Person

Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke

c. 1130–1176 · 12th century · Also known as Strongbow

Richard de Clare, known as Strongbow, was a Cambro-Norman lord who led the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland. Invited by the deposed king of Leinster, Diarmait Mac Murchada, he landed in 1170, took Waterford and Dublin and married Diarmait's daughter Aoife. On Diarmait's death in 1171 he claimed Leinster, which Henry II granted him as a lordship under the crown.

Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Image: AlexD · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 8 state histories

Kingdom of LeinsterUi ChennselaigKingdom of DublinKingdom of WaterfordCounty Palatine of PembrokeLordship of IrelandLordship of LeinsterLordship of Meath

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/richard-de-clare-2nd-earl-of-pembroke
MLA
“Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/richard-de-clare-2nd-earl-of-pembroke. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/richard-de-clare-2nd-earl-of-pembroke.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/richard-de-clare-2nd-earl-of-pembroke (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻