| King Henry II of England landed in Waterford in | | | | it’s wars on the Continent and the Normans |
| October in 1171 with a powerful force of | | | | were satisfied with restricting themselves to the |
| well-equipped knights, archers and foot soldiers. | | | | plains, coasts and river ways leaving the hills, bogs |
| This was reacting to his fears of a powerful | | | | and woodlands to the native Irish. Henry reserved |
| kingdom under Strongbow arising on England’s | | | | himself to Dublin and it’s surrounds, |
| doorstep. Henry met with no resistance, the | | | | Waterford and Wexford. The remainder of |
| Normans, Irish and Norse all swore oaths of | | | | Leinster was held by Strongbow as a vassal of |
| allegiance to him, likewise the bishops met at | | | | Henry’s while the Kingdom of Meath was |
| Cashel and made submission to him. By the | | | | granted to Hugh de Lacy as a counterbalance to |
| Treaty of Windsor of 1175, Rory O’Connor | | | | Strongbow. However, by 1250 eighty percent of |
| recognised the supremacy of Henry II and agreed | | | | the country had been conquered by the Normans. |
| to collect tribute for him throughout Ireland. In | | | | They succeeded in this because of a superiority in |
| turn, Henry agreed to accept O’Connor as | | | | weapons and being better organised; they |
| high king of the unconquered areas. The | | | | consolidated their conquests by building fortresses |
| agreement failed as O’Connor proved unable | | | | that were in most cases impregnable against Irish |
| to enforce his authority even in his own territory | | | | attacks. |
| in Connaught and Henry was incapable of | | | | Russell Shortt is a travel consultant with Exploring |
| restraining his barons in Ireland from seizing | | | | Ireland, the leading specialists in customised, |
| further lands. The Norman conquest of Ireland | | | | private escorted tours, escorted coach tours and |
| was a haphazard affair, England was distracted by | | | | independent self drive tours of Ireland. |