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by a pusillanimous and merely nominal monarch, continually held in check by the provincial chiefs, that a crisis more favorable for the English invasion could not have been presented.

The O'Neill's governed Ulster. North Munster was divided among the descendants of Brien Boirombe. South Munster among the Mac Arthys. The O'Conners ruled over Connaught. O'Ruarc, prince of Breffney, had Leitrim and the adjoining districts; and Dermot Mac Murchard, King of Leinster, had the princes of Ossory and the Decies under his authority; but that authority was cast off when he had recourse to England. He arrived there with but sixty followers, and having secured the aid which he sought for from foreigners, the treacherous chieftain secretly returned to the country which he had betrayed. He remained all the winter in disguise and concealment at Ferns. Some of his adherents who collected round him too prematurely, forced him to place himself at their head, by which means, he regained that part of his former possessions called HyKinsellagh. But he had not a sufficient force to encounter Roderic, Tiernan, and O'Ruarc, by whose united army he soon lost what he had gained, and was driven into the woods for shelter.

To gain time, Dermot affected to throw himself on the clemency of his adversaries. He conciliated O'Ruarc by a gift of 100 ounces of gold; and Roderic by renouncing all claim to Leinster; reserving only for himself ten cantreds to be held in dependance upon the monarch to whom he delivered seven hostages for his future fealty.

Thus were these powers lulled to repose at a time when the most vigorous exertions were requisite to

ward off the impending blow. Unthought of, unguarded, and altogether unprepared, the Irish coast lay open to new invaders in the month of May 1169. The first landing of a small party of needy adventurers caused little apprehension. Robert Fitz

Stephen with thirty knights, his own kindred and household, sixty men in coats of mail, and 300 skilful archers of South Wales, did not assume a very formidable appearance.

They landed within twelve miles of Wexford, at a creek called the Bann. On the following day their numbers were increased by the arrival of Maurice de Pendergast from Wales, with ten knights and sixty archers.

Dermot collected all his forces, amounting to 500 men only, and joined himself to these allies, whose approach he eagerly watched for.

The city of Wexford was their first scene of action; its maritime locality rendered it a desirable possession for the invaders. Its circumjacent inhabitants were principally Dano-Irish. Alarmed at the unexpected arrival of their invaders, they hastily assembled and boldly sallied forth to oppose the assault: their courage however, was damped on beholding the orderly and formidable array of well-disciplined Norman troops. Never before had they seen like disposition. The cavalry drawn up on the flank of the archers, the shining armour and the shields of the knights, transfixed their wondering gaze, and caused such a trepidation that instead of facing the foe, they desperately set fire to the suburbs, and made a hasty retreat into the town, which they defended in the best manner they could, by hurling down huge stones and beams of wood upon the heads of those OCTOBER, 1842.

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who attempted to scale the walls; and by this means they drove back Fitz-Stephen and his troops. This was however, but a momentary check to the bravery of an officer who, previously determined on death or victory, had cut off the means of escape by burning all the English ships which were lying at anchor.

Accordingly, on the following day, he renewed the attack with skill, patience and deliberation, and the town was delivered up to Dermot, which success is not altogether attributed to the efforts of Fitz-Stephen. It is said, that the clergy exhorted the inhabitants of Wexford, to yield up the town to Dermot, as their lawful sovereign, remembering no more his delinquencies in consideration of his beneficence to the Church.

Dermot being put in possession of Wexford, hoped to secure it to himself by fulfilling his engagements to Fitz-Stephen and Maurice Fitz-Gerald, though the latter had not yet come to his aid. Hervey of Mount Maurice is also mentioned as receiving from him in fee, that tract of country which lies between Wexford and Waterford, comprising the baronies of Forth and Bargie. And the new settlers were suffered to establish themselves, and form a distinct community separate from the native Irish in language and manners for ages afterwards.

In the "Transactions of the Royal Irish Acadamy for 1788," Vallency's account will be found of the vocabulary of the language of these baronies, and of a song in their peculiar dialect, which he supposes to have been handed down by tradition from the arrival of the colony in Ireland.

"The foreigners who joined the army of Dermot from Wales have been sometimes called Flemings,

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of whom were some colonies, who established themselves in South Wales, during the reigns of the first and second Henry."

The forces of Dermot had now increased to 3000 men, with which he marched into Ossory. In expectation of the attack, the inhabitants had entrenched themselves within their own morasses and forests. They were however, allured from these natural bulwarks by the enemy feigning a retreat, and in the open level plain they were borne down by the cavalry of the foreigners, and the long battle-axes of Dermot's native infantry made havoc and slaughter among them: after the unequal conflict, 300 reeking heads were borne as a trophy to the feet of Dermot, whose brutal conduct on the occasion further justifies the detestation in which he was held.

At this time the monarch was roused to some exertion. He assembled a large army of " Irish," and convoked a general council of the princes and nobles at Tara. From hence they proceeded to Dublin, where some unhappy dissension among themselves, caused the Northern chieftains to draw off their forces and return home. Had they all stood firm at this critical juncture, united in heart and hand, no doubt the forces of Ireland must have overpowered and driven out the invaders.

The mere report of such co-operation had intimidated Dermot, and caused him to have recourse to the most cowardly stratagem, for his own preservation. Nature had encircled his retreat at Ferns with almost impassible barriers; high precipices, deep morasses and woods, such as must stop the progress of any army. He added to these, artificial pits and trenches. No troops remained with him but his in

considerable band of foreigners, when Roderic advanced with O'Ruarc, the Dano-Irish and provincial forces. At their first approach, the king of Leinster's Irish followers forsook him, whom they regarded as the friend of the stranger, not their friend; and having arranged themselves under the banner of the monarch, the traitor and his allies would have soon been in their power, had they been blessed with a firm, and zealous leader; but Roderic had not even the common policy which was requisite for his own preservation as well as that of his country. Instead of exerting himself to expel the invaders, he tamely tampered, first with Fitz-Stephen, and then with Dermot, in hopes of dissolving the alliance they had formed: failing in this attempt, he entered into a compact with the latter, meanly offering to yield up to him all right and title to the sovereignty of Leinster, and to his heirs for ever, with the accustomed stipulation of rendering to him, as supreme monarch, the homage of a liege subject.

This disgraceful treaty was ratified by Dermot's delivering up Conner, his favourite son, as hostage, to whom Roderic engaged himself that he would give him his daughter in marriage, thus forming a family alliance. Moreover, all those possessions which Dermot had for high treason, forfeited, were restored without any concession on his part, save only a private declaration that he would give no more encouragement to foreigners to land on Erin's shores. He also promised to dismiss those who were now in his service as soon as he should find himself tranquilly settled in his province.

Far different however was the conduct of this treacherous prince, whom neither the law of God or

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