The history of English rule in Ireland stretches back to the twelfth century. This book examines the actions of the earliest English settlers in Ireland and asks a number of questions about the society they developed there. Why did these people come to Ireland? How did they interact with the native Irish neighbors? What was the nature of their relationship with England? This was also a time of English expansion in Wales and Scotland, and the book suggests comparisons and contrasts with the Irish experience in this broader setting.

Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. The Ua Cerbaill kingdom of Airgialla; 2. The coming of the English; 3. Irish responses; 4. English and Irish; 5. Authority and community; 6. The bonds of colonial society; 7. The English of Louth and the king's wars; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.