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BACKGROUND:

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The Normans were a hugely powerful group. In 1066 they had conquered England. 
Soon they would begin to look across the water at IRELAND. 

However the Normans did not simply invade Ireland. It seems they were INVITED over!!! 

How could such a powerful army be invited over? The story of how Ireland was taken over by the Normans is a strange one, but the Normans, when they came, changed Ireland forever. 
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Before the Normans came, Ireland was a very different place! 
  • It was DIVIDED into small Kingdoms 
  • Each had its own King 
  • The HIGH KING or 'ARD RI', was the most powerful of these Kings but rivalry for land and power was always strong!
  • Ireland had very few towns. The only towns were Viking towns like Dublin and Limerick. 
  • Wealth of the Gaelic Kings and chiefs was measured in their cattle. They moved around with their cattle.  
  • There WERE links with Norman England through TRADE & RELIGION
  • There was a lot of fighting for land and power between the Kingdoms.
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DERMOT'S POWERFUL FRIEND (ALLY)!! 

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Dermot was heartbroken and angry at having to leave his kingdom. 

HOWEVER in England he had a powerful ally (friend) to help him. Dermot asked KING HENRY II - The Norman King of England for help. 
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One powerful knight who came to Ulster from England was JOHN DE COURCY. He aimed to  
conquer one area of land that no one else had managed to conquer - the province of ULSTER.
  • In 1177 De Courcy marched North from Dublin with 22 Knights and 300 soldiers.
  • The local king RORY MAC DUNLEAVY ran away to get a larger army to fight De Courcy.
  • However the Irish were no match for the Normans and were beaten badly at DOWNPATRICK.
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  • The Normans were a UNITED and well organised force
  • The Normans were a PROFESSIONAL and well trained force
  • The Normans were much BETTER EQUIPPED
  • The Irish were often DIVIDED among themselves and led badly
  • The Irish were POORLY TRAINED and not full time soldiers
  • The Irish were POORLY EQUIPPED 

De Courcy found himself in a land he had just 'conquered' but that he did not know. He set about trying to control this new land of Ulster. He did this in a number of ways:

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  1. HE BUILT MANY CASTLES ACROSS ULSTER INCLUDING DUNDRUM and CARRICKFERGUS CASTLE.
  2. HE MARRIED THE DAUGHTER OF THE KING OF THE ISLE OF MAN- THIS GAVE HIM ACCESS TO A POWERFUL NAVY   (The King of the Isle of Man was a Viking!) 
  3. HE TRIED TO WIN OVER THE IRISH BY BUILDING CHURCHES AND MONASTERIES
  4. HE BUILT A CATHEDRAL IN DOWNPATRICK AND HAD THE 'BONES' OF ST PATRICK BURIED THERE. 

DE COURCY'S BIG MISTAKE!!!
HOWEVER, De Courcy also had COINS made with his name on one side and St Patrick on the other- this looked like he was ruling the country himself!!
 
The new King, King John, felt De Courcy was becoming a THREAT to his power.

King John ordered another powerful knight HUGH DE LACY to drive John De Courcy out of Ulster.

John De Courcy was forced to leave Ireland - Hugh De Lacy got all his land in return and was made EARL OF ULSTER!  De Courcy died a poor man. 
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© J Wishart 2019