Feudal Irish

Historical Overview Section

Ireland at this time was a patchwork of rival kingdoms; however, beginning in the 7th century, a concept of national kingship gradually became articulated through the concept of a High King of Ireland. Medieval Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of high kings stretching back thousands of years, but modern historians believe the scheme was constructed in the 8th century to justify the status of powerful political groupings by projecting the origins of their rule into the remote past.

All of the Irish kingdoms had their own kings but were nominally subject to the high king. The high king was drawn from the ranks of the provincial kings and ruled also the royal kingdom of Meath, with a ceremonial capital at the Hill of Tara. The concept did not become a political reality until the Viking Age and even then was not a consistent one. Ireland did have a culturally unifying rule of law: the early written judicial system, the Brehon Laws, administered by a professional class of jurists known as the brehons.

From the 9th century, waves of Viking raiders plundered Irish monasteries and towns. These raids added to a pattern of raiding and endemic warfare that was already deep-seated in Ireland. The Vikings were involved in establishing most of the major coastal settlements in Ireland: Dublin, Limerick, Cork, Wexford, Waterford, as well as other smaller settlements.

A significant new trait from the middle of the 9th century was that the Norse now also entered alliances with various Irish rulers. The Vikings were able to exploit internal divisions in order to invade England and France. As Ireland was one of the most politically fractured countries at the time, it was a prime target for Viking conquest. Furthermore, Irish Kings often made alliances with foreign invaders in an attempt to weaken their domestic rivals. The Vikings were able to defeat the centralized Kingdoms of Europe, since the small ruling class was easily removed. However, Ireland was composed of more than 150 different Kingdoms ruling over small territories. This decentralized system of governance made it almost impossible to gain control of a territory, since defeated Kings were easily replaced.

Using the army in ADLG

• A great army if you believe in the power of Heavy Swordsmen with 2HCW
• hint 2

Useful Links

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• name of link description of link

as an example

• Arab Conquest Arab Conquest army on Fanaticus

Army Lists

Sample army lists for this army
300 Points Burton Doubles 2022
5 HI 2HW Elite
3 MF 2HW
2 LH Javelin
2 LI Javlein
Brilliant
==
4 HI Elite 2HW
2 LF Javelin
2 Med Sw 2HW
Included Ordinary
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Viking Ally
4 Huscarls, Kitchen Sink
2 LF Bow
4 HI Sword Support
==
1 LH Javelin
2 LF Javelin
4 MF Axemen
1 Ordinary General

200 Points
Competent

• 4 Nobles Heavy swordsmen 2HW Elite
• 2 Galloglaich Heavy swordsmen 2HW Elite
• 2 Kerns Light infantry bow ------

Competent

• 8 Irish warriors Medium swordsmen 2HW ------
• 2 Kerns Light infantry javelin ------

Ordinary

• Irish Warriors Medium swordsmen 2HW ------ 8
• Kerns Light infantry javelin ------ 4

Competent Unreliable

• 6 Milites Medium knight impetuous Elite