The Welsh Connection: a Feisty Princess
In total, no fewer than 17 of Nest’s male descendants participated in the Norman invasion of Ireland between 1167 and 1169 Continue reading The Welsh Connection: a Feisty Princess
Category: Irish History
Henry II’s Irish Expedition
Henry remained in Ireland until Easter 1172. There is no record of how many of the 4500 men that accompanied him remained behind. Certainly he established garrisons in a number of places and he granted the citizens of Bristol the right to inhabit Dublin. Continue reading Henry II’s Irish Expedition
Strongbow – the Invader
His legitimate daughter, Isabel, through her marriage to William Marshall, is the common ancestor of several subsequent Queens of England. Her husband governed England as regent to the young Henry III. In this role he masterminded the defeat of the French who had occupied a large part of southern England during the final years of King John’s reign. Continue reading Strongbow – the Invader
The Norman Invasion: an Irish Perspective.
Men who had been unable to effectively control Wales and the Welsh border country were now given the equally difficult task of pacifying the Irish. Continue reading The Norman Invasion: an Irish Perspective.
Posts into Podcasts
Today I’m posting, more or less simultaneously, a dozen or so blog posts which will also be available as podcasts via Anchor. Continue reading Posts into Podcasts
Francis Cosby’s Uncle: “a sour and honest puritan”
Did Francis Cosby, perhaps, bring his young bride and child, believed to have been born in 1547, to reside in a house within the Grangegorman Demesne? Was it his uncle’s leases on Irish monastic lands that facilitated his acquisition of the Franciscan Friary at Stradbally? Continue reading Francis Cosby’s Uncle: “a sour and honest puritan”
Exodus and Exile: The Seven Septs of Laois in County Kerry.
a readable combination of genealogy and history, that everyone with an interest in Irish history, County Kerry or County Laois ought to have on his or her book shelf. Continue reading Exodus and Exile: The Seven Septs of Laois in County Kerry.
Dreams that Turn to Dust
None [of the real characters in this book] is able fully to satisfy his dreams. Each seeks something more. Ryan argues that this is in the nature of humanity; of all life. Continue reading Dreams that Turn to Dust
Not all the Tudor ‘Planters’ in Laois were Protestants.
For someone pursuing the history of Stradbally it is pertinent that these five were close neighbours. Continue reading Not all the Tudor ‘Planters’ in Laois were Protestants.
Elizabeth Palmer: The Planter’s Wife?
I can see lots of material here for another novel rooted in Irish history. ‘The Planter’s Wife’ suggests itself as an obvious title, but I have a great deal of reading and research to do before I commence writing. Continue reading Elizabeth Palmer: The Planter’s Wife?
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