1167 CE - Dairmait meets with Henry and Strongbow

by Larry Chamberlin

Henry gives Dairmait letters patent to Henry's liegemen, giving his blessing to anyone who would aid Dairmait, so long as they take the Irish lands in the name of the Norman-Anglo Crown. Henry then sent Dairmait back to Wales in hopes that the Geraldines, whose shifting treacheries had caused him problems enough in Wales, would take the opportunity to burden a different country with their glory hunting.

Dairmait returned to Bristol, obtaining the assistance of Richard Fitzgilbert de Clare, the Norman earl of Pembroke, better known to history as "Strongbow." The deal between the men included Aifa's hand in marriage and the heirship of the Leinster throne. Strongbow was unaware that Dairmait could not deliver on either of these promises. Unlike Norman, Irish women were free to make their own choice as to marriage. Furthermore, an Irish king did not necessarily name his successor, the decision was made by the princely family from available candidates. Dairmait, though, had his man despite the lies it took to get him. Strongbow sent Dairmait to South Wales to secure the assistance of Strongbow's kinsmen, the Geraldines. Maurice Fitzgerald and Robert Fitzstephen accepted the challenge, in exchange for the Viking town of Wexford, which Dairmait pledged even though he had no legitimate claim to it. Dairmait then returned to Ireland, holing up in a monastery in Ferns, his former capital, and warring.

Sources:

Oxford History of Ireland, ed. R. F. Foster, Oxford University Press, (c)1989, ISBN 0-19-285271-X

A History of Ireland, Peter & Fiona Somerset Fry, Rutledge, (c)1988 & Barnes & Noble [reprint] 1993, ISBN: 1-56619-215-3

Chronicles of the Celts, Iain Zaczek, Collins & Brown, London, (c)1996, ISBN: 1-85585-407-4

The Geraldines, an Experiment in Irish Government, 1169 - 1601, Brian Fitzgerald, The Devin-Adair Company, New York, 1952; Staples Printers Ltd., Rochester, Kent, (c)1951

The World of the Celts, Simon James, Thames and Hudson Ltd., 1993, ISBN 0-500-0567-8

The People of Ireland, ed. Patrick Loughery, New Amsterdam Books, N.Y., (c)1989, ISBN: 0-941533-55-7

***The Celts, Jean Markale (orig. publ. as "Les Celts et la Civilsation Celtique" by Payot, Paris, 1976; U.S. ed. publ. by Inner Traditions, Rochester, Vermont, 1993, ISBN: 0-89281-413-6)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: *** = These tracts deal with mythical legends and historical events, without clearly distinguishing between the two. Markale, while presenting the historical texts of the contemporary writers in great detail and with a fine critical analysis, nonetheless includes events from Irish legend without properly disclaiming their authenticity. Despite this shortcoming, if one is cautious enough to note the sources, the books is excellent.

prepared by Larry Chamberlin

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