The initial colonization of Ireland was slow and subtle, beginning in the 1160s which Angelo-Norman explorers were invited to the island by Leinster King Dermot MacMurrough, a local ruler who had recently been used as High King of Ireland. Among these adventurers was an earl named Richard de Clare, soon to be colloquially known as “Strongbow”. Strongbow and his band of explorers went on to conquer a large part of Eastern Ireland, including the kingdoms of Leister and Meath.

This political movement was noticed by King Henry II of England and to prevent Ireland from becoming a formidable rival Norman power he installed Strongbow as leader of Leister and gave a King’s army soldier, Hugh de Lacy, the kingdom of Meath. This area was known as “The Pale”. By splitting the kingdoms, King Henry II was able to keep the various larger towns, like Waterford, Wexford, and Dublin, under his control, and thus the seeds of English rule had been planted in Irish soil.

As the years passed, King Henry II, Strongbow, and de Lacy pushed Angelo-Norman control over more and more Irish land, and more and more Irish kings turned over their power to the British monarchy.T he British Monarchy in turn collected “tributes” from the people to the King, including money, crops, and livestock.  By 1175, the Treaty of Windsor had been signed by King Henry II and the current High King of Ireland, Rory O’Connor, and O’Connor agreed to acquire the majority of his power to King Henry II, while still exercising minor control over the other various Irish Kings. This power split ended poorly, and in 1185 Henry sent his son, King John, to establish an organized, civil government that was separate from the influence of the feudal lords. 

 

Administrative units of late medieval Ireland, Brittanica.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the early 1200s, King John went on to begin the unification of the English counties while simultaneously phasing out the Angelo-Norman rule. In 1264 an Irish Parliament was introduced. composed of Angelo-Norman/Angelo-Irish County representatives, while Native Irish remained voiceless. This parliament mirrored the British Parliament at the time and served mostly to continue British and Irish land expansion.                                     

 

Portrait of Irish Parliament, Google Images