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The Normans |
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In 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, brought an army across the
Channel, defeated the Anglo-Saxons at the Battle of Hastings and was
crowned as King of England in Westminster Abbey. In the years that
followed, "William the Conqueror," consolidated his power and expanded
the boundaries of his Kingdom. The Norman Conquest was a turning point
in English history. Sooner or later, it affected every aspect of
English life. |
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The Bayeux Tapestry
depicts the Battle of Hastings. |
| Not content with
conquering England, William invaded Ireland in 1125. Unlike the
Romans, who looked upon service in England as temporary duty and soon
returned to Rome, the men of William's armies adopted Ireland as their
home. Many settled in the East Leinster counties and eventually adopted the Irish ways, and
some authorities state that "they became more Irish then the Irish
themselves." |
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