In the year 1162, Dermot] was the sovereign prince of Leinster. To great strength of body, he ad 'ecl a degree of courage and activity that rendered him formidable to the Ostmen, whom he defeated in battle, and kept within their own boundaries. Contemporary with him was Ro derick O'Cratour, who was Si'. led King of lielmd. It was not likely that two Irish chieftains soould long continue at peace with each oilier. A cause of quarrel soon arose. In the ( istrict of B which consi ted principal.y of the modern county ol Leitrim, O'Roirk reigned ; Del m rd seduced, or ravished his wife ; and, not content with this outrage, he also drove °Toil k from his territories. The exiled prince sought the assistance of Roderick. The province of Leinster was invaded : The inhabitants, wea ried and dispirited by the ty nanny of Dermo.l. received the invader as their friend and li',erator ; and Derniod, in his turn, was compelled to flee front Leinster, and seek refuge in England.
At this period, Henry was unable himself to assist Der mod, or to invade It eland ; but he caused an edict to be is sued in his fat our, in which he stated that Ile had received Dermod under his protection, and promised the i royal cence to such of his subjects as would aid him n the re covery of his territcnies. As soon as Dermod obtained this edict, he proceeded to the neighbourhood of Wales, both on account of keeping up an intercourse with Ireland, and because in Wales there were several of the nobility, who, from various causes, were most likely to assist hint in his endeavours to be reinstated in his territories. In this expectation he was not deceived ; for soon after the royal edict was read, and money and land a were offered to those who would assist lion, Richard,. son of Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Strigul and Chepstow, engaged to come over to Ireland the following spring, on condition that he should receive in marriage Eva, the only daughter of Der mod, and with her the right of succession to all his proper ty in Ireland. Other adventurers followed his example. Of these, the most famous was Robert Firzst,phen, a man who seems to have possessed most of the \irtues, with but a small proportion of the vices of that age.
In A. D. 1169, Dermod returned to Ireland; and the following year, Fitzstephen, with 130 of his own kinsmen, 60 men in armour, and 500 archers and foot soldiers, land ed at a short distance from Wexfoid. The first attempt of the united forces of Fitzstephen and Dermod was against this city, but they were repulsed by the inhabitants. The
attack, however, was renewed the next morning by the English, and the inhabitants capitulated. Wexford was delivered up to Fitzstephen. Roderic, alarmed at the suc cess of these formioable strangers, and sensible of his in ability to cope with them, concluded a treaty, by which Dermod regained the province of Leinster, on condition that he acknowledged Roderic as sovereign of Ireland. Dermod having thus attained his object, and having been reinfoiced by the arrival of some more English troops un tie' Maurice Fitzgerald, marched to the attack of Dublin, the inhabitants of which he obliged to take the oath of al legiance. Strongbow or Strigul was still in England ; but being called upon by Dcrmod to fulfil his engagement, he applied to King I Ienry, requesting either the restoration of his paternal propel ty, of which he had been deprived, or liberty to seek his fortune in Ireland. To this application Henry gave an ambiguous answer ; but Strongbow con strued it to his own desire and advantage, and resolved to go to Ireland. Previous to his embarkation, however, he sent over a young man attached to his family, on whom he could depend, accompanied by 10 gentlemen of service, and 70 archers. In the meantime, Earl Strongbow was active in his preparations ; and in August 1171, he landed in the bay of Waterford with about 200 gentlemen of ser vice, and 1000 soldiers. Previous to his arrival, his fore runners had attempted to gain possession of this city ; and though this did not succeed, yet they had greatly weaken ed its means of defence, so that it fell easily before. the for ces of Strongbow. As soon as this great enterprize was effected, and the promised marriage between Eva and the English chieftain solemnized, the allies marched towards Dublin, which seems to have revolted from the allegiance it had sworn to Dcrmod, and to have farther roused his in dignation and spirit of revenge, by having murdered his fa ther. The inhabitants, intimidated and divided, were un able to defend the city', which soon and easily fell into the hands of Strongbow. The next object of the allies was the invasion of the territories of O'Roirk. Roderic O'Con nor, alarmed at their progress, threatened to put to death the son of Dermod, who had been left with him as a hos tage, if he did not desist from his purpose ; and on Der mod's paying no attention to his message, he carried his threat into execution.