Strongbow, a Henchman of Henry II, Arrives in Waterford at the Behest of Dermot McMurrough

Richard de Clare, known as Strongbow, landed at Waterford with a force of Anglo-Norman knights at the invitation of Diarmait Mac Murchada, the deposed King of Leinster. In exchange for military support to reclaim his throne, Mac Murchada had promised Strongbow his daughter Aoife in marriage and the succession to the kingship of Leinster.

This momentous arrival marked the start of the Norman invasion of Ireland. The Annals of Ulster later described it as:

“The beginning of the woes of Ireland.”

Strongbow’s forces quickly seized Waterford, and soon after, Aoife and Strongbow were married, cementing the alliance. This led to deepening Norman involvement in Irish affairs and the eventual assertion of English royal authority over Ireland by Henry II.