. Henry II . might well seem desperate in view ofthe disparity of numbers, but its very boldnessproved its salvation. Leaving a small garrison toguard the city, some six hundred picked men marchedout in three columns, under Miles de Cogan, Raymondthe Big, and the earl himself. The surprise wascompletely successful; secure in the knowledge oftheir numbers the Irish had neglected outposts orguards and were caught quite unprepared; many ofthem were actually bathing when the English cavalrydashed into their camp. Discouraged by this severedefeat, in which they lost very heavily, the Irishforces br
. Henry II . might well seem desperate in view ofthe disparity of numbers, but its very boldnessproved its salvation. Leaving a small garrison toguard the city, some six hundred picked men marchedout in three columns, under Miles de Cogan, Raymondthe Big, and the earl himself. The surprise wascompletely successful; secure in the knowledge oftheir numbers the Irish had neglected outposts orguards and were caught quite unprepared; many ofthem were actually bathing when the English cavalrydashed into their camp. Discouraged by this severedefeat, in which they lost very heavily, the Irishforces broke up and drifted away. Earl Richard wasnow free to attempt the relief of Robert Fitz-Stephen,who, after dangerously depleting his own forces tostrengthen the garrison of Dublin, had been gallantlystanding a siege in his castle of Carrick near earls forces, after a desperate action in the passof Odrone, in which Meiler Fitz-Henry particularlydistinguished himself, reached Wexford to find the sm^. IRISH AXEMEN(From Royal MS. ) 1171] IRISH AFFAIRS HI town in flames, Carrick Castle fallen and Fitz-Stephena prisoner. The earl now turned to Wateriord andprepared for an expedition against MacDoxmchadh,King of Ossory, but the latter offered to come inand make terms if his old ally Maririce Prendergastwould obtain him a safe conduct. This Mauricedid, but when MacDonnchadh came before the earl,King OBrien of Munster, who was acting at thistime with the English, urged his arrest and execu-tion, and it was only by the vigorous action ofPrendergast, who brought his men-at-arms on thescene, that the barons were prevented from thustreacherously breaking their oaths. Leinster was now pacified and a further imperativesummons from King Henry, already on his way to-wards Pembroke, necessitated the departure of EarlRichard. Hardly had he gone when Hasculf, theformer lord of Dublin, landed with an army raisedfrom Norway, the Isles, and Man, under the commandof a man known from t
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