England in flames... again
March 8, 1084: The 114 Munsterian survivors of the Danish-Zemigallian War come ashore in Connacht, bearing Duke Murchad the Not-So-Able. 121 men did not return, nor did their lord's faculties, but the tales of their fearless deeds are sure to spread across the Baltic and the rest of Europe, bringing glory to House ua Brian.
They learn that England is burning.
It seems that while Duke Murchad was away, King Harald the Conqueror of Norway was killed in battle at 68, by Prince Robert of England, son of the late King William the Conqueror. King Harald's son, Magnus II of Norway, is now fighting a losing battle against the Norman Prince Robert, who has claimed the Kingdom of Kent from Norway, and Duke Estmond I of Lancaster, a Saxon, who has declared independence as well. Once again, as in 1066, England is divided between Norman, Saxon, and Norse.
March 10, 1084: Word arrives that Chief Kurlemuše the Lion has surrendered to King Erik of Denmark, who sends his kind condolences to the ua Brians for what happened to Duke Murchad. He swears that their contribution will never be forgotten by House Ylving. The Kingdom of Denmark now has a foothold in the Baltic, and Erik shows no signs of ending his conquest there.
May 1, 1084: A marriage is arranged between Flaithbertach macMurchaid, son of Munster's late spymaster, and Seca nic Iocilin, daughter of Duke Conchobar of Meath. The surviving ua Brians hope this may create a claim for them on Meath one day.
August 19, 1084: Bishop Fogartach of Killaloe dies of his syphilis at 53. The Bishopric is succeeded by a 29-year-old, inbred, incompetent, lowborn man named Crimthann.
September 24, 1084: At the amazing age of 75, Toirrdelbach fabricates a claim for Murchad on County Oriel. Unfortunately, it seems he will never know of this news, much less be able to take advantage of it.
November, 1084: Prince Richard, another son of King William I, carves the Duchy of Maine out of Norway's holdings in what was once Normandy. Meanwhile, the Saxon Duke Harold II declares the independence of County Bedford. The British realm King Harald of Norway once ruled is now six separate, sovereign states.
This is actually very good for me. As long as England is embroiled in constant, entropic civil wars, I don't need to worry about what happened to the Irish in actual history. Namely, having some powerful English king decide to try to conquer the British Isles. If my long-term plans line up, it will eventually be the other way around.
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