Gaelic Ireland

Gaelic Ireland is the name given to the period when a Gaelic political order existed in Ireland. The order continued to exist after the arrival of the Anglo-Normans (1169 AD) until about 1607 AD. For much of this period, the island was a patchwork of kingdoms of various sizes and other semi-sovereign territories known as túatha, much like the situation in Medieval Germany but in most periods without any effective national overlordship. These kingdoms and túatha very frequently competed for control of resources and thus continually grew and receded with the fortunes of time. Thousands of battles and predatory excursions involving their leaders are recorded in the Irish annals and other sources.

After the Norman invasion of 1169–71, large portions of Ireland came under the control of Norman lords – this territory was known as the Lordship of Ireland. However, the Gaelic system continued to exist in areas outside Norman control, and the government's power gradually shrank to an area known as The Pale. In 1541 the Kingdom of Ireland was established and the English monarchy began to conquer the island. This resulted in the Flight of the Earls in 1607, which marked the end of the Gaelic order.

Read more about Gaelic Ireland:  Culture and Society, List of Clanna, Túatha and Kings, History

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