About Irish History Tales - A chronological history of Ireland from the years 1169 to 1923
From the Norman conquest of Ireland, the defiant stand of Hugh O’Neill in the Nine Years War, through the fiery chaos of the 1641 Rebellion, and onto the monumental clashes of the Williamite War, we'll set the stage for an exploration into the heart of Ireland's quest for autonomy.
Please join me as I embark on a journey through time, unraveling the intricate web of events leading up to the 1798 Rising, and shed light on the recurring '90s revolutions, before culminating with the Irish Civil War.
2.7: The Partition of Munster and the O'Brien-MacCarthy Feud
Long before the Normans attempted to seize Cork and Limerick, Munster had already been divided by generations of rivalry.
In this episode, we trace the struggle between the Eóganachta, the MacCarthys of Desmond, and the O’Briens of Thomond, beginning with the legacy of Brian Boru and the collapse of a united Munster. We explore Tairdelbach Ua Conchobair’s intervention in 1118, the lasting division between Thomond and Desmond, the rise and fall of Cormac MacCarthy, and the political world inherited by his son Dermot MacCarthy.
We then return to the Norman invasion. Why did Dermot submit to Henry II in 1171? What happened when Raymond le Gros intervened in Munster? And how did Dermot survive rebellion, imprisonment and betrayal within his own family?
By 1177, Dermot had regained his kingdom — only to discover that Henry II had granted much of it away at the Council of Oxford.
Before the Normans could conquer Munster, however, they first had to enter a province already fractured by centuries of rivalry.
Irish History Tales tells the story of Ireland chronologically, from 1166 to 1923.
7 Oct 2026
2.6: The Second Battle of Down & the Council of Oxford 1177
In Episode 2.6 of Irish History Tales, John de Courcy faces a northern coalition determined to drive out the Normans. We explore the Second Battle of Down, the sacred relics carried into battle, and what the medieval sources reveal and leave unanswered about the Gaelic defeat.
Then we cross to England for the Council of Oxford in May 1177. With the Treaty of Windsor failing to restrain Norman expansion, Henry makes plans for his ten-year-old son, John, and grants lands in Irish kingdoms his followers have yet to conquer.
From the proposed kingship of Ireland to new responsibilities for Hugh de Lacy and William FitzAldhelm, we examine a settlement that prepares the way for further invasion. Robert Fitzstephen, Milo de Cogan and Philip de Braose now have royal backing to pursue lands around Cork and Limerick bringing the rival kingdoms of Desmond and Thomond into focus.
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30 Sept 2026
2.5: The Norman Invasion of Connacht, 1177: Milo de Cogan’s Failed Incursion Against Rory O’Connor
In 1177, just weeks after John de Courcy’s dramatic seizure of Downpatrick, another Norman commander looked west.
In Episode 2.5, we follow Milo de Cogan’s invasion of Connacht, launched with a small but highly mobile Norman force and guided by Muirchertach O’Connor, the rebellious son of High King Rory O’Connor.
What followed was one of the most striking defensive campaigns of the early Norman invasion. The Connachtmen burned settlements, destroyed food supplies, removed cattle and denied the invaders the resources they needed to survive. De Cogan pushed as far as Tuam, but after days in hostile territory, the expedition began to unravel.
As the Normans retreated towards the Shannon, Rory O’Connor moved to intercept them — and when the survivors finally escaped Connacht, the High King turned his fury on the son who had brought them there.
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