The Norman invasion of Ireland (1169–1172) was an expedition of the troops of Anglo-Norman feudal lords, and then of the English King Henry II to Ireland. This laid the beginning of the English colonization of Ireland.
The invasion took place in two stages. The first stage began on May 1, 1169, when troops of the Norman knights landed near Barnow (County Wexford ) at the invitation of Dermot McMurrow, the overthrown King of Leinster, who hoped for their support in reconquering his kingdom.
The second phase began on October 18, 1171, when King Henry II landed at Waterford with a large army, taking command of the Norman forces previously operating in Ireland. During the conquest, he took Dublin and took the oath of the Irish kings and bishops in 1172, creating the Lordship of Ireland, which became part of the Anjou Empire.
Historical background
Pope Adrian IV, the only English Pope, among his first decrees, issued a bull in 1155, giving Henry the authority to invade Ireland, which was to contribute to the reform of the Irish church and its subordination to the papal throne. This bull, “Laudabiliter”, actually spread papal suzerainty not only to Ireland, but also to all islands off the coast of Europe.
Pope Alexander III, who ruled during the invasion of Ireland, confirmed the action of “Laudabiliter” in his “Privilege” of 1172.
1169 invasion
Having lost the defense of the Tirone ruler Moyrhtah Mack Lohlinen, the High King of Ireland, who died in 1166, McMurrow was expelled by the confederation of Irish forces led by the new High King Rory O’Connor. McMurrow went first to Bristol and then to Normandy. Once he was there he asked and later received from Henry II of England the right to use his subjects for the return of his kingdom. Having taken the oath of loyalty from Dermot, Heinrich handed him the following certificate:
“Heinrich, King of England, Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou, welcomes all his vassals, English, Normans, Welsh and Scots, as well as all others under his rule. When these letters fall into your hands, know that we have taken in the bosom of our mercy and favor. Therefore, everyone in our vast possessions should be ready to assist in the restoration of this prince as our vassal and subject. Let such a person know that we give him our right and mercy for the specified enterprise. ”
By 1167, McMurrow had enlisted the support of Maurice Fitz-Gerald, and then persuaded Reese ap Griefud, the ruler of Deheubart, to release Fitz Gerald, Robert Fitz-Stefan, from captivity, to take part in the expedition. Of particular importance was the support of Richard de Claire, Count of Pembroke, nicknamed Strongbow.
The first Norman knight to appear in Ireland was Richard Fitz-Godbert de Roche in 1167, but the bulk of this Norman-Welsh-Flemish army landed in 1169 at Wexford. Within a short time, Leinster was conquered, Waterford and Dublin came under the control of Dermot. Strongbow married the daughter of Dermot Ife and was proclaimed heir to the Leinster crown. This circumstance worried Henry II, who feared the creation of a rival Norman state in Ireland. Therefore, he decided to visit Ireland to assert his authority there.
The arrival of Henry II in 1171
Heinrich in 1158 received from Pope Adrian IV, an Englishman by birth, a bull to conquer Ireland. It was assumed that the king of Ireland will be the younger brother of Henry, Wilhelm. But Wilhelm soon died, and the Irish project was postponed. It became relevant again in 1166. The king of Leinster Diarmuid poppy Moorhad was expelled from his dominion by the supreme king of Ireland, Ruaydry Ua Konhobyr. Diarmuid arrived in Aquitaine, where he asked for help from Henry II. The English king, engaged in continental affairs, issued a letter to Diarmuid, according to which he could hire troops. Richard de Claire became ally of King Leinster, who became the son-in-law and heir to Diarmuid.
Henry II gives permission for Diarmaid poppy Moorhad to form forces to return Leinster.
In 1167 – 1171, the English knights restored Diarmuid and began the struggle for power over the whole island. The excessive strengthening of the vassals caused concern to Henry, who planned to requisition their English possessions. Richard de Clare proposed becoming vassal of King Henry II as Lord Leicester.
Heinrich arrived at the head of a large fleet at Waterford in 1171, becoming the first king of England to set foot on Irish land. Both Waterford and Dublin were proclaimed royal cities. In November, Heinrich took the oath of the Irish kings in Dublin. In 1172, Heinrich assembled the Irish bishops of the Cathedral of Cashel and ruled the Irish church as well as the English one. Adrian’s successor, Pope Alexander III, approved Henry’s rights to Ireland: “… following in the footsteps of the late Reverend Pope Adrian, and also hoping to see the fruits of our own sincere hopes for this leader, we will ratify and reaffirm the permission of the said pope given to you in dominion over the Irish kingdom. ”
Heinrich was recognized by most Irish kings who saw this as an opportunity to curb the expansion of Leinster and the Normans. After that, he went to England to negotiate with the papal legates, who were investigating the death of Thomas Becket in 1170, and then to France to suppress the rebellion of his sons in 1173-1174. His next step in Ireland was the signing of the Windsor Treaty with Rory O (King of Connacht ) in 1175.
Two years later, when Dermot and Strongbow were no longer alive, and Heinrich returned to England, it became clear that the contract was not worth the paper on which it was written. John de Courcy conquered much of East Ulster in 1177. Raymond Fitz-Gerald (aka Raymond Le Grosse) had already captured Limerick and most of the Thomond kingdom (North Munster), and other Norman clans, such as Prendergast, Fitz-Stephen, Fitz-Gerald, Fitz-Henry and Le Poer snatched small kingdoms for themselves.
In 1185, Heinrich appointed his youngest son, 18-year-old John, with the title of Dominus Hiberniae (ruler of Ireland), the ruler of his Irish territories, and planned to form from these lands a kingdom for him. When John unexpectedly replaced his brother Richard on the royal throne in 1199, lordship became the possession of the English crown.
Sources:
Saprykin, Yu. M. English conquest of Ireland, XII — XVII centuries