#aoife & rory

[hypnctics]

@inwhvspers // rory & aoife

"so i'm thinking grab a slice and a cocktail, then a burger, then a burrito...and like maybe a hot cross bun to top it off ??" she muses, raising her brows at aoife. the bottomless pit that formed rory's stomach was already growling at the prospect of doing the rounds at the yard. after a moments hesitation and a face that remains unequivocally hopeful, she adds, "unless you don't fancy it ??"

[sleepybadbear]

I made family to my original Arisen, Aoife. There's the short tempered and short overall little sister Eoin (eh-oh-in), the equally short but ever-the-wise father Rory, and last the towering headstrong mother Xela (zeh-lah, like Xena). The Gildra family.

[lucapaulli]

Coda from and maps and plans on Vimeo.

A lost soul stumbles drunken through the city. In a park, Death finds him and shows him many things.

andmapsandplans.com/coda instagram.com/andmapsandplans twitter.com/andmapsandplans facebook.com/andmapsandplans Contact: hello@andmapsandplans.com

Director: Alan Holly - instagram.com/qlqnhqlly Writers: Alan Holly and Rory Byrne - rorybyrne.ie Art direction & backgrounds: Ronan McMeel - ronanmcmeel.blogspot.ie Music: Shane Holly - shaneholly.ie Animation: Alan Holly, Rory Byrne and Eoghan Dalton - studiopowwow.com Colouring and shadows: Eimhin McNamara - paperpanther.ie Background painting: Áine McGuinness - ainemcguinness.ie Starring: Brian Gleeson, Orla Fitzgerald, Donie Ryan and Joseph Dermody Music recording: Paul Finan Voice recording: Tony Kiernan Sound design: Michelle Fingleton Sound editing: Andy Kirwan Sound mixing: Garret Farrell - screenscene.ie Musicians: Shane Holly, Aoife Dowdall, Katie O'Connor, Larissa O'Grady, Jenny Dowdall Emma Scott: Production Executive for the Irish Film Board Pauline McNamara: Executive Producer – RTE Fionnuala Sweeney: Film Specialist – Arts Council Jill McGregor: Schemes & Applications Co-ordinator for the Irish Film Board Thanks to Sean McCarron & Jennifer Evans

Funded under the Irish FIlm Board's Frameworks scheme irishfilmboard.ie/funding_programmes/Frameworks/65

[messenger-of-stupidity]

Redacted OCs

Just a picrew of a bunch of my redacted OCs. I might make a part two with the rest some other time.

See below the cut Redacted Masterlist

Name: Pyxis Nickname: Warden Age: 375 years old Gender: Agender

Name: Aoife (Ee-Fuh) Nickname: Lovely Age: 26 Gender: Female (She/They)

Name: Rory Nickname: Freelancer Age: 24 Gender: Transmasculine

Name: Hayden Nickname: Baabe Age: 26 Gender: Female (She/They)

Name: Clover Nickname: Angel Age: 23 Gender: Female (She/They)

Name: Florian Nickname: Sweetheart Age: Almost 27 Gender: Genderfluid

Name: Sage Nickname: Darlin Age: 27 Gender: Nonbinary

[unfortunate-arrow]

The Vaulties | Day 4: Angst

William Devlin’s story is riddled with angst and it’s all tied to his illegitimacy. He’s hyperaware of the fact that, according to the social niceties, he should not exist. He’s almost always left feeling like he wants the floor to open up and swallow him, none more so than his arranged engagement which also causes him a ton of angst.

The Lynch twins and the canon timeline are one of my original angst moments. Tadhg’s murder has only become more complicated and in many ways, more tragic over the past year or so. Cillian has gone from being the murderer to being wrongfully imprisoned because of a chaotic duel. It’s also a moment that goes on to affect Cillian’s great-great-grandchildren, Cian, Ryan, Cara, Sara, and Conor.

As the eldest son, Edmund Kennedy took on a lot after his father was murdered. It didn’t help that he was there when Ferdia Kennedy died and was the last one to talk him. This moment affected Ed a lot more than it did his twin sister, Minerva. He’s the one who tried to take on everything and just sorta shut down. He also has the ability to see thestrals.

There might be 120 years and three generations between them, but Max Pembroke and his great-great-granddaughter, Sophie, have a lot in common when it comes their family structure. They’re both the eldest of three and forced to become a sort of surrogate parent due to their single parent having a shitty boss. They both lost a parent before the age of 10. Max’s little sister, Aoife, goes deaf after suffering from the measles when Max was twelve and home alone. Sophie’s father has a stroke when she’s 16 and away at Hogwarts.

Luke Battersea is the sole survivor of the dark wizard attack that ended with the deaths of his family. He was six. He spent the next two years bouncing between relatives, with most not knowing how to handle the young, grieving boy and passing him off to the next one like a hot potato… or the Baudelaire orphans. He was eventually taken in by a second cousin once removed (or something like that...) and this boy is testing them so hard.

Rory O’Neill is my only kiddo to have two ships. He’s got a lot of other angst, what with being a street kid and not knowing what has become of his sisters. But, it’s the loss of his first wife, Francesca, that’s his greatest angst. He loses her at a time that is supposed to be joyous. They’re celebrating the birth of their first child, a son. And Rory is so heartbroken by her death. He doesn’t take off his wedding ring until his son is nine and even then, he always has it close to him.

Honorable Mention: The O’Donnell quadruplets. This might be cheating a bit, but these four have so much angst and much of it is heaped onto poor Conor. But there’s also an overarching angst from the loss of their parents and grandparents to living with the uncle they’ve never met to the Vaults.

→ Hosted by @hphmmatthewluther

[slushbee]

these are my sims in 1354! i’ve been playing for quite a while now, starting with Sigrid and Aoife’s great-grandparents in 1300; the McKinley's. our house is small but perfect for our poor family of peasants. Briar is the girls’ mother. they lost their father, Rory, to the plague in 1348, as well as all of their older siblings. this leaves only Sigrid’s husband to inherit. little Aoife really looks up to her older sister!

[inwhvspers]

☼☾ ( MADCHEN AMICK, 45 / 26 , SHE/THEY, DEMI FEMALE, SIKA DEER PÚCA ) - have you seen AOIFE VAUGHN?  they’ve been living in afon vale for 45 YEARS and they really think they’re safe. people say that they’re ERUDITE but i heard they’re DISMISSIVE. you can usually find them working as a/an BARTENDER at THE ROYAL OAK. they’ve tried hard to keep KILLED THEIR MOTHER buried but the truth always comes out. a few things that remind me of them are … soft freckles across her nose; the scent of fur trees in her hair; fairy lights in apartment windows; faded lip prints on mirrors; a smile that can melt hearts.

basics.

name: aoife vaughn

age: 26 (45)

gender: demi female

species: puca (sika deer)

sexuality: demisexual / demiromantic

occupation: bartender, the royal oak

hometown: afon vale

ethnicity: caucasian

languages: english, gaelic, french

physical.

height: 5'5"

build: lithe

hair: light brown; long, wavy/curly hair for most of the time unless she chooses to straighten it. wild and free, like her spirit.

eyes: hazel, doe-eyed

tattoos: small deer marking on her left hip, a rook on her right wrist.

piercings: twice on each earlobe, helix, rook

personal style: a lot of muted colors and soft fabrics, often choosing comfort over style and function over form. gravitates towards softer greens, reds, blues, and 'smokier' colors. has been known to dye parts of her hair temporarily but always ends up back with the light brown. can often be seen with her deer horns when wandering the forest. always a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose that get a second layer of 'whiter' freckles when she's in partial deer form.

psychological.

positive: erudite, free-spirited, creative

negative: dismissive, secretive, touchy, absent minded

MBTI: istj

enneagram: the investigator

temperament: choleric

family.

father: calum vaugn (alive, estranged) , npc

mother: catrione vaugn (deceased) , npc 

brother: (alive), open

aunt: (alive), open

headcanons.

her name is pronounced like 'eva' but with a softer v leaning more towards an f.

often slips into partial deer form if left alone to her own devices and especially if she's wandering the woods. full deer form is more likely in the woods, obviously.

one of her antlers/horns is tinged at the tip a bit more reddish but it's barely perceptible most of the time.

she has a pet rabbit named thumper.

she makes videos for tiktok sometimes with specific filters... yes, she tries to look like a deer. it's fine.

she and rory have known each other a while, probably since school but didn't really get into the best friend/ride or die zone until a bit later, but now they're inseparable and she'll easily fight someone for her.

she has an allergy to grapes.

she practices reading tarot and will sometimes do that for bar patrons; she also designed her own deck and it's extremely personal to her (she is a decent artist, at least)

she has absolute shit luck in most things. she's the one who always bangs her toes into furniture or cracks brand new phone screens almost immediately.

aoife sees a therapist of sorts but makes sure it's v quiet and sort of out of the way so no one sees her do it. she's already weird enough, she thinks (hopefully I can write her getting over this stigma because ew)

cw: abuse (child through young adult; physical and mental), abandonment, murder, death of a parent.

biography.

aoife's father left when she was young and she's resented him ever since.

her mother was taking care of her but very much not in a safe way and aoife suffered a lot under her.

she was kept from the outside world a lot in the beginning, her mother having lost the thread of reality and deciding they should live in a cabin off in the woods somewhere.

as she grew, the abuse turned more physical and at some points she was forced to be in deer form for days at a time and took lashings if she wandered too far from home.

aoife was a teenager when she'd finally had enough and lashed out. she hadn't meant for it to end how it did, with her mother impaled on her deer horns, but that is how it went.

it took a while for her to wash the blood off of her horns in half-form and to burn the body, but she did. Her mother's bones are somewhere in the woods near the cabin she used to call home, now abandoned.

aoife moved into the city proper at 17 and found her father's sister, being taken in and taken care of. She never told her aunt how it happened, but said her mother had died and her father had run off long ago and the woman was kind and looked after her. She could tell aoife had been abused and was gentle with her, which was new for aoife.

school was a revelation. she wasn't illiterate or anything as before her mother had lost the plot she'd taught her to read and gave her lessons... they just became less pleasant as time went on. the socialization however was so new and freeing and she immediately fell into all the worst, wrong crowds and got into trouble a lot.

her aunt was worried but let it go because honestly, the girl had been through a lot. when aoife hit 20 though she started to put the law to hand. she knew eventually aoife was leave her but for now she had to try and keep her safe.

aoife mellowed, still very much leaning towards the idea of bad decisions. this leads to one night stands and pushing away the 'right ones' for fear of something bad happening.

she now lives on her own, but calls her aunt every now and again to check in because she's the one she thinks of as her mother even after only a handful of years.

she's intelligent and could have still pivoted into some kind of degree if she'd wanted, but she chose to just stay where she was and take a job bartending.

she has her regulars that she's quite fond of and always offers a smile and a crinkle of her freckled nose for them when they come in.

connections.

best friend taken by rory!

friends, misc.

rival

potential love interests, slow burn

exes, misc.

favored bar patrons

other puca

someone who knows about her mom but is keeping it to themselves.

[goalhofer]

2024 olympics Ireland roster

Athletics

Mark English (Letterkenny)

Andrew Coscoran (Balbriggan)

Cathal Doyle (Bettystown)

Luke McCann (Dublin)

Brian Fay (Dublin)

Thomas Barr (Waterford)

Christopher O'Donnell (Loughborough, U.K.)

Eric Favors (Haverstraw, New York)

Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport)

Rhasidat Adeleke (Tallaght)

Sophie Becker (Ballykelly)

Ciara Mageean (Portaferry)

Sophie Bideau-O'Sullivan (Melbourne, Australia)

Sarah Healey (Monkstown)

Jodie McCann (Dublin)

Sarah Lavin (Lisnagry)

Fionnuala McCormick (Wicklow)

Philippa Healy (Ballineen)

Kelly McGrory (Laghy)

Nicola Tuthill (Kilbrittain)

Kate O'Connor (Dundalk)

Badminton

Nguyen Nhat (Dublin)

Rachael Darragh (Letterkenny)

Boxing

Jude Gallagher (Newton Stewart, U.K.)

Dean Clancy (Sligo)

Aidan Walsh (Belfast, U.K.)

Jack Marley (Dublin)

Daina Moorehouse (Dublin)

Jenny Lehane (Ashbourne)

Michaela Walsh (Belfast, U.K.)

Kellie Harrington (Dublin)

Gráinne Walsh (Tullamore)

Aoife O'Rourke (Castlerea)

Canoeing

Liam Jegou (Huningue, France)

Noel Hendrick (Dunadea)

Michaela Corcoran (Montgomery County, Maryland)

Madison Corcoran (Montgomery County, Maryland)

Cycling

Ben Healy (Kingswinford, U.K.)

Ryan Mullen (Colwyn Bay, U.K.)

Megan Armitage (Tullamore)

Erin Creighton (Belfast, U.K.)

Mia Griffin (Glenmore)

Alice Sharpe (Cambridge, U.K.)

Kelly Murphy (London, U.K.)

Lara Gillespie (Dublin)

Diving

Jake Passmore (Leeds, U.K.)

Ciara McGing (London, U.K.)

Equestrian

Austin O'Connor (Mallow)

Cian O'Connor (Dublin)

Shane Sweetnam (Cork)

Daniel Coyle (Ardmore, U.K.)

Abigail Lyle (Bangor, U.K.)

Susie Berry (Dromore)

Sarah Ennis (Howth)

Aoife Clark (Dublin)

Field hockey

Kyle Marshall (Markethill)

Peter McKibbin (Belfast, U.K.)

Jonny Lynch (Lisburn)

Peter Brown (Banbridge)

Nick Page (London, U.K.)

David Harte (Ballinspittle)

Tim Cross (Melbourne, Australia)

John McKee (Banbridge, U.K.)

Matthew Nelson (Belfast, U.K.)

Daragh Walsh (Dublin)

Shane O'Donoghue (Dublin)

Sean Murray (Lisburn, U.K.)

Jeremy Duncan (Kilkenny)

Michael Robson (Belfast, U.K.)

Ben Walker (Glenageary)

Lee Cole (Shankill)

Ben Johnson (Waterford)

Golf

Rory McIlroy (Jupiter, Florida)

Shane Lowry (Dublin)

Stephanie Kallan (Phoenix, Arizona)

Leona Maguire (Cavan)

Gymnastics

Rhys McClenaghan (Dublin)

Rowing

Daire Lynch (Clonmel)

Philip Doyle (Banbridge, U.K.)

Fintan McCarthy (Skibbereen)

Paul O'Donovan (Lisheen)

Ross Corrigan (Enniskillen, U.K.)

Nathan Timoney (Enniskillen, U.K.)

Holly Davis (Bollincollig)

Alison Bergin (Cork)

Zoe Hyde (Killorglin)

Margaret Cremen (Rochestown)

Aofie Casey (Skibbereen)

Aifric Keogh (Furbo)

Fiona Murtagh (Galway)

Emily Hegarty (Skibbereen)

Natalie Long (Cobh)

Eimear Lambe (Dublin)

Imogen Magner (Ely, U.K.)

Rugby

Jack Kelly (Dublin)

Andrew Smith (Dublin)

Harry McNulty (Cashel)

Mark Roche (Glenageary)

Zac Ward (Downpatrick)

Chay Mullins (Bristol, U.K.)

Jordan Conroy (Tullamore)

Hugo Keenan (Dublin)

Hugo Lennox (Skerries)

Terry Kennedy (Dublin)

Gavin Mullin (Blackrock)

Niall Comerford (Dublin)

Sean Cribbin (Dublin)

Bryan Mollen (Glasthule)

Kathy Baker (Navan)

Megan Burns (Tullamore)

Amee-Leigh Murphy-Crowe (Dublin)

Alanna Fitzpatrick (Portarlington)

Stacey Flood (Dublin)

Eve Higgins (Kilcock)

Erin King (Wicklow)

Vicky Elmes-Kinlan (Rathnew)

Emily Lane (Cork)

Ashleigh Orchard (Belfast, U.K.)

Beibhinn Parsons (Ballinasloe)

Lucy Mulhall (Wicklow)

Sailing

Finn Lynch (Bennekerry)

Robert Dickson (Sutton)

Sean Waddilove (Howth)

Eve McMahon (Howth)

Swimming

Max McCusker (Harlow, U.K.)

Thomas Fannon (Torquay, U.K.)

Shane Ryan (Haverford Township, Pennsylvania)

Daniel Wiffen (Magheralin, U.K.)

Darragh Greene (Longford)

Conor Ferguson (Belfast, U.K.)

Grace Davison (Bangor, U.K.)

Victoria Catterson (Belfast, U.K.)

Erin Riordan (Whitegate)

Danielle Hill (Newtonabbey, U.K.)

Mona McSharry (Grange)

Ellen Walshe (Dublin)

Taekwondo

Jack Woolley (Dublin)

[novumtimes]

Paris Olympics 2024 Day 7: Track and Field gets underway while Ireland go for rowing gold

Irish timetable for Friday: Golf: 8.44am – Shane Lowry E (2)10.44am – Rory McIlroy -3 (11.06am) Rowing:10.22am – Ross Corrigan, Nathan Timoney (Coxless Pair A Final)11.02am – Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan (Lightweight Double Sculls Final)11.22am – Margaret Cremen, Aoife Casey (Lightweight Double Sculls Final) Athletics:10.10am – Cathal Doyle (first heat), Luke McCann (second heat) & Andrew…

[hypnctics]

☼☾ ( SHELLEY HENNIG , 32 , SHE/HER , CISWOMAN, FOX PÚCA ) - have you seen LORELAI ‘RORY’ FELL?  they’ve been living in afon vale for FOUR YEARS and they really think they’re safe. people say that they’re ENDURING but i heard they’re IMPULSIVE. you can usually find them working as a BARTENDER at KINGS & QUEENS. they’ve tried hard to keep FLEEING THEIR EX-BOYFRIEND buried but the truth always comes out. a few things that remind me of them are … the bittersweet burn of tequila down the throat, fingers stained black with ink, the scent of engine oil lingering on her skin. 

triggers: death, murder, abuse

born and raised new yorker, rory grew up to a single mother in brooklyn. her dad had died when she was seven years old, just after her brother was born. 

while their mother was human, both she and her brother were púca thanks to the gene inherited by their father.

without the guiding hand of their púca father, rory and her brother were taught little about their species and were raised as essentially human children. she grew to fear the animal side of herself and avoided changing as much as possible. though she was a warm, friendly, great kid - she was scared she’d hurt people so she kept her distance. instead, her little brother was her everything. she practically raised him as their mom had to work a lot to take care of them. 

about eight years ago, rory learned about a fox collective in new york. knowing little about her kind, she didn't understand that the way the collective functioned was not how they were supposed to - instead of the true way of the collective, this group was overseen by a leader and he saw the world in a darker way. he believed that humans were beneath them, not to be protected. and though rory did not agree, she had fallen in love with another member of the collective and he was a devout follower.

nick, her then boyfriend, taught her all the fun of being púca - he showed her that being the animal was a whole other life. but he was also hot tempered, violent, and obsessive. he wanted rory to be his at all times. feeling suffocated and scared of who the boy she loved had become, she aligned herself with some local hunters and gave them intel on how to take down the collective.

believing nick had been killed, rory thought that her family was safe - that she had escaped him. but instead he had fled the fight and stayed out of new york to keep off the hunters radar.

over the years her ex-boyfriend became obsessed with her, believing that the only reason she’d left him was because of her family holding her back. one day when rory came home from work, she found her mother dead and her brother dying. she interrupted her ex in the act and managed to save her brother but he was badly injured.

rory and her brother ran from new york, wanting to put as many miles between them and nick as possible. around 4 years ago, they came to afon vale and have settled here since.

for the most part, she is a friendly, charming, fun girl. her experiences with nick did damage her for romantic relationships and trusting púca but her friendship with aoife overcame part of that. she is generally pretty open to most people and tries not to see the worst in them.

[decennia]

george cassidy ocs + henry viii's wives

catherine of aragon: @randomestfandoms-ocs

anne boleyn: (canon character)

jane seymour: @perfectlystiles

anne of cleves: @anna-phora (canon character)

catherine howard: @lokitrasho

catherine parr: (canon character)

(insp.)

TAG LIST: @perfectlystiles @sgtbuckyybarnes @lupinblack @hughstheforcelou @anna-phora @reggiemantleholdmyhand-tle @lost-in-the-shelves @raith-way @randomestfandoms-ocs @lizziesxltzmxn @akabluekat @chlobenet @stefelias @phoebestarks @zeleniafic @a-song-of-quill-and-feather @kazinejghafa @dandyylions @jinxsflame @hiddenqveendom @jewelswrites-ish @lokitrasho @lukespatterson @stanshollaand @richitozier @ocfairygodmother @claryxjackson

[shannaraisles]

My OCs

I go through OCs like I go through chocolate, but I'm going to give it a go to try and hold onto a few for a bit this time around. Some of these - most/all - may be familiar.

Rory Allen

(Dragon Age Canon/MGiT/Avvar, LI - Cullen Rutherford)

Jo Hawke

(Dragon Age Canon/Modern, LI - Varric Tethras)

Anne Trevelyan

(Dragon Age Canon, LI - Sebastian Vael)

Aoife Torrin

(Dragon Age Dark Future AU, LI - Cedric Hawke)

Cedric Hawke

(Dragon Age Dark Future AU, LI - Aoife Torrin)

Natalia Hosmer

(The Arcana Canon, LI - Julian Devorak)

Constance Payne

(Marvel Non-Canon compliant post Civil War A/B/O, LI - Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes)

[mookiesims]

the darby family is welcoming twins!! rory is holding their daughter, aoife, while their son, harrison, sleeps in his crib

[unfortunate-arrow]

𝐻𝒫 𝒲𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃 𝒜𝓅𝓅𝓇𝑒𝒸𝒾𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝒲𝑒𝑒𝓀

Day Five: Sister From Another Mister (Talk about a sister of your OC that you just adore and why!) of @endlessly-cursed’s HP women appreciation week

Divya Parsons → The younger sister of Georgie Parsons, Divya is a sweetheart. She has a such a fascinating and slightly complicated relationship with Georgie that should be explored a bit more, but I love their relationship. Georgie loves her little sister so much and Divya is one of the most important people in her life. @endlessly-cursed

Caitlin and Aoife Pembroke → The younger sisters of Max Pembroke, Caitlin and Aoife both have different strengths and places. Caitlin prefers to stay out of the spotlight, letting her two siblings be the public face. Aoife learns how to navigate a world in which deafness is not considered. They’re both important parts of Max’s life and he’d do anything for them.

Eliza, Nan, Cordelia, Penelope, and Billie Kennedy → The younger sisters of Edmund and Minerva Kennedy, these five are all rather underdeveloped, but have potential. The only one truly fleshed out is Billie, who is determined to be exactly like her big brother, Edmund. Eliza, Nan, Cordelia, and Penelope are all on their own journeys of figuring out who they are.

Darcy and Clary Whitten → The sisters of Thea Whitten, Darcy and Clary are on their own paths. Neither one has magic, but don’t hold any resentment towards their sister or cousins. They’re quite content to find their own ways in the world and have opportunities that their sister and cousins won’t. Clary is going to inherit the family’s bed & breakfast when her father decides to retire. Darcy is going to become a nurse and become an advocate for stroke education.

Honorary Mentions:

Hermione Battersea → Simon’s younger sister

Mary, Anne, Josephine, Edith, and Beatrice O’Neill → Rory’s estranged sisters

Amada Valdez → Camila’s younger sister

Emmy Pembroke → Sophie’s little sister

Caroline Carlisle → William’s half-sister

[cincinnatusvirtue]

50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, Pt 1 (The Normans to the Boyne): A historical buildup to January 30th, 1972. Remembering The Troubles in Northern Ireland...

The popularity of tv shows like Britain’s Derry Girls (2018-present) which depicts life in Northern Ireland during the 1990′s near the tail end of the conflict known as The Troubles which lasted officially from the 1960′s until 1998′s Good Friday Agreement has renewed some interest in the conflict and more broadly Northern Ireland, in particular its future.  While that tv show is principally focused on the social growing pains of being a teenager and the use of The Troubles is more a backdrop, that comes in and out of the character’s lives and while it is set in a particular time and time, its popularity is a testament to the adage from Irish author James Joyce “in the particular is contained the universal.”  It appeals to many people the world over outside of Northern Ireland and has contributed to a slight resurgence in discussion about this corner of the world and its history and indeed wonder about its present and future.  As always to understand the present and potentially the future, we need to understand the past.  This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of one of Northern Ireland’s darkest chapters and indeed for many, a deciding event in The Troubles, where for some battle lines were drawn and hearts hardened.  Leading to another quarter century of conflict...

Historical Overview (The British in Ireland):

-The conflict in Northern Ireland had many short-term immediate causes but also had roots in centuries old conflicts as well.  At the heart was the ongoing political presence of Britain in Ireland.  This indeed is an issue that goes back to the Middle Ages.

-Following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the new Anglo-Norman dynasty and its aristocracy had some designs on expanding their rule to Ireland.  In part because Ireland had provided a safe haven for enemies of the Anglo-Normans.

-In the 11th and 12th centuries, Ireland was never historically one united political entity, instead it was a complex mix of various kingdoms that alternately were at peace and war with each other, fortunes waxing and waning with the passing of time.  There had been at times, a nominal High King of Ireland, to whom other petty Irish kings owed their allegiance and who held sort of a symbolic position but never exercised total control over the whole of Ireland. 

-In 1166 a civil war broke out.  A political coalition lead by then High King of Ireland, Rory O’Connor who was also King of Connacht ousted the King of Leinster Dermot MacMurrough.  Dermot fled to Wales and onto England & France to request Anglo-Norman assistance in his restoration to the throne.  

-Henry II, King of England gave permission for Dermot to use Anglo-Norman soldiers and mercenaries in his program, including an Anglo-Norman noble named Richard de Clare, known to history as Strongbow.  As part of Strongbow’s deal with Dermot, he would get to marry the Irish exile’s daughter in exchange for having his soldiers assist Dermot getting back Leinster.

-1169 saw an army of Anglo-Normans and Welsh mercenaries land in Ireland, touching off the first lasting English presence on the Emerald Isle.  The Anglo-Normans also eventually included Maurice Fitzgerald whose family was to play a role in Ireland’s history.

-The Anglo-Normans with their heavy armor and fierce and capable fighting skills proved too much for the Irish soldiers of the time, taking Wexford, Waterford & Dublin by 1170.  Dermot’s gamble paid off in that he got the High King Rory O’Connor to agree to return Leinster to him in exchange for recognizing O’Connor as High King.

-Strongbow did indeed marry Dermot’s daughter Aoife and after Dermot’s death in 1171, he claimed kingship of Leinster in his wife’s name while her brother also did.  Meanwhile, Henry II of England was growing concerned about the ongoing presence of his nobles in Ireland gaining too much local influence.  

-Strongbow had his lands in England, Wales & France confiscated by the English crown, so a deal was cut with his King.  Strongbow’s lands in all the Anglo-Norman lands in England, Wales & France would be restored, and he could keep his Irish holdings as well in exchange for handing over Wexford, Waterford and Dublin officially to the English crown.  

-Henry landed in Ireland with an army in 1172 to enforce his claim.  He managed to get both the Gaelic kings of southeastern Ireland to pay homage to him and in addition to the Norman nobles who had semi gone rogue in their mercenary adventure.  Strongbow became the first English Chief Justice of Ireland and in time the English kings would take the style of Lord of Ireland.

-The Anglo-Normans in time began to settle and colonize parts of Ireland, gradually expanding into the interior of the country.  Many began to disassociate from their Anglo-Norman roots and take on the Gaelic culture of their adopted country.  Becoming “more Irish than the Irish themselves” as they were famously described.  This impacted Ireland politically and in language, an English presence was now permanent and family names with the prefix Fitz such as Fitzgerald & Fitzpatrick, so associated with Irish culture today came from this Norman naming convention.  These families were originally Anglo-Norman in origin before morphing in Irish families and identities over time.

-As the centuries went by, the English maintained their control but limited their influence on the everyday lives of the Gaelic speaking majority and as stated before, many began to identify as Irish.  The real sea change of Anglo-Irish intercourse next came in the 16th century Plantation system.  This started under the Tudors, specifically Queen Mary though the early attempts to establish English forts were not very successful due to Gaelic resistance.

-The Plantation system was a confiscation of land from the Gaelic speaking Irish, including some of the Old Anglo-Norman Irish, called the Old English.  In their stead came more massive settlement from Great Britain from England & Wales.  This system was ramped up under Queen Elizabeth I in the 1560′s and beyond.

-The plantations divided Ireland into new areas and in the north of Ireland during the 1610′s under James I, first monarch of the Stuart dynasty that ruled both England and Scotland in personal union, the Plantation of Ulster started.  

-Ulster would become an area of particular focus, Irish resistance to English settlement had been very strong here but and it remained outside of English control and under native clans.   

-James I, planned the plantation unite the “British” as no longer just an English venture but also include the Scots, half of the settlers in Ulster (made up of six counties) was to be Scottish in origin.  As the 17th century would progress a real demographic change would take place in Ulster.  Scottish settlers from Scotland’s Lowlands and borderlands with England would leave in droves and along with English settlers from the north of England.  They would very gradually over time replace the native Irish as the majority populace in Ulster.

-The native Irish, who were mostly Roman Catholic begin to be more identified with their religion while the English, Welsh & Scottish settlers from Britain tended to be Protestant usually of the Church of England & Ireland (Anglican) and Scottish Presbyterian denominations.  

-The Irish Rebellion of 1641 was particular divisive and resulted in a moderate Irish victory in which the Irish Catholic Confederation formed and made an attempt to carve out self-rule.  There are reports of the Irish Catholics massacring the British Protestant settlers numbering in a few thousand in Ulster and some revenge attacks by settlers on the Irish in kind. These attacks on the settlers outraged the British and were seared into the memory of the Ulster Protestant community’s cultural memory.

-The rebellion was only a partial success and soon Ireland found itself dragged into the concurrent English Civil War between Parliament and the English Crown.  This became known as the Confederate War in Ireland and it also involved Scotland, becoming the War of the Three Kingdoms (England, Scotland & Ireland) since all had the English king as their respective king.

-Initially, Royalist and Parliamentary sentiment in both England & Scotland was inclined to crush the Irish rebels but their own tensions broiled over into civil war in England which eventually saw the execution of King Charles I and the establishment of Parliamentary control headed by the English Parliamentarian and devout Puritan, Oliver Cromwell who became Lord Protector of England, Scotland & Ireland, collectively known as the Commonwealth.  

-Politics making for strange bedfellows lead to an unlikely alliance between the English Royalists and the Irish Confederates.  In exchange for their help against the English Parliament, the Irish Confederates would be promised self-government and full equal rights for Catholics.  

-Cromwell and Parliament invaded Ireland in 1649 to rid themselves first and foremost the threat of the Stuart heir Charles II who was declared King of Ireland.  The hope was to shatter Royalist and Confederate strength before it could use Ireland as a staging ground to invade England.  Secondly, it was to break up Catholic power which the largely Puritan and other Protestant members of Parliament saw as heresy and threat to their own power. In effect it would avenge the massacres and reverse the losses in 1641.

-From 1649-1653 Cromwell’s forces successfully defeated the Irish Confederates and Royalist troops in Ireland.  The garrison of Irish Confederates and English Royalists at Drogheda was killed along with much the population but Cromwell’s troops and like the Anglo-Normans centuries earlier, Wexford & Waterford were likewise taken in succession.  Disease and famine exacerbated the losses among the Irish population during this time with estimates varying in a 15-83 percent drop in the overall Irish population, though exact figures are hard to come by.  

-Realizing the war in Ireland was a lost cause, Charles II forsook his father’s earlier alliance with the Confederates and left them to their fate.  He instead made an alliance with Scottish Covenanters who would aid the Royalist cause in recognition of Presbyterian rights in Scotland.  They would invade England but likewise be defeated by the Parliamentary forces in 1651 & 1652.  This resulted in Parliament’s control over all three lands for the next decade.  

-In Ireland, in particular in Ulster the war and its side effects of famine & disease along with imprisonment of native Irish bound for indentured servitude in England and its colonies in the Americas contributed to a shifting of politics and population to the Protestants.

-Though Protestants remained a minority in Ireland, they began to assume a majority in parts of Ulster.  This again consisted of English and Scots settlers.

-After Cromwell’s death and the collapse of the Commonwealth, Charles II was allowed to return to throne of England, Scotland & Ireland in exchange for limitations from Parliament.  He reigned from 1660-1685 and during this time he alternated with in his relations with Parliament.  He supposedly would become lenient in the Penal Laws enacted against Catholics which impacted Ireland.  Then Charles would rescind his policy in favor of improved relations with Parliament, the same was true of his religious policy being seen by the Protestant Parliament as too tolerant of Catholic practices which they saw as idolatry.  Ultimately, on his death bed, Charles converted to Catholicism from Anglicanism.  He was succeeded by his brother James II.

-James II like his brother towed the line between support for Catholicism and official Anglicanism.  His daughters Mary and Anne however had been raised as devout Protestants in support of the Anglicanism.  In time, James married Italian princess Mary of Modena and would convert to Catholicism, giving rise to concerns among Protestants that a Catholic heir would be born to the king and a resumption of Catholic rule at the expense of Protestants would take place.  

-This concern was especially poignant in Ireland, given the tensions & atrocities of the recent decades.  In 1688 on invitation to replace James II was sent by Protestant nobles in Britain to William, Prince of Orange & Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic who was nephew of James II & son in law by marriage to his cousin and James’ daughter Mary.  William led an army of Dutch troops and in the so-called Glorious Revolution he landed in England deposed his uncle-father -in-law.

-Mary and William were called to jointly rule England, Scotland & Ireland jointly as Mary II & William III.  They promised to uphold Protestantism and ensure its supremacy over Catholicism.  James II retreated to the court of his cousin Louis XIV of France, Europe’s leading power of the age.  Louis was a major opponent of William and a major reason for his invasion of England was to bring it on side with the Dutch Republic to contain French power on the continent.

-With William & Mary: England, Scotland & Ireland were in personal union with the Dutch Republic, but this was not universally accepted.  James looked to restore his throne from his daughter and son-in-law.  He needed French backing and also turned to Irish Catholics like his brother and father had earlier.  The motivations for the Irish Catholics were his promises of granting political rights in exchange for recognition and restoration of his rule.  His supporters became known as Jacobites, taken from the Latin for James which is Jacobus.

-In Ireland, war (Williamite War in Ireland 1689-1691) would soon break out with Irish Jacobites and French troops looking to take over key cities in Ireland and in particular Ulster which was now 50% Protestant even though roughly 25% of Ireland’s population was Protestant at most. Ulster had solidified Protestant settlement in the wake of Cromwell’s success decades before.  More English and Scottish settlers had come, additionally, local Irish converts to Protestant alongside religious and political Protestant refugees from France, Germany and later the Dutch Republic also joined in part to escape the wars with Catholic France.  The majority of these Ulster Protestant settlers however were Scottish and Scottish culture and Presbyterian religion predominated.  In time the Scots, English, French, German & Dutch Protestants would congeal into a community known as Ulster Scots or Ulster Protestants, this community would also become known particularly in America where many later emigrated as Scots Irish.

-Jacobite forces began to skirmish with Ulster Protestant militias at Enniskillen & most famously Derry/Londonderry.  The Siege of Derry in summer of 1689 was particularly desperate for the Protestant defenders, they gave the political rallying cry of “No Surrender”, still used by Northern Irish Unionists today.  Thousands of Derry Protestants died due to disease and starvation during the French-Jacobite siege, but Derry’s now famous stone walls proved too stout to overcome.  Eventually, a Protestant relief naval force from England arrived and broke the siege in later summer 1689.

-1690 saw William himself land in Belfast with a relief force meant to confront James and take Ireland into his full control.  The force was a mix of English, Welsh & Scot regulars alongside Dutch regulars, French Huguenot & Danish auxiliaries. Also joining were the militia regiments of Ulster Protestants from Derry and Enniskillen who James held in high regard relative to his English and Scottish regulars.  They defeated James at the Battle of the Boyne.  James fled back to France while William returned to England.  His armies mopped up the Jacobites by 1691 and the peace was tenuously restored by the Treaty of Limerick.  Though tensions obviously remained.  As the 18th century and the Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland dawned, more changes and events would impact Northern Irish history...

[randomontheinternet]

Our Life Voiced Names A-Z

I heard some people wanted a list of the voiced names so far, so I took the time to copy down all of the names from A to Z. The names are under the cut to not clutter.

A

Aaron

Aayria

Abby

Ace

Adrienne

Aeon

Aeriie

Aesilng

Aga

Aine

Aisha

Aisling

AJ

Aki

Akira

Akua

Alaina

Alex

Alexis

Alfonzo

Ali

Alice

Alijah

Alison

Alvis

Alyssa

Amanda

Amber

Amelia

Amy

Anaïs

Andra

Andre

Andrew

Andri

Angel

Angela

Angie

Anima

Anita

Anna

Anna-Maria

Anne

Annie

Annika

Anthony

Antoine

Aoife

Arabella

Aram

Ari

Arielle

Arrow

Arthur

Arturo

Arty

Ash

Asher

Ashla

Ashleigh

Ashlyn

Aspen

Asteria

Astrid

Athena

Atticus

Audrey

Aura

Aurora

Austin

Autumn

Ayanna

B

Barbie

Basil

Beach

Beata

Bec

Becky

Bee

Belen

Ben

Bethany

Bia

Blue

Bobbi

Bonnie

Boyd

Braden

Brian

Briana

Brielle

Brittany

Brooke

Brooklyn

Bryony

Bunni

C

Cadence

Cai

Cam

Cami

Cara

Carmine

Casey

Cassidy

Cato

Cecilia

Cecily

Celestia

Cerise

Chance

Chantal

Chara

Charlie

Charmaine

Chelle

Chris

Christie

Christina

Chuck

Ciara

Ciaran

Cillian

Claire

Cléo

Coco

Col

Conny

Cookie

Cora

Cori

Corrina

Cristal

Cristina

Crystal

Cygnus

Cyina

D

Dan

Dani

Dante

Daphne

Dara

Dayton

December

Denny

Deremy

Desiree

Desmond

Destiny

Devyn

Dexter

Diamond

Diana

Diane

Dorothy

Duane

E

Eddie

Eden

Elaine

Elda

Eleanor

Elegance

Elena

Elenus

Elissa

Eliza

Elle

Ellie

Eluned

Elysa

Ember

Emilith

Emily

Emma

Emmy

Enjel

Ennae

Eric

Erica

Erii

Erin

Ester

Eve

Evren

Ezekiel

Ezra

F

Felicia

Felicity

Felix

Fianna

Finist

Finn

Flynn

Francesco

Franklin

G

Gabrielle

Gaby

Gail

Garnet

Gavin

Gemma

Genevieve

Gerry

Gigi

Gin

Giulia

Glen

Grace

Gray

Gwen

H

Haley

Halima

Hana

Hannah

Hanni

Haru

Hazel

Heather

Helena

Héloïse

Hime

Hiyori

Hollis

Holly

Hon

Hunter

I

Ian

Iga

Illidan

Imani

Irene

Iris

Isabel

Ishan

Isla

Isolde

Issa-Kabeer

Ivy

J

J.R.

Jacob

Jade

Jaden

Jaiet

Jake

Jan

Janice

Jas

Jasmine

Jasper

Jatin

Javi

Jax

Jay

Jaycie

Jazz

Jeannie

Jeff

Jemma

Jen

Jennifer

Jenny

Jess

Jesse

Jessica

Jessinia

Jill

Jinx

Joanie

Joanna

Joelle

Johanna

Jordan

Jordanna

Joseph

Josh

Josie

Joy

Juleyma

Juli

Julia

Julianne

Julien

June

Jupiter

Justina

K

Kaden

Kai

Kala

Kaleton

Kalina

Karat

Karen

Kat

Kate

Katelyn

Katrina

Kay

Kel

Kellie

Ken

Kendi

Kenton

Kevin

Kia

Kiara

Kiba

Kie

Kien

Kim

Kimberly

Kimory

Kira

Kirsty

Kisa

Kit

Knox

Kodie

Kozmo

Kra

Kristen

Kyan

L

Laëtitia

Lanz

Laura

Lauren

Lavender

Leaf

Leann

Leina

Leo

Leon

Leslie

Letty

Levi

Lex

Lexi

Lia

Libbi

Lidia

Lilith

Lillian

Lily

Lindsay

Lindt

Linley

Lisette

Liss

Livia

Lotus

Lucy

Luke

Luna

Lyla

Lyric

Lvsander

Lysella

M

Maddy

Madeline

Mae

Maggy

Mahari

Mai

Maia

Mali

Mallory

Malyia

Mandy

Marcel

Marcella

Marcia

Marco

Margaret

Mari

Maria

Marianne

Mariposa

Maris

Marissa

Marlene

Martina

Mary

Mary-Elizabeth

Mason

Matina

Matthew

Maus

Max

Maya

McKenzie

Megan

Mel

Melanie

Melissa

Melly

Melody

Merlin

Mia

Mich

Michael

Michelle

Michiko

Mickie

Mikaela

Mikey

Mimi

Mina

Minette

Mini

Mira

Miranda

Mishal

Missy

Mizuki

Molly

Monica

Mordaine

Morgan

Morgana

Moriah

Morina

Muriel

Mykaela

N

Nakira

Nancie

Natalie

Natasha

Nathaniel

Neelam

Nessa

Nessi

Niamh

Nicole

Nier

Night

Nikki

Nina

Noah

Noe

Noel

Nui

O

Oda

Oliver

Olivia

Ollie

Omar

Onyx

Opal

Ori

Osmond

Oumou

P

Paige

Parvati

Patience

Patrice

Patricia

Patrick

Peter

Philippe

Phoebe

Phoenix

Polly

Priya

Q

Querriana

Quinn

Quinniece

R

Rachel

Rain

Rainie

Ran

Randi

Raphaël

Raven

Rayne-Beau

Rayraye

Rebecca

Reed

Rei

Reina

Rémi

Ren

Revan

Rhiannon

Rhi-Rhi

Rhyne

Rika

Riley

Rini

Riona

Risa

Riven

Riza

Robyn

Rory

Rosa

Rose

Rosetta

Rosie

Rowan

Runa-Lucienne

Ruth

Ryan

Rye

S

Sabrina

Sage

Salem

Sam

Samantha

Sammi

Sandy

Sara

Saro

Sasha

Savannah

Season

Selena

Selkie

Serena

Shaelei

Shakyra

Shay

Shayla

Sheena

Shelbie

Sid

Sienna

Silvia

Simmy

Simon

Sinead

Skye

Skyla

Skylar

Soffia

Soleil

Sonja

Sora

Soraya

Stacey

Star

Stefan

Stevie

Stella

Steph

Stephanie

Stephen

Story

Susan

Suzy

Sydney

T

Tama

Tammy

Tanisha

Tanya

Taylor

Ted

Teddy

Terra

Terrence

Terry

Thomas

Thorgunna

Tiago

Tida

Tobias

Toki

Tokiko

Tom

Tommy

Tomoko

Trey

Tricia

Tristan

Twila

Tye

U

Uma

Undyne

V

V

Vaeril

Van

Vandy

Vaughn

Vaylin

Velise

Venla

Vera

Verly

Verv

Vesper

Vi

Vicky

Victor

Vina

Vincent

Violette

Vivi

Vivienne

W

Wendy

Westley

Whispthera

Winnie

Wonder

X

Xander

Xavier

Xiri

Y

Yasmin

Ylthin

Yon

Yoonie

Yuki

Yukino

Yuli

Yvette

Yvonne

Z

Zachary

Zack

Zae

Zariyah

Zayla

Zen

Ziya

Zo

Zoey