On this day 813 years ago, the term "by Hook or by Crook" was coined in our fair city, or so the story goes. What definitely did happen however was that King John, yes he of Robin Hood fame, landed here on this day in 1210.
In an effort to instill "manners" in the de Lacy family—Walter, the Earl of Meath, and Hugh, the Earl of Ulster—King John sent an army here in 1210. He arrived in Crook, County Waterford, which led to some dispute regarding the expression "by hook or by crook"'s etymology. He visited the prominent Reginald's Tower while here, as it occasionally served as a royal castle, and ordered new coins to be struck there.
According to one legend, John would have made landfall close at Hook Head if he hadn't done so in Crook, and his conquest of Ireland would have happened "by hook or by crook." However, there are countless alternative explanations for the phrase's origin. After a largely successful visit, John no longer found the De Lacys to be a big source of concern.
History has given King John a rather nasty rap. He partly earned it, but he was hardly deserving of the ferocious vilification of coming generations. He is the primary antagonist of the Robin Hood myths, conspiring with the Sheriff of Nottingham to rob common peasants of their means of subsistence. Of course, as the legend of Robin Hood is just that, it's difficult to know if his reputation is warranted but why get in the way of a good story?
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