Book of Ryans - Transition to Modern Times
Chapter Ten
The Transition to the Modern World
The History of Ireland is like watching the evolution of weapons and its impact on world history. Before the Norman invasion, it was the military skills and courage of each Celtic warrior rather than the possession of sophisticated armaments which defined the success or failure of each great Irish battle. The instruments of war had changed little over the centuries, and for the most part their battles were fought with pikes and swords.
The conquest of Ireland's coastal areas by the Vikings during the 9th and 10th centuries introduced new modes of warfare into the Irish frontier. The Danes introduced a broad two-edged sword made of iron and a broad axe which required two hands to swing into Irish battles, but for the first time the Celts fought against an enemy who wore protective clothing to minimize mortal wounds. They carried wooden shields for protection, and wore thick layers of animal hides and a leather helmet for added protection. The Irish, on the other hand, fought "naked" which meant that they wore no bodily protection. The Northmen by the 10th century controlled much of the Irish coastline, and remained dominant particularly around Dublin and Limerick.
When the Normans invaded Ireland during the 12th century, their small army consisting of 300 men overwhelmed thousands of Gaelic warriors. This was possible because the Normans introduced a new weapon which could inflict death at great distances called the long bow. The Irish were accustomed to face-to-face combat, and death caused by distance-causing weapons was something that they were not prepared to deal with. In a few short years Ireland, large parcels of Erin was overrun by Norman adventurers who would forevermore influence the destiny of the Gaelic lords and the people they ruled.
Gaelic lords, such as the O'Ryans, in time regained their Irish kingdoms by hiring Scottish mercenary soldiers called Gallowglasses to fight their wars for them. This forced the English back to a small area surrounding Dublin called the Pale, and the Anglo-Earls (whom it was said "were more Irish than the Irish themselves") and the newly emergent Gaelic lords began to control vast territories in western Ireland which lasted well into the 16th century. After Henry VIII created the feudal system in Ireland, the control for Ireland would flip-flop several more times until the late 18th century when the last great revolution occurred. The fate of this rebellion called the Williamite War would be determined by a deadly weapon which made castle walls useless - artillery. In previous wars, the Irish could escape to the secure walls of their fortresses, but artillery was capable of destroying these once impenetrable walls. After the castle walls were exposed, it left the Irish militia vulnerable to the better equipped English soldier.
After 1800 a new weapon was introduced which would change Ireland's destiny. This new weapon made man-made guns and artillery nearly useless, and it could not be shattered by bullets and its sting lasted longer than battle injuries. The new weapon was public opinion. The Irish found that the exercise of speech and public forums greatly helped them to win over public opinion, and England's parliament was unaccustomed to criticism it received from its own citizens as well as from its European neighbors. In previous centuries she merely ignored unwanted comments as most originated by Catholic Europe, but they justified their insensitivity because they attributed these comments to the Pope's influence with the contintinental governments. England could not have predicted the influence Irish-American and Irish-European industrialists would have on their governments, and their incessant influence caused Britain's parliament to readdress long outstanding colonial issues regarding Ireland. As the 19th century closed, the destiny of Ireland was set, but England could not release control easily because they had been an imposing force in Ireland for over 700 years.
The world had changed, Ireland had changed, and her people had changed. A new course for Ireland had been drawn, and because Ireland had sent many of her sons and daughters to foreign ports, Irish influence would help influence the political societies in America, Australia, and Europe.