AGE OF INVASIONS: Clonycavan girl, 300 BC

Dear diary,

It's my birthday today and since I'm a noblewoman, I got a new Torc, and it's sooo beautiful! It's a simple cable of woven silver* with gold inlay and ornamentation at the clasp (something written in Ogham and some earthly and heavenly symbols) and it fits very tight around my neck. Dad told me, that it has the power to ward off the curses of enemies and maleficent sorcerers, and that it provides protection and courage.

I also got some beautiful amber beads I can fasten to my braids (after I had lost my favorite bead- the golden one- while practcing fighting in the woods). The amber comes from some country far, far away, where it doesn't rain every day and sometimes the sun burns really hot and people are weird- it's called something like Polen, my aunt told me. She loves telling stories about those strange places and everytime I see a foreign ship passing on the horizon I wonder, if it's heading towards one of those unknown countries.
 Only a few days ago she had gotten news from some cattle traders who had came by, telling her that our neighbors on Albion Britannica had been attacked by some skinny folks coming from the south, and that after some bloody battles they had taken over power. Apparently their leader had thought about occupying our island too, but those scaredy-cats (who by the way don't even bath with soap-how disgusting is that!**) thought we were some kind of horrible cannibals and that our island was a foggy place of gloom, surrounded by a sea of death. They even gave our beautiful green country a new name; Hibernia, land of winter. So I guess, we don't have to fear them.

Yep, but now I really have to go, mom just called, dinner is ready..!

 
 

torc- sacred adornment, a ring put around the neck
Ogham- celtic sign script used by druids
Albion Britannica- roman name for Brittain  
Hibernia- roman name for Ireland 
*silver-associated with the moon, gold-associated with the sun
**it's suspected that the celts, who were very clean people that bathed and washed their clothes regulary, had  invented soap and later introduced it to the Romans

Brian O'Sullivan, 5th century

Dear diary,

Business is running good, the Roman army has a great need of cattle and also the slave market is flourishing. After all British men have gone to war for the Roman Empire, which has been attacked by barbarians, their poor women were left alone with all their kids and goods, and well, after we're a nation of gentlemen,we went to look after them. My emigrated landsmen have set up the first kingdoms in Britannica, and we’re extending our power constantly. So long everything fine. But just a few days ago something really strange happened...

It was years ago we carried out a normal routine raid on the coast of Britannica and captured some Welsh men. Among them there was a 16 year old boy, inconspicuous, nobody really paid attention to. We sold him in Dubbhlin, and now, 6 years later we get a complaint, that he has escaped. They say that he somehow managed to get on a boat to Britannica and is already happily united with his family again. Admittedly, we didn't pay too much attention to that incident; it happens all the time, there are so many slaves you easily loose track. 

That happened a few months ago, and as yet nobody had thought about it anymore. Anyway, a few days ago an Welsh man landed on our island, dressed in the long robes, calling himself the great missionary. He was talking some strange stuff about that one, great god and some Jesus guy and the Holy Trinity, goodness knows. Initially we took him as a target of ridicule, but eventually people started listening to his glorious speeches; he was promising us paradise and brotherhood and love and wealth and whatever. I was a little suspicious, I had heard of those guys, children of the Roman Empire, and I tried to find out more about this Patrick. Turned out he was the prisoner, who had escaped a few months ago. Back home he had turned into a bishop of the catholic church and now had returned as a missionary to convert us! Strange though it may seem, he's really gaining followers...! I'm all agog to see how far he'll come...

Niall Glundups wife, 1000 AD

Dear diary,

There has happened so much the past few weeks, I still can't believe it... You remember when I told you the Vikings had shown up, robbing and raping, terrorizing everybody..? Well, the monks fled into their round towers and the villages further away hid in their soutterains, but our little village was taken totally by surprise, and we simply had no chance... I don't remember much of that night- fire, blood, the crazy look in the eyes of those soulless bastards...Then I woke up, tied up, on one of those long, dragon-headed boats, next to me a gang rape going on, a strong smell making it impossible to breathe. I had been kidnapped. And we were sailing towards Dubbhlin, the largest slave market of the known world, set up by the Vikings, who had already extended their maritime empire as far as America and Russia and therefore could supply the constantly craving market with regular slave delieveries.

My memories are bad- hunger, coldness, thirst. And then; Him...Big, long bearded, white skin, red hair, ice cold eyes...Niall Glundup. He had come from far away, from the north, the great leader of that pack of brutes and well, it seems he's fallen in love with me! (At least I have escaped all the raping on account of that..) And now he wants to sattle down and marry me..

We arrived to Dubbhlin a few days later and it was a horrible sight; slaves and traders from all over the world, selling and bying human beings like pieces of meat. And the kings and lords all over Ireland don't bat an eye; conversely they are starting symphatizising and forming alliances with the Vikings! It's even rumored, that Brian Borun has gathered the Northmen to fight against the Highking of the Ui Neill family, who by the way is known for employing viking warriors in the front rows of his army too (They say that the Vikings dunk their arrows in dragon blood what makes them lethal). Well, I'm anxious to know wheter Borun will make it or not...

But now I have to go, my husband-to-be has ordered the smith to make me some earrings of gold stolen away from my irish fellow countrymen. 

round towers- round towers with the first floor only reachable with a ladder; when attacked the monks just pulled up the   ladder and if the attackers managed to climb up, they escaped to the next floor and pulled up the ladder 

soutterain-  chamber hidden underground; whole viallges used to build their homes like that in order to not getting robbed

Brian Borun- an Irish king who ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill

Highking 

Ui Neill 

AGE OF CONQUEST: Aoife O'Sullivan - 1169

28. December, 1169

Dear Diary,

this has been a harsh and sad year and there just doesn't seem any end to the terror of the Normans in our region since Dermont McMurrough, this betraitor of Ireland, allienced with Henry the II and came back to conquest his own country! Not enough Dermont let his daughter be married to this Norman slaughterer Richard Declailr, who calls himself "Strongbow". I knew it from the beginning that there was no good coming from this allience and now that Dermont is dead our beautyful country is in the Nomans hands.
I hate him, that Norman butcher, and Dermont too! It's their fault that Colman, my beloved husband, is now dead! I'm still mourning for him. At least he was a real Gaelic and fought for our independence! But they just slaughtered him cruely and now he is in heaven near the Lord.




Dermont McMurrough: 
He was one of  Irelands provicial kings, when the other kings allianced against him he flew to England where he made a pact with Henry II.

Strongbow: 
He was the Norman Baron Dermont hired with Henry II's help to conquest Ireland. He was promised Dermont's daughter.

4 November, 1172

Dear Diary,

it's been a while since I wrote and many things have happened. Henry the II came to visit Ireland with countless soldiers and stayed for nearly 7 months. He declaired himself king of Ireland, even though he has no right at all to do so! But compared to Strongbow he is the better of two terrible options and our country desperately needs some rest to recover from the recent battels. I guess it's a good sign that Henry II left so quickly again, it seems as if he just didn't like Strongbow either.
Anyway the changes this anglo-norman ruling comes with are hard to adapt to - they just installed a new parliamental sistem, the anglo-norman law and we are forbidden to talk our native language and must learn to talk English. I hate that they treat us like barbarians and try to rot out everything that is related to our culture.And even though we are all good cristians, not even the pope seems to care!
But Irishman are strong and stubburn, I heard that a lot of Gealic chiefs are hiding in the mountains and woods, resisting!
Anyway I am so worried for my 4 children! I can't provide for the family all on my own! I need to know my children are cared for and I'm thinking about re-marrying a Norman. I know it's betraing my country, but I don't have much choice left.


Henry II: 
When he saw how much power Stronbow had in Ireland he went there with his army to install British rules and declaire himself King of Ireland. Over the next 50 years he installed English laws, rules, ect. in Ireland

Gelic chiefs hiding: 
Since the British treated the Irish like barbarians a lot of people hided in the woods and mountains and could so preserve Galic language and culture.

Hugh O'Sullivan 1580

Jannuary 1580

Oh my dear homeland, my dear and loved Ireland! I failed to protect you! In Count Kerry I fought on the side of the Irish rebells together with and Italian capatain and 5 dozen Spanish soldiers against the Elizabethans! It was a bloody fight, the English won and it is a miracle I am still alive.
Now Queen Elizabeth sent her soldiers the "Elizabethans" to Ireland and they are bringing nothing than disaster: they massacre our people, they clear the forests and they treat us like barbariens because we don't life like them in big cities.
Back when the Black Plague was spreading in The Pale in 1348, most of them died in those cities! And the Irish, in their "barbaric" rural sheds survived! It seems as if at least god cared, even though the pope ignored the cry for help form the Irish back then!
We won't change neither our langage nor our religion just because some British Queen tells us to!  I heard the buzzword that in Ulster O'Neil, who for long thime cooporated with the British, and O'Donnel are preparing to fight the English.


The Pale: 
Dublin and it's surroundings are called The Pale.

The Black Plague:
It spreat in The Pale around 1348 and a lot of British died. This was because British lived in bigger cities, where the deasease would spreat more easyly. A lot of Irish people lived in more rural homes so they were save.

Queen Elizabeth:
Became Queen avert King Henry VIII died. She was not a really religious queen but rememberd what her catholic sister, Mary (Bloody Mary), did to protestants. As religon is becoming more and more an issue in Europe, Queen Elizabeth sends her soldierst - the Elizabethans - to Ireland to install her rules and religion.

O'Neil & O'Donnel:
Where two Irish landlords who sometimes colaborated with the British in order to keep their power in Ireland. Finally in 1580 they allianced together against the British for a war that would last 9 years.

Ulster:
Was Irelands most Gealic region at the time.

Adrian O'Sullivan, 1601

 Ulster, Jannuary 1502

We lost. After all the battels fought for our independence in the past centuries and especially in the last 9 years, this last battle  in Kinsale seems to be the turnpoint in our history.
I still can't believe, that now I am back to Ulster, the region who for so much time stood for the Irish resitance. I was sure that Hugh O'Neil, after he turned his back to Britain and stoped collaborating with them, would bring change. Our army, O'Neils army, had a lot of support - not only where O'Donnel's men supposed to fight with us side by side, but also the Spanish promised help.
But everything went wrong - O'Donnel's army got lost on their way and the Spanish arrived in Kinsale, instead in Ulster. As soon as we got the news we started our march through the cold winter to fight and finally defeat the British. We were 9,500 against 6000 weakend English soldiers and anyway we lost. Goddamm, why didn't we have any stirrups!Never before I have seen so many good men die in the open field!
Ireland lost and now we have to knee in front of those British protestants whilst they install another of their new orders. O lot of us have died and even O'Neil seems to prepare to leav Ireland for good.
 
Spanish army:
A Spanish fleet should arrive to Ulster, but instead arrived at Kinsale where the British had their soldiers.







O'Donnel:
Irish chief who collaborated with O'Neil. Unfortunately the two armys took seperate ways to Kinsale and O'Donnel's got lost.

March through the cold winter:
O'Neils men marched through winter 1601 to arrive at Christmas Eve in Kinsale and start their last battle against the British.

Battle of Kinsale:
Is called a turnpoint in Irish history. The Gelic chiefs got defeated by the Britains.

AGE OF REVOLUTION: Flann O'Sullivan (Protestant, 1658)

April 23,1642, 

                                                                       Dear Diary,

Catherine and I are finally able to live as peacefully as we could possibly have wished for. Following the failed rebellion, we quickly surrendered and were given quite generous terms. The situation in Ireland has settled down a bit, with England struggling to hold itself together. Looks like someone by the name of Oliver Cromwell is, along with the English parliament, challenging the king's power. I have got a bad feeling about this. 

January 28, 1649

Dear Diary,

My worst fears have come true, the king is dead, the government won. Oliver Cromwell has taken over command of the british army and surely will lead them towards Ireland again, to scatter the remnants of the kings followers. I have neither the courage nor any will to imagine the unavoidable bloodbath that is to ensue...

October 15, 1658

Dear Diary,

Much has happened. For six years now, since the parliament in London passed the act of settlement, Catherine and I live a protestant life here with our son Henry in Ulster and now it seems that Ireland is to become the venue of religious war again. I honestly do not know how much more we, the Irish, can take. Apparently Louis XIV, king of France intends to expand his territory, which leaves his neighbouring countries at unease. I have heared rumors though, about prince William of Orange whois currently leader of the dutch republic, gathering his forces to resist the French's pressure.