Events of High Kingdom of Ireland

This page lists all events that played out in the High Kingdom of Ireland

## Reign of Eoin Críost ó Mathúna (700-722)

703 AD

High King Eoin ó Mathúna would welcome the Frankish missionaries in Corcaigh, and he lets them preach in cities and countryside. The ideas the missionaries share has a big impact on High King Eoin. He engages in lengthy theological conversations with his bishops, discussing the true nature of Christ. Could it be that the reincarnation of Jesus is the King of Francia? No, they must be mistaken. The only king chosen by god to lead is Eoin himself, which means... One night, High King Eoin gathers his advisors and bishops. "Friends, I have something important to share with you. I am the second coming of Christ." A silence falls over the gathered men. He cannot be serious. "And my firstborn shall be my reincarnation, so that when I die I may live on through them." Everyone knows where he got this notion from. Ever since the Francianist missionaries arrived in Ireland, their words are known to every man and woman in Eoin's court. "It is imperative that we let this be known all over Ireland. Also, I am afraid that the Franks are no longer welcome here. We must kindly ask them to leave." He orders the commander of his personal guard to send a messanger to the missionaries. Before Eoin leaves the chamber with his advisors, he faces them and command to do one more thing. "And from now on, my name is Eoin Críost, High King of Ireland."

704 AD

To those peasants and cheifs already convinced by the words of the Frankish missionaries, it was not a large change to switch the new messias from the King of Francia to the High King of Ireland. The ones closest to Eoin Críost also convert, some because they actually believe that he is christ, some because they know they have no other choice. The peasants in the countryside don't see much difference between the old christianity and the new. They simply go on with their lives, not changing the way they pray. However, the three other Petty Kings of Ireland are not interested in the theologial arguments. They see only a power hungry High King Eoin, using a lame excuse to gather more power for himself, a clear transgression of the unwritten contract between the High King and the Petty Kings below him. While this dissent has yet to culminate into anything, it is clear that things cannot go on like this forever in Ireland.

705 AD

A time of reckoning has come for High King Eoin Críost ó Mathúna. Petty King Murchad ó Flannagáin, ruling Ulaidh (Ulster), is tired of the power-grabbing narcissist ruling from the other side of Ireland. He allies with the Petty King of Leinster, with the intent of forcing Eoin to abdicate, or kill him in battle. The news of this alliance, and that Murchad has begun raising his levies, enrages Eoin Críost. He also gathers his army and prepares for war. The Petty King of Connacht, while intitially wanting to stay neutral, gets dragged in to the war on the side of Eoin Críost through his marriage to a member of the ó Mathúna clan.

The levies are mostly peasants and craftsmen, outfitted with simple weapons. Some village cheifs also took up arms, leading groups of soldiers. In the heart of the armies are the professional warriors, armed with imported swords and protected with shields bearing inscriptions about the owner's heritage, skill, and alleged feats in battle. The elite soldiers of Eoin Críost's personal guard are more numerous, and better equipped compared to the personal guards of the petty kings. They are fiercely loyal to the high king, and most of them are actually convinced that Eoin is indeed the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. To them, this battle will become one of good versus evil, where the they will fight for the son of god, a struggle they will win as long as their faith is strong enough.

706 AD

The civil war has reached a standstill. While smaller engagements have taken place, no side wants to initiate a larger confrontation. The winter has been refusing to depart and is creeping into spring. The snow still covers the hills and forests of ireland, and will do for some more time.

The beaches of Loch Deirgeirt shine crimson in the spring sun. One side, fighting to kill a tyrant, the other, fighting for Jesus Christ. Both sides will claim that the battle of Loch Deirgeirt, that even though the battle was costly, was a victory. Ask the dead men lying on the beach, and see if they will give the same answer. Petty King Murchad ó Flannagáin survived, and will try again to gather an army. High King Eoin Críost ó Mathúna will do the same. This battle can only become bloodier.

707 AD

It is night. The men of Petty King Murchad ó Flannagáin are camped along the river An Bhóinn. A few kilometers from their camp, the scouts of High King Eoin Críost ó Mathúna have found a suitable place for assembling the rafts needed to cross the river. The army slowly manages to cross the black waters, with only the light of the full moon to guide them. Any flaming torch would be seen from this distance. Eventually the sleepy lookout spots the vanguard of Eoin Críost's army. Murchad is awoken from his sleep. He doesn't have time to don his armor before screams of terror and metal against metal spread throughout his camp. Furious, he runs into the fray, with only parts of his personal guard there to protect him. He kills two men, but a member of Eoin's personal guard thrusts with his sword and peirces Murchad's bowel. Murchad counters with a deadly blow to the neck of the soldier, and he then collapses from the loss of blood pressure. After some more combat and slaughter, the remnants of Murchads army scatters.

708 AD

After High King Eoin Críost victory in the Irish war of religion, Eoin set up a religious structure of loyal bishops and priests to ensure only the críostist view of christianity was preached in the churches of Ireland. Since catholic fidelity was largely non-existant in Ireland it meant that the people were more susceptible to the new faith. More than ten years have passed since this happened. Ireland is still a country without much religious fundamentalism, but a growing amount of people adhere to Críostism.

721 AD

High King Eoin Críost initially dismisses the Francian Plague, but quickly hides inside the castle once people close to him get infected. He waits out the year while tens of thousands of peasants die around him.

722 AD

Running out of drinkable water, Eoin decides to let in a shipment of beer and milk. Unfortunatly, the milk was tainted with plague and the elderly of the castle who the milk was meant for get infected. Most of the castle population would end up sick. Eoin Críost is on his deathbed. His family cannot be present, as they might catch the disease. His physicans try various tinctures and prayers, but they have no effect. Eoin is having a harder and harder time breathing, as the sickness slowly destroys his lungs. "I am dying for your sins", he wheezes. "My eldest son shall be my reincarnation..." He goes silent, and becomes comatose. His physicians sobs and coughs but there is nothing more he can do. In the morning, Eoin Críost was dead.

## Reign of Senan Críost ó Mathúna (722-733)

727 AD

The firstborn child of Eoin Críost, Senan Críost ó Mathúna, has a hard time establishing control in his kingdom. Ever since he was crowned he has been bossed around by his advisors, and are generally viewed as weak by the rich and influential.

More and more cjertacristum chiefs of northern villages have pledged their allegiance to the monestary in Avjljíírland. Due to his weak authority, Senan Críost has been unable to address this.

730-733 AD

The advisors of the king of Ireland, Senan Críost ó Mathúna (recently turned 20) have told him to that he can make the people like him better and return Irish prestige by retaking the Abbey from the Avjljljíírlandisc. Senan agrees with this plan.

As such, Senan begins rallying an army in order to invade the Abbey of North Ireland. Unbeknownst to them however, spies of the Abbey and Avjljljíírland knew about this and sent word back to the abbey. The experienced fighters of the abbey, though used to fighting mostly near the coast as viking raiders, thought they were strong enough to win against the Irish.

When Senan was ready to attack North Ireland, they were lured into the North Irish lands with seemingly inferior resistance. Then, they were attacked by an overwhelming force of North Irish soldiers in the night, and their camps were destroyed, forcing Senan and parts of the army to flee (albeit they were still in North ireland.)

Reconaissance had seen where Senan was going and assumed it to be towards Cairbre (Sligo). The North Irish sent their longships down the Sligeach river and waited for messengers to rendezvous as the signal to ambush the army.

The messengers arrived and the North Irish sent their longships, ambushing Senan at dawn while they sailed in the night (of course, they had slept the day before to make sure that they were well-rested.) The army was routed and Senan was killed in battle.

From there on the North Irish began marching towards Corcaigh, pillaging villages and towns following the rivers down Ireland and around in the coasts. From there the city of Corcaigh was put under siege by a large fleet of 20 ships and then the city was sacked, Críostist churches and monasteries were destroyed and wealth plundered. The nobility in Corcaigh also were slaughtered.

The last of the ó Mathúnas were dead, and the High Kingdom of Ireland was thrown into utter ruin and a civil war.

Eventually, when the dust settles, the Irish High Kingdom had broken down. Connacht and Laighin were now ruled by their own petty kings. The Petty Kingdom of Airgíalla established itself in the remains of the Petty Kingdom of Ulaidh. A powerful cheif had established himself as the new Petty King of An Mhumhain, but is called a pretender by many other local cheifs. The area around Corcaigh is however protected by mountanous terrain. There, a child they say is a distant relative of the late Senan Críost is declared to be the new reincarnation of christ by a devout group of followers who survived the slaughter. They claim that the nation centered around Corcaigh is the "Holy Kingdom of Corcaigh, ruled by Christ" but it is practically ruled by a regency council until the young king is old enough to rule. How long these Críostians will stay in power in Corcaigh is unsure.