▁directly , ▁but ▁which ▁would ▁provide ▁a ▁just ification ▁for ▁later ▁inter vent ions ▁in ▁Scottish ▁king ship . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁mid - tw elf th ▁century ▁Ireland ▁was ▁ruled ▁by ▁local ▁k ings , ▁although ▁their ▁authority ▁was ▁more ▁limited ▁than ▁their ▁counter parts ▁in ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁western ▁Europe . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 1 6 0 s ▁de posed ▁King ▁D iar ma it ▁Mac ▁M urch ada ▁King ▁of ▁Le in ster ▁turned ▁to ▁Henry ▁for ▁assistance ▁in ▁ 1 1 6 7 , ▁and ▁the ▁English ▁king ▁agreed ▁to ▁allow ▁D iar ma it ▁to ▁rec ruit ▁mer cen aries ▁within ▁his ▁emp ire . ▁D iar ma it ▁put ▁together ▁a ▁force ▁of ▁Ang lo - N orm an ▁and ▁F lem ish ▁mer cen aries ▁drawn ▁from ▁the ▁Wel sh ▁March es , ▁including ▁Richard ▁de ▁Cla re , ▁known ▁as ▁Str ong bow . ▁With ▁his ▁new ▁supp or ters , ▁he ▁rec laimed ▁Le in ster ▁but ▁died ▁shortly ▁afterwards ▁in ▁ 1 1 7 1 ; ▁de ▁Cla re ▁then ▁claimed ▁Le in ster ▁for ▁himself . ▁Henry ▁took ▁this ▁opportunity ▁to ▁interven e ▁personally ▁in ▁Ireland , ▁landing ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 1 7 1 . ▁Henry ' s ▁timing ▁was ▁influenced ▁by ▁several ▁factors , ▁including ▁encourag ement ▁from ▁Pope ▁Alexander , ▁who ▁saw ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁establish ▁pap al ▁authority ▁over ▁the ▁Irish ▁church . ▁Henry ' s ▁inter vention ▁was ▁initially ▁successful , ▁with ▁both ▁the ▁Irish ▁and