So, I had a really awesome observe game of crusader kings recently, and I have been trying to plausibly recreate some of the key points of this world.
So, what I am looking for right now is this: Is it plausible to have a league of Irish cities/small kingdoms that survives and becomes increasingly dominated by the cities and the mercantile classes (so that it doesn't become a kingdom) with a PoD between 1066 and ~1300? Basically, I'm looking for what can in time develop into an Irish/Celtic republic.
William's invasion fails in this TL by the way, and the Anglo-Saxons hold the throne, but Harold Godwinson dies soon after, in case any of that might be relevant.