Colonisation and Conquest in Medieval Ireland The English in Louth, 1170–1330

The history of English rule in Ireland stretches back to the twelfth century. This book examines the actions of the earliest English settlers in Ireland and asks a number of questions about the society they developed there. Why did these people come to Ireland? How did they interact with the native Irish neighbors? What was the nature of their relationship with England? This was also a time of English expansion in Wales and Scotland, and the book suggests comparisons and contrasts with the Irish experience in this broader setting.

This book examines the development of English colonial society in the eastern coastal area of Ireland now known as county Louth, in the period 1170–1330. At its heart is the story of two relationships: that between settler and native in Louth, and that between the settlers and England. An important part of the story is the comparison with parts of Britain which witnessed similar English colonization. Fifty years before the arrival of the English, Louth was incorporated into the Irish kingdom of Airgialla, experiencing rapid change in the political and ecclesiastical spheres under its dynamic ruler Donnchad Ua Cerbaill. The impact of this legacy on English settlement is given due prominence. The book also explores the reasons why well-to-do members of local society in the West Midlands of England in the reigns of Henry II and his sons were prepared to become involved in the Irish adventure.

Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. The Ua Cerbaill kingdom of Airgialla; 2. The coming of the English; 3. Irish responses; 4. English and Irish; 5. Authority and community; 6. The bonds of colonial society; 7. The English of Louth and the king's wars; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

The history of English rule in Ireland stretches back to the twelfth century. This book examines the actions of the earliest English settlers in Ireland, in the eastern coastal area known today as county Louth, and asks a number of questions about the society they developed there.