Summary
The Normans conquered England in 1066 at the battle of Hastings, and their endeavors in Ireland started a century later.  Many Normans struck west and settled in around Kerry, and Limerick as well as founding cities like Galway.  The Tribes of Galway were mostly of Norman descent, and later became leading families in the history of Ireland, emersing themselves in Irish culture and becoming as many historians have frased, "more Irish than the Irish themselves."  However the impact of the normans can be best seen by their littering of the Irish countryside with castles.  These castles represent for the first time in Irish history, permanent stone fortresses, built with combat and defense in mind.  Two examples of these castles are Shanid and Clonmacnoise.