After being ousted from his kingship in Leinster, and seeking help from King
Henry II of England, Dermot MacMurrough enlisted the assistance of Richard
fitz Gilbert de Clare, would-be earl of Pembroke (Wales), and a group of Cambro-Norman
barons including the half-brothers Maurice FitzGerald and Robert FitzStephen,
both sons of the Welsh princess Nesta. Maurice and Robert were promised Wexford
town and two adjoining cantreds for their services, while de Clare, also known
as Strongbow, was offered Dermot's daughter Aoife in marriage and promised
the whole province of Leinster on Dermot's death. Between 1168 and 1171 the
Cambro-Normans not only reconquered all of Leinster with Dermot MacMurrough, including Dublin,
but invaded the neighboring province of Meath and harried Tighernan O'Rourke's
kingdom of Breifne.
Dermot MacMurrough died in May 1171, and Strongbow established himself as lord of Leinster,
after crushing a general revolt of the Leinster Irish and Ostmen. Fearing Stongbow's new found
power in southeastern Ireland, King Henry II (of England) landed with a large army near Waterford
on October 17, 1171. In his Irish campaign Henry received recognition and hostages from the Ostmen (Vikings) of Wexford, who had captured Robert FitzStephen, as well as from many other kings in Ireland. Among those was said to include Dermot McCarthy (Diarmait MacCarthaigh), king of Cork; Donal Mor O'Brien (Domhnall Mor O Briain), king of Limerick; Murchadh O'Carroll (O Cearbhaill),
king of Airgialla; Tighearnan O'Rourke (O Ruairc), king of Breifne; and
Donn Sleibhe MacDunleavy (MacDuinnshleibhe), king of Ulaid. Henry made a formal
grant to Strongbow of Leinster in return for homage, fealty, and the service
of 100 knights, reserving to himself the city and kingdom of Dublin and all
seaports and fortresses.
Henry granted the kingdom of Meath, from the Shannon to the sea, to his own
follower Hugh de Lacy. By 1177 John de Courcy conquered Ulaid in northeastern
Ireland. Two Irish kingdoms in Munster, considered to be in rebellion, were
speculatively granted away. Parts of Cork went to Robert FitzStephen and
Miles de Cogan, who took possession of seven cantreds and exacted tribute
from McCarthy for the remaining twenty-four. Limerick went to Philip de
Braose and others, who failed to conquer any land at all from O'Brien.
Following Strongbow's death in 1176 William Marshall, his son in law, was
placed in lordship of Leinster. In 1185 Theobald Walter, Philip of
Worcester and William de Burgh were introduced into the northeast portion
of O'Brien's kingdom of Limerick (Thomond). In 1189 the kingdom of Airgialla
was divided between Gilbert Pipard and Bertram de Verdon following the death
of King Murchadh O'Carroll. By 1200 the roots of the Cambro-Norman influence
in Ireland had been firmly planted by Henry II and his son and successor,
John. What followed was a period of both Norman and Irish provincial lords
and kings.
Some of the men claimed to have joined Strongbow and Henry II during the
Cambro-Norman invasion of Ireland included Robert FitzStephen, Maurice
Fitzgerald, Maurice de Pendergast, Raymond le Gros Fitzgerald de Carew,
Hervey de Montmaurice, Philip and Robert and William de Barri, Giraldus
Cambrensis, Milo and Richard de Cogan, Hugh de Lacey, Philip de Braose,
John de Courcy, Adam de Hereford, Robert le Poer, David and Philip Brenach
(Walsh), William FitzAdelm de Burgo, Meyler FitzHenry, Walter de Ridelsford,
David and Adam and Henry de la Roche, Redmund FitzHugh, William de Wall,
William and Phillipe le Hore, Walter Fitzgerald, Theobald FitzWalter le
Boutiller (Butler), Robert de Bermingham, Miles FitzDavid, Roger de Gernon,
Philip de Hastings, Gilbert d'Angulo,
...
Greater Ua Mael Doraig - O'Muldory
Mac Lochlainn - MacLaughlin
Ua Neill - O'Neil
Mac Duinnsleibe - Donlevy or Dunleavy
Ua Cerbaill - O'Carroll (Monaghan)
Ua Ruairc - O'Rourke
Ua Maelsechnaill - MacLaughlin (Meath)
Ua Conchobhair - O'Connor
Ua Briain - O'Brien
Mac Murchada - MacMurrough
Mac Cathaig - McCarthy
Lesser (from north to south on the map)
Ua Dorchartaig - Doherty/Dougherty (Donegal)
Ua Cathain - O'Cahan or Kane/Keane (Donegal/Derry)
Ua Flainn - O'Flynn (Antrim)
Ua Gairmledaig - O'Gormley (Donegal/Tyrone)
Mac Cana - MacCann (Armagh)
Ua hAnluain - O'Hanlon (Armagh)
Mac Cathmail - Campbell (Tyrone/Fermanagh)
Ua hEicnig - Heany or MacAnenay (Fermanagh)
Mac Oengussa - Guinness or Magennis (Down)
Ua Dubda - O'Dowd (Sligo)
Ua hEgra - O'Hara (Sligo)
Ua Ragallaig - O'Reilly (Cavan)
Ua Maille - O'Malley (Mayo)
Ua Mael Ruanaid - Mulrooney? (Sligo/Mayo/Roscommon)
Ua Gadra - O'Gara (Sligo/Roscommon)
Mac Ragnaill - MacRannell (Roscommon)
Ua Caindelbain - Conlon or Quinlan (Meath)
Ua Congalaig - O'Connolly (Dublin/Meath)
Ua Fergail - O'Farrell (Longford)
Ua Cellaig - O'Kelly (Roscommon)
Ua Flaithbertaig - O'Flaherty (Galway)
Mac Cochlain - Coughlan (Offaly)
Ua Conchobhair Failge - O'Connor Faly (Offaly)
Ua hEidin - Hayden or O'Headon (Galway)
Ua Matudain - O'Madden (Galway)
Ua Tuathail - O'Toole (Kildare/Wicklow)
Mac Faelain - Phelan (Laois)
Mac Gilla Mocholmac - FitzDermot (Dublin/Wicklow)
Ua Lochlainn - O'Lochlain or O'Loughlin (Clare)
Ua Dimmussaig - O'Dempsey (Laois/Offaly)
Ua Cennetig - Kennedy (Tipperary)
Mac Conmara - MacNamara (Clare)
Ua Gormain - O'Gorman (Laois/Carlow)
Ua Mael Riain - O'Mulryan or Ryan (Limerick/Tipperary)
Ua Nuallain - Nolan (Carlow/Kilkenny)
Ua Duibir - O'Dwyer (Tipperary)
Ua Donnabain - O'Donovan (Cork/Limerick)
Ua Faelain - Phelan or Whelan (Waterford)
Ua Bric - Brick (Waterford/West Cork)
Ua Failbe - O'Falvey (Kerry)
Ua Suillebain - Sullivan (Kerry
Ua Muirchertaig - Moriarity (Kerry)
Ua Caim - O'Keefe (Cork)
Ua Segda - O'Shea (Kerry)
Ua Donnchada - Donohue (Cork)
Ua hEitirsceoil - O'Driscoll (Cork)
1100
1300
