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BIOGRAPHY
Son of Donnchad Macmurchada, king of Dublin and Orlaith, Diarmaid Macmurchada (Dermot Macmurrough) was born in 1100. In 1126 he succeeded to the throne of his father, but he faced a number of rivals who disputed his claim to the kingship. In 1132 he burned down the Abbey of Kildare, raped the abbess and became king of Leinster. He established his authority by killing or blinding seventeen rebel chieftains of northern Leinster in 1141.
In 1152 the religious see of Dublin opted to become an Irish archbishopric, spurning the ecclesiastical rule of the archbishop of Canterbury. In 1154 Henry II became king of England and the idea of invading Ireland resurfaced as it had during the previous reigns of William the Conqueror and Henry I. At the insistence of the envoys from the archbishop of Canterbury, Pope Adrian IV invested Henry II with the right to rule Ireland and bring about religious reformation. However at the outset of Henry's rule he focused on securing his hold on England itself, and any plans for an invasion of Ireland were on hold.
In 1153 Diarmaid abducted Devorgilla, the wife of Tiernan O'Rourke, king of Breifne (the modern counties of Leitrim and Cavan). A bitter feud ensued, and in 1166 Diarmaid was driven from Ireland. In 1167 he requested aid from King Henry II to regain his kingdom. Instead Henry granted Diarmaid permission to enlist support from among the restless Norman lords of the Welsh marches.
Diarmaid's main support came from Richard de Clare 'Strongbow', 2nd earl of Pembroke. In 1167 an advance party of Anglo-Normans helped Diarmaid establish a foothold in Leinster. Richard de Clare arrived in August 1170, and Diarmaid helped the invaders to capture Dublin. Diarmaid married his daughter Eva/Aoife to Richard de Clare. When Diarmaid died on 1 January 1171, Richard de Clare succeeded him as ruler of Leinster.
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- Yes, date unknown