Our story starts back in 1170 The second wave of Anglo-Normans, led by Raymond le Gros, landed about the 1st of May 1170 at Baginbun south of Fethard-on-Sea on the Hook Head peninsula in Wexford. Le Gross, who had 10 men at arms and 70 archers, was joined by Hervey de Montmorency with a few more, and established a defended camp at Baginbun constructed of banks and ditches with a palisade. Le Gros and his men were attacked at Baginbun by a combined force of 3,000 Norsemen drawn from the City of Waterford and their Irish allies. Although outnumbered the Normans managed to drive off the attackers and take prisoners. This battle was to be known as "the battle where Ireland was lost and won!"
Le Gross remained at Baginbun until Strongbow, Richard fitz Gilbert de Clare, landed near Waterford on the 23rd of August with an army of 1,200 and their combined forces took the City of Waterford on the 25th of August.
Raymond was granted these very lands of the Hook Peninsula as reward for his bravery and it was here that he built his first castle where he set up his Irish legacy, coined and adopted the name Redmond where his family would remain until unseated by Cromwell after the staunch defense of "The Hall" by his great great great great great great great great great great great great great great grandson Alexander Redmond in 1649 as Cromwell stated he would firstly take Redmond Hall and then Waterford city "By Hook or by Crook" which refers to the two prominent headlands on either side of the estuary to the harbours of Waterford and New Ross .
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Ireland | VIEW SOURCE | |
