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150 Stephen Dunford: The Journey of The IrIsh
the ambition of De Lacy, who, in characteristic Norman fashion, sustained his hold on the territory of Meath by building strong castles, including Trim castle, and stationing perma- nent garrisons in them.
In the kingdom of Leinster, Strongbow was carrying out a similar campaign, albeit against much stronger and fiercer opposition. Yet despite this opposition, he succeeded in holding the coastal towns, and fortified them accordingly, thereby maintaining a channel of communication with England.
It was in the kingdom of Munster that the Normans met with their first serious reverse of this campaign. Raymond le Gros, the commander of the Normans in the south, invaded Munster in 1173 and made good progress until, despite an age old feud, the Munster princ- es, Dermot MacCarthy and Donal O’Brien united successfully against him. In answer to an appeal from Raymond, Strongbow hurried to his aid, whilst the two Irish chieftains were joined by the High-King, Rory. The rival armies met in battle at Dúrlas Eile-modern Thurles, county Tipperary, in 1174, where the Normans sustained a crushing defeat. Although Rory, with the help of several powerful Irish princes and commanding an army of twenty thou- sand, it is said, overran Meath and gained occasional victories, he even marched on Dublin, a city he might easily have taken but for his inevitable vacillation, he was not able to stem the advance of the Normans, and their aggressions became so intolerable to him that he ap- plied to King Henry for protection. By a treaty signed and negotiated in 1175 at Windsor by Rory’s trusted adviser, Archbishop Laurence O’Toole, and known as The Treaty of Wind- sor, Henry recognised Rory as King of Connacht, as hitherto, and High-King of the areas of Ireland not occupied by the Normans, whilst Rory on his part, agreed to acknowledge Henry’s overlordship and to pay him a yearly tribute. Moreover, in 1180, as a pledge for the fulfillment of the treaty, Archbishop O’Toole delivered Rory’s son to Henry. Archbishop O’Toole died in 1180 in Normandy and he was subsequently canonized in 1226.
The Treaty of Windsor effectively ended the sovereignty of Ireland, and in turn, a great portion of the traditional rights attached to the High-Kingship were forfeited. Henceforth it was an empty title and even as such it only lasted a few more years. On the other hand, the Normans were now free to extend their conquests, unrestricted by any authority; soon the terms of the Treaty of Winsdor were violated, and as war raged throughout the country Henry made fresh grants of land in Munster and Ulster. In Leinster, Stronbow continued to extend his power inland until his death in 1176, when his title and possessions were inherited
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