The Normans were descended from Vikings who had settled in Northern France and became known as Normans. In 1166, the Norman lord Richard de Clare (Strongbow) agreed to help the King of Leinster, Dermot McMurrough, regain his kingdom by gathering an army of Norman soldiers. Strongbow was promised Dermot's daughter's hand in marriage and that he could become the next King of Leinster. With the Norman army, Dermot was able to retake parts of Ireland, and the Normans introduced new farming techniques, built motte-and-bailey and stone castles for protection, and eventually intermarried with the Irish people.