CH. V.] the Pope's Grant of Ireland to Henry II. 491 confess both in public and private that he valued A. d. 1155. me beyond all men; such an opinion had he formed of me, that he would take pleasure in unburdening his conscience in my presence, whensoever occasion presented itself; and when he was pope of Rome, it used to be his delight to have me for a guest at his own table, where he would desire, nay compel me, to use the same cup and dish with himself, however I might decline the honour. It was at my request too that and how he he granted and gave Ireland to the illustrious from him a King Henry of England, to be kept in possession grant of Ireby hereditary right, as his letters testify to this day. . . . He sent over with me likewise a gold ring, set with an emerald of the choicest description, as a symbol of investiture, for conveying to the prince the right of governing Ireland; and the said ring has hitherto been ordered to be kept in the archives among the public records of the court.* obtained land for King Henry Adrian therefore, for the different reasons Pope Adrian here mentioned, readily granted Henry's request, Henry leave gives King and sent him a commission to seize the island which he coveted; ordering its people to receive him with all respect and honour, and to reverence him as their lord. The transaction is (according recorded by the eminent Romish writers of the to the old succeeding age, in the following terms "About authors,) * Johannis Sarisberiensis Metalogicus, Lib. iv. cap. ult. Romish 492 to attack the "beastly" Irish, and make them children of Rome. Old Romish Account of the Invasion. [BOOK IV. A. D. 1155. the same time, Henry, King of England, sending solemn ambassadors to Rome, requested of Adrian, (who had been recently made pope, and whose favour he confidently hoped to obtain, as being an Englishman,) that he would license his entering Ireland in a hostile manner, and allow him to subdue that country, and bring back its beastly inhabitants to holding the faith of Christ in a more seemly manner, and induce become good them to become more dutiful children of the Church of Rome, exterminating the nurseries of iniquity that were to be found in the country. Which request the pope graciously complied with, and sent to the monarch the following letter granting the sanction desired.”* Then follows in the original, the bull above mentioned. King Henry therefore, towards Michaelmas [of this same year 1155] held a parliament in Winchester, in which he treated with his nobles concerning the conquest of Ireland: but because the thing was opposed to the wishes of his mother the empress, [Matilda,] that expedition was put off till another time."† 66 * Matthew of Westminster, Matthew Paris, Nicholas Trivet, &c., quoted in Ussher's Sylloge, No. 46, notes. † ib. CHAP. VI. MISCONDUCT OF DERMOD MAC MOROGH-COMMENCEMENT OF THE promoted by mod, king THE English invasion of Ireland having been A. D. 1153. postponed under the circumstances above no- The English ticed, it is hard to say how long it might have invasion been deferred, had not unfortunate occurrences the proflitaken place among the Irish themselves about gate Der this time, which materially facilitated and hast- of Leinster. ened the threatened expedition against our island. The person whose misconduct was chiefly instrumental in subverting the liberty of his native land, was the famous, or rather infamous, Dermod Mac Murchard, or Mac Morogh, king of Leinster, whose tyrannical, profligate, and inhuman disposition rendered him an object of terror and hatred to almost every one that knew him; and the title of a "beastly prince" which has been applied to him, appears to have been only too well earned, if we may believe the things recorded of him in our annals.* His abduc From the time of the battle of Clontarf Ire- tion of land had continued to be distracted, as we have Tiernan seen, by civil wars and contentions between rival wife; * Vid. Lan. iv. 184-191, &c. O'Ruarc's 494 Dermod Mac Morogh's wickedness [Book IV. A. D. 1153. claimants of the supreme monarchy, until at length in A.D. 1166, Roderic O'Conor, king of Connaught, (who is also reckoned as the last king of Ireland,) was left without any rival of sufficient power to dispute his claim to this dignity. Now in A.D. 1153 Dermod Mac Morogh had led an army into the territory of Tiernan O'Ruarc, prince of Breffny, a supporter of the O'Conor family, and having seized on the person of his wife, for whom he entertained an unlawful affection, he carried her away with him into Leinster. O'Ruarc being at this time in a distressed and weak situation, in consequence of unfortunate struggles with other enemies, made application for help to Turlogh O'Conor, then king of Ireland, who took vengeance by rescuing and its con- the Princess of Breffny, in A.D. 1154, and spreadsequences. ing devastation through Leinster. The princess herself, whose name was Dervorgal, seems to have been implicated in the guilt of the transaction, but is said to have exhibited in her after life tokens of a penitent and pious disposition. Continual wars were carried on for many years subsequently between Dermod and O'Ruarc, until Roderic O'Conor succeeding to the crown of Ireland, commenced such vigorous measures against Dermod as obliged him (in A.D. 1167) to flee from his kingdom, and seek for foreign suc Dermod banished from his kingdom, * Lan. iv. 189. Girald. Cambren. Hib. Exp. lib. i. cap. i. CH. VI.] promotes the Invasion of Ireland. 498 applies for Henry II. Thus fallen and degraded, but still thirsting A.D. 1168, for revenge, Dermod resolved on seeking the assistance of Henry II., and for this purpose set aid to out for England in 1168, accompanied by sixty followers. But having learned on his arrival at Bristol, that the monarch whom he sought was then in France, he sailed over to that country to wait upon him there: and having obtained an audience, he besought Henry to aid him in the recovery of his kingdom, promising to hold it thenceforth as his vassal, in case he should be restored to the possession of it.* He was led to take this step it would seem, from having heard of Henry's designs upon Ireland, and the favourable manner in which Pope Adrian had received intelligence of his views and encouraged his undertaking. The English king was not able to aid however at all favourably circumstanced for him in pergranting Dermod's request at the time when it was made to him. For although having obtained so long before, the sanction of the papal bull, he had not as yet been able to take advantage of the permission which it gave him to invade, occupy, and rule over Ireland. Independently of his mother's opposition to the project, other circumstances had also tended to divert his attention from it. Troubles demanding more immediate attention, required all his care: and *ib. Henry un son, |