Dawning Of The Grey - Mael Mórdha

She be calm today, the most dangerous of waters

Expanses of water as the eye can see

Beyond its borders is where I’ll gain my victory

And salvage my crown, Laighin be for me

Though my kingdom be ruined, my family be strong

Time shall pass.

Tighernán will be gone

With the grey foreigner under my rule

‘Twill be Ruaidhrí our glorious king who will be made of fool

Upstarts from Connacht his family be

Thinking ruler of that bog could one day be Ardrigh

His mead must have been made much stronger than normal

If he felt he could become warmonger

A wind slowly starts to rise from the east

I can feel the salt sting my face, the time be near

It will not be long ‘till they be here

Our allies will help us to crush the pretender king

A blackbird perched atop of the sun

Blinded by the darkness of Adrian’s Bull

Spewing across the sea from his homeland

As the threat of his own kin does finnaly fall at the feet of the devils grey

Dawn did break

As did he bows of their ships — the water

With their armour and helm — glittering in the sunrise

At the mouth of the bay known as Bannow

The first of Bealtaine 1169, a date destined to strike fear and loathing

In the hearts of the Irish for near a millenium

As the sails were lowered

While oar and the strength of man did the ships propel up to battle and

bloodshed

Victory… and the rise of the Grey

Beyond the mouth of the bay known as Bannow

With a hastely gathered five hundred men did Diarmuid Mac Murchadha heal south

While still more foreigners Grey under De Prendergast’s banner did land at

Bannow

And so to the Veisafjord did the warriors go Norman, Fleming, Welsh and Irish

To besiege the town of the Dubhghall

And teach the Norse a lesson in soldiery