Dermot Mac Murrough and recapture of Leinster

Medieval Resources - Dermot Mac Murrough and recapture of Leinster

In 1155 Henry 2nd was given permission by Pope Adrian 4th to invade Ireland because of the low moral culture high divorce rate and the drift away from Christianity; however Henry was preoccupied with problems in Wales and Aquatain and so did not invade.

In 1166 Dermait King of Leinster fled to England having abducted the wife of the King of Meath. This led to a pact between The King of Meath Ua Ruairc and Ruaidri , Prince of Connacht at that time also the High King. Dermait had been a demanding King and his people now abandoned him. He sought out Henry and found him in Aquatain, Henry refused to provide an army but granted Dermait permission to raise a force of mercenaries.

Dermait eventually met up with Richard de Clare Lord of Strigoil in Bristol and an agreement was reached - If Richard helped Dermait to regain his throne he would give Richard the hand of his daughter Eva in marriage and acknowledge him as his successor to the throne of Leinster. Dermait travelled to South Wales and met Robert Fitzstephen and Maurice Fitzgerald, for their help they were promised the grant of the City of Wexford and 2 cantreds of land they agreed to invade in the spring of 1169.

May 1st 1169 Robert Fitzstephen plus 30 Knights 60 men wearing mail and 300 foot archers from amongst the military elite in Wales.
Amongst the company was also Hervey Montmorency who was both a nephew and spy for Richard de Clare of Strogoil, the army landed at Bannow and sent messengers to Dermait who joined with 500 men.

The people of Wexford were frightened by this army with its armour, horses and archers quite unlike the traditional unfettered Irish way of fighting in only white linen vests and with swords, spears and darts. The people of Wexford initially advanced until they saw the battle array then they retreated behind the town walls burning all the suburbs as they went.
Raymond's first attack was repulsed with only one knight Richard de Barry being hit over the head by a lump of wood thrown from the city walls. An attack was therefore made on the harbour and that and ships captured.

On the second day the citizens of Wexford sought peace and surrendered themselves to Dermaits authority. He gave the city and its lands to Fitzstephen and fitzgerald and 2 cantreds of land were given to Hervey of Montmorency. With extra forces from Wexford Dermait now attacked Osary. Domnall the prince of Osary held Dermaits eldest son as a hostage from their previous conflict. He disliked Dermait and threatened to blind his son if Dermait did not pull back Dermait continued and captured Osary but his son was blinded.

After a long guerrilla war the prince of Osary swore allegiance to Dermait who had now recaptured all his territory.
Dermait now set his sights higher and decided to take over Connacht together with the Kingship of all Ireland. He met with Fitzstephans and fitzgerald to discuss his plans and they persuaded him that he needed more Knights and archers. Dermait offered each of them in turn the hand of his daughter Eva but as they were already married they declined and so Dermait agreed to write to Richard De Clare lord of Strigoil who he had met in Bristol to request men.

Richard sent in advance Richard Le Gros with 10 Knights and 70 archers. Le Gros was a nephew of both Fitzgerald and Fitzstephen. He landed at Dundunnolf near Waterford,-the citizens of Waterford were unhappy with this force close by and sent a force across the river Suir the boundary between Desmond and Leinster. Richard Le Gros attacked the citizens army but was beaten back into a small fort they had made.

A defence was made at the gate and many of the citizens were killed the rest then retreated and the Normans then rode them down, most notably a knight by name of William Ferrand who very ill with Leprosy wished to die a glorious death rather than a sickly one. Citizens of Waterford then retreated back to the city and were placed under siege

Aug 23rd Richard De Clare arrived with 200 Knights and 1000 other trained fighting men.

An Irish prophet Moling, had predicted the downfall of the Irish Kings by saying that "A great one will come forerunner of one yet greater and with excellent well armed forces to widen the path prepared for him"

Raymond and 40 Knights joined Richard at Waterford to assault the town. They were twice repulsed before Richard noticed a house projecting from a beam built into the town wall.
He ordered his men to cut out the beam and when they succeeded the house collapsed bringing down good part of the city wall.
This provided access for the troops of Richard and they took the town.

Richard then married Dermaits daughter Eva and then the forces advanced on Dublin. Darmait disliked the Viking Rulers of Dublin for they had killed his father and buried him with a dog - a form of disgrace.

Firstly Dermait tried to make a peace pact through the Archbishop Laurence O Toole so Dermait with a knight Miles de Cogan attacked and were immediately successful

The Vikings under Askulv took their treasures and fled
Miles De Cogan was left as Governer while Dermait overran Meath
The high King at the time Ruiadri The prince of Connacht was greatly annoyed at the challenge to his authority and wrote to Dreamed saying "When a neighbours wall is ablaze contrary to our treaty and you have invaded into this island a large number of foreigners we with good grace put up with this while you confined yourself to Leinster. But now since you are unmindful of your oath and without feelings of pity for the hostages you have given and that you have arrogantly trespassed beyond the stipulated limits and your ancestral boundaries you must either restrain the forays of your foreign troops for the future or else we will send you without fail the severed head of your son"

Dermaid refused to comply saying he was by right the ruler of Connacht and would be King of all Ireland. Ruaidri then condemned to death the son of Dermaid.

Meanwhile Raymond LE Gros had advanced on Lismore and plundered the territory and loaded 13 ships to send the goods back to Wales. While they were waiting for the wind a fleet of 32 ships from Cork attacked. A navel battle took place but while the Irish had stones and spears and axes the Normans used arrows and bolts. The Cork fleet was defeated and their leader Gilbert MacTurger was killed by a youth called Phillip of Wales.
Adam of Hereford then in command of the Norman fleet added the Irish boats to his command. Raymond heard of the encounter and rode to Lismore with 20 Knights and 60 archers and drove the king of Desmond also called Dermait from the town

About this time Domnall king of Limerick went back on his oath of support to Dermait of Lienster.Raymond on Dermaits behalf took a force of 120 Knights, 300horse archers and 400 foot archers and in October attacked Limerick. They were initially held up by the swift flowing Shannon Raymonds nephew David the Welshman and a Knight Geoffrey Judas forded the rushing river but nobody followed and on their return Geoffrey was drowned.

Meilor another nephew of Raymond perhaps jealous of David then rushed the river and was pinned down by the defenders of Limerick. Raymond who was at the back of his forces heard the commotion and moved to the riverbanks to see what was happening. He saw his nephew under attack and immediately rallied his troops and waded through the river at they're head with all others following. Only two archers and a single Knight Guido were drowned - Limerick then capitulated.

Richard stongbow then returned to Wales where he faced the wrath of Henry 2nd, Hervey of Montmorency intervened and Richard was pardoned, the king then raised an army of 500 Knights with many mounted and foot archers and arrived in Ireland in 1172