Happy Father's Day 2023 to an Ancient Great-Grandfather!

We're All Descendants Now: Richard de Clare, aka, "Strongbow"

by Jude Cowell

Because today in the US it's Father's Day when we honor, celebrate, and/or pay tribute to our earthly fathers, and because my Dad is no longer with us, I went searching for my ancestral grandfathers on my Dad's side to see if one might inspire the creation of this very post.

Well, thanks to my paternal Strickland grandmother's line, I soon landed upon my illustrious 25th great-grandfather known to history as "Strongbow" although the grand nickname was only attached later, via mistranslation, to the name of Richard de Clare. Therefore, during Richard's lifetime, he was never called "Strongbow."

Then happily for the purpose of writing this meager post, there exists multiple sources, articles, and videos about warrior Richard de Clare's exploits as the man who married Ireland's Princess Aoife MacMurrough (aka, Eva of Leinster), and who transformed Ireland in an extraordinary way. Of course, their marriage was an integral part of the transformation!

Here's a famous image of "Strongbow" dating from the year 1189:

"Strongbow" by Gerald de Barri, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons; 1189

And now perhaps you'd enjoy a view of the very detailed painting by Daniel Maclise (1806--1870), The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife--which, for me, symbolizes the union of my 25th great-grandparents, besides its well-known historical significance:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marriage_of_strongbow_and_aoife.jpg

So Is Astrology Part of the Cosmic Picture?

Yes! Having no exact birth data for either Richard or for Aoife, I consulted their marriage/wedding horoscope (August 25, 1170 at Christ Church Cathedral) and discovered that three or four planets conjunct my own natal planets. But the closest conjunction, the cosmic time link that amazes me most is their marriage's Chiron in early Sagittarius for it conjuncts my natal Chiron. So basically, I might say that yours truly came along during a Chiron Return to the marriage and relationship of my 25th great-grandparents, Richard and Aoife.

And while it's true that Richard de Clare's status as a warrior is legendary, I wish only to post this tribute to him as a great-grandpapa on this, Father's Day 2023 and add, May Richard and Aoife R. I. P. - he perhaps at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland where many folk believe his effigy rests.

Now in closing, here's a 12-minute video presented by the TopTenz channel Facts You Didn't know About the Norman Invasion of Ireland.

Plus, you'll find additional info at Richard "Strongbow" de Clare's find-a-grave listing if you wish!