Ireland in the Middle Ages: the Pale

Study note

At the start of the Middle Ages, Ireland was an independent country. The English first went there as troops to help the Irish king and stayed to build settlements. By 1200 the English ruled an area of Ireland around Dublin known as the Pale, and some important lords elsewhere accepted the authority of the English king.

Memory tip: The Pale = the English-ruled area around Dublin by 1200.

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What was the name of the area around Dublin ruled by the English by 1200?

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