Fire and Retribution
In 1069 the most formidable ruler in southern and eastern Ireland was Diarmait mac Maíl na mBó. From his Uí Chennselaig base in south-eastern Leinster, Diarmait had accumulated an extensive overkingship embracing Leinster, Dublin and influence far beyond either. He was not an uncontested king of a unified Ireland. Power remained distributed among provincial kings, local dynasties, ecclesiastical families and Hiberno-Norse towns. Nevertheless, his ability to deploy both Leinster warriors and troops from Dublin made him one of the island’s dominant figures.