviolate and entire. We, therefore, seconding with the favour it deserves they pious and laudable desire, and granting a benignant assent to thy petition, are well please that for the enlargement of the bounds of the church, for the restraint of vice, for the correction of morals and the introduction of virtues, for the advancement of the Christian religion, thou shouldst enter that island, and carry out there the things that look to the honour of God and to its own salvation.” (Lyttleton’s “Life of Henry II.,” vol. v. p. 371)
This excerpt is less than a fifth of the papal Bull, yet it highlights the most important reasonings behind Adrian IV’s consent to invade Ireland. The way the Catholic Church saw it, they practically owned Ireland, as it was a prominently Catholic society, therefore they had a right to send someone to ‘correct’ the behavior of the people. Also, they would see it as permanently putting an end to the pagan religions that the Vikings brought to the island and, in its own way, enlarging the ‘bounds of the church’.
When Adrian IV had issued the papal Bull, Henry II was not in a position to invade Ireland. “Henry was occupied with subduing the Welsh abroad and subduing Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket at home.” (Smith, “The Controversial Pope Who Gave the King of England Permission to Invade Ireland”) The King proposed giving the job to his brother, William, but his mother, Matilda, disagreed. His mother had great influence over the King and the expedition was postponed. However, Henry II gave Diarmuid letters, “Authorising any of Henry’s subjects who so wished to go to Ireland to aid him.” (MacManus, 323)
The letters were publicly read in the town of Bristol. A bold and daring warrior, Richard de Clare (also known as Strongbow), was interested in the prospect of repairing his fortunes. To entice him further, Diarmuid promised his daughter’s hand in marriage if Strongbow would help invade Ireland. This marriage would also give him the heirship of the Leinster kingdom. However, Strongbow was cautious of doing so without King Henry II’s permission, so he sent his half brothers, Robert Fitz Stephen and Maurice Fitz Gerald, to aid Diarmuid.
In May, 1169, with a small body of thirty knights in full armour, sixty horsemen and three hundred archers, Fitz Stephen landed at Bannow, Wexford. Joined soon after by Diarmuid and a group of five hundred men from Leinster. The two groups marched against Wexford, which soon fell, surprised by the skilled soldiers. Diarmuid gave the city to Fitz Stephen and gave nearby towns to de Prendergast and de Mont Maurice, two knights of high rank that had come with. It was soon after the first victories that Henry gave Strongbow permission to go to Ireland, which he did.
The army of Irish and Norman-Welsh marched across the land, defeating all who stood against them and gaining more soldiers as they went. Several chiefs and princes of each region decided not to act and lose men. MacManus, a historian who devoted his life to Irish history, says that, “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.” (MacManus, 324) He means that the Welsh marching with the king of Leinster was not an uncommon sight. Many different people had been brought to Ireland to fight and the princes of the regions saw it as just that.
However, some the four Kings and the High King of Ireland did not want to do nothing as their land was ravaged. Roderick O’Connor, the High King, reached out to Diarmuid, saying “That MacMurrough [Diarmuid] should make submission and that the foreigners should at once depart for Britain.” (MacManus, 324) Diarmuid accepted this request, as he needed peace to put his next plan in action. He managed to convince several princes under O’Connor’s rule to revolt with him and attack Waterford. This they did, and, with the help of Strongbow’s army, they knocked down a portion of the wall surrounding the city and put the two Danish kings within the city to death. It was just after the battle that Strongbow and Aoife (Diarmuid’s daughter) were married in the bloodsoaked castle. This marriage made Strongbow the heir to the throne of Leinster, which he inherited a few months later when Diarmuid died in battle.
King Henry II soon heard of the many successes in Ireland and, fearing that Strongbow would use Ireland against him, called all the English troops and knights to come back to the continent. However, Strongbow found plenty of reasons to refuse and delay as he was still battling some of the Leinster chieftains who had refused to acknowledge him as King. Henry sent more and more orders for Strongbow to come and he hastened to Henry. Strongbow then gave all of “His conquests, cities and territories,” (MacManus, 325) to Henry. The King of England then let Strongbow hold his position as King of Leinster and sent him away after he swore loyalty to him.
However, Henry II wanted all kings of Ireland to swear loyalty to him as their overlord so, in 1171, he came to Ireland. He arrived with an army big enough to scare Strongbow. Henry took the city of Dublin (back from the Danish King) and sent messengers to the rest of the Irish kings. The Irish kings, including Rory O’Connor, High King of Ireland, accepted Henry’s rule over them as they wanted this war over. They paid homage to the King of England, agreeing to give him a tithe of all they earn every year. And after a year in Ireland, Henry went back to Aquitaine.
Thus started the age of English Ireland, where everything was pretty much the same in day to day life, but a small amount of all they earned would go and their sons and fathers were drafted to fight with the English kings.
Diarmuid MacMurrough, king of Leinster, is said to have tried to take over the High Throne of Ireland, going as far as raping the High Priestess of Ireland, who disagreed with his standing, so that her title would no longer hold. After years of this struggle, the four other kings of Ireland dethroned Diarmuid and he ran to the continent. He went to King Henry, who was fighting over his wife’s birth place, Aquitaine.
A Norman poet described Diarmuid’s words to Henry, “Henceforth, all days of my life on condition that you be my helper so I don’t lose everything, You I shall acknowledge as sire and lord.” This is perceived by most historians as an agreement to give Henry land if Diarmuid receives help from him. The reasoning behind this is in the words “You I shall acknowledge as sire and lord,” meaning the land which he owns will become the property of Henry, who will rule over it. Henry, who had considered invading Ireland years earlier, agreed to launch a conquest against Ireland.
King Henry then sent out to meet the Pope, Adrian IV, who had a strong influence over the people of western Europe. The king petitioned the pope for a papal Bull (a blessing to invade Ireland), but Adrian IV refused him for some years. However, in the year 1154 issued the Bull. It stated that,
“There is indeed no doubt, as thy Highness doth also acknowledge, that Ireland and all other islands which Christ the Sun of Righteousness had illumined, and which have received the doctrines of the Christian faith, belong to the jurisdiction of St. Peter and of the holy Roman Church ... Thou hast signified to us, indeed, most beloved son in Christ, that thou dost desire to enter into the island of Ireland, in order to subject the people to the laws and to extirpate the vices that have there taken root, and that thou art willing to pay an annual pension to St. Peter of one penny from every house, and to preserve the rights of the churched in that land inviolate and entire. We, therefore, seconding with the favour it deserves they pious and laudable desire, and granting a benignant assent to thy petition, are well please that for the enlargement of the bounds of the church, for the restraint of vice, for the correction of morals and the introduction of virtues, for the advancement of the Christian religion, thou shouldst enter that island, and carry out there the things that look to the honour of God and to its own salvation.” (Lyttleton’s “Life of Henry II.,” vol. v. p. 371)
This excerpt is less than a fifth of the papal Bull, yet it highlights the most important reasonings behind Adrian IV’s consent to invade Ireland. The way the Catholic Church saw it, they practically owned Ireland, as it was a prominently Catholic society, therefore they had a right to send someone to ‘correct’ the behavior of the people. Also, they would see it as permanently putting an end to the pagan religions that the Vikings brought to the island and, in its own way, enlarging the ‘bounds of the church’.
When Adrian IV had issued the papal Bull, Henry II was not in a position to invade Ireland. “Henry was occupied with subduing the Welsh abroad and subduing Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket at home.” (Smith, “The Controversial Pope Who Gave the King of England Permission to Invade Ireland”) The King proposed giving the job to his brother, William, but his mother, Matilda, disagreed. His mother had great influence over the King and the expedition was postponed. However, Henry II gave Diarmuid letters, “Authorising any of Henry’s subjects who so wished to go to Ireland to aid him.” (MacManus, 323)
The letters were publicly read in the town of Bristol. A bold and daring warrior, Richard de Clare (also known as Strongbow), was interested in the prospect of repairing his fortunes. To entice him further, Diarmuid promised his daughter’s hand in marriage if Strongbow would help invade Ireland. This marriage would also give him the heirship of the Leinster kingdom. However, Strongbow was cautious of doing so without King Henry II’s permission, so he sent his half brothers, Robert Fitz Stephen and Maurice Fitz Gerald, to aid Diarmuid.
In May, 1169, with a small body of thirty knights in full armour, sixty horsemen and three hundred archers, Fitz Stephen landed at Bannow, Wexford. Joined soon after by Diarmuid and a group of five hundred men from Leinster. The two groups marched against Wexford, which soon fell, surprised by the skilled soldiers. Diarmuid gave the city to Fitz Stephen and gave nearby towns to de Prendergast and de Mont Maurice, two knights of high rank that had come with. It was soon after the first victories that Henry gave Strongbow permission to go to Ireland, which he did.
The army of Irish and Norman-Welsh marched across the land, defeating all who stood against them and gaining more soldiers as they went. Several chiefs and princes of each region decided not to act and lose men. MacManus, a historian who devoted his life to Irish history, says that, “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.” (MacManus, 324) He means that the Welsh marching with the king of Leinster was not an uncommon sight. Many different people had been brought to Ireland to fight and the princes of the regions saw it as just that.
However, some the four Kings and the High King of Ireland did not want to do nothing as their land was ravaged. Roderick O’Connor, the High King, reached out to Diarmuid, saying “That MacMurrough [Diarmuid] should make submission and that the foreigners should at once depart for Britain.” (MacManus, 324) Diarmuid accepted this request, as he needed peace to put his next plan in action. He managed to convince several princes under O’Connor’s rule to revolt with him and attack Waterford. This they did, and, with the help of Strongbow’s army, they knocked down a portion of the wall surrounding the city and put the two Danish kings within the city to death. It was just after the battle that Strongbow and Aoife (Diarmuid’s daughter) were married in the bloodsoaked castle. This marriage made Strongbow the heir to the throne of Leinster, which he inherited a few months later when Diarmuid died in battle.
King Henry II soon heard of the many successes in Ireland and, fearing that Strongbow would use Ireland against him, called all the English troops and knights to come back to the continent. However, Strongbow found plenty of reasons to refuse and delay as he was still battling some of the Leinster chieftains who had refused to acknowledge him as King. Henry sent more and more orders for Strongbow to come and he hastened to Henry. Strongbow then gave all of “His conquests, cities and territories,” (MacManus, 325) to Henry. The King of England then let Strongbow hold his position as King of Leinster and sent him away after he swore loyalty to him.
However, Henry II wanted all kings of Ireland to swear loyalty to him as their overlord so, in 1171, he came to Ireland. He arrived with an army big enough to scare Strongbow. Henry took the city of Dublin (back from the Danish King) and sent messengers to the rest of the Irish kings. The Irish kings, including Rory O’Connor, High King of Ireland, accepted Henry’s rule over them as they wanted this war over. They paid homage to the King of England, agreeing to give him a tithe of all they earn every year. And after a year in Ireland, Henry went back to Aquitaine.
Thus started the age of English Ireland, where everything was pretty much the same in day to day life, but a small amount of all they earned would go and their sons and fathers were drafted to fight with the English kings.