John de Courcy came to Ireland in 1170 as a young landless adventurer, seeking honour and glory, ready to fight and to conquer. And fight he did, always leading his men from the front in battle after battle. His conquests were limited to the present-day counties of Antrim and Down, but he ruled there as Prince of Ulster and challenged the power of the King. His life reads like a story from the realms of legend, and his eventual destruction at the hands of King John adds poignancy to the tale.