Ireland

by Vincent McDonnell

  Other Irish missionaries went to Germany, which was a very dangerous place at this time. The Visigoths, the Vandals and another tribe of people, the Huns, were constantly fighting for supremacy. The Visigoths were successful, but they were then attacked around 750 by Arabs and Berbers who came from the east. Despite this constant warfare, the Irish missionaries founded monasteries there which also became centres of learning. It is claimed that these monasteries kept learning alive in Europe during the Dark Ages. Because of the influence of these Irish missionaries in Europe, many people from there came to Ireland to be educated at our monasteries and this too helped to keep learning alive outside Ireland.

  But not all these holy Irishmen lived in large monasteries, or travelled abroad. Many became hermits, or lived in small groups in lonely, uninhabited places. One of the most famous of those places is the hermitage on Skellig Michael, which is little more than a large rock off the coast of Kerry. Here, with flat stones, the monks built huts, resembling beehives, and lived simple lives of poverty, fasting and prayer.

  Of course, Ireland wasn’t totally at peace during those times, but compared to Britain and Europe, it was a haven of tranquillity. Wars were still fought between different kings as they sought power for themselves. Over the 400 or so years of the Golden Age, new families, or clans, emerged as the most powerful and important in the country. The most famous and powerful of these were the O’Neills of Ulster, the O’Briens of Munster and the O’Connors of Connacht, all of whom would play major parts in the future history of Ireland.

  We said earlier that whoever ruled at Tara claimed to be High King of Ireland. Though he did have great power, he didn’t really control the whole country. As other families, or clans, became more powerful, the power and influence of the king of Tara waned. Eventually, the great fortress became uninhabited and reverted to the green grassy hill it once had been, just as had happened to Navan fort in Armagh. If history teaches us anything, it is that the powerful eventually fall, and even great empires crumble to dust and that nothing, not even a Golden Age, lasts forever.

  After 400 or so years of the Golden Age, dark clouds began to gather over Ireland. A storm was approaching the shores, but this was not a storm of nature. This was a storm of men and it brought fierce, brutal warriors from Scandinavia to plunder the monasteries and to kill anyone who dared oppose them. These men were known as the Vikings, and were some of the most feared warriors ever to invade Ireland. Like the young boy, Patrick, they too were destined to change the course of Irish history: this time not with the gospel, but with killing and bloodshed.

  10

  The Vikings

  It must have been a terrifying sight to see a Viking raiding party coming ashore from their longboats. These boats were not like the Irish boats, which were made of timber frames covered in animal skins. The longboats, up to 20 metres in length, were built of overlapping oak planks and could carry 100 men. They were propelled by oars and by a sail, and had gigantic carved prows, which often depicted the head of a terrifying imaginary creature like a dragon.

  The Viking men were big and burly and dressed in rough breeches and tunics made of wool or leather and woollen cloaks. They wore helmets, which were much like iron bowls turned upside down. A piece of metal hung down at the front to protect the nose. Today, these helmets are usually depicted as having had horns at either side, rather like the horns of a cow or goat. Historians now believe that they did not have such horns. But the warriors must have still looked menacing, and this impression would have been enhanced by the fact that most of them would have had great shaggy beards and long unruly hair. They would have been screaming and beating their swords against their shields as they carried out their raids.

  They were very well armed with spears and swords and battleaxes and also with bows and arrows. All warriors carried a shield made of wood with a leather cover, and these shields were hung along the sides of the boat while they were at sea. If they were attacked, they could raise the shields to form a barrier from behind which they could fight their enemy. Only the most important of the warriors had swords, and these were highly decorated and carried in wooden scabbards, which were then hung from their waists by leather thongs. The Vikings were very proud of their swords and actually gave them names, like Leg-biter. This name might seem amusing, but it would not have been at all funny if your leg was ‘bitten off’ by a slash from this sword. The Vikings themselves also had nicknames, like Flat Nose, Hairy Breeks, Belly Shaker and Skull Splitter. Again, they might seem amusing, but don’t you wonder how Skull Splitter got his name? I certainly wouldn’t wish to meet him!

  The Vikings came from Norway, Sweden and Denmark and were pagans. Many of them were farmers and fishermen and only went raiding other countries in their spare time. They were magnificent seafarers and one of them, Eric the Red, is supposed to have sailed to America in about the year 1000. The Vikings not only raided the coast of Ireland, but also the coasts of Britain, France, Germany and other parts of Europe. Like the Irish raiders of earlier times, they were seeking food and goods and valuable objects made of precious metals and slaves.

  When they first attacked Ireland around AD 795, they only raided along the coast. They came quickly and without warning from the sea, attacked a monastery or a settlement, and withdrew again as quickly as they had come, taking their booty and slaves with them. Later, because their boats were light and easy to manoeuvre, they began to raid inland, travelling deep into the country by river.

  At first, the Irish had no answer to these raiders. Those who lived in the monasteries were holy, peaceful men and not warriors. They were easily overcome, though not without a great deal of bloodshed, for the Vikings were bloodthirsty, and even killed people who posed them no threat.

  As the number of raids increased, the monks took action to protect themselves. Whenever there was the threat of an attack, they hid their most valued treasures, usually by burying them. This is why from time to time we have found this buried treasure. In these circumstances, we have to assume that no one was left behind in the monastery to dig up the treasure once the Vikings left. So everyone must have been killed or taken as slaves.

  The monks also built round towers, tall circular buildings, which also doubled as bell towers, the bell being rung to warn of a raid. These towers, which can still be seen dotted0 about the Irish countryside, could have up to five floors, which were reached by ladders inside the tower. The most important point about these towers was that the only entrance was situated high up on the wall and could only be reached by a ladder, which then could be pulled up once everyone was inside.

  The ringing of the bell must have struck terror into everyone who heard it. All knew that they had to gain the safety of the round tower before the bloodthirsty warriors arrived. Everyone in the monastery and the surrounding area would have stopped what they were doing and rushed to the tower. There would have been great panic and much screaming and crying. In the distance, the terror-stricken people would have heard the more terrifying screams and shouts and the beating of weapons on shields of the approaching raiders.

  Amidst great confusion, the people would have scrambled up the ladder and into the tower. Once everyone was inside, the ladder was drawn up and the entrance closed off by a heavy wooden door. The people inside were now safe from attack and from narrow slits in the walls could defend themselves. They may have been able to throw spears at the Vikings or shoot arrows at them or throw stones down on top of them. But they could not prevent the plundering and burning that went on, and could only look on helplessly until the raiders had taken whatever was of value and returned to their ships, leaving buildings and crops in flames.

  After years of carrying out raids on Ireland, the Vikings changed their tactics. Instead of returning home after a raid, they remained behind, at first settling along the coast. They founded settlements in Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Cork and Limerick, and these settlements eventually became towns and great centres of trade. Within fifty years of
their first raids, a Viking, Olaf the White, ruled Dublin. When he was killed, Ivar the Boneless, son of Ragnar Hairy-Britches, became king.

  During this time the Vikings continued to fight the native Irish and to raid monasteries and other settlements. Then, like the Celts before them, they began to mingle with the Irish population. Marriages took place between the Vikings and the Irish. Alliances were also formed and often the Vikings and an Irish king would join forces to wage war on another Irish king or even on other Vikings. One great battle was fought at Tara in 980 in which Malachy II, king of Meath and who claimed to be the High King, defeated the Vikings and their Irish allies. Malachy also defeated and captured another Viking warrior, Turgeis. He had Turgeis placed in a barrel, which was then rolled down a hill into Lough Ennell, County Westmeath, where the Viking leader drowned.

  At this time, there was still no real High King of Ireland, though many kings, like Malachy II, laid claim to such a title. Then around the year 1000 a man emerged who could rightly claim to be the High King of Ireland. His name was Brian Boru, and he was already king of the O’Briens of Munster.

  Brian Boru was born around AD 940 and lived at the O’Briens fort at Kincora, near Killaloe, County Clare. He defeated the Vikings and his Irish enemies in many battles, and threatened to make war on Malachy II to ensure the High King’s title for himself. Malachy, not wishing to make war, yielded, and Brian Boru became the first real High King of Ireland in 1002.

  Brian was a good High King and wished to rid the country of the Vikings. In the year 1014, he gathered a large army and marched on Dublin, which was the chief Viking town in Ireland. At Clontarf, on Good Friday, 23 April 1014, Brian’s men met an army of Vikings and their Irish allies from Leinster. The fierce battle, the largest fought in Ireland up to that time, raged all day. Brian’s army triumphed and facing defeat, the Vikings tried to flee to their ships. However, many were drowned as the tide came in and trapped them.

  By now, Brian Boru was an old man and did not take part in the battle. Instead, he stayed in his royal tent praying for victory. A fleeing Viking, Brodar, king of the Isle of Man, burst into Brian’s tent and slew him with one blow of his battleaxe before he himself was killed by Brian’s men.

  While the Battle of Clontarf forever broke the power of the Vikings in Ireland, Brian’s death left the position of High King in a weakened state. Almost 150 years would pass, along with much fighting among the different clans, before another man could claim to be High King of all Ireland.

  But though the Vikings had been defeated, all of them did not leave Ireland. Instead, they remained, mostly in the towns. They introduced the use of money, and Dublin was the first Irish town to use coins. The towns along the coast continued trading with Britain and the continent, and as a result they grew bigger and became important centres where trades and crafts were carried out. Dublin (in Gaelic Dubh Linn, the ‘black pool’) was the most important of all the towns. From the time of the Vikings it became the capital of Ireland.

  The Vikings who remained in Ireland and the native Irish continued to merge, especially in the towns, while the various kings continued fighting among themselves. Each king desired to be High King and over the next 150 years one king or another tried to claim the title. Eventually, about 1150, the O’Connors of Connacht emerged as the most powerful clan in the country. Their leader was Rory O’Connor, and by 1169 he could rightly claim to be High King. But what he or his followers, or indeed anyone else in Ireland could not have known was that Rory was destined to be the last High King of Ireland. For another dark storm was brewing over the country, a storm of wars and bloodshed that was to make the Viking wars seem insignificant in comparison.

  A new enemy, much stronger and more dangerous than the Vikings, was about to invade Ireland. This enemy would not be so easily defeated and was destined to plunge Ireland into centuries of wars, rebellions, hardship and bloodshed. The dispute that led to the invasion began, as many such disputes do, over the minor matter of who should be king of Leinster. But it persisted for 800 years over the more important matter of who should be king of Ireland.

  11

  The Normans

  Once again we must look at the history of other countries in order to understand what happened in Ireland in 1169, and so we must go back to the year 1066. By then the Angles and Saxons had invaded and conquered England, and one of them, named Harold, was king. But he was not entitled to the throne.

  The previous king of England had been Edward. He had been friendly with the people who lived in northern France, and who called themselves Normans. Many of them came to England to live at the Royal Court and Edward promised one of them, William, Duke of Normandy, that he could be king of England when Edward died.

  The English people, now known as Anglo-Saxons, did not like the Normans, nor did they like Edward for inviting them to England. When Edward died, the people accepted Harold as their king. This angered William, and he became determined to invade England and claim the throne, which he had been promised by Edward.

  In October 1066, William landed with a great army in the south of England. King Harold, with his army, marched to meet him. They met in a great battle at Hastings on Saturday 15 October 1066. Harold’s army fought very bravely, but were defeated. Harold was killed at the end of the battle, one of only two English monarchs to die on the battlefield. Legend claims that he was accidentally shot through the eye by an arrow fired by one of his own men. He was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England and it was also the last time that England was conquered. William now declared himself king of England, and was crowned at Westminster on Christmas Day 1066. He fought many battles in France during his reign and was so successful at winning that he is known as William the Conqueror.

  None of the Irish kings would have cared about this event, even if they had heard about it. At the time of the Battle of Hastings, they were, as usual, fighting among themselves over who should be High King to succeed Brian Boru, who had given himself the title Emperor of the Irish. Among those who wished to be High King were those from Brian’s own tribe, the O’Briens, along with the O’Neills of Ulster and the O’Connors of Connacht. But none of them emerged as a recognised High King until the O’Connors of Connacht claimed that title. The most famous member of the family was Rory O’Connor, who became the last High King of Ireland in 1166.

  When Rory became High King, trouble was already brewing. This trouble was caused by the king of Leinster, Dermot MacMurrough. He was an ambitious man and wanted to be High King. He was continually at war with his neighbouring kings, and his fiercest enemy was Tiernan O’Rourke, the one-eyed king of Breffni. In 1152 MacMurrough raided Breffni, stole cattle and abducted O’Rourke’s wife, whom he held prisoner for a year. MacMurrough, though, claimed that she wished to leave her husband, and he had simply helped her. Whichever story is true, O’Rourke hated MacMurrough, and wanted revenge. His chance came in 1166.

  By then MacMurrough’s power had been weakened by constant fighting, and many of his supporters were dead. Aided by Rory O’Connor, O’Rourke and his allies marched against MacMurrough and defeated him in a number of battles. When his palace at Ferns in Wexford was captured, MacMurrough fled.

  He sailed from Ireland to England to ask Henry II, who was then king of England, for help to regain his throne. Henry was away fighting in France and MacMurrough went there and met the king at Aquitane. Henry, like most kings, wanted more power and land, and had often considered conquering Ireland. But as his army was not large enough to fight in France and also invade Ireland, he had not done so. He didn’t have any soldiers to loan to MacMurrough, but gave him permission to seek help from the Norman knights in Wales.

  MacMurrough travelled to Wales where some Norman knights agreed to fight for him, one of whom was Richard Fitzgilbert de Clare. He was an expert with the longbow, a powerful weapon at the time, and was also known by the nickname ‘Strongbow’. He had been the Earl of Pembroke, but had lost his lands when he took sides against King Henry II
in one of the many disputes that arose over who should be king of England. Strongbow was anxious to regain land and power, and saw his opportunity. He was also an ambitious man who wanted to be a king in his own right. He made a bargain with Dermot that if he could marry Dermot’s eldest daughter, Aoife, and become king of Leinster on Dermot’s death, he would be willing to help.

  Dermot, desperate to have revenge on his enemies and regain his kingdom, agreed to this. It was a terrible decision for Ireland and would lead to 800 years of strife in the country. Even yet the effects of that decision can be seen in the division of the country into the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

  Dermot sailed for Ireland with some Norman knights, and at first had some success in battle. Eventually, Rory O’Connor and his allies defeated Dermot and his Norman knights, but now Rory made a serious mistake. Instead of driving Dermot and the Normans from Ireland, Rory forgave Dermot and allowed him to be king of part of Leinster. Dermot, instead of being thankful, became more determined to regain the whole of Leinster, and sought more help from the Normans in Wales. In May 1169, a Norman force landed at Bannow Bay, County Wexford. They marched on Wexford and captured the town. MacMurrough joined them, still determined to win back the kingship of all Leinster, but as yet he did not have enough men.

  This problem was partly solved in the spring of 1170 when Raymond le Gros, landed in Waterford with a large Norman force. Strongbow then arrived in August 1170 with 200 Norman knights and 1,000 soldiers. Joined by MacMurrough’s forces and those of Raymond le Gros, they marched on Waterford. The citizens fought bravely, but eventually the city was captured. Here, as promised, Strongbow married Dermot’s daughter, Aoife, thus ensuring that the Norman knight would become king of Leinster when Dermot died.