Siege of Wexford (1169)
| Siege of Wexford (1169) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Norman Invasion of Ireland | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Normans | Norse-Gaels of Wexford | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Robert FitzStephen Diarmait Mac Murchada | Unknown | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
900–1,000 Including: 500 Irish allies | ~2,000 | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 18 killed | 3 killed, several ships destroyed | ||||||||
The siege of Wexford took place in early May 1169 and was the first major clash of the Norman invasion of Ireland. The town was besieged by a combined force of Normans under Robert Fitz-Stephen and soldiers loyal to Diarmait mac Murchadha. After being ousted as King of Leinster, Diarmait had recruited the Normans to help him regain control of Leinster and the semi-independent Norse-Gaelic seaport of Wexford. Although the attackers did not breach the town's walls, Wexford surrendered after almost two days and came under Norman control.