M R EL 
ufual, turned their arms agalnft each other. The country 
was harafled by the competitions of the chiefs; laws and 
religion loft their influence, and the mod horrid licenti- 
oufnefs and immorality prevailed. Thus the whole ifland 
feemed ready to become a prey to the firfl: invader, when 
an attempt was made upon it by Magnus king of Nor¬ 
way. This attempt mifcarried, through his own rafli- 
nefs; for, having landed without oppolition, he advanced 
into the country with too little precaution. The confe- 
quence was, that, being furrounded, he was cut in pieces 
with all his followers. His death, however, proved of 
little benefit to Ireland ; the fame diforders, which had 
gradually reduced the kingdom to a Hate of extreme 
yeaknefs, ftill continued to operate, and to facilitate the 
fuccefs of the Englilh invafion, which happened in the 
reign of Henry II. 
The real motives which induced this monarch to think 
of an expedition againfl: Ireland are not well known. It 
■was fuppofed that he had been provoked by fome aflift- 
ance which the Irifli princes had given to the French ; 
but, whatever might be in this, it is certain that the de- 
fign was conceived foon after heafcended the throne; and 
his flatterers foon furnifhed him with fufficient reafons for 
confidering the Irifli as his fubjefts. It was affirmed that 
they had originally poffelfed themfelves of their country 
by permifflon of Gurguntius, a Britifli king ; and that, as 
defendants of the Britons, they were the natural and 
rightful fubje&s of the Englifli monarch. It was alfo fug- 
gefied, that the renowned king Arthur, Egfred the Nor¬ 
thumbrian prince, and Edgar one of the Saxon kings of 
England, had all led their armies into Ireland, and there 
made valuable acquititions, which their fucceffor was in 
honour bound to recover and maintain. All thefe fug- 
geftions, however, or whatever elfe had occurred to him- 
i'elf, feemed yet infufiicient to Henry ; and therefore he 
took the mod effeftual method to enfure his reputation, 
namely, by an application to the pope. To him he re- 
prefented, that the inhabitants of Ireland were funk into 
the moll wretched llate of corruption, both with regard 
to morals and religion ; that Henry, zealous for the ho¬ 
nour and enlargement of God’s kingdom, had conceived 
the pious defign of erefting it in this unhappy country ; 
was ready to devote himfelf and all his powers to this 
meritorious fervice; implored the benediction of the pon¬ 
tiff ; and requefled his permiihon and authority to enter 
Ireland, to reduce the difobedient and corrupt, to eradi¬ 
cate all fin and wickednefs, to inffrucl the ignorant, and 
fpread the bleffed influence of the gofpel in all its purity 
and perfeftion ; proroifing at the time time to pay a yearly 
tribute to St. Peter from the land thus to be reduced to 
his obedience, and to the holy fee. Adrian, tl\e reigning 
pope, rejoiced at this application, which tended fo much 
to the advancement of his own power. A bull, conform¬ 
able to the molt fanguine willies of Henry, was therefore 
fent to England without delay, together with a ring, the 
token of his invefliture as rightful fovereign of Ireland. 
The Hate of that country was at this time extremely 
favourable for an invafion. The monarch enjoyed little 
more than a titular dignity, being harafled by a fadtion, 
and oppofed by powerful rivals. A number of chieftains, 
who affumed the title and rights of royalty, paid a'preca- 
rious tribute to their fuperior, and united, if they were 
difpofed to unite, with him, rather as his allies than his 
fubjecfs. In Ulfter, the family of the northern Hi Nial, 
as it was called, exercifed an hereditary jurifdififion over 
the counties now called Tyrone, Derry, and Donnegal. They 
alfo claimed a right of fupremacy over the lords of Fer¬ 
managh, Antrim, and Argial, which included the coun¬ 
ties of Armagh, Monaghan, Lowth, and fome adjacent 
diflricts; while Dunleve, prince of Uladh, (now Down,) 
difputed the fuperiority of this family, and affefted an in¬ 
dependent Hate. In MunHer reigned the defcendants of 
O’Brien, a famous fovereign of former times, impatient to 
recover the honours of their family ; but at laH, being 
confined by powerful rivals to the territory of North 
AND. 237 
MunHer, they were obliged to leave to the family of Mac 
Arthy, fovereigns of Del'mond, the fouthern divifion. In 
Connaught, the princes known by the name of frCannor 
were acknowledged fovereigns of the ealtern territory. 
Tiernan O’Ruarc, an active and refllefs military chief, had 
the fuptemacy in Breffney, containing the modern county 
of Leitrim, and fome adjacent diftri£is. Meath, or the 
fouthern Hi-Nial, was lubjeft to the family of Clan-Col- 
man, Murchard Malaclilyn, and his fucceffors. Leinller, 
divided into feveral principalities, was fubjefif to Dermod, 
a fierce, haughty, and oppreflive, tyrant. His father had 
governed with great cruelty. Seventeen of his vaflal lords 
had been either put to death, cr had their eyes put ouR 
by his order, in one year; and Dermod feemed to inherit 
too great a portion .of the fame temper. His ftatnre and 
bodily ftrength made him admired by the inferior orders 
of his fubjecfs, and thefe he was careful to protect and fa¬ 
vour. His donations and endowments of religious houfes 
recommended him to the clergy; but his tributary chief¬ 
tains felt the weight of his pride and tyranny, and to them 
his government was extremely odious. 
The chief competitors for the rank of monarch of Ire¬ 
land, in the mean time, were, the heirs of the two houles 
of O’Connor, and the northern Hi-Nial. Torlogh O'Con¬ 
nor was in pofl'eflion ; but he was not generally recog- 
nifed, and was oppofed by his rival O’Lochlan: notwith- 
ftanding which, he maintained his dignity with magnifi¬ 
cence and vigour, till a decilive victory gained by him over 
O’Brien railed O’Lochlan’s jealoufy fo much, that he 
obliged him, in a convention of the Hates, to allow him 
the fovereignty of the northern divifion. In confequence 
of this partition, it was refolved to transfer the territory 
of O’Ruarc to a perfon more inclined to the intereHs of 
the two fovereigns. An expedition was accordingly un¬ 
dertaken ; O’Ruarc was furprifed, defeated, and driven 
from his dominions. Dermod, who had conceived an 
unlawful pafiion for Dervorghal, the wife of O'Ruarc, 
took the opportunity of her hufband’s diftrefles to carry 
her off in triumph. O’Ruarc conceived the moH impla¬ 
cable refentment againfl Dermod ; and therefore, applying 
himfelf to Torlogh, promifed an inviolable attachment to 
his intereH ; and prevailed on him not only to reinflate 
him in his pofieflions, but to revenge the infult offered by 
Dermod, and to reflore his wife. By means of fuch a 
powerful ally, O’Ruarc found frequent opportunities of 
harafling his antagoniff till the death of Torlogh, which 
happened in 1156, upon which O’Lochlan fucceeded to 
the fovereignty. Dermod was the firfl to acknowledge 
the authority of this new fovereign, by whofe means he 
hoped to be able to revenge himfelf on O’Ruarc. He foon 
found, however, that he had acted too precipitately. His 
patron, having treacheroufly feized and put out the eyes 
of DunleVe prince of Down, the neighbouring chieftains 
took arms, in order to fecure themfelves from his barbarity. 
O’Lochlan was defeated and killed ; upon which the mo¬ 
narchy devolved on Roderic the fon of the late Torlogh 
O’Connor. 
The- new prince had acquired the reputation of valour, 
and was determined to eflablifh this reputation by fome 
remarkable exploit in the beginning of his reign. Hav¬ 
ing therefore engaged in his fervice the Oflmen, or de¬ 
fcendants of the Danes, he marched againfl Dermod as 
the chief partifan of his fallen rival. The king of Lein- 
fter was leized with the utmofl confternation ; and in de- 
fpair fet fire to his own town of Ferns, leit the enemy (hould 
have the fatisfaftion of deftroying it. Roderic ftill ad¬ 
vanced, attended by O'Ruarc, Dermod’s implacable ene¬ 
my, and faon over-ran the whole province. All the in¬ 
ferior lords at once acknowledged Roderic’s authority. 
Dermod was depofed, as a man utterly unworthy of his 
ftation ; another of his family was raifed to the throne ; 
and the unfortunate prince, finding it impoflible to remain 
with fafety in Ireland, embarked with fixty of his fol¬ 
lowers for England, and foon arrived at the port of Brif- 
tol, with- a. defign to iblicit afliftance from king Henry. 
In 
