The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife, National Gallery of Ireland
In 1171, MacMurrough died and Strongbow became King of Leinster. Henry II, fearing that Strongbow could become too powerful, landed in September 1171 with a force of 500 knights and 4,000 soldiers. He wanted to establish himself as the ruler of Ireland and ensure that he controlled both the Normans and Gaelic Irish. The Normans had begun to conquer large parts of the island and many of the Irish kings submitted to Henry and swore allegiance to him as they thought this might stop the Norman expansion into their territory. Henry gave himself the title of ‘Lord of Ireland’.
CHECKPOINT!
1. Where in France did the Vikings settle? 2. Why did the Normans invade England in 1066? 3. Why did Dermot MacMurrough seek help from Henry II? What was the king’s answer? 4. What did MacMurrough promise to Strongbow in return for his help? 5. What advantages did the Normans have over the Gaelic Irish in battle? 6. Why did Henry II come to Ireland in 1171? 7. What was the result of his visit?
. I understand how the Normans came to Ireland. TIME TO GO BACK I CAN MOVE FORWARD
