Bannow Landings
Archived: 26 September 2026
In 1169 Diarmait Mac Murchada, seeking to recover Leinster, recruited Cambro-Norman mercenaries from Wales. Robert FitzStephen’s force landed at Bannow, joined Irish allies, captured Wexford and received land, creating a fortified coastal foothold. Diarmait’s subsequent campaign devastated Osraige and secured renewed submission, but prompted High King Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair to negotiate hostages and require dismissal of the foreigners. Ireland remained politically sophisticated, with competing kingdoms, active ports, rural economies and reforming Church institutions. The newcomers initially served an Irish king, not Henry II. Yet grants of territory and Diarmait’s continuing ambitions established a durable bridgehead, enabling larger interventions after 1169.