The Arrival of The Normans in St Mullins

The Arrival of the Normans in St Mullins No 5

 

The first Normans landed in Bannow on 1^st May 1169 they were Knights loyal to Robert Fitz Gilbert de Clare (Strongbow)who was later to marry Aoife daughter of the scoundrel Diarmaid Mac Mourough. The lad that we are interested in is Maurice de Prendergast because he ended up in our patch St Mullins.

The Normans joined forces with Diarmaid Mac Mac Mouragh Ex King of Leinster and fought to help him regain his Kingdom. However, Diarmaid’s only interest was to use the Normans as mercenaries and Maurice de Prendergast had come to win a lordship, money gold a decent estate sure he had to pay the lads who joined him on his venture. Realising he was on a loser he decided to cut his losses and return to Wales with his Flemish knights and 200 Welsh archers. Diarmaid had no intention of letting Maurice out of the country as he was now back in charge of his Kingdom and who did this Norman think he was anyway.

Maurice sent a messenger to Domnall Mac Gilla Pátric(the King of Osraige) that’s Kilkenny who keep winning the all-Ireland hurling championships. He explaining that Diarmaid was now his enemy and that he Maurice was willing to serve him, It was cunning way out of Diarmaid’s trap and the strategy was a success.

The messenger returned with good news .On receiving the offer from Maurice Domnall  had leapt into the air with delight .His reply was that de Prendergast should come at once with complete confidence  to St Mullins to rendezvous with the army of Osraige on the banks of The Barrow (Co Carlow).From there they would see what opportunities presented themselves but Maurice could be reassured that whatever happened ,they would receive generous and substantial payment from Osraige, Money always does the trick.

It would have been better for Diarmaid if he had simply let Maurice and the Flemish army return to Wales. For when he learned of this new and very unexpected alliance ,he felt his power beginning to fragment ;Wexford was rebellious and there was no certainty that the other Normans with him would enter battle against Maurice .In order to attempt to intercept the Flemish army as it marched along The Barrow, Diarmaid dispatched his son with his 500  cavalry these would be half naked lads with long spears hurleys and wearing blue war paint. The two armies clashed, but Dairymaids son dared not turn the encounter from a skirmish to an open field battle, not in the face of the more heavily protected Flemish knights and foot soldiers in full armour. Harassed all the way, Maurice eventually arrived at the round tower in St Mullins, there he made a stand and sent word to Domnall Mac Gilla Pátric. The messenger returned with a promise that if Maurice held fast, the army of Osraige would be there on the third day. The King of Osraige (Kilkenny)did indeed arrive on the third day, to the cheers of the Flemish troops and to the dismay of Diarmaid’s cavalry who now ran as fast as they could towards the foot of Mount Leinster. Observing the proper formalities, Maurice and his seven knights greeted the king who had so recently been their enemy. The chief men of Osraige and the Flemish knights swore faith to one another at St Moling’s alter. In particular, Domnall Mac Gilla Patraic swore that he would never betray Maurice and his men, so long as they were allies. St Moling was important for the people of Osraige, for it was said that, through his presence, St Moling had enfeebled an army of Leinster which had been raiding Osraige. The Leinster men were powerless to lift a hand against the saint. All the cattle these raiders had stolen were given to St Moling, who then returned them to Osraige. It would therefore be a foolish king of Osraige who violated an oath made in tempall na-bo or (the church of the cows) and risked the saint’s wrath.

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The Mystical Valley of St Mullins

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Mysterious St Mullins

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No 2 The Motte and Bailey of St Mullins

Or is it The Tumulus of St Mullins?

When you arrive in St Mullins the green is dominated by a large mysterious mound which historians will tell us is a Motte and Bailey, that’s a big mound of earth and stone with a wooden fort on top. They, who know everything locally, say it was the Normans who stuck their wooden fort on top of the mound that was there for years and years, ancient it was. The Normans were dastardly invaders from France who arrived in 1169 and they used the fort to guard the river, that was their way in and out of St Mullins and it kept them safe when the local tribes’ men attacked.

Ireland was covered in thick forest; it was very hard to get through so the best way not to be mugged by the Carlow gang was to come up river. Around the mound they dug out a dry mote and put spikes on top to slow down the attacking natives. The strange part of the mound is the tale that it was the burial ground of a Great chieftain who was buried standing up with his spear and shield ,he fought alongside our famous warrior Chu Chulainn .You might ask have the archaeologists ever dug into the mound to see what’s inside? Not on your life, there are things in this life that are best left alone fairies and Leprechauns are not to be messed with. When all the motor way building and road works were going on you would be surprised how many times certain areas had to be avoided lest the unknown be disturbed .The local children use cardboard boxes to slide down the Motte into the surrounding mote blissfully unaware of what may lie beneath and the battles that once raged in this spot. Wise men observing from the pub across the green believe the Motte is shrinking or maybe it is descending into the other world beneath. Stand with the Motte at your back and look across the green to the pub now that’s where the village of St Mullins was. When the dangerous St Mullins folk got frisky and mounted an attack on the village the Normans would jump up from the dinner table leaving the half-eaten dinner behind, run up into their fort and slam the door. On the walls of the wooden fort they had cow hides, skins that they poured water over so flaming arrows couldn’t set them on fire, can you imagine the smell? Along with the Normans were Welsh archers these lads had the big long bows like in Robin Hood and they could stick an arrow in you long before our lads had a chance to throw a spear. Just be careful when you climb to the top there are tales of people disappearing into the underworld never to be heard of again.

(1)             St Mullins  Poem No 1

 

St Mullins steeped in history a place of wondrous sights,

With peace slowly darkens as evening shadows dim the lights.

Grey ruins of Moling’s abbey in the distance stand,

His memory ever etched upon this Noble land.

 

Pikemen, Kings and Peasant neath shadowed tower rests

Inscriptions with time have worn names, titles fading crests.

Ghosts of Heroes long since past, The Valleys passes Guard,

Upon the Motte a growing shadow of an ancient bard.

 

Celtic crosses cast their shadows, tall markers of passing time,

Like time soldiers on sentry duty all gathered in marching line.

Kings, Chieftains with common man share this Holy ground,

In life exalted by their peers now lie neath common mound.

 

 

Above The Barrow valley the dark raven circles high,

As evening closes quietly clouds rush through the sky.

Rooks gathering, jostling, prepare for evening flight,

Badger awakens sensing dusk peeks out to scent the night.

 

 

 

Around the swelling waters a graceful swallow glides,

                    As the ever-patient Herron awaits the falling tides,

                    Shadows of raiding Viking ships about the Scar appear

       The clash of swords, the shouts of men, the ancient smell of fear.

 

Author Martin O’Brien

St Mullins The Mystical centre of Irelands Ancient East