"So mightily did William Marshal fight……., that never was such a feat seen or heard of from a single knight, finer than the Marshal on that day. The best men praised him mightily." (from the Chanson de Guillaume de Marechal.

Advisor to the Plantagenet Kings, knight extraordinary, and the reputed Flower of Chivalry - William Marshal, from his simple beginnings, grew to tower over his compatriots, both in the corridors of power, and on the battlefield. At the zenith of his career, as Lord of Leinster and Earl of Pembroke - both inherited through his wife - William set about planning an ideal town in his new province, and gave it his name, Villa Willielmi Marescalli, from where we tell out tale.

In the panel, we see, from right to left, the three stages of William's life. As a young man, he became tutor and guide to Henry, heir of Henry II and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine. He had saved Elanor's life when in the employ of his uncle, Earl of Salisbury, for which he was rewarded with - amongst other things - the stewardship of Eleanor's eldest son.

The second stage of his life, shows the tournament champion, the valiant and steadfast knight-errant and the intrepid crusader. His bravery in tackling a difficult horse, in working his way out of tight corners of the battlefield, won him recognition across Europe. However, it was not until he was nearly fifty that a prize worthy of him - the gift in marriage of Isabel, the eighteen year old heiress of Dermot McMurrough - was bestowed by a grateful King Henry II.