The History
300AD
The Fianna was a regular army during this period (200AD to 300AD) and were paid by the High King. There was great law and order. Fionn Mac Cumchiall was the head of the Fianna. Their motto was ‘Truth in your hearts, strength in your arms, and faith in your tongues’. Fionn is said to have ate the salmon of knowledge and became very wise.
432AD
In 432 St Patrick, our national Saint, came to Ireland. He went to the High King at Tara, sat before him and his nobles, and took a shamrock from the ground to explain the mystery of the Trinity. The High King was impressed by his preaching and gave St Patrick his permission to preach throughout Ireland. Many thousands believed and were baptised as Christians.
For the next 350 years, Ireland was known as the ‘Island of Saints and Scholars’. It was ‘Ireland’s Golden Age’. At this time, Ireland was the main stay of Christianity and learning in Europe. There were monasteries and schools built all over the country. During this time The Book of Kells, Book of Armagh and many other religious and non-religious books were written.
800AD
When the Danes landed in Ireland around 800AD, they raided and robbed all around them…everything from gold, to grain and cattle. What they did not want, they burned and killed. One of these places was Lismore. They were warriors and enjoyed fighting. It was their way of life. They attacked all the coastlines from Iceland to Sicily and were becoming a force in Ireland. It was at this time the Round Towers were built so to protect the people and property. They made settlements in Dublin, Limerick, Waterford, Wexford and Cork…the start of cities today. The Celts had to take a stand.
1002
Brian Boru became King of Munster in 978 and then became High King in 1002. He assembled a large army from all parts of Ireland and on April 23rd 1014, the Danes were beaten at the Battle of Clontarf. On the same day Brian was killed, as was his son Murrogh, and his grandson Turlogh was drowned. It is said that 7,000 Danes and 4,000 Irish were killed. It was a sad day for Ireland in what should have been a victorious moment.
After Clontarf the Norsement remained in these settlements or towns and there was no effort to expel them. They became Christians but kept themselves apart from the Irish Church. Their towns were self-governing and they elected their own officials but paid tribute to the Irish Kings and were subject to the laws of the country.
1106
For 100 years after Brian’s death there was no High King, only Provincial Kings fighting amongst themselves for superiority. You had to be approved by the provincial Kings to be High King, but the problem lay in the fact that they all wanted the title. Then in 1106, Turlough O’Connor became King of Connaght and decided that in order to become High King he would have to eliminate the three provincial Kings. So he went to Munster and attacked the O’Briens (descendants of Brian Boru) who held exclusive possession of the whole of Munster. But at that time, there was a lot of jealousy and constant strife between the McCarthy’s and the O’Brien clans so it made it easy for Turlough to split the two princes who were the ruling families of Munster and he divided that province into two kingdoms – Desmond and Thomond. From then on the McCarthy’s were rulers of Desmond and the O’Briens rulers of Thomond. The Earls of Desmond controlled Cork and Kerry, while the Earls of Thomond controlled Limerick and Clare. 470 years later, the Hydes got ownership of the Desmond lands.
1118
Eventually Turlough became High King in 1118. He was not only great in war, but he was also cultivated and encouraged art and literature, which began to flourish once more.