Richard de Clare (Strongbow) was a Welsh lord and the Earl of Pembroke. In 1169, Dermont MacMurrough, the king of Leinster was defeated by Roderic, the king of Connacht. Dermont went to Wales and asked Richard to help him in his war against Roderic. Richard agreed to help with the condition that he was allowed to marry Dermont’s daughter, Eva. With Richard de Clare’s help, Dermont was able to defeat the king of Connacht’s forces, who were armed only with slings and stones. Richard de Clare, whose army relied heavily on Welsh archers, soon obtained the nickname ‘Strongbow’. The Normans invaded and quickly subdued much of the Irish population and carved up their own personal kingdoms. When Dermont died in 1171, Strongbow became the new king of Leinster. Henry II of England became concerned about Strongbow’s growing power in Ireland and so later that year he arrived with his own army. Strongbow was forced to surrender Leinster to the king. The land was then given back to Strongbow in return for the service of 100 knights. To maintain control he built several castles at Kilkenny, Carlow, Maynooth, and Wexford. He died in 1176 and his estates were inherited by his daughter Isabel and her husband William Marshall. The couple had five boys and five girls. When William Marshall died none of his sons were left alive and so the Irish estates were divided up among the five daughters and their families. By 1262 only the lordship of Kilkenny remained under the control of the Clare family.
