A chronicle of the High Kings of Ireland

[Volodio]

The story is finished, there won't be any more chapter. It was my first AAR, so sorry if the formatting sucks. Also, I'm not an expert in Irish history. I tried to give it some authenticity, but I might have made some mistakes and I'm sorry for that.

You can either read the full story in a pdf file here, but without screenshots, or read the posts below with the screenshots. Whatever you prefer.

High King Dunchad the Warlord (859-910): just below
High King Mael-Fabaill the Arrogant (910-934)
High King Oengus the Pious (934-970)
High King Patrick the Paranoid (970-1013)
High King Labraid the Conqueror (1013-1047)
High King Patrick the Reformer (1047-1068)
*********


I am Glaisiuc the Philosopher. Here I lay in words, for my master the just High King Faelan, the story of how his glorious family, the Modhas, came to dominate Ireland and gave it the power to challenge even the greatest Saxon kings.

The origins of that family are unfortunately unknown to us scholars. According to old legends and stories, written down two hundred years ago by Christian priests who travelled with the Norsemen to Ireland, the Modhas had become Kings of Ormond in the fifth century after the birth of our Lord. Since then they always counted among the most important Irish kings. Some of them even became High King. Their stories aren’t known to us, for Ireland had always been very isolated. But in 867, the Norsemen invaded all the British Isles to avenge the death of their king, Ragnarr Lodbrok, killed by the Saxons. At that time, Ormond was ruled by King Dunchad, who was 24. He had already been king for nearly a decade.

High King Dunchad the Warlord (859 - 910)
​

Though he called himself king, as most of the Irish rulers, his lands were small in size. It was nothing like the Saxon kings. They couldn’t even compete in power with the smallest dukes in Francia. The High King was supposed to rule over all of Ireland, however his authority was small and since the Norsemen had arrived, no High King had been successfully recognized by all his pairs. Some even recognized Ivar the Boneless, son of Ragnarr Lodbrok, as High King. Dunchad was a warlord first of all. When the Norsemen arrived, he was already renowned for his raids and for the quality of his army, which had never been defeated.

In 867, war came once more between the Irish. The King of Desmond, Cu-Chongelt, had sent his men, nearly 350 soldiers, to raid the neighboring lands. After looting Thomond, he decided to attack Ormond next. Dunchad raised 500 men to defend his Kingdom and immediately marched toward Desmond, to fight on his enemy’s lands. The soldiers of Desmond abandoned their raid and went back to their home. The King of Ormond had brought them exactly where he wanted them to be. He defeated their army in June and proceeded to besiege the small village of Tralee. The defeated raiders went back to Ormond and began to roam the roads, attacking anyone and hoping to draw Dunchad away from their home. But the King saw through their strategy and stayed, for he knew their force was too small to threaten the larger villages.

In November, desperate, King Cu-Chongelt surrendered his village and was made prisoner. But rather than simply going back with the loot, Dunchad demanded King Cu-Chongelt to officially give all of his lands to him, in exchange for his liberty and that of his family. The defeated king accepted.

The next year, King Dunchad raised the army once more to plunder his neighbors. He went back before winter with a substantial loot, which he slowly spent in the following years in weapons for his men, hunts and feasts.

In 871, the Norsemen invaded the Kingdom of Thomond. They were defeated and entered Desmond, trying to hide for their enemies. Dunchad didn’t want any raider in his lands, even if they weren’t doing any raiding. He allowed the King of Thomond, Eogan, to bring his army and even gave him the location of the Pagans, who were slaughtered.

However, after they defeated the Norsemen, they stayed for the winter and were living off the land. Despite several warnings, they refused to leave. King Dunchad spent the winter making ready to expel them by force. In March 872, they finally left, but it was too late for the King of Osmond. He had prepared for war and was going through with it.

Dunchad raised nearly 900 soldiers while King Eogan had 600 men. The two armies met at the battle of Luimneach on 20 May. The King of Osmond smartly used the swamps to divide his enemies and slaughter the separated warbands. Many were made prisoners, including Eogan himself. He surrendered half his lands and agreed to recognize Dunchad as the new High King, though that title has little meaning. All the south of Ireland was now controlled by Dunchad, who openly claimed the title of High King. However, two others also claimed that rank. Ivar the Boneless, though in truth he did not really care about Irish customs, and Aed the Foolish, in the north. Dunchad began to be known as high king of Munster while Aed was high king of Meath.

In 873, Dunchad had an heir: Cuan. The next year, he raised 1300 men to plunder his neighbors once more. His army was growing with his victories. They fought some local armies, but prevailed each time. They came back rich and enjoyed their loot over the following years. Dunchad spent time with his brother Laegaire improving the buildings dedicated to his warriors. The two brothers had a good relation. Each time the king was away, Laegaire was the one ruling in his stead.

Meanwhile, the other Irish kings fought and expanded. Aed was defeated several times and his authority began to fade. By 878, nobody outside the lands he directly controlled saw him as the High King. Yet, not everyone was considering Dunchad to be the High King either. King Cerball of Ossory often challenged the claim, though not openly as he doubted his ability to defeat Dunchad. In 880, he finally thought he was strong enough and claimed to be High King. He controlled all the west of Ireland, and as such was called the high king of Connacht.

Dunchad saw it as a challenge. He raised 1900 men and marched against Cerball in April. He first captured his stronghold, then pursued his army. On 9 October, Cerball was forced to fight at Uisneach. He had only 500 soldiers and was completely crushed by the veteran force of Dunchad. Yet, he refused to admit defeat and began to engage in guerilla warfare. Dunchad spent the next year sieging each stronghold and hunting down Cerball’s army. In September 881, he destroyed the last loyal warband. Only a handful of soldiers was remaining by Cerball's side, not enough to pose a challenge. The King of Ossory negotiated a peace. Cerball kept his lands, but was forced to recognize his enemy as High King and to accept his authority in his Kingdom. Finally, Cerball was forced to relinquish his title of king. He began to be called a chieftain.

With overlordship came responsibility. A Norse warlord had been trying to conquer the lands of Cerball and had first been defeated, but with the war between the Irish kings he had decided to try his luck again. Dunchad was called to defeat him once and for all. So the campaign continued in 882, with the High King capturing a Norse stronghold. The warlord called on his own overlord, Ivar the Boneless, who, rather than sending more men as he was involved in war elsewhere in Britain, sent one of his sons to negotiate a peace. The Irish gave back the stronghold, in exchange the warlord agreed to never raid Irish lands again and to give a ransom, while Ivar did not have to send his army.

Upon returning home, High King Dunchad learned of the death of Cerball, from wounds sustained during the war which he never recovered from. His lands were divided between his three daughters. They were too young to rule, but the nobles protecting their lands agreed to recognize Dunchad’s authority. He now controlled most of Ireland. However, he also learned of bad news: the death of his wife in childbirth.

In 885, the High King secured his authority over the dynasty of Cerball’s daughters, the Dal Birns, by arranging a double marriage. One between himself and the mother of one of the daughters, and another between his son and heir, Cuan, and the second of the daughters, Maire. He spent the following years of peace hunting. He had seen a rare beast and was obsessed with it.

In 887, he raised over 2700 men, the greatest army to be seen in Ireland, to plunder the Norse lands. It was successful, but there wasn’t very much loot to be shared. The Pagans didn’t even react, despite the pleas of the local ruler, Markus Dyflinn, to Ivar. The lands of Irish kings who didn’t recognize the authority of Dunchad were raided next, but it still wasn’t enough for the High King who came back unsatisfied.

In 889, Dunchad decided it was time to act against the Norsemen. His raid from two years before had done much to boost his confidence. He raised 2900 men, his son Cuan also joined the army, and marched toward Leister, ruled by a Pagan chieftain who paid homage to the King of Denmark, Bagsecg. However, this time they reacted. While the Irish were taking the Pagan stronghold in Leinster, 2300 Danes, led by the King himself, landed in Northern Ireland. Even more men joined the High King’s army, bringing it to 3100 soldiers, and Dunchad set to pursue the Norsemen. Bagsecg, seeing his inferior numbers, hid in the lands of Aed, the former high king of Meath. He thought Aed would support him and that Dunchad would never dare to force Aed into the war by marching into his lands. But Dunchad didn’t care. He continued, claiming as High King of Ireland he could go anywhere on the island.

Aed refused to join the conflict, though he helped the Danes to find a good position to defend. It proved to be enough. The Irish were defeated at the battle of Dun nan Gall on 29 January 890. It was the first defeat of Dunchad, and a significant one. Cuan fell in battle, his first one. A few months later, his own son, Mael-Fabaill, was born.

The High King was well decided to avenge his son. For several months he recruited more men, bringing back his strength to 3000 warriors, then began to shadow the Norsemen. The objective was to threaten their supplies, but without facing them openly in battle. Each time the Danes were getting into position to attack the Irish, Dunchad retreated.

It worked. In November, 300 Pagans became isolated while trying to save their supplies while the rest of the army was moving. They were all slaughtered. On 9 March 891, Dunchad attacked the main army. At the end of a long and difficult battle, he was forced to retreat, but not without inflecting terrible damage to the Dane army. Bagsecg himself was wounded during the battle and nearly half their men were left behind, most of them were later killed by the Irish, as they went back to their strongholds to escape pursue.

Yet, the Irishmen were nowhere to be seen. Dunchad has retreated back to his strongholds to recover from the battle and recruit new soldiers. The Danes turned back. They began to raid the lands of chieftess Maire. During the following months, the High King prepared for the ultimate battle of the war, recruiting every man he could find in his army, even his brother Laegaire joined. The High King had 2900 soldiers under his command when he marched again in June. The Norsemen had only 1000 men remaining, but they were all veterans. The battle of Birr which took place on 6 September was a hard one, but the Irish finally emerged victorious. Eirikr, Bagsecg own son, was captured.

Following this victory, the Danes left Ireland. A ransom was paid for the return of Eirikr and the war appeared to be over. However, the next year, Bagsecg came back at the head of 700 men, which were supposed to be later reinforced. But the King still hadn’t recovered from his wounds and died in camp. Without leader, the Danes were easily defeated by Dunchad, though Laegaire was killed during the fighting. King Eirikr arrived a few weeks later with 100 bodyguards to take command of the army, not knowing it was already defeated. His forces were ambushed and he was captured once more. He was only freed on the promise that he would never return to Ireland nor protect any warlord here.

Now that peace had returned, the High King organized a great hunt, and killed the beast he had been looking for for years. He continued hunting and feasting during the following years. Meanwhile, Anlaith Darn Birn took the lands of one of her sisters and more Norsemen were arriving in Ireland, picking on the kings who had not recognized Dunchad’s authority and stubbornly refused to call for his help. The King of Alba became involved in those wars, in order to counter the growing power of the Pagans. Yet it wasn’t enough. By 896, the lands of King Aed had been conquered by a warlord paying homage to the King of Denmark. Dunchad saw it as a violation of the agreement reached four years before and began to prepare for war. He gave more power to his wife, Bebinn, as he wanted her to rule in his absence.

The situation in Denmark had changed. Following his defeat, Eirikr had been deposed by several noblemen and died soon after. His nephew, also called Bagsecg, was now King. He was only 15 and probably not aware of the past deal made oversea. When the ultimatum from Dunchad came, he completely ignored it. He had more pressing matters at home, with several wars and unrest. Dunchad was able to capture the Dane stronghold without much opposition, except from the warlord who was easily defeated. Meanwhile, Anlaith went to war against her sister, Maire. The High King disregarded it, saying it wasn’t his place to interfere with internal wars, and when his son Brian, Maire’s husband, complained, he gave him lands in Ailech, just taken from the Danes.

In 898, the Norsemen finally sent armies to take back their lands. They were 3500, but divided between different warlords, while Dunchad raised 3600 soldiers all under his command. Some of the Pagan leaders left to fight other wars, bringing with them 2000 of the Norsemen. The remaining ones were defeated the 1 January 899 at the battle of Donegal. No Dane came back.

By 900, Dunchad was the only Irish king left. The rest of Ireland was controlled by Irish chieftains who paid homage to him or Norsemen. As such, he was known as the High King of Ireland, rather than High King of Munster like it had been the case a decade before. In 902, he raided the lands of the Pagans. The plunder was small, but he put fear in their heart. Ireland was being known by the Norsemen as a dangerous place to be. Their warriors were refusing to attack the Irish for fear of defeat and retaliation.

​

In 904, the High King raised 4300 men to expel the Pagans from Dublin, which they had occupied for decades. Some peasants opposed the war, because of the heavy toll in men Dunchad’s wars had costed, but they were crushed by the High King. He then focused on the Norsemen, destroying their small armies and capturing their strongholds. He let half of his army to his son Brian as he was taking the other half to occupy the Norse ports. In 906, 2000 Pagans landed in Southern Ireland. They tried to maneuver but were quickly cornered between both armies. On 26 July, they were defeated at the battle of Port Lairge. Unfortunately, Brian was killed while fighting. In anger, Dunchad ordered the execution of all the prisoners made during the battle. The next year, they tried to get the stronghold in Dublin back but were vanquished once more. They didn’t come back.

The High King spent the following years feasting and hunting, despite his age. He let most of the ruling to his wife Bebinn and his grandson and heir Mael-Fabaill. In 910, his condition suddenly worsened. Old age was taking a severe toll on him. He died a few months later, at 67.

 

[stnylan]

Welcome to AAR writing.

He's certainly had a full and successful life. Now to see what his heirs manage with their legacy.

 

[HistoryDude]

Well, this looks interesting...

I'm worried about his heirs's ability to keep control of Ireland...

 

[Volodio]

High King Mael-Fabaill the Arrogant (910 – 934)
​

Mael-Fabaill had been helping his grandfather rule over Ireland for a few years when he passed away. With the succession, the lands of Dunchad were shared among the male descend of the late High King: Flannan, the son of Brian and still a child, received the north of Ireland, while Baethgalach, Dunchad’s last son of 18, was given the south and finally Mael-Fabaill kept a few strongholds on the coast, along with the title of High King, at 20. The two others recognized Mael-Fabaill’s title of High King and didn’t even claim that of king. It was a requirement Mael-Fabaill had imposed to avoid any war. But it didn’t account for much, for they still had a lot of autonomy and he had little power over them.

Mael-Fabaill spent the first years making sure nobody else would challenge the succession. He married in 911 to Gerroc, from a noble Irish family. In 912, as the Norsemen were at war with Britons, the High King decided to use the opportunity to attack one of the Pagan warlords. He raised 2300 men and marched toward Oriel. He captured the stronghold before the winter, then 3500 of the heathens arrived. However, they were very hesitant to act and were afraid to fight a battle. Ireland was still renowned for being very dangerous after all the defeats the Norsemen suffered against High King Dunchad, even though he was dead.

In 914, 1500 more arrived. They had twice more soldiers than the Irish, but there was much opposition between the Norse warlords regarding their next move. At the same time, they all insisted on staying united. It resulted in constantly changing plans depending on which faction was dominating the war council. They tried several landings, but each time Mael-Fabaill threatened them and they went back to their ships, not daring to fight a battle. After months like this, they starting to suffer casualties from accidents as the boats were decaying without repair.

Meanwhile, Flannan had become an adult and was starting to plot to make his own brother High King, probably hoping to control him, and he had gained the support of Anlaith Dal Birn. Mael-Fabaill needed a short end to the war. In 916, the Norsemen were weak enough from desertions, skirmishes, accidents and starvation to be openly attacked. Their army had shrunken by half. The two sides faced at the battle of Armagh on 8 July. It was bloody and close, but in the end the Norsemen had more experienced warriors, some who had been all over Europe and fought in countless of raids. They won, though by little and at a high cost.

After their victory, they besieged their stronghold lost in Oriel. But they had difficulties getting supplies and when the High King came back with 2000 men, they had to retreat. Their ships were too damaged to be used again and so they were forced to pass through Irish territory. They were constantly harassed and slowly starving, as any man sent to find food was killed by local Irishmen. Mael-Fabaill finally caught up to them and defeated them at the battle of Derry the 3 January 917. Many of the heathen warlords were captured. They were freed on the promise that they would not return to Ireland, except for the less important ones who were kept as hostages.

With the war over, the High King focused on stopping the plot started by his cousin Flannan. He also took a second wife, Tuathflaith, because of the failure of his first one to give him a son. After a few months of peace, some Norse peasants rose up against the Irish domination. Mael-Fabaill took command of 2000 men and crushed the revolt. He then started a policy to expel and slaughter the Pagan settlers who had installed in Ireland during the Norse occupation, starting with the families of those who had revolted.

He spent the following years affirming his authority over the chieftains, even interfering in their policies a few times. When important nobles committed a crime but the chieftain failed to do anything, the High King sent soldiers to arrest them and bring them to his dungeon, where he would torture them in hope of gaining useful information on the chieftains. They still enjoyed a lot of independence and autonomy, Baegthalach even waged war outside of Ireland, but there was no doubt anymore that they had a king. In exchange for these concessions, they were given the opportunity to participate in the ruling of the Kingdom through a council reunited every year, though there was little to actually rule as Mael-Fabaill demands were only occasional to affirm his authority, not consistent in order to push for a specific policy.

In 920, Mael-Fabaill finally had two children. A daughter named Tuathflaith after her mother, and a son and heir, Oengus. In 921, Flannan was captured while fighting the Norsemen in Wales. A few months later, Baethgalach was also made prisoner, at the same time as Flannan was released against a ransom. Meanwhile, the last Norsemen in Ireland pledged allegiance to the King of Denmark, Emund, to protect them from the Irish. Indeed, the chieftains had been very aggressive and even the High King had been looking at finally expulsing the last Norsemen out of Ireland, though upon receiving the news he abandoned that idea. Mael-Fabaill exchanged some letters over the following years with Emund, in hope of improving their relations and maybe even reaching an agreement, but they stopped after some harsh bickering over small matters.

The following years were peaceful, as the High King was consolidating his rule and the chieftains of Ireland were accepting it. In 927, he had another son, Amlaib. Slowly, Mael-Fabaill became more recluse, less active and even made less demands to the chieftains. They retrieved most of their autonomy. The council still met every year, and when Anlaith died her son, Cummascach, was given her position, but little ruling was involved and more was about drinking and feasting. During those years, the High King became closer to Flannan and regularly made the trip all the way to Northern Ireland to see him.

​

In 932, Baethgalach went to war against Cummascach. The High King, who was ill at the time, ignored the conflict, even after he recovered. Baethgalach won and forced his enemy to pledge allegiance to him. With this, over half of Ireland passed under his control. The situation was ignored by Mael-Fabaill as his uncle had not claimed to be king, nor did he renounce his allegiance to the High King. In 934, several of the chieftains in Ireland started a war to get rid of Baethgalach. Slowly, all of Ireland chose a side, except for Mael-Fabaill who was ailing in Dublin. He died later that year, at 43.

 

[stnylan]

That is ... not so good. It sounds like it will be a tough old fight.

 

[HistoryDude]

You're doing well. Let's see if this can last...

Still, this civil war might yet destroy the realm entirely...

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

I think I enjoy Ireland more in ck3 than ck2. Seems to be at least a little more variety going on. Then again, Dublin, connacht, leinister combo is still the ideal combo for ruling the place.

 

[Volodio]

High King Oengus the Pious (934 – 970)
​

Following the death of his father, Oengus was made the new High King, though he was only 13. His 6-year-old brother Amlaib inherited some lands in Northern Ireland. But both were too young to rule and so the autonomy enjoyed by the chieftains after the last years of Mael-Fabaill’s rule continued, to their great pleasure. The two brothers were educated in Dublin, according to instructions from the late High King. They fought each other often, beyond the usual fraternal fights and slowly became real enemies.

Baethgalach continued his war and won it by 936, securing his position. He was encouraged by his victory to challenge the authority of Oengus. Indeed, many chieftains in Ireland pledged homage directly to him and as the son of Dunchad he had a claim on the crown. He began to prepare for his next war against the High King himself. Oengus ignored the turmoil and decided to leave in a pilgrimage. Sogan, the High King’s friend, ruled in his absence. When Oengus came back, he was convinced of the necessity to expel the Pagans from Ireland. He married and prepared for war, but continued to ignore Baethgalach.

In 938, Baethgalach challenged openly the High King and claimed his own sister would be better suited to rule Ireland. War erupted. Oengus recruited 3100 men, including mercenaries, while Baethgalach raised 2500 soldiers. The captain of the mercenaries, Aed, was given command of the army and began to pursue Baethgalach. However, 900 Welshes came to the help of the rebels, honoring an alliance made decade before. They joined up with the chieftain’s army and outmaneuvered Aed in Western Ireland. The mercenaries were defeated on 24 November at the battle of Carrick. Several noblemen were killed, including Sogan.

Baethgalach’s sister died a few months later, while the rebel chieftain was besieging Oengus’ main stronghold. The war continued, but Baethgalach refused to openly claim Ireland for himself, and many chieftains became reluctant to support him when he was being so indecisive. He was forced to negotiate with Oengus. During the negotiations, the High King found some secrets on his kinsman and blackmailed him to put an end to the war, while promising him he would not take any further action against him despite his betrayal. Finally, there was peace.

In 940, Oengus’ son and heir, Patrick, was born. That same year, the High King decided it was time to finally expel the heathens out of Ireland. He raised 3500 men, including a large force from Baethgalach, and sent them to besiege the last Norse strongholds. They were captured before the end of the year. But during the winter, 2500 Danes sent by King Emund landed in Southern Ireland. They were attacked and defeated on 6 March 941 in a battle near Carrick. Baethgalach was killed fighting among his own men. As his two sons, Dabid and Dunchad, inherited, Oengus decided this time he would deal with it rather than wait for a rebellion. He put the campaign on hold. A few months later, the Danes used this opportunity to take back their stronghold with barely any opposition.

The High King was visiting the two brothers to make certain they would recognize his authority. At the end of the year, Dabid was murdered by his brother’s wife. His subjects were outraged by his death. They took charge of the education of their new chieftain, Mael-Corgis, and talked of war to avenge Dabid. Oengus used the occasion to intervene and have his authority as High King recognized. He promised he would stay neutral and even legally support it, in exchange they would not take Dunchad’s lands and would give him soldiers for his next campaign against the Norsemen. They agreed.

Oengus stayed with his wife during the duration of the war, despite several pleas from Dunchad to intervene. She gave him a second son, Matthew. Mael-Corgis’ noblemen won the conflict, as expected, and Dunchad’s power was reduced but otherwise he remained unharmed.

The internal troubles over, High King Oengus prepared for a new campaign against the Norsemen. In 946, he launched it. An army of 2600 men was raised under the command of Gosacht and sent to capture the Dane stronghold. Meanwhile, several chieftains rebelled against the nobles educating Mael-Corgis. Oengus watched closely but stayed out of the war. He was too busy with his own. Without the soldiers sent to Oengus, Mael-Corgis noblemen were defeated and the chieftains replaced him with his brother Dunchad.

In 948, 2200 Norsemen sent by King Emund landed in Ireland, near Dublin. They were beaten at the battle of Wicklow on 18 February. The heathens captured were burned at stake on orders from the High King. The war appeared to be over, until late 949 when 2500 Pagans arrived to take back their stronghold. Oengus sent 2700 soldiers to crush them. They faced at the battle of Strangfordr on 6 April 950. The Danes suffered from a lack of veterans, compared to their usual expeditions, and were defeated by the more experienced commander Gosacht. They were not seen back in Ireland, which was finally freed of Pagan occupation for the first time in a century.

Meanwhile, Dunchad had waged several wars to get some lands across the sea, and especially in Wales. With each victory, more lands and men joined his side. Oengus understood the threat he was becoming and decided to act first. In 951, he sent Gosacht with 2500 soldiers to demand that Dunchad would relinquish some of his lands. It was backed by some dubious legal claims which everyone ignored. Dunchad refused the demands and rebelled. Amlaib, Oengus’ brother, joined the rebellion.

But Oengus was prepared for it. The rebelled were divided and spread out while the High King’s army was united. Gosacht engaged in a series of battles, first defeating Dunchad in June, then Amlaib in October and Dunchad again in December. However, Gosacht was failing to completely destroy the enemy forces. He changed strategy and focused on besieging their strongholds. Some of the smallest Irish chieftains used the occasion to send their warbands raid the countryside, ignoring all allegiance. Several rebel villages were captured by the soldiers of the High King in 952, but it still wasn’t enough to convince the rebels to surrender.

In 953, Amlaib died of wounds sustained in battle, but the nobles in charge of the regency of his son, Mael-Tolai, continued the war. Oengus hired some mercenaries to reinforce Gosacht’s army, bringing its total to 3000 men, for 2000 rebels. The 26 November, they fought once more at the battle of Kilkenny. The rebels were defeated. But it wasn’t enough, the war continued for several more months. In 954, Gosacht captured the last stronghold of Mael-Tolai. The nobles surrendered, and soon Dunchad surrendered too. They were stripped of some of their lands and kept imprisoned. Thanks to these new additions to his domain, the High King personally controlled all the eastern coast of Ireland.

​

For the next year, Oengus was focused on the writing on an epic about the war between the Irish and the Norsemen, which tells us a lot about the history of Ireland during that period. He was also blessed with a third son, Joshua. In 956, Dunchad died in the dungeons. His 10-year-old son Sean inherited from his remaining lands. The next year, after his fourth son, Constantine, was born, the High King decided to leave on a second pilgrimage to Rome. He let the Kingdom into the hands of his son and heir Patrick, who tried to improve the domains of the High King. When his father was back, Patrick married to a chieftess, Sinech, and joined her at her stronghold in Southern Ireland. His brother Matthew replaced him a few months later, complety changing policies.

Oengus forced the chieftains to stop their raids in Irish lands. Instead, he suggested they went beyond the sea, in Wales and Alba, of which part were owned by Saxons and Norsemen. And so they went, bringing their warbands to plunder in foreign countries. Oengus spent some years in Ireland, as some new sons were born and others died. In 961, he decided to join in the raiding. He raised 3600 men and personally crossed the sea with them to raid in the Kingdom of Alba, leaving Ireland to Matthew. Even though the High King was careful to avoid looting any religious site, the plunder was plentiful.

Upon his return, Oengus decided to reward Gosacht for all his years of service by giving him the hand of one of his daughters. The High King spent the following years thinking on religious matters, even hurting himself in his devotion. In 965, he raised 3800 soldiers for another raid, but this time only targeted at the Norsemen’s lands. Again, the loot was plentiful. On his return Oengus weakened Sean, Dunchad’s son, by demanding of Sinech that she would pay homage directly to him rather than Sean, like she was doing until that point. Sean let it happen, though he expressed his dissatisfaction.

In 966, Gosacht died in his bed. The High King organized a special funeral for his warlord. With the chieftains’ personal authority weaken, Oengus participated more and more in their internal decisions, and involved some chieftains, notably Sinech and his friend Flaithbertach, into the matters of the whole Kingdom. In 968, he was confident enough to release his nephew Mael-Tolai, though under oath to abandon any claim to the throne of Ireland.

Later that year, Sean decided to correct the wrong that was done to him by attacking Sinech. Before the High King could react, his first son Patrick was killed in battle while fighting for his wife. Oengus used his authority to force an end to the war. The next year, he punished Sean by having him murdered. Seeking forgiveness from God, he harmed himself in extreme ways. The wounds were too deep for him to recover. He died after a few months, in 970, at 49.

 

[stnylan]

I mean it sounds like he stabilised the realm a goodly amount, but there remains something strangely unappealing about it. I am not quite sure I can put a finger to it - and I have no doubt by the historians of TTL he will be viewed as a most important figure.

 

[HistoryDude]

Well, that went well. I imagine the Norse will continue to be nuisances, though.

I wonder what that epic looked like. Perhaps, it tells of divine intervention against the Norse?

Nice to see that Ireland is finally stable.

 

[Volodio]

High King Patrick the Paranoid (970 – 1013)
​

Patrick, son of Patrick and grandson of the High King, inherited from the crown at 7. His uncles received lands all over Ireland but all were very young, except from Matthew who was 27 and had ruled with his father for several years. Matthew demanded Sinech, Patrick’s mother, to pledge allegiance to him, in exchange he would protect the position of her son. She accepted and he became officially the Protector of the High King. While the High King was raised in the lands of his mother in Southern Ireland, Matthew eliminated his opponents and became the de facto ruler of Ireland.

There was one last person preventing him from having absolute power: Sinech. In 971, he went to war against her. He used his power and influence to prevent the chieftains from joining her side. The conflict was very one sided. In a few months only, Sinech’s army was defeated and her stronghold taken. Her lands were seized and she was imprisoned, while Patrick was brought to Matthew’s stronghold to be educated by the Protector’s wife. Sinech was tortured for a long time, then executed in 973. Patrick learned of everything that had happened to his mother and the mistrust that had been born two years earlier during the war evolved in a hatred against his uncle.

As a ruler, Matthew encouraged investments in the farmlands and the spread of new technologies, especially farming techniques, in Ireland. In his goal to get rid of his rivals, he began to plot against his nephew the High King, who was hating him too much because of the death of his mother. He looked for someone more suited to be controlled, which he would put on the throne while ruling from the shadows. He found it in the person of his own brother, Constantine. However, he had to first remove any support Constantine enjoyed in order to make him dependent. In 974, he attacked him to take his stronghold. Matthew took his soldiers and led them to war.

However, this meant there was a lack of men to guard the stronghold. Patrick, though he was only 12, used the opportunity to flee. He encountered several loyal men in the countryside and with them reached Dublin, where he coronated himself. He hired some mercenaries and ordered their leader, captain Duban, to crush the murderer of his mother. Mael-Tolai raised his own men and announced his support for Matthew.

Duban took 2800 men south and defeated Matthew and his 1000 soldiers at the battle of Loch Garman the 8 December. He then double-backed north to destroy Mael-Tolai’s army. After these victories, he received the order from Patrick to arrest Sebastian, another of the High King’s uncles, because of suspicions from the young ruler that Sebastian was another traitor. Duban was only a sellsword and so followed the orders, despite the lack of evidence. However, Sebastian had been warned and sent his army instead. When it was defeated, he closed his stronghold and stayed inside as the mercenaries were besieging it. Patrick was becoming paranoid. He saw traitors everywhere and refused to leave his stronghold, sometimes even his room, for fear of an unknown threat.

In 975, Matthew devised a plan to capture his nephew. He led a small warband and tried to enter the stronghold of Dublin but it failed and he was captured. Patrick ordered him to be stripped of his lands and beheaded. His mother was avenged. The rest of Matthew’s family fled Ireland. Several years later, his son would marry the Empress in Francia and his descendants would later rule over Francia.

The next year, understanding they had no hope left, both Sebastian and Mael-Tolai negotiated their surrender in exchange for their lives. They were banished from Ireland and Sebastian’s lands personally taken by the High King. Sebastian went into Norse lands where he fought in mercenary bands and died a few years later while Mael-Tolai travelled Europe and ended his life in Francia.

The wars were finally over but Patrick was still not at peace. Despite owning the most lands in Ireland and having very few chieftains, he was afraid of more rebellions. He asked Duban to stay, even offered him lands, but the mercenary refused, knowing very well how risky serving a paranoid king was. Constantine stayed to advise him, but they didn’t trust each other.

​

In 978, the High King married to Anlath. The next year, Nuala of Conacht, the 14-year-old daughter of Sean, went to war against Mael-Muire of Ulster, Mael-Tolai’s 10-year-old daughter. Patrick suggested his help to the daughter of his former enemy in exchange for a betrothal and the agreement that she would stay in Dublin, where he could watch her every move. The nobles in charge of Mael-Muire’s education accepted. The High King demanded from Nuala to stop her war but she refused. He hired some mercenaries from beyond the sea and sent them against the chieftess. Many saw this act as tyrannical, because of the large autonomy they had enjoyed until that moment, including his uncle Constantine who joined his forces to rebels.

The mercenaries were once again given command of the High King’s army, 4100 soldiers, because he didn’t trust anyone living in Ireland. They faced and defeated the 2000 rebels at the battle of Derry in November. During the next year, they besieged, then captured and sacked the rebel strongholds.

In 981, Nuala convinced a chieftain from the Kingdom of Alba to intervene on her side. Thanks to his help, they were finally able to take all the lands from Mael-Muire. But the mercenaries had besieged her stronghold and captured her a few months later. Constantine was also captured at the end of the year. Most of Nuala’s lands were seized by Patrick, including what she had conquered from Mael-Muire, and she was thrown in the dungeons, where she died two years later. Constantine was spared, in exchange he would be exiled and renounce his claims. He left for Denmark, where he married a princess.

​

There was finally peace. At that occasion, people discovered that Patrick had no interest in ruling. Instead, he was spending his time in the longhouse of his stronghold, eating, indulging in various other pleasures and trying to find out where the next betrayal would come from. His subjects enjoyed plenty of autonomy, as long as they didn’t do anything suspicious. Over the years, his wives gave him several children. He became increasingly convinced that he would need to remove all the chieftains from Ireland and would rule by relying on a handful of local envoys.

The chieftains became aware of that plan and thought they needed to act first. They began a conspiracy to get rid of Patrick. But in 987, the High King learned of the plot against him. He staged a murder of which the leader of the chieftains, Bathgalach, was accused, then sent men to arrest him. They failed and he rebelled, but the other chieftains either believed the accusations or were too afraid to act. Baethgalach was alone. He hired mercenaries, bringing his army to 2400 soldiers, but Patrick had 3500 men from all of his strongholds. He directly led them at the battle of Luimneach the 18 August, where he defeated the rebels. Baethgalach survived the slaughter and hid in his stronghold, but he was followed by the High King’s army, which took the place a few months later. The chieftain was captured, stripped of his titles and lands, then thrown in the dungeons.

Over the next years, Patrick became increasingly hard with everyone, even threatening or murdering commoners based on suspicions alone. In 991, an affair was discovered between Patrick and a commoner when she became pregnant. He married her, angering the Church and his wives. In 992, some peasants rose up against what they saw as tyranny. The High King raised 3000 men and crushed the revolt. The leaders were executed to serve as examples.

Everybody was too terrified to act against him and as the years of peace passed by, they learned to enjoy the autonomy they had thanks to the High King’s disinterest. The paranoia of Patrick was slowly easing. In 995, he recruited a stranger, Beoaed, to help him discover any conspiracy. There were very few. Most came from chieftains in Wales who were formally part of the Kingdom of Ireland, legacy of the conquests of the chieftain Dunchad, 50 years before. But they were too preoccupied by the instability and religious wars in England, between the Saxons, the Danes and the Catholics, to ever go beyond some vague speeches.

In 999, Beoaed discovered one of Patrick’s wives had been cheating. She was imprisoned and tortured. Her lover fled from Ireland to avoid sharing the same fate. Fortunately for the Kingdom, she had no given her husband any son whose legitimacy could be questioned. During the following years, the High King’s many sons were becoming older and some were even given responsibilities, though small ones because of the large autonomy in Ireland. Beoaed was rewarded for his many years of service with the hand of one of Patrick’s daughters.

The High King’s children were restless and asked to implement specific policies. The firstborn, Labraid, even talked about making conquests across the sea. But Patrick was enjoying the status quo and always refused. He was even becoming closer to some of the chieftains and started trusting them. The sons came to accept it and simply rely on their father’s reputation to avoid the consequences of their actions.

​

Patrick was becoming old. During his last years, Ireland was renowned for its peace, which contrasted especially with the constant wars in England and Alba. Several nobles from Western Europe would go the island to enjoy some years of peace and quiet. Sometimes the High King would study ways of getting rid of the last chieftains left, but never act on it. Instead, he spent his days indulging in various pleasures, and at the end of his life he was often staying in bed for several days. In 1013, Patrick died in a hunting accident, at 51.

 

[stnylan]

It sounds like Patrick's paranoia was the price of Patrick's peace.

 

[HistoryDude]

A paranoid man, but a peaceful reign...

Also, Patrick's uncle made Sinech pledge allegiance to him and then warred against her and imprisoned her. What?

 

[Volodio]

A paranoid man, but a peaceful reign...

Also, Patrick's uncle made Sinech pledge allegiance to him and then warred against her and imprisoned her. What?

He picked against his small rivals, then once he was powerful enough he went after the mother of the King. Sorry if that was badly explained. Sometimes I have a hard time finding good stories to justify the AI action. The worse during the reign of Patrick was Matthew and Constantine. In game, what happened is that Matthew created a faction to put Constantine on the throne, then went to war against him.

 

[Volodio]

Sorry for the delay. Here's Patrick heir. Next king (and last one) is coming tomorrow.

High King Labraid the Conqueror (1013 – 1047)
​

After the death of Patrick, his sons divided the lands of their father among themselves, each becoming chieftains. What their father had done to remove the chieftains was undone in a matter of weeks. Labraid, the most ambitious, claimed the throne as the firstborn. He was 31. The others agreed to recognize him as High King, though he also had to share power with them. The annual council, supposed to help the High King to rule the Kingdom and which was created during the rule of High King Mael-Fabaill, was restored. The most important of the brothers were given position.

However, there were too many sons and too little power to share. Most of the youngest weren’t in that council and began to plot among themselves and with the chieftains and lords in Wales to put one of them of the throne, Laidine. The High King reacted by reinforcing the power of his allies. They were given authority over less important chieftains and called high chieftains. By 1015, the reforms were ended and four had such important position in Ireland and in the annual council. Three of those were the brothers of Labraid: Riaguil, Flaithbertach and Aaron. Riaguil was high chieftain of Connacht while Flaithbertach was high chieftain of Ulster. Aaron was only a monk, he had made a vow of poverty and refused to hold any land, but he was also highly relied on by his brothers for his loyalty and skills. The fourth one was Fingen, a cousin who already had the allegiance of several smaller chieftains in Leinster but whose authority was now formally recognized by the High King himself.

Labraid recruited several hundred warriors in preparation for conquests in Wales. The Norsemen had just been expelled from England by a long Catholic crusade and the High King saw it as a good opportunity to strike, when everyone was recovering from years of war.

However, in 1016, the unhappy chieftains rebelled. Flaithbertach and Fingen betrayed Labraid and joined the rebel’s side. The High King took 2500 men and marched to fight his brothers. Their armies, led by Laidine, were quickly defeated and their commander captured. However, the rest of the brothers refused to surrender. Instead, they began talking about themselves to decide who would be the one who would become King after the war was ended. Laidine renounced his claim on the throne and gave soldiers to Labraid in exchange for his release.

The war continued. The rebels, aware they couldn’t defeat the High King in open battle, engaged in guerilla warfare. But even this wasn’t enough. Labraid had always dreamed of conquests and prepared for it. He knew more about war than they did. He captured the rebels’ strongholds and with them the supplies of all the warbands roaming the lands. Several of these small parties were trapped near supply points and slaughtered. In 1018, Taithlech, the youngest of the brothers, was disfigured and captured in one of those traps. He was also forced to renounce his claim and give men to the High King. The chieftains’ families were captured but Labraid decided to ransom them, as most of them were family.

In 1019, after losing another of their strongholds, the rebels finally realized their cause was hopeless and surrendered. Flaithbertach stayed free in exchange for an oath to never oppose his brother again, to abandon his claim on the throne and to give men to Labraid’s future campaigns. The rest were stripped of some of their lands and arrested, except one of the small chieftains who was banished. The families of the rebels were freed against ransom.

​

In 1020, High King Labraid went to Wales with 4500 soldiers to start the campaign he had been preparing for so much time. His targets were mostly Norsemen. He captured one of their strongholds but quickly went back to Ireland as 3000 Pagans landed in his Kingdom. They were to put pressure on him to abandon his campaign. Before Labraid arrived, 2000 more Norse soldiers had joined them. The two armies faced at the battle of Drogheda on 1 April 1021. The Irishmen emerged victorious, but the cost was high. Hundreds were killed. Labraid was wounded as was his brother Riaguil, who had always been loyal. Riaguil died the next year.

The High King stayed in Ireland in 1022, to slaughter any Norsemen left, then in 1023 went back to Wales with 2500 men. He let the rest of his army to the command of Guthfrith, a Saxon who had proven himself in battle and was now charged to defend Ireland.

In Wales, the Norsemen had used the diversion to begin the siege of the captured stronghold. However, Labraid relieved the garrison by defeating the Pagans at the battle of Cardiff on 22 April. He was wounded in the battle, despite every account telling us how he tried to avoid getting in the middle of the fight. He spent months near Cardiff, recovering, while his firstborn and heir, Patrick, joined his father on his campaign.

The war was resumed in 1024. Several of the Norse strongholds were taken. Meanwhile, Guthfrith put down a revolt in Ireland of peasants unhappy about the large number of wars since the death of High King Patrick. Labraid’s brothers saw an opportunity in the weakness of the Pagans and started their own campaigns. Guthfrith asked the High King to be allowed to cross the sea and join them. Labraid accepted. However, the exchange took too much time, and the Saxon warlord followed far later. When he arrived, both Laidine and Taithlech had been killed by the Pagans. The other brothers were dissuaded by this defeat and abandon the ideas of more campaigns.

In 1025, the High King finished his war. He was victorious, though it had been long and costly. Guthfrith, for his services, was made high chieftain of most of the lands newly conquered. He took the Saxon title of “duke” and founded the dynasty of the Lockharts.

Labraid was not satisfied with these conquests and wanted more. He allied with several nobles from the Kingdom of Alba while preparing his next campaign. In 1026, one of those allies asked for help against the Saxon Kingdom of England. The High King took 4500 soldiers and left for a new war across the sea, despite the increasing tensions between the chieftains in Ireland. The Saxons were quickly defeated, but the concessions were also very small. Labraid continued the campaign with the Norsemen as a new target.

In 1027, the Pagans brought 7000 warriors to defend their lands in Wales. It was a much larger force than what the High King had. He called for reinforcements from both his allies and his brothers. The latter gave 1000 men, despite ongoing wars in Ireland between the chieftains. Both sides were reluctant to commit to a battle they were unsure to win, but the Norse command was more divided between each warlord, contrary the Irish one, where everybody answered to Labraid. In November 1028, the Norsemen divided their forces and the High King jumped on the opportunity to attack them. The Pagans were defeated. Labraid spent the next year pursuing their armies and capturing their strongholds in Wales and England. Guthfrith lost a leg in a skirmish but by the end of the year, the Norsemen were defeated and the campaign over.

In Ireland, there was open war between the chieftains. Peasants were also growing restless, regretting the time of peace which they had enjoyed when High King Patrick was ruling. There were open revolts in Wales, and Guthfrith was defeated by one of them and forced to comprise with the peasants. Yet, Labraid ignored all of them. He spent the years preparing for another campaign in Wales. Even his son Patrick was asking for him to stay in Ireland, but the High King ignored him.

​

In 1032, Labraid left with 6500 soldiers to Wales, including his firstborn Patrick and his second son, Faelan. His target was once again the Norsemen. When they heard that the campaign had started and that new taxes were required of them, the peasants in Ireland revolted everywhere. Guthfrith crossed back with half of the army and crushed the rebels. Meanwhile in Wales, the High King captured the Norse strongholds without encountering much resistance aside from a few small warbands which were easily defeated.

Following his victories, Labraid decided to stay in Wales. This time, he took the time to pacify the newly conquered lands, but also prepared for his next campaign, which was directed east, directly into Saxon lands. His two sons stayed with him. Flaithbertach was given power to rule in the High King’s absence, though there was little to rule and the high chieftain was busy with wars against the other chieftains, in which he abused his position of regent to win them. In 1034, Labraid coronated himself King of Wales. He declared his intention to conquer the rest of Britannia and restore the domination of the Celts. His ally, King Colboth of Alba, made a similar declaration.

Labraid raised 7600 soldiers and went to war against the Saxons. There was little opposition as the Irish were capturing the Saxon castles, aside from the castles themselves who were harder to capture than what the Irish were used to face until now. Guthfrith was the most experienced with this new type of siege warfare, but he was wounded during one of the sieges and died in 1035. Faelan took command of his army.

Facing the Irish victories, many Saxon lords decided to deflect. Labraid gladly accepted their surrender. It would be even more castles he didn’t have to capture in long siege warfare. The remaining Saxons tried one last stand. They raised 4000 soldiers and marched against the Irish, but the 14 March 1036 they were defeated at the battle of Gloucester. By the end of the year, the High King had forced a third of England into submission, and Colboth of Alba another third. A lot of the Saxon lords, including the King of England, who stopped using that title, fled to Francia, where many owned lands.

The Saxons who had switched side got to keep their lands and ranks. But the possession of those who had opposed Labraid and fled were seized by the High King. He gave these lands to several members of the Mordha dynasty, mostly cousins who didn’t stand to inherit anything but who also showed some skills. As they were to rule over Saxons, many adopted some of their customs by taking the title of “duke”. The High King then went back in Wales for winter, already preparing his next campaign against the Saxons and Norsemen.

He fell severely ill in 1037, to the point that he had to report the campaign to the next year. He was 55 and realized he might die before achieving his ambitions. This only motivated him to press even more with his conquests. In 1038, he was ready. He raised 8000 warriors and divided them into four armies, to speed up the war. They were commanded by him, some of the new dukes and his sons, Patrick and Faelan. However, the Norsemen saw the opportunity. They gathered 4000 men and attacked the isolated armies. Two of those were defeated in the first year of the campaign. Flaithbertach was killed and Patrick lost a leg and was captured. The High King took command of the remaining armies, nearly 6000 soldiers, and avenged his brother at the battle of Lewes on 5 February 1039.

A few months later, peasants revolted again in Ireland. The toll of the war had been too high for them, and they wanted a king who would stop the constant fighting between the chieftains. At the same time, Norsemen also landed in Ireland to force the High King to abandon his campaign. He sent part of his army back home to deal with these threats and stayed with the rest in England. The force sent wasn’t enough. It was defeated by the Pagans in 1040 and the stronghold of Dublin was taken a few weeks later. Fearghus, Labraid’s third son, was taken prisoners by the Norsemen.

Meanwhile, the High King was capturing the last Norse strongholds in England and Wales. Confidant after their victories, the Pagans went back to Wales and faced Labraid in battle, but were defeated. In 1041, they were forced to come to terms. They gave up their lands in England and Wales and agreed to ransom Labraid’s sons. In exchange, they were given safe-passage to go back to Scandinavia and the High King made an oath to never attack them again.

Once his sons were returned to him, Labraid organized a lavish ceremony where he was coronated King of England. The King of Alba was said to be angered by the news, as he owned a large part of England himself, but he didn’t dare to do anything against a man who had added two crowns to his own in his lifetime. The tactical skills of the High King of Ireland were becoming legendary.

For the first time, Labraid didn’t have any more campaign planned. The Norsemen and Saxons had been expelled from all the southern part of Britannia. His health was declining and he didn’t want to attack his ally King Colboth, who was also a renowned tactician, to unify Britannia. He went back to Ireland, where the wars between the chieftains were finally over.

​

In 1043, he called for a great council to organize the succession for his four sons. The chieftains had little power here and it was mostly a move to force them to recognize his will. Patrick and Faelan both asked for Ireland, the most sable of the kingdoms. They had had their share of wars after having followed their father in nearly all of his campaigns. It was given to Patrick, the eldest. Faelan received Wales. The two youngest sons, Fearghus and Conmal, had not participated in the campaigns. Nonetheless, the High King attributed England to Fearghus, as repayment for the year he spent imprisoned by Norsemen. Conmal, the most ambitious, was the only one to not receive a kingdom. He only had some lands in Ireland, though he had asked for England in order to continue his father’s conquests. Patrick and Faelan finally enjoyed peace. They spent their time together studying the ways of the Saxons, especially how they ruled.

In 1044, Labraid crushed another popular revolt. He was then confronted with a religious problem. For over a century, a Christian heresy, Catharism, had spread in Europe. It was deeply implanted in England and had been one of the most important points of frictions between the Saxons over the previous centuries. Though the Kingdom of Ireland had been mostly able to ignore that problem thanks to its isolation, it was now pressured from all side to take a stand. The Pope was especially very demanding and wanted a tighter control on the Church of Ireland. In 1045, the High King left for Rome in order to meet with the Pope himself and reach an agreement. None could be made. Labraid went back angry against the heir of Saint Peter. He decided that the Irish Church would be independent and that no central authority would exist.

Idleness didn’t sit well with Labraid. In 1047, he was becoming restless and began the preparation for another campaign, this time north against Alba, despite the oppositions of most of his subjects, including his two older sons. However, he died after one of the meetings with his commanders, at 65.

 

[stnylan]

Hopefully the succession works.

 

[HistoryDude]

Nice conquests, but shame that an empire wasn't formed. It doesn't even need to be Britannia, but a custom empire...

This succession will inevitably lead to succession wars...

 

[Volodio]

High King Patrick the Reformer (1047 – 1068)
​

After Labraid’s death, the division of his kingdoms was made according to the council which had formed four years before. As such, Patrick became the new High King of Ireland, at 41. Conmal became a high chieftain while their other brothers received kingdoms of their own. Patrick had spent years studying the ways of the Saxons and chose to immediately adapt the Kingdom of Ireland to their customs. A better legal structure was made, heavily inspired by the Saxons and regulating the interactions between the High King and his subjects, whom the most important ones gained many privileges. Conmal was won over when his position within the Kingdom was improved compared to the other chieftains because he was in the royal family. He was called a prince.

For this new organization to work, abbeys were built. They were place where scholars would live, learn of the new legal system, improve it and pray God. The constructions were mostly in lands directly owned by the High King, as the other chieftains were less convinced of the necessity of these abbeys. Ports were also developed to increase the exchanges with the rest of Britannia, especially England and Wales where Patrick’s brothers ruled.

King Faelan of Wales made similar changes, but he was less successful as several neighbors used the opportunity to strike. King Colboth was the first to attack. He conquered half of Wales. Then in 1052, Conmal decided that prince wasn’t enough for him and declared war for the crown. The High King, who was much closer to Faelan than Conmal, saw it as a betrayal and tried to force a peace, but without success. In 1054, the youngest brother won the war and became King of Wales. He declared that a king should not bow to another king and refused to recognize Patrick’s authority over him, and so over a quarter of Ireland. Patrick first tried to reason with his brother, using works of scholars to prove that the High King had authority over simple kings, even using examples from history and legends centuries old, when the kings did bow to the High King. Yet, Conmal still refused, even when it came with an ultimatum. War it was.

Patrick raised 1300 soldiers and marched against his brother, who recruited 700 men. They faced at the battle of Carrick on 11 July 1054. Conmal had had a martial upbringing, but his brother had the experience of decades of campaign with their father and a numerical advantage. The High King won. A few weeks later, he learned that a Gaelic chieftain had landed in the north of Ireland to invade his Kingdom. Patrick asked for his brother Fearghus’ help, which the King of England accepted. Together, they were able to muster 4500 men, against the 2000 invaders.

However, it took some time for Fearghus’ army to arrive. Patrick captured one of the castles of his brother while the invaders were besieging the northern strongholds. In 1055, the Mordha soldiers were finally regrouped. They attacked the Gaelic army at the battle of Armagh on 25 July. The Irish won, with large losses. The High King lost an eye during the combats. The invaders continued the fight. The 3 February 1056, while Patrick was besieging one of his brother’s strongholds, they attacked him. He had not expected it and despite their victory, the cost was very high. Patrick himself was disfigured, to the point that he had to wear a mask for the rest of his life, while his only son died while trying to defend his wounded father.

A few months later, Conmal finally surrendered. Patrick took the crown of Wales to himself and kept his nephews in Dublin as hostage, though he released his brother. Faelan was called by the High King to serve him, and to become his new heir. He accepted and quickly became the ruler of Ireland as his brother was away fighting the war against the Gaelic invaders. In 1057, King Fearghus attacked the invader’s own lands. They failed to defend it and were forced to come to terms the next year. They paid a heavy ransom to repay the damage done.

​

This war had made Patrick realize the downside of the Saxon reforms. Everywhere his subjects were demanding more rights and were less keen on giving up money or sending soldiers to war unless they were forced to. Both the High King and Faelan tried to solve this problem, but they had problems working together as their methods were different. Patrick wanted to reinforce the legal system to force the chieftains, now often called dukes, to give more of the possessions to the High King, while Faelan insisted on bypassing the dukes and directly investing in the construction of new cities and farms, encouraging the development of those who weren’t from the nobility. Yet their relationship stayed strong enough that when Patrick’s wife died, he refused to remarry in order to let the succession unchallenged for his brother.

In 1060, Fearghus was threatened by a civil war. Patrick proposed his help but his brother refused. The High King had been using the new legal system along with his rank to try to implement his authority and England and Fearghus was afraid he would have to bow to his brother if he accepted. The King of England was defeated and lost his crown to one of his vassals, a Saxon.

As the years went by, Patrick gained more and more influence his England. Not only did he used his rank and legal system, but he also reorganized the Irish Church, which several of the dukes in England followed, to give himself a lot of power in religious matters. Thanks to these new reforms, internal peace was also assured in Ireland. He became increasingly popular for it, especially among the peasants.

Fearghus died in 1065. The High King’s health declined and Faelan took more and more decisions in the Kingdom. In 1068, Patrick died in his bed, at 61.



This is the end of these chronicles for my master, Faelan, is now High King and rules over the peaceful Kingdoms of Ireland and Wales. May he live long and may this work make scholars and rulers everywhere understand how the great Mordha family was able to shape Ireland into the strong and stable Kingdom that it is today.

​

 

[stnylan]

It sounds like Ireland is really developing as a nation now.

 

[Volodio]

It is. And well, it was the last chapter. I'll put all of it into one pdf file, probably without the pictures, in a few days.