Could Ireland unify before the English conquest?

OTL Ireland was still a bunch of independant clans/tribes at the time. Could they unify and if so could they resist england much longer?
 
I wrote most of a TL where King Brian Boru united Ireland under his family as a hereditary monarchy. If you're interested I can link it.
 

Crazy Boris

Banned
It’s certainly possible, all you need is to have a high king who’s able to better centralize the island, turning his subject kings into sub-kings of a united Irish realm with himself as the only truly sovereign sovereign.
 
No I don't think so, the geography didn't lend itself to unification and the tanaiste system encouraged fractionalization
 
In Ireland under Brehon law, the King was elected.
The king under Brehon law cannot change the law.
Things can gradually change France under the early Capetians was formally elective. IIRC the last one to be elected was Philip II Augustus, only after him France became officially hereditary.
Of course those kings sought to get their heir elected during their lifetime and often succeeded.
Crowned Holy Roman Emperor could and did try to get their heir elected as king of the Romans during their lifetime.

In short for generations a successful dynasty could make this election a mere formality.
 

Crazy Boris

Banned
Things can gradually change France under the early Capetians was formally elective. IIRC the last one to be elected was Philip II Augustus, only after him France became officially hereditary.
Of course those kings sought to get their heir elected during their lifetime and often succeeded.
Crowned Holy Roman Emperor could and did try to get their heir elected as king of the Romans during their lifetime.

In short for generations a successful dynasty could make this election a mere formality.

Given the power and prestige of the O’Neills, I don’t think it would be too difficult for them to turn the high kingship hereditary, as long as they can keep the other royal families from getting too ambitious.
 
It won’t last before England conquers it. England’s always been in this really good position to dominate the Isle. And everyone else on it hates that.
 
Given the power and prestige of the O’Neills, I don’t think it would be too difficult for them to turn the high kingship hereditary, as long as they can keep the other royal families from getting too ambitious.
How would the High king being hereditary change any thing?
 
Which conquest, the Anglo-Norman or the Tudor?
The Tudors were the more important ones to stop. The normans eventually integrated into Irish society and learn the language and adopted the customs of the Irish and Brehon laws.
 
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