EÍRE
Ah you, so narrowly travelled - you have come to hear a tale like to those which have always been recounted here - and I have one for you.
I am long disappeared from this hall my mingling one, only a part of me has returned to herald the news which I am out there witnessing. You are standing upon the shore of shale and beloamed stone, and reading whatever can be found in the much distorted and tired waves of wake shelving upon the land to rest. And I, well beyond the limits of this hall, have experience of the movements and makings of men - not good nor evil - but deeply held in the sways of godly agents, which press them on to venture past the animal bounds and display divine and demure virtue, and darkest, bedevilled vice.
The First Chapter: 1100-1117
Ireland! I have been there. An event manifested itself within the Isle on the very first year of the twelfth century which caused the Irish to become men at odds with Destiny and Fate, determined to control the future of their ethnicity.
Ard-Ri Diarmaid I, who was teased incessantly by the eastern germanic kings for his title, was bemused at the announcement of a soothsayer and fortune teller in the land.
It was said that the fellow had with difficulty escaped the continent after confidently telling the Holy Roman Emperor that within thirty years his successors would have nothing more than a few distanced fiefs in the extremities of Germanica, and that he himself would die in exile.
In 1099, Genoa, France, Poland, Norway and Sweden declared war against the Emperor and the might of those many electorates seemed in 1100 to be already subdued.
Fearful lest the results may be scandalous, yet infinitely intrigued by the testament, the Ard-Ri at last requested this fool to be brought within the royal company.
All manner of courtesies were paid to the man, yet he remained shy and restrained throughout each toast made in his guest-like honour.
When a day and night had passed in festive welcome to so famous a visitor, and many prominent Irishmen had traveled even from Britonland to be present at this event, Ard-Ri Diarmaid summoned the soothsayer beside his seat of power and bid him tell everyone who was there to witness; what the Irish people could expect in future times.
Composed in the likeness of one who expects his inevitable fate, the augur began his tale.
He told of tribalism, backwardness, invasion, persecution, famine and poverty.
When the court then became a crowd, and violently insisted he politely ignore such insults and tell instead of what benefits Ireland must await, he vaguely muttered about catholic monks, drunken poets and limericks, but was then forced to return to his original recitation for want of material.
This angered even the most anglicised and civilised Irishman, but when they heard of such things as "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" and the "Euro", but especially "Oscar Wilde", they rushed upon him and having seized him, imprisoned the fellow immediately.
Whilst discussing his punishment, or rather if there was any reason not to execute him, Ard-Ri Diarmaid halted the argument of his fellows thus:
'Aside, Irishmen aside! Place yourselves and your thoughts aside and allow your monarch to disseminate what insight did find him as you clamored.
We all have seen the fate of the Holy Roman Emperor!
And yet did this man see it ere us all!
Now it cannot be proven that he has foretold to us the truth of what only his mind can see, but you must agree it is an undisputed fact that our Ireland has a future, whatever it may be!
And it is the responsibility of ourselves alone to ensure that it is a path of continuous prosperity and fulfillment for Irishmen!
If none of you can doubt this, then it is my suggestion to you all that this soothsayer be not cut off from life before he can witness at least the proof of his lies, and at most - the knowledge that Irishmen control their Irish destiny.'
The barbarians of the Emerald Isle approved this mightily, and the soothsayer was detained within the royal chamber that he may witness every move the Irish clans would make towards their new destiny...
---
Ireland possessed a modest martial population, with many clans contributing to battalions of Bonnachts which fought with throwing spears and bucklers.
For some time the Irish king had been escalating the amount of youthful men who were consigned to these battalions, but after 1100, he also began the active recruitment of elite gallowglasses, reputed to be the best swordsmen in all the isles.
It was from this time entirely the intention of the king to send a thousand men into norman Engeland in order to seize the south from King William II who was preoccupied with the fortification of Normandy.
And by 1105 one thousand men were gathered in Ireland for the invasion.
400 Bonnachts, 300 Gallowglasses, 60 Kerns, 160 Irish horse and 78 knights of the Household Guard accompanying Prince Diarmaid and his younger brother Prince Madog came to the port of Dublin at the order of the King (Who had since changed his title for the sake of the kingdom's copyists).
It was said they should not return to Ireland without claim to more English land than had the English, and it was understood they would not return for many years.
And they wouldn't.
A great fleet had been created to outnumber the English patrols in the Irish sea by 4 to 1, and in 1105 a sudden attack was made on the unwashed Anglic sailors, who were crushed without hope. The Irish, thankful that this time the random engine of fate had not decreed victory to the English (As was known to happen in parallel dimensions), immediately embarked the thousand and bid them safe journey to Wessex in 1106.
The Irish fleet, flushed, sailed south into the English Channel in order to block reinforcement from Normandy, where two thousand Englishmen stood on guard.
King William II son of King William the Conqueror, and his son, Prince William, were discussing the recent lawful decree that when two Englishmen meet, their first talk should be of the weather.
When news arrived of the invasion of the western counties, the King was astounded firstly by the likelihood of such an event, and secondly with the knowledge that they were Irishmen who had invaded.
Having been convinced at last by his advisers that these 'wayward plonk-taffing pirates' were sufficiently strong to defend against even his own bodyguard and sixty archers, the King left for Mercia with his son, leaving the castle intact.
Prince Diarmaid was most grateful for the acquisition of a castle and all its infrastructure, but was disappointed that he was not in possession of sufficient troops to pursue the English king and garrison the south. The men who had sailed also began to despair of payment which was owing.
Three years passed, with many saxon and engle lords coming over to the side of the Irish, who remained dominant in the south, King William II not daring to challenge Diarmaid, who watched the Thames carefully. The Irish fleet continued blockading the channel, and skirmished with the English until the red pennant was no longer seen within the channel nor upon the sea.
And when this three years had passed, the loyalty of the men who dwelt in the low countries favoured at last King Diarmaid I, who had relieved them of all trivial taxes and shown benevolence overall.
So in 1109, without intelligence of what England held north of the Thames, but knowing that nothing had ever sailed successfully from Normandy, Diarmaid and Madog marched to cross the river, and were met by King William II.
MERCIA 1109

Diarmaid decided that the Gallowglasses would be unnecessary for the endeavour, and leaving these elites along with the kerns in Wessex he lead the Bonnachts, horse and Guards north.
Fortunately the Thames at this particular point where the two royal lines met was bridged at two proximate junctions.
The Irish had come up quickly, but William II had sent on a famous consort of norman knights which dismounted and stood at the English side of the eastern bridge.
Having confidence in the ability of the Bonnachts, but more so of their throwing spears, Diarmaid ordered the smaller battalion of these to advance quickly over the bridge and to first skirmish with the knights using their missiles.
The large assembly of cavalry moved to the western bridge.
The English army, consisting of a balanced group of archers and infantry, the infantry consisting of spears, swords, militia and knights, and in addition, the three personal guards of the King and his two sons, was just upon the hill in the distance, coming up to the fight.
The knights at the bridgehead, seeing the overconfidence of a small number of Bonnachts, charged them immediately before they could raise their javelins and slew all but three of them, yet all but these three stood their ground.
The knights pursued most foolishly the Irishmen until the reached the southern bank, where a battalion of 160 Bonnachts threw a volley of spears into their midst.
After two volleys, only two knights were left on their feet, and these they used to reach the northern bank again.
Something came over William at this sight, and the entire English army turned and almost routed towards the horizon, but here they halted, and took loose formation upon the slope.
When it looked like the Bonnachts might cross, Prince William was sent with a party of well-trained men-at-arms to hold the bridgehead.
Seeing this opportunity, the Irish horse and the princes crossed over in the west and prepared to meet this column.
When they arrived at the bridgehead, the prince, his guard and the infantry were rushed by the Irish horse who threw their darts into the host, destroying many.
The entire English infantry column now advanced, but these were dispersed enough that the Irish horse could engage them separately and decimate their strength with darts before routing them in combat.
The Household Guard saw much action at the bridgehead, where the guards of both William and that other lesser known son were destroyed, and Prince William himself killed in the action with Diarmaid's retinue.
By this time, King William II was forced to retire with his companions and leave his struggling infantry to the defense of the archers, who were cut off along side the men-at-arms.
Of 450 men, 97 English were captured and only 80 escaped. King William II refused to ransom the prisoners, despite the Duke of Normandy being among their number.
---
Now in 1109, Mercia was firmly under control and only a token resistance was given amongst the fortifications of the country. King William II had retreated to Northumbria with the remnants of his party in order to combine with the garrison which was prepared to defend against marauding Scots.
In 1110, Mercia was claimed entirely by the Irish and no resistance remained.
But horrible news came to the brothers who were calling for more men to come up north of the Thames.
A vague and distant king, whose ancestors had once run amok in Ireland, had personally come over the North Atlantic ocean and landed in the Sireland with 600 men, declaring Dublin and her holdings to be 'Norwegian' claim.
The reaction of King Diarmaid I was not dissimilar to that of King William II when he heard of invasion. As was the result.
But the Irish will was strong, roused by the events of the past decade, and 600 men could not contain a national spirit.
The King could hold off in the well-fortified keep for years, and the people would not yield to vikings while they had such a king. England would be subdued forever, and then the triumphant princes would march home and destroy these raiders.
In 1111, a year noted in the tales of other kingdoms for its harsh lessons, King Diarmaid I, formerly Ard-Ri, of Ireland passed away in his sleep and with him the Irish claim to Ireland.
The people, who had promised to their king; 'We will most likely revolt next year, about a 87 percent chance', of a sudden gave up all rebellion and submitted.
King Magnus became sovereign of Norway and Ireland.
The English could have marched south and taken all Britain again for the Irish grief incapacitated all practical thought.
The princes held claim to more English land than did the English, and yet Ireland was no longer welcome to them.
Many arguments were had over the idea of surrendering and integrating with the English king, but when King Diarmaid II had returned to Wessex to be crowned, Prince Madog had taken over the army in Mercia, and all despair had been laid aside, it was seen that the Free Irish - a token people though they were - had much power in Britain.
Recruitment would be difficult, but a conquest of Northumbria, subjugation of Scotland and eventually Wales would lead to a significant profit with which to rebuild.
Victory would however require munificent use of whatever funds were made available, and while they must not rush, no opportunity could be missed.
They would yet return to Ireland as masters of Britain, and with this in mind, the King sent all troops north of the Thames, risking rebellion of the saxons, but confident in his own eloquence. Prince Madog left the Kerns in garrison of Mercia, and although it was 1116 before the Free Irish felt ready to move, Northumbria was decisively invaded in this year.
Northumbria 1116
King William II was surprised at this attack, for he had been hopeful of pushing an offensive himself but for lack of florins.
It was not expected that the Free Irish would have the morale to advance into the northern hills to face the well-prepared Englishmen.
The English massed themselves upon a wooded hillock and awaited the approach of the Free Irish, who were assailed by volleys of arrows loosed from the foot of the hill.
Unprotected, the English archers continued, and the Irish horse was ordered to attempt a flanking movement in order to destroy these men.

This gamble was successful, although it brought the entire English host howling down out of the woods, only five Irishmen were lost and not an archer escaped.
Having skirmished briefly, the horse found themselves harried by a rogue group of English knights who had left the main host in chivalrous lust for battle.
The Irish horse retreated within the lines of Bonnachts, and yet even this did not deter the cavalry, who came galloping into contact with them under a hail of spears.

This was the loss for the English of the last of the royal household guard, aside from those who remained with the king.
There then occurred a general retreat of the English up a large, gradual hill, on which happened many skirmishes between the Irish horse and various groups of English infantry - knights, militia, spears and men-at-arms - all flanked, exhausted and routed to the greatest honour of that cavalry arm.
The gallowglasses were withheld from action in this battle, as they were secretly intended for use against the Scots.
Almost every combat arm lost to him, King William II retreated to the summit of the hill, where he became surrounded by Bonnachts, but not wishing to engage, he was slain by missiles without ever in the course of the war having come to close quarters with an Irishman.

Only a few men escaped from this final fight, and 87 were captured and refused ransom by the new English king, who retreated to Normandy on a merchant craft.
--------
Every British claim short of Wales and Scotland came under the Free Irish in 1117 with the fall of the fort of York. Financial records showed that a profit would come to the King for the first time since 1104, and militarily it was plausible that Scotland could be invaded and taken within a few years.
It was imperative that the Free Irish should not waste men, money nor energy in the race to take all of Britain and return home to face King Magnus before their enemies could grow in power.
Hope and despair plagued King Diarmaid II equally.
Bookmarks