Good Friday 1204 game 2

Game 2 Good Friday 1204; the feud between de Lacy and de Courcy.

"King John commanded Sir Hugh de Lacy to do what he might to apprehend and take Sir John de Courcy, and so devised and conferred with certain of Sir John's own men, how this might be done; and they said it were not possible to take him, since he lived ever in his armour, unless it were a Good Friday and they told that his custom was that on that day he would wear no shield, harness nor weapon, but would be in the church, kneeling at his prayers, after he had gone about the church five times bare-footed. And so they came at him upon the sudden, and he had no shift to make but with the cross pole, and defended himself until it was broken and slew thirteen of them before he was taken..."

The account of de Courcy's capture from the Book of Howth

de Courcy and his men have travelled to Ballyclog Church in Tyrone, intending to trap de Lacy, but the old fox, who has made himself Earl of Ulster, and is compared by some to the Conquerer himself, is aware of their approach.  A battle occurs at the Church, and I will allow a "Risk to the general" on a roll of 1 or 2 because of de Lacy's pious lack of armour this holy Good Friday.

The de Lacy's arrive with a strong cavalry force

They are obviously planning a big charge

De Courcy counters that, but his forces contain many wild Irish

My 15mm dark ages Church getting a rare outing.

De Courcy's bow and spear whittle away at the de Lacy Mounted.

Its a somewhat pyrrhic victory as they dispose of the bow, but the spear stubbornly hold on.

De Lacy charges in his own knights as the spears are routed.  He smashes de Courcy's weakened men, and de Courcy himself is killed.

De Lacy's Irish fight well

And de Courcy's colonist bowmen make a last stand

But its all over.  de Lacy is dead and King John must be furious...