The Contested Isle Ch 6

The Contested Isle: Chapter 6: The Province of Leinster

Now Diarmait mac Murchadha was a man tall of stature and stout of frame; a soldier whose heart was in the fray, and held valiant among his own nation. From often shouting his battle-cry his voice had become hoarse. A man who liked better to be feared by all than loved by any. One who would oppress his greater vassals, while he raised to high station men of lowly birth. A tyrant to his own subjects, he was hated by strangers; his hand was against every man, and every man’s hand against him.

— Gerald of Wales

Leinster is the southeastern province of Ireland, enjoying a warmer and dryer climate than the rest of Hibernia. With many ports that encourage traders to cross the Irish Sea, it has strong links with England and Wales, particularly with the English port of Bristol. Once inland, the fertile coastal strip gives way to the Wicklow Hills, a low range of mountains that provide a natural barrier to invaders and have long acted as a refuge for outlaws and the dispossessed. The Kingdom of Leinster has waxed and waned in size over the centuries, and has at times been somewhat smaller than the Province of Leinster. Although the Ua Broin and Ua Túathal clans lead a fierce resistance from their hide-outs in the Wicklow hills, it is here that the English first came to aid Diarmait, King of Leinster, and it is here that their grip is strongest.

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