Henry II: An Imperialist King?

Page 4 of 9

• 1. Approach to empire
• 2. Relations with France
• 3. Campaigns in Wales
• 4. Approach to Ireland
• 5. Henry lands in Ireland
• 6. Conclusions on Ireland
• 7. Henry and Scotland
• 8. Feudal control
• 9. Find out more
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Approach to Ireland

This was why the Normans moved into Ireland. It is generally agreed that Henry was not particularly concerned with Ireland at the beginning of his reign. In 1155, just after he came to power, Henry discussed the possibility of invading Ireland with a group of churchmen at Winchester. The initiative probably came from the Church at Canterbury, which was concerned about the recent recognition of the Irish Church by the pope. Henry considered it seriously enough to get a papal bull giving him dispensation to bring the Irish into the Catholic fold. Eventually, he shelved it. He had more important things to do. The story is that his mother vetoed the idea, but no-one can seriously believe that Henry would have paid any notice to her if he'd actually wanted to get involved.

'...Henry was not particularly concerned with Ireland at the beginning of his reign.'

He was equally uninterested when, in 1166, Dermot MacMurrough, the exiled king of Leinster, appealed to him for aid. There was a history of friendship between the Plantagenets and Dermot, which meant that Dermot was so confident of Henry's goodwill that he travelled all the way to Aquitaine to see him. However, Henry was not willing to intervene personally in Ireland as he had problems elsewhere. Instead, he gave Dermot permission to recruit mercenaries from among his Norman knights.

For Dermot, the most obvious place to go for recruits was among the Norman landholders of south Wales, strategically situated on the sailing routes to his Irish ports. The Norman knights leaped at the chance. Ever since 1165, the Welsh princes had been eating away at their lands, and they were looking for somewhere to go to revive their failing fortunes. Among these landless men was one Robert fitzStephen, about whom we know a lot because his story is told in great detail by his nephew, Gerald of Wales. Robert was a vassal of the lord of Ceredigion, who had become effectively dispossessed when prince Rhys of Deheubarth overran his lands. He was actually Rhys's prisoner when the call to arms came from across the sea, and he negotiated his freedom on the terms that he go to Ireland and leave Wales behind. At the other end of the scale was Richard fitzGilbert, lord of Clare and Strigoil, known to all as 'Strongbow', a powerful baron with a failing fortune.

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Published: 2001-04-01