The Invasion of King Henry II

On October 17th, 1171 King Henry II of England landed near Waterford at the head of a vast army. As he waded ashore through the surf he became the first English royal to set foot in Ireland.

Henry’s arrival began England’s tumultuous relationship with Ireland. In this podcast I look at what brought Henry to Ireland in 1171, what he did when he got here and how his visit still affects the island today.